Unforeseen Circumstances: Renewed

Ch. 4

Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait! I was having trouble finishing this chapter, and a five week long trip to China didn't help! Well, aside from me writing it on paper then having to transcribe it into the text you read. Thank you everyone who's reviewed, given suggestions, etc. You've been helpful! Same with you flamers! Tasty s'mores.

I was lying in the hospital bed, half-awake with my eyes shut, for a few moments before I hear the door open. I open my eyes to see Tia peeking her head in. She smiles when she saw that I was awake and walks in further, three things trailing behind her that I couldn't get a good look at. I look towards the clock on the wall near the door. 6:30. I nod in greeting to her. "What're you doing here?" I ask before she pulls out her pad of paper and the pencil.

"I brought some friends of mine who'd like to meet you." She smiles as I read what she wrote.

"So, the three things behind you are them?" I try to look around her before what look like two low-teen children, one dressed in dark grey and black, the other was white, green, and oddly enough a bright blue. Behind them was a large house-cat sized pokemon with a dark blue horn, an Absol. "So…who are you three?"

"I'm Lily!" The one in grey and black smiles, waving slightly. "That's Kila" She points to the other in white and green. "And she's Midnight." She finally points to the Absol. Kila looks at me, an unsure look in her large, red eyes. I frown slightly.

"Kila's not actually a human, is she?" I look at Tia, then at Lily who taps her fingers across her thumb nervously. Tia looks at the Absol, Midnight, then back at me and shakes her head. She writes something down on her pad again and hands it to me.

"She's a Kirlia that dresses like a Gallade. So, yes, she's not actually human." After I hand Tia back her pad of paper, Midnight jumps up onto the bed next to me, looking at me with a curious look in her eyes. I hold a hand out towards her and she sniffs it.

"Absol?" She mewls and I could hear a tone in her voice that made it sound like a question.

I look at Tia, Lily, and Kila with a slightly confused look. "What'd she ask?"

"She asked if you're ok." Lily smiles.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. If a little confused as to what happened…" I reply, reaching a hand to pet Midnight's head, who shrinks back slightly until I make contact with her soft, white, rather long fur. She lets out a low purr as I begin to stroke her head softly. Lily moves to climb onto the bed and I catch a glimpse of something. '…Does she have a tail?' My eyes widen "Lily…Are you really a human?"

"Hmm?" Lily looks at me, turning so that what I saw disappeared from view. "Yes, I'm human, why?"

"Uh, well…it looked like you had a tail for a moment there." I say apologetically.

"Oh." She laughs "No, just a shirt bob." She smiles and I nod.

"Alright." I smile at my mistake and laugh slightly as well, still petting Midnight's head. I look towards the Absol. "You've got soft fur, Midnight." I smile, before sliding my hand down to scratch her chin and earning a stronger purr.

"Soooooool~" She purrs, closing her pretty red eyes. Tia giggles and writes something down on her paper before handing it to me.

"She's liking your petting and scratching." The paper read and I chuckle.

"I can tell from how she's acting." I tell Tia, handing the pad back to her. "So I should be out of here within the next 30 somethin' hours?" She nods. "Alright. I can probably find something to entertain myself until then." I laugh "Since you guys probably can't stay here the whole time."

"But I want to." Lily pouts before Midnight turns around and away from my petting and scratching to speak to her, quite the scolding tone in her voice.

"Sol Absol ab sol sol ab." Lily cowers slightly and her blue eyes look down.

"Yes Midnight…" She murmurs.

'Ok, Lily understands pokemon speech, pokespeech, pokespeak, whatever-the-term-is? Lucky girl.' I think to myself, watching the two of them during the small exchange. "What's that about?" I ask and Lily looks towards me.

"Midnight's kind of like my aunt I guess." Lily replies "So I have to listen to her while Mom's not home."

"Ahh, ok. Close friends with your parents, I get that." I smile before noticing Kila looking at my computer. "Is that interesting you, Kila?"

"Not really, I've just seen similar things in this human nest." A female, adult-ish voice echoes softly in my head. I raise an eyebrow her way. She gives me a 'what are you going to do about it?' look in return. Or at least, that's what it looks like to me. We spent about two more hours together before Tia had to get Lily, Kila, and Midnight back home.

I spent the rest of that time still in bed, once Nurse Joy deemed me fine to move from the hospital portion into a spare room in the actual Pokemon Center, Tia helped me move my stuff. The next morning she came in again, carrying a box that she handed to a couple of chancy that came over to help. I was eating breakfast in the Pokemon Center's dining area, Oran berry muffins and legit bacon is quite tasty. She looked around for a bit, then smiled as she saw me and walked over, pulling out her pad of paper. "Morning, sleep well?" The paper read when she handed it to me. I nod.

"Yes, but my arm being busted is annoying as heck. Never quite realized all the things you need two arms for." I reply as I hand her back the pad.

"How's breakfast?" Is the next written question.

"Much tastier than I expected." I smile in reply, she smiles back. "Care to show me around the…city, I'm guessing, later?" I ask Tia she nods and quickly writes down something.

"Felix gave me the day off after I delivered a package to the Pokemon Center." She giggles as I read the paper. I can't help but let out a small grin as I would be spending the rest of the day, probably, with a rather cute girl around my age. She writes something else on the pad. "You're 14 correct?" I nod.

"Yes, you?" I ask and she taps the pencil to her lips for a moment, then writes some more.

"I'll be turning 15 in a few months." I read what she wrote.

"That's awesome!" I smile, finishing my food and get out of my chair. "Since you know the area, you take the lead." I chuckle, motioning for Tia to go first. Tia gives me a smile before heading for the Pokecenter's main door out. I follow her out, taking notice of a map-sign-thing nearby, which we were heading to. 'The Zhorian Region?' I think to myself, looking over my shoulder back at the Pokecenter. 'Must be a semi-unknown region then.' The Pokecenter's shape reminded me of quite a few oriental pagodas and such things. Heck, even the region's shape was kind of like if you rotated China and Japan so Japan was to the southwest. "So this place is called the Zhorian Region?" I ask Tia. She looks back at me and nods. "What sort of place is it?" She gives me a thumbs up in reply. I smile. "Alright, I'll take your word for it!" She giggles and I sped up to walk more alongside her down the softly tree lined street and sidewalk towards the main part of the city. As we near the every growing skyscrapers, Tia pulls out her pad and pencil.

"On the opposite side of the city are the docks and harbors for all sorts of watercraft. It's surprisingly calming to just sit down in a spot where you can see all of it and just watch the boats and things going in and out." She wrote down and showed me.

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow. Tia nods then writes some more.

"Yes. This whole city is quite peaceful too. Relatively little crime for a city." She smiles as I read.

"Guess I'll like it here then." I chuckle, smiling back at her. Tia nods again. "I need to get more clothes, but I don't have any money." I say apologetically and with slight embarrassment after a few more minutes of walking. Tia quickly writes stuff down.

"Don't worry Jason. Felix probably wouldn't mind paying for some clothes and things as long as you pay him back as soon as you can." I nod slowly as I read it.

"I can also probably do some work for him?" I shrug. She shrugs as well a 'probably' look on her face. "So, uh, where to in this city?" I ask Tia, who smiles again and turns a corner. Soon she stops in front of a cozy looking restaurant. 'Freddy's Breakfast Blends' was the name.

"I haven't eaten yet." She writes down, letting out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh." I try not to let a grin cross my face as she rolls her eyes and walks into the building with me following and still chuckling to myself. There was a college age looking dude at the counter, who waves as we walk in.

"Want your usual, Tia?" He grins. Tia nods, smiling back at him.

'Guess she's a regular here.' I think to myself, chuckling a little. She looks at me with a 'what's so funny?' look on her face. I wave my hand as the man speaks again.

"One Pecha-Oran berry muffin with Cheri berry juice coming up!" he laughs as Tia hands him what I guess is a coupon. He went into the back of the kitchen after putting the coupon away and handing Tia a number. Tia headed to a booth and gestured for me to sit down first. I slid in and she sat down next to me. "So, who's that dude? Your boyfriend?" I joke and she rolls her eyes, a slight smile on her face.

"Nah, Tia's my little sister." The guy suddenly speaks up. He got the food quickly. "My name's Luke, by the way. Heard that you took a fall?" Luke says, setting the food down in front of Tia. He was dressed in just about all blue with a similar white triangle on his chest and red streaks on his shorts.

"Yeah, so I've been told. I don't remember much of it though. Probably a good thing." I reply as Tia starts eating. Luke waved goodbye as he got up and headed back to the counter as the bell rang, more people were coming in. As well as some pokemon, oddly enough.

Again, thank you all who have reviewed! Reviewer call outs for constructive feedback: Wolfsthrope Von Schlieffen.