Chapter 34 - Home

Roxy stood on the prow of the cruise ship, looking out at the seemingly endless expanse of ocean that surrounded her. The sea breeze was cool but not chilly, the sun was bright but filtered by clouds, and the smells of the ocean were nearly intoxicating. She wore the biggest smile. Roxy was having the time of her life.

She had never been on a cruise before, but had always wondered what it would be like. So far, she was enjoying the experience. The ship was very large, offering an infinite number of places to explore. The other Pokémon passengers on board were all quite friendly, and Roxy had shared a truncated version of her adventure to many of them. There were entertaining shows, performed by both humans and Pokémon, and lots of fun activities that she took part in.

The biggest and most amazing discovery had been the food. Roxy had been astonished to discover that the cruise ship offered an all-you-can-eat buffet to its Pokémon passengers! All any Pokémon had to do was walk in, point at what they wanted, and they got it! No-one even bothered to check that she was a real passenger, since many of the Pokémon were visiting the buffet without their owners.

Roxy had nearly eaten Leppas until she exploded.

It had been five days since the ship had left Castelia, and Roxy had heard that it would still be another day or two before they reached Vermillion. The sun was setting, casting a wonderful orange glow across the expansive sea. At the end of each day, this one included, the only thing that truly mattered was where this ship was taking her.

Home.

Home at last.

This could have been a dirty prison boat filled with insane convicts and she wouldn't have cared, so long as it was taking her home.

She stood there for another hour, watching as the sun slowly disappeared and was replaced by the stars in the sky. She felt like she could see the imaginary number getting smaller and smaller, counting the number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds that were left until she reunited with her master.

Once the sun had truly disappeared and the temperature started to drop, she decided to retreat indoors. Unfortunately, the only real downside to their voyage was finding a good place to sleep. Most passengers slept in their assigned rooms, and obviously Roxy didn't have one of those. She didn't want to just sleep on the deck either, because that would just arouse suspicion.

Roxy entered through the small doorway designed for smaller Pokémon and entered the inner hallways of the ship. She made her way down many carpeted halls, passing by the rooms of other passengers and other such amenities. She gave a friendly wave to other humans and Pokémon she passed by along the way, until eventually she reached her destination.

Before her stood the door to one of the ship's storage rooms. While exploring, she had discovered that the lock on the door didn't work properly and she could nudge it open. There wasn't much being stored inside, meaning that few people would visit this room aside from when the ship was in port, making it the perfect place to hide out.

So, when she was sure no-one was looking, Roxy quickly jimmied the door open and slipped inside. It was somewhat dark inside, but there were a few portholes offering a miniscule amount of natural light. Roxy manoeuvred her way past the boxes and other assorted things until she found the little hideaway where she had been spending the nights.

As she climbed over the box that concealed this small hidden spot, she saw the collection of blankets that had been procured from elsewhere in the room. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but it was better than lying on the cold metal floor. Presently, the blankets were all bunched up and forming a medium-sized pile in the corner.

"Taka~" she called out in a gentle voice and made her way over to the blanket pile. She reached out a paw and gently shook it.

"Urrrrghhhhh…" the blanket pile responded.

"Are you okay?"

"You know the answer…" the blankets replied grumpily.

Roxy put on a sympathetic look and gently reached down to remove the blankets. Hidden underneath them was Taka, who was curled up and lying on his side with a grimace on his face. He looked quite pale and even a little green around his cheeks.

Unlike her, Taka was not handling the sea voyage very well. It had taken less than an hour on the ocean for him to get horribly seasick. He had managed to stomach a few short hours on the deck, but since then he had spent the entire trip curled up in the storage room and throwing up into the bucket that she was trying her best to avoid eye contact with.

She really felt bad seeing him like this, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it. She should have expected it, considering the most seafaring Taka had ever done before this was bathing in a river, but then again she hadn't expected him to join her on board at all. Roxy's master's father had a small boat that the family sometimes took out on lakes or short trips on the ocean, so she had her 'sea-legs'.

Roxy carefully reached over with her paw and slowly stroked his back, doing what little she could to help ease his discomfort. She knew what he was going through. While she didn't really get seasick, she did sometimes get carsick.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked him.

"No…" he grumbled in a voice that sounded like death. It was quite jarring to hear and see Taka in an incapacitated state like this.

"Are you sure?"

"Just tell me when this torture will end…"

She smiled regrettably and sighed. "We're more than three quarters of the way there. It's almost over."

"Urrghhhhhh…"

She rubbed his back some more. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"This is the most challenging thing I have ever endured in my life…"

Roxy paused for a moment, thinking about Taka's wild past as a warrior of the Thunder Clan. She was about to call him out on his hyperbole, but the more she thought about it the more she was inclined to agree with him. Taka had faced down predators ten times his size, and he had done it countless times to the point where it was easy for him. This was something new, something difficult, and something that could not be overcome.

"Well…" she said, "I guess we're both really looking forward to the end of this boat ride."

"Or death, whichever comes sooner…"

"Oh shush, Taka. I said we're almost there. Trust me, you'll feel completely better once your paws touch the ground again."

As she continued to rub his back, Roxy stared off into the distance as thoughts of home began to fill her mind. She too couldn't wait to set her paws upon the ground. It would be home, truly home. Familiar ground that she had tread before. She was so excited, but she felt like she had burned through all of her excitement. Instead, she just felt a strong yearning and an eager expectation of what the near future would bring.

She couldn't wait to see the look on her master's face.

Of course, assuming her master was okay.

A frown quickly spread across her face and she suppressed a shiver. Immediately she got to work pushing those negative thoughts out of her head. The truth was, she still had no idea what had happened to her or why she had ended up in the forest in the first place. She wanted to imagine that her master made it to Kalos just fine without her, but she truly didn't know. There were some scenarios that she could easily imagine where trouble would have struck the both of them.

But, Roxy shook her head. She knew she couldn't start thinking like that. Until she saw proof that something bad had happened, she had to assume the opposite. It was better than panicking over a thousand possibilities.

"Are you sure you don't want me to get you a Pomeg?" she asked, recalling his favourite fruit.

"Do not mention food around me right now…"

Roxy grimaced. "Sorry."

"Living, land-dwelling creatures were not meant to spend this much time on the water."

"Oh, stop your complaining," Roxy scolded him jokingly, "Human ingenuity is what is letting me get home at all, or I'd be trapped in Unova. If humans had to be known by only one thing, that would be their ability to create… Hey! I should show you the Vermillion Gym some time. It's got this cool electric puzzle that trainers have to solve!"

Taka didn't reply to that, or at least not at first. After a couple of minutes, she saw Taka slowly lift himself up and rise to a sitting position. His seasickness still made him look beyond intoxicated, but he was at least able to sit up on his own.

"Are you going straight home after this boat arrives?" he asked her.

"Huh? Yeah, of course! I can't get home fast enough!"

"Mm…" Taka slowly glanced away, and for a moment stared off at nothing.

"What?" Roxy asked, tilting her head.

He looked at her once more. "So, when exactly were you planning to show me this gym?"

Roxy furrowed her brow, at first not understanding the question. "…Oh," she said a moment later as her ears drooped, "Uhh…I dunno…"

"When you think about your future back home…you are picturing myself in it?"

"I…Sorta, not really… I dunno, it was just a random thought," she mumbled, "You never really told me what you plan to do after you get off the boat, so I don't really know if…" She bit her lip and stayed silent for a moment.

"I do not have…plans to come and live with you, Roxy," Taka stated flatly.

Roxy sighed softly. "Yeah, I know. I never thought you would. I thought maybe you might stick around for a few more days or something, or stay in the city for a bit…" She then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Whatever you want to do is fine, Taka. It's your choice. I know you want to explore."

"Mm…"

"But, just…" Roxy leaned in a little closer to him. "If you do go off exploring Kanto and whatever…could you promise to come and see me again once in a while? If we're on the same continent at least, then, y'know…"

Taka looked at her in silence for a moment. Even through the sickness that clouded his eyes, Roxy could still see the calm, collected, somewhat wise eyes of Taka the warrior. It was the truth; she had never once imagined Taka coming to live with her. He was a wild Pokémon warrior that thrived on adventure. The idea was laughable.

"I think that is agreeable," he said with a nod.

Roxy smiled. "Thanks."

"Mhm."

After a minute of silence, Roxy spoke up again. "I, uh…do encourage you to at least check out Vermillion before running off. We've got a lot of cool stuff there!"

She turned and gave Taka a hopeful smile, but it faded when she saw that Taka just had this glowering look on his face.

"What?" she asked, "You don't have to. It's just a suggestion."

"No, no…" Taka said dismissively, but in a weird voice, "I am…"

"You're what?"

"I'm going to throw up again…"


"Taka! Taka, Taka, Taka! Wake up!"

"Mnnghhh…"

Roxy was jumping up and down next to Taka, who was sleeping under his pile of blankets. She was bouncing around so much, one might have thought she was made out of rubber. Taka groaned at having been awakened, and then sat up.

"What…?" he murmured grumpily, rubbing one of his eyes with his paw. It seemed like Taka was finally starting to get his seasickness under control, to the point where he wasn't throwing up every couple of hours, but being on the boat still left him looking rather queasy.

"Taka, come on! Get up!" she practically squealed, reaching down to grab his paw and pull him up.

"What? Stop it," he said indignantly, wrenching his paw free from her grasp, "What's going on with you…?"

Roxy, meanwhile, couldn't sit still. It felt like she was filled from ears to tail with fizzy soda pop. She could barely breathe properly with how excited she was. "Come on, Taka! You gotta come up on the deck and see!"

"See what…?"

This wasn't moving fast enough, so Roxy reached down for his paw again and this time succeeded in dragging him up onto his hind paws. To his credit, he only swayed a little bit.

"We're here!"

Taka blinked, and it took a moment for the news to breach his intoxicated mind. "…Here? We have…arrived?"

"Yes!" Roxy exclaimed.

"…This horrible ocean journey is over?"

"Yes! Come on! Come look!"

It took some pushing and prodding to get Taka to move his tired body, but he eventually relented and allowed her to lead him out of the storage room and up onto the deck. As they stepped out of the door to the deck itself, Taka initially flinched from the bright light and the strong wind. Though it drove her insane to do so, Roxy stood for a few minutes with him so he could get used to it. Eventually, he actually started to look better, perhaps because of the fresh air or the scent of the sea. Roxy then wasted no time in leading him directly to the front of the vessel.

They made their way to the passenger deck that extended just above and behind the bow, the furthest forward that passengers were permitted to go. Below them, the pointed front of the ship was cutting through the waves effortlessly, taking them to their destination. Looking up at the horizon, both Pikachu could see that destination was now visible in the distance.

Vermillion City had never before looked so beautiful to Roxy's eyes. She was already crying.

"That is your home?" Taka asked from beside her.

Roxy sniffled, suddenly feeling emotionally overwhelmed. "Uh huh…!"

Even though there was still quite a bit of ocean separating them from the city, Roxy felt like she could reach out and touch it. She had spent her whole life among those buildings, and now hadn't seen them for six long months. Every building, no matter how nondescript it actually was, looked like an amazing spectacle to her.

"You made it home, Roxy," Taka commented, "Congratulations."

"It…doesn't feel real. Pinch me. I might be dreaming…"

"No, this is no dream, Roxy. Look upon that city in the distance, and view it as your greatest accomplishment. Even after exiting the forest and seeing that the distance was so much greater than you had imagined, you still made this happen." After a pause, he added, "I am proud of you."

Any other time, Roxy would have been quite pleasantly surprised to hear such praise from Taka. Now, however, all she could think about was how close she was to home soil. How little time remained before she could truly be home again.

"Master…" she whispered.

"Where precisely do you live?" Taka asked, "In one of those really tall buildings?"

Roxy giggled a little. "No, those are for businesses. I live right up there." She pointed with her paw, though it didn't accomplish much for how far the city was in the distance. "Right up there on the hill."

"I see. I will accompany you while you return to your home."

Roxy turned and gave him a surprised look.

"It would do no good for you to come this far only for something to happen to you when you are so close to the end, hm?"

"Ah, um…Yeah. I don't think anything will happen, though. I've walked these streets for years. I could probably get home blindfolded." She gave him a pleasant smile and added, "Thanks, though. I'd love to have you join me."

"I am not going to approach your dwelling, however. I have no desire for your human family to catch sight of me."

Roxy frowned at him. "Aww, really? Are you sure? I want to-"

"No," Taka interjected, "Quite sure."

She pouted for a moment, but found she simply couldn't stay upset for very long. Too many happy and excited emotions were welling up within her, and she soon found that she had already spent too much time looking away from the approaching city.

It was still there on the horizon when she looked again, slightly closer now.

Over the course of this crazy adventure, Roxy had encountered many things that had made her heart race like crazy. Most, though not all, were frightening memories of something horrifying that had happened to her. The way she felt now was similar, but she found it hard to describe all the same. Her life had changed so much and she had been thrown so many curveballs, that it had felt for a while like the universe wasn't going to allow her to return to her normal life.

Yet, there it was. Growing closer every second. Roxy would have happily jumped into the cold water and pushed the boat if it would have meant getting there faster.

"Taka?" she spoke up, "Thanks again for everything you've done for me."

"I appreciate your gratitude, but there is no need for any of that."

"You told me that you indebted yourself to me for saving your life twice, but that's just silly compared to just how much I owe to you. I will never be able to repay your kindness and your help."

She caught a glimpse of him shaking his head. "That is why you will not. There is no need."

Roxy just sighed softly and smiled at him. "You're a good friend, Taka."

"You as well, Roxy."

As the two lapsed into silence once more, Roxy found herself reflecting on the incredible journey she had gone through. Once her Poké Ball had deposited her in that forest, she had thought her life was over forever. It had felt like all but her beating heart had been taken away from her all at once, never to return. A brief spark of hope was all that had remained, and that had been the only thing that kept her safe from the predators.

When that Zangoose, Kazaka, had cornered her and she thought that it was all over, Taka and Makari both appeared as if from the heavens above. Her life had been rescued from the bottom of the depths and, with the help of not only them but the entire Thunder Clan, had slowly been pulled back up to the light.

What a ride it had been becoming a part of the Thunder Clan. She had the physical marks on her body to prove to the world what she had gone through. Yet, she still wore both her collar and her master's flower, the ties to her true home that had never been broken.

From day one in that forest, Roxy had wanted nothing more than to get out and go home. No matter how nice the Thunder Clan had been in rescuing her, she had wanted nothing to do with them. Time went on, though, and fate kept her tethered to the tribe. In the end it turned out to have been a pleasant stay, for the most part anyway, and saying goodbye had been so much harder than she had imagined.

Despite the nightmare that it was, so many wonderful things did in fact happen in that forest.

She had fallen in love…

Now, though it pained her in some ways, that was all behind her. She highly doubted she would ever return to the forest or see any of them again, so that chapter of her life was truly closed off for good. That was okay, though, because the memories would stay with her forever. Good and bad, they would always be a part of her from now on.

Now, though?

Now it was time to go home…


"It still doesn't feel real…"

Taka chuckled dryly. "Believe it."

"We…used to come to this park all the time," Roxy murmured, "We had picnics here…"

As soon as the cruise ship had docked, and the two Pikachu had made a sneaky escape down one of the mooring lines, Roxy's innermost desires had told her to run home as fast as she could. Her experience, however, told her that until she was home she still needed to be cautious. Instead, she and Taka had set off at a brisk but comfortable walk through the city, with Roxy leading the way.

Taka had expressed a silent interest in the city, particularly the business and industrial part that they had crossed through to reach the residential area. As they started climbing the gentle grade, leading up to the street that Roxy called home, the city air around them slowly grew quieter and quieter.

Roxy couldn't help but be excited, but she did her best to contain herself. She knew she would see her master again soon, but she was also acting as a tour guide for her own city. It made her feel strangely proud to show off Vermillion City to the curious Taka.

"Ahh, I can't wait!" Roxy quietly squealed as she did a little hop of joy, "I can't wait to see master~!"

Having left downtown Vermillion behind, the two were now walking through one of the city's quiet parks. Roxy was walking along a paved trail leading through it, which was surrounded on both sides by flowering bushes, while Taka walked next to her balanced on the path's curb. They were approaching a place where an open grassy area opened up on the right, before leading to a short path through the woods to the other side of the park. From there it was only a hop, skip and a jump away from Roxy's neighbourhood.

"Whaddaya think so far?" Roxy asked to her companion.

"It is…interesting," Taka answered as he glanced around, "I have always been somewhat intrigued by 'parks'. With all they change and create, humans also set aside areas where they touch very little."

"Oh yeah, parks are great! They're a great way to relax, unwind, or get some exercise!"

Roxy glanced up at Taka, still snickering at the way he chose to walk up on the curb like that. He was also still wearing the collar, and even Roxy had to admit that it did look a little strange on him. She silently hoped that he would have the foresight to keep it with him, even if he did not wear it all the time. Roxy had never given much thought to the capture of wild Pokémon before, but imagining Taka being captured by a trainer just sent shivers down her spine.

It made her so thankful for the special relationship she shared with her master.

A young human couple came strolling down the trail and walked past them, the girl glancing down at Roxy and remarking how cute she looked. Roxy smiled at the compliment, but she also noticed Taka tense up and briefly stop walking as the couple passed.

Once they had gone and he resumed walking, Roxy frowned at him. "Taka? Do you think you'll ever be able to trust humans?"

Taka didn't look at her and grimaced in response. "I have no answer for that."

"Sorry," Roxy said, feeling a jab in her heart at her own insensitivity, "I didn't mean to upset you. You're probably right that humans as a whole are not very trustworthy, but…Well, I mean, they're not all out to get you, y'know?"

"Mm…"

"I mean…I guess it's sort of like running through the woods. You meet friendly Pokémon, and you meet predators. With humans it's the same, only you can't tell just from looking at them. It's like a challenge, and I know you like a challenge…Right?"

Taka just gave her an odd look.

"Never mind," Roxy sighed.

"No, I think your analogy is apt. I suppose that I have just always…erred on the side of caution with predators."

"You just need to get to know some really nice ones." Like my master, her mind added, and suddenly her bright and cheery mood was back. The pep returned to her step as she continued along the path, reaching the part with the open grassy area on the side.

"Do you know where to go after this?"

"Uh huh!" Roxy nodded. "Taka, I know this whole place like the back of my paw. I'm honestly surprised I haven't run into anyone I know yet. Lots of our friends and neighbours visit this park."

"Is that so? The park seems rather quiet right now…"

"Well, it's not the weekend, and it's the middle of the workday, so…"

"It is probably for the better, anyway."

"There's a few people here, though," Roxy said, seeing a couple of humans and a few Pokémon on the grass.

Taka shrugged as he continued to walk. "I must admit it was strange seeing an…image of a Pikachu above that gym we passed, and it was so very large. It is like looking at a strange, gigantic reflection up in the sky… You mentioned there was a powerful Raichu who lived there?"

He then stopped and turned around when he realized that Roxy was no longer walking next to him. "Roxy?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

She wasn't looking at him. She wasn't even listening at him. In fact, she was barely breathing. She had come to a complete stop, as her hind paws had stopped working properly, and was now standing there on the path staring. A numb sort of feeling came over her as her eyes focused intently on one particular area of this small park.

There she was. Sitting right there on a park bench reading a book. She was right there.

Her master…

"Roxy?" Taka spoke up again, returning to her and waving a paw in front of her face, "Are you okay?"

She barely registered that he was even there. Her heart was caught in her throat as a churning mix of emotions swirled around inside of her. She was pretty sure that she was quivering and simply couldn't get a full breath in. She blinked multiple times, if only to prove to herself that what she was seeing was really there.

Taka stepped up next to her and looked in the same direction as her. After a short pause, he turned to her and asked, "Is that her?"

Roxy just numbly nodded.

Once more, Taka glanced in the direction of the bench and then looked back at her. She was barely able to catch the small smirk that appeared on his lips.

"So go to her," he said, "What are you waiting for?"

Those last five words were what finally chiselled through to her malfunctioning brain, where they reverberated as if shouted through a megaphone. What are you waiting for? What was she waiting for? Her master was there.

Her master was there!

As if a fuse had been lit, a sudden surge of energy flowed through the little Pikachu, bringing with it the biggest smile she had ever worn in her whole life. She started to run forwards, and then ran faster. When that wasn't making her move quickly enough, she ran even faster. Tears streamed from her eyes as she was soon running full tilt across the damp grass towards the park bench. As she ran, she opened her mouth and let out a wonderful, joyful cry.

"MASTER!"

The young woman glanced up from her book, a slightly puzzled look on her face. She glanced around a bit in confusion.

Roxy just continued to run. The relatively short distance between her and that bench was not very long, but to her it felt like the longest sprint of her entire life. She didn't let it stop her, though. Her heart hammered as her paws barely touched the grass.

"MASTER!"

Finally, the girl turned towards the sound of her voice and the two made eye contact. A mystified sort of look clouded over the young human's eyes for a moment as her jaw slowly dropped. The book slipped from her hands and tumbled to the ground below, forgotten. She too blinked a couple of times, and then her eyes slowly grew wide.

"…Roxy?"

"Master, I'm here! I'm here!"

"Is it…really you…?" her master asked in disbelief, speaking in her own language, and holding a hand up to her heart.

Once she was finally close enough, Roxy leapt high off the ground and dove directly towards the young girl. "Master!" she exclaimed, tears streaming from her eyes as time seemed to slow down for a brief moment.

She was caught in her master's arms and immediately swept into a tight hug, which Roxy was very eager to return. From that first moment that the two made contact, and when she felt those loving arms holding her tight, she knew that this was real. This was truly happening. She had made it home. She had found her master.

"Roxy!" her master exclaimed in both disbelief and joy. She squeezed the Pikachu even tighter and held her close enough that Roxy could feel the human's familiar body heat. Wet spots appeared on her neck and she realized that her master was crying too.

Roxy buried her muzzle into the crook of her master's neck and held tight with her paws, genuinely afraid that, if she let go, then her master would be taken away again. She held herself so tightly to the human as if she were holding onto a cliff for dear life. Even this tight, warming embrace was not close enough. Roxy wanted to hold on like this forever.

She wasn't sure how long the two of them sat there hugging each other in emotional silence. Roxy had never felt a sense of relief like this ever before. It was so powerful that it hurt, and all she could do was let it out through her tears of joy. She was shaking again, but that was okay. Her master was shivering too.

Then, her master brought her hand up and rested it on the back of Roxy's neck, gently petting her fur. With it came that long sought-after sense of safety, security and care. Already, in the blink of an eye, all of her worries were gone. Everything was okay now, because she had finally found her master. Everything was perfect.

Roxy finally pushed back from the hug once her lungs demanded a full breath of air, though she was reluctant to do so. She still remained in the cradle of her master's arms, and gazed up at the young girl's face with a quivering lip and a smile that reached both of her ears.

"Oh my gosh…! Roxy, is it really you?!" her master babbled, "I…I can't believe this! It's impossible! It's…Oh, Roxy! Sweetie!"

"Master! I missed you so much!"

"I…I…I really hope this isn't a dream. Not this time, please…!"

Roxy shook her head and beamed. "It's really me, master! I'm here! I'm home!"

Her master leaned forward and gave Roxy another tight hug, though this one only lasted a few seconds. Roxy enjoyed every little moment of it nonetheless.

"Roxy! Oh my gosh, it's really you! You're here! I…We thought we'd lost you forever! We thought we'd never see you again! Oh, Roxy, I'm so happy to see you, sweetie!"

It only made Roxy even happier than she already was to see the joyful look on her master's face. She had known how much her master had been missing her over the months, but it was another thing altogether to see it. "Master…" she whispered, her voice quivering. "I'm sorry…!"

A sense of guilt was starting to creep up on her. She felt really bad for making her master so sad by being away, even if it wasn't her fault at all. It hurt for a few moments, but soon she couldn't help but smile again. There were simply too many happy emotions that wanted to come bursting out.

"Roxy, what…what happened to you?! This is incredible…"

"I'm here now, master. I came such a long way, but I'm here…!"

"What happened to you? Where did you go? What's this stuff all over your-?" Her master then let out a sharp gasp of shock. "Omigod! Roxy, what happened to your tail?!"

Roxy cast a glance behind at her mangled tail, but even the sight of that wasn't enough to erase her smile.

"Oh you poor thing…" her master cooed, "The pretty little heart is gone…"

Shaking her head, Roxy placed her paws on her master's hands and looked her in the eye. "I don't care, master! It doesn't matter!"

Her master glanced down at her for a moment, and then said, "…I guess you're right. It could've been a lot worse. I'm just so glad you made it back!"

And with that, Roxy was swept up into another quick but loving hug. She felt like she would never get tired of them.

"I saw you running up to me…I wasn't sure at first, because it seemed so impossible, but when I saw the collar and the flower, I knew it was you for sure!" Her master pet her on the head, and she could feel her smiling. "You're still wearing them! After all this time out there…"

When the hug ended and Roxy was placed upon her master's lap, she gazed up at the young girl with a perturbed look. "Master…" she spoke in a soft voice, "What happened to me? I still don't know…"

"Oh, sweetie…I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry!"

Roxy tilted her head, confused as to what her master could possibly be apologizing for.

"We never should have made you go into your Poké Ball for that flight. We knew you were worried, and truth be told we were worried too. Daddy and I were talking about trying to get you approved to sit in the cabin somehow, but the idea never really got rolling, and…" She bit her lip. "If we hadn't…then this wouldn't have…"

"Master…" Roxy put her paw on her master's hand again in a comforting gesture, and smiled up at her. "It's okay, master. It wasn't your fault, right? I don't blame you for anything."

She then sighed. "We landed in Kalos and went to the desk to pick you up, but they told us your Ball was missing. I couldn't believe it. I was devastated. Daddy was angry! We stayed at that desk for hours trying to figure out what had happened to you, but no-one there knew what was going on. Eventually we bit the bullet and flew right back to the Saffron Airport.

"Eventually we…sort of figured it out. It was really just a theory, I think. The staff there said that, based on the circumstances and such, your Ball might have gotten mixed in with a shipment of empty Poké Balls that were on a different flight."

Roxy shivered as she imagined herself, trapped in that little ball, getting mixed in with thousands of completely identical Poké Balls in a huge container.

"We were like, 'Great. Just tell us where it went and stop the shipment, or whatever, and we'll get you back,' but… They said that shipment was going to be split up and sent to all sorts of really remote places. Y'know, places deep in the jungle or on top of mountains, where it's hard to get Poké Balls. By the time we figured out what might've happened to you, the shipment was already separated and on its way…"

A dark, pained look crossed over her master's eyes and she turned away as two tears rolled down her cheeks. "Basically, you could have been anywhere"

A strange feeling overcame the Pikachu. A weird, uncomfortable kind of relief upon finally learning what had happened to her. Her master's story had been frightening, and she could only imagine how helpless she and her father had felt.

However, that still didn't explain how she ended up in the middle of the forest with a broken Poké Ball. Roxy had a feeling, though, that no-one would be able to shed any light on that part of her adventure.

"We contacted all of the towns that were receiving the shipment, but none of them had found you…After that, there wasn't anything left to do. You were just…gone." More tears stated to run down her master's cheeks. "I cried myself to sleep every night for a whole month. I love you so much, Roxy, and I missed you so bad!"

"I love you too, master…!"

"You were gone for so long, Roxy! How long has it been? Like five or six months? What in the world happened to you?"

Roxy smiled up at her master, just grateful to be in her presence once more. She wanted to speak up and tell her all of the wild and crazy things she had gone through, but she didn't because she knew it would mostly be a waste of time. Roxy knew it was a lot easier for her to understand her master's language than the other way around.

"Were you in Kanto somewhere? Or Johto?"

Roxy shook her head.

"Were you even on this continent?"

She shook her head again.

Her master's eyes grew wide. "You mean, you crossed the ocean to get home?"

Roxy grinned and nodded proudly.

"Oh my gosh…Roxy, that's incredible! I can hardly believe it! You traveled all the way across the world just to get back to me…"

"Of course I did, master!" Roxy perked up, "I would have gone double, triple or ten times that distance to get back to you! I missed you so much! Every day without you hurt so much!"

"That's amazing, Roxy. Simply amazing." She then glanced down at the green markings on Roxy's fur once more. "What are these things on you, Roxy? They look like…something Aboriginal." Her master studied her for a moment, during which Roxy proudly stood tall. "Did you end up in the wilderness somewhere…?"

Roxy nodded. "These are my Marks!" she said, though she knew it probably went right over the young girl's head. This part of her story, though very important to her, might have to wait until she could draw a picture.

Her master gasped after she nodded. "You ended up in the wilderness, with wild Pokémon?" When Roxy nodded again, she reached down and gently pet her on the back. "Oh Roxy, that must have been so scary. Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this…But, you're here now. And you're in…mostly one piece, so you must have managed to survive out there all on your own."

At the mention of her tail, Roxy glanced back at it again and ended up chuckling. Somehow, it didn't even make her upset anymore. In some strange way, it was just another one of her marks. A sign of what she had gone through, and what she had triumphed over.

She squeaked in surprise when her master reached down and picked her up for another warm hug, which Roxy eagerly reciprocated. She had always loved her master's hugs, but now they felt better than ever. As corny as it sounded, Roxy felt like she was being wrapped up in love. The love she shared with her master, and that her master shared with her.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie," her master whispered in her ear, "I promise I'll never let you get lost ever again…"

"I love you, master…"

When they separated from the hug, Roxy remained cradled in her arms. Her cheeks were damp with tears now, but she didn't care. She had never felt this warm and happy inside in her whole life. She felt like she could be content resting in the arms of her master forever.

"How did you do it, Roxy?" her master asked, "You've never had any Pokémon training, but you survived in the wilderness and made it all the way home!"

Roxy's ears perked up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I didn't do it alone, master! I had lots of help!" Then, in spite of her mindset not two seconds ago, she squirmed until her master let her go and she dashed over to the edge of the bench. She stood up with her front paws resting on the hand-rest of the bench, and scanned the park.

"Taka!" she shouted, "Taka?" Her eyes first went to the spot where she had first spotted her master, but Taka wasn't there anymore. She gazed around the area, but still couldn't see him. "Taka?!"

"What're you doing, Roxy?"

"Taka, come on! Come out! I want you to meet my master!" Roxy continued to call, "I want her to know the reason I'm still standing here! Where did you go?" She ended up turning all the way around, taking in a full 360-degree view of the park, but Taka was nowhere to be seen.

"…Please?" Her heart sank a little as she wondered if Taka had already left. He had finished his 'duty' by returning her to her master, so he could have decided to just head off on his own adventures. Roxy frowned, hoping that wasn't true. Even if Taka wanted to run off so quickly, he could have at least said goodbye…

"Roxy, are you looking for someone…?"

The Pikachu sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. "Never mind…" she murmured. Of course things would turn out this way. Roxy knew she was cursed to have every positive moment of her life tainted by something negative in some way. It had been like that ever since she had woken up in the forest. It was just the way life had decided to treat her.

"Well…So long, Taka…"

Roxy then started to turn around and head back to her master, looking for more warm hugs. Right as she was turning her head, though, she just barely caught sight of something that made her pause. She leaned forward on the hand-rest once more and squinted, trying to focus on what she had seen. Had she imagined it?

"Ah! Taka!" she exclaimed, "There you are!"

She could just barely see a few patches of yellow hidden in the bushes at the edge of the grassy area. The green paint on his fur helped him blend in alarmingly well, so much so that Roxy didn't blink because she was sure she would lose track of him if she did. A comforting sense of relief washed over her.

"Taka, come on!" she called to him, "She won't hurt you, I promise! Trust me! I'm more of a threat to you than she is! Come on, please? You know I couldn't have done this without you. I want my master to know! You deserve it, Taka!"

Seconds ticked by, and for a while it didn't look like Taka was going to move. That suited Roxy just fine anyway, because if he didn't want to get out of the bushes then she was going to drag her master over to the bushes.

Then, finally, the bushes rustled and Taka darted out into the open. Roxy noticed that at some point, he had discarded the collar he was wearing. He stood there for a moment at the edge of the bushes, looking as if he was gauging the situation, and then started to approach her at a reserved pace. The whole time, he kept his eyes locked on the human sitting behind her.

"Oh? Who's this?" her master asked.

Once Taka had reached the foot of the bench, Roxy turned around and hopped back into her master's lap. She then gestured towards the empty spot on the bench next to them, indicating that he should jump up.

Taka was hesitating quite a bit. Roxy was proud of the fact that her master hadn't said another word, obviously having clued in to how skittish Taka was. It was a bit strange to see their roles entirely reversed, with Roxy now pushing Taka towards something that made him nervous.

With enough smiles and reassuring looks from Roxy, Taka finally got the courage to jump up onto the bench. He was standing more than an arm's length away from her master, and still standing tense like a coiled up spring that was ready to bounce away at the first sign of danger.

If this were anything else, Roxy would have poked fun at how nervous Taka was. However, she knew his history with humans and didn't blame him one bit for being so cautious. She knew she had to take things slowly.

"Master?" Roxy spoke up, tilting her head to look up at the human, "This is my friend Taka. He helped me get home!"

Her master turned to regard Taka, but did nothing else. "This is a friend of yours?" she spoke. Roxy saw her put on a gentle, reassuring smile. "Hello, there!" she said softly.

Taka may as well have been a rock, for how much he responded to this.

Nothing happened for a few tense moments, as the three of them just sat there looking at one another. Then, Taka visibly jumped as her master moved her arm just a little bit. The young girl saw this reaction and froze in place.

"Taka, it's okay," Roxy said, repeating herself, "She won't hurt you."

Taka still hadn't taken his eyes off of the large human. When her master tried moving her arm again, Taka recoiled back slightly and got into a more defensive pose. Her master drew her hand back in.

Roxy sighed. "Taka, c'mon now. You beat up an Ursaring like a week ago."

"What is she doing…?" Taka spoke up, though Roxy could barely hear his voice. He still wasn't looking at her either.

"She wants to pet you," she explained.

"What…?"

"You know…Pat you on the head? Rub your fur? It's how humans show affection, and it's a way for them to say hello to unfamiliar Pokémon."

It didn't seem like any of her words had convinced him at all.

Sighing again, Roxy turned to look up at her master once more. "Pet me first," she said, pointing to herself and then to her master's hand. It didn't take long for the girl to get the message, and she used the hand that was farther away from Taka to reach up and pet her gently on the head. Roxy smiled warmly at the gesture.

"See?"

Taka still looked quite tense. Roxy thought he looked like he was preparing himself to leap in and rescue her the moment her master's hand decided to turn evil and strangle her. She let her master pet her for a bit longer, and finally she started to see a tiny bit of relaxation in Taka's posture.

"Now you, okay?" she said, "I promise you, cross my heart and soul, Arceus strike me down if I'm wrong…She will not hurt you." She then looked up at her master once more and nodded. "Okay. Go ahead."

When her master slowly started moving her hand towards Taka's head again, Taka visibly tensed up. He looked like he was preparing himself to endure torturous pain or something. Roxy maintained eye contact with him the whole time, trying to give him a comforting smile.

The hand touched his head, ever so gently. Roxy saw all of the muscles in his body contract and his eyes shut tight for just a brief moment. When nothing horrible happened to him, he opened his eyes again and looked up at the human, who began to very slowly pet him on the head.

With every stroke of her hand, Taka visibly became more and more relaxed. A look of confusion seemed to spread across his face for a moment, and soon he was looking up at the human with reserved curiosity instead of fear.

"See?" Roxy said with a giggle, "Gentle as a Jumpluff."

"Hello there…" her master said to Taka, "You're a friend of Roxy's? It's nice to meet you."

Taka still wasn't saying anything, but he was standing up straight on his hind legs now and letting the human's hand stroke across his head, ears and upper back. He didn't look like he was enjoying it, at least not from the outside, but he wasn't hating it either.

"This is Taka," Roxy said, addressing her master, "He's from a village of Pikachu and other Electric-Types who live in the Aspertia Forest, and he's helped me with so much!" Again, she knew this went right over her master's head most likely, but she was mostly saying it for Taka's ears. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it home, master. Him and his wonderful tribe!"

"You still seem nervous…" her master said to Taka, and then paused with her hand resting on Taka's head. "It's okay, I won't hurt you, sweetie…"

Then, her master moved her fingers into different positions and Roxy knew already what was coming next. Taka looked confused, and even a little jumpy, again. He tensed up once more when her master started, his paw halfway to the weapon on his back, but it took only seconds for all of that tension to melt away.

Roxy was jealous already. Her master gave the best ear scratches.

"What…is she doing…?" Taka murmured, seeming a little disoriented. Every single muscle in his body relaxed and his eyes even seemed to go a bit unfocused. Roxy had to laugh at this. In less than two seconds, Taka was completely disarmed. That was the humans' secret weapon.

"There we go!" the young girl said as she continued to scratch behind Taka's ears. She took advantage of his mellowed state and shifted a little bit closer to him on the bench. "Hmm…" she said as she leaned down to examine him, "Are you a wild Pokémon? You have no collar…"

She fell silent for a moment, and Roxy could see that her eyes were drifting over the green paint that was adorning his fur. "You have them too! What is all of this? It looks like…sort of looks like tribal markings…And what is this thing on your back…?" She glanced back towards Roxy. "Good heavens, what in the world have you been through?"

Roxy chuckled dryly.

Her master removed her hand, and Roxy glanced over to see that Taka looked like he was in bliss. His eyes were closed and he looked completely relaxed, which was something she had never seen on him before. Once he realized the scratching had stopped, he quickly came back to the real world and shook his head.

"Enjoy that?" Roxy asked.

"Shut up," he replied, and Roxy snickered.

"Roxy, did he help you get back home?" her master asked, recapturing her attention. When Roxy nodded, she turned to Taka with a smile on her face. "In that case, thank you so much. You have no idea how happy I am to have my little Roxy back safe and sound!"

Taka turned to Roxy and gave her an inquisitive look. It was clear that, even though he was familiar with the human language, he was far less advanced in it than Roxy was.

"She's thanking you for helping me," Roxy translated.

Taka simply turned to look up at the human again and curtly nodded his head, making Roxy roll her eyes.

"Are you a wild Pokémon? Do you have a trainer?"

Roxy shook her head. "Nope! He's wild!"

"A wild Pokémon…? So that means you must have met him…when you…" Her master gasped. "Does this mean he crossed the oceans with you?"

"Yeah!"

"He came all this way with you? He helped you get home, even though it's so far away?"

Roxy nodded, and gave Taka a grin.

"That's amazing! How selfless. You must be a really kind Pokémon under that tough exterior. Thank you again so much for bringing Roxy home. I just can't thank you enough!" She glanced down and caught Roxy's eye. "I want to give him a hug, but I get the feeling he might not like that so much."

Roxy snickered and then giggled. "That's okay, master!" she said, and then immediately dashed over and pounced on Taka, giving him a big hug.

"Ack! Hey!" Taka protested, "Would you explain what's going on…?"

"You're awesome, Taka! That's what's going on!"

"Er…"

When Roxy broke away from the hug, she found that all of her bubbly, happy feelings were returning. Like a second wave, she felt that rush of relief and joy that she was finally back home and with her master again. She couldn't help but scamper over and give her master another hug as well.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm happy to see you too!" her master said, "This is the happiest day of my life…"

"Me too!"

"You've been through a lot, Roxy…but now you're safe. We'll get you home, sit on the couch with a couple of nice warm blankets, eat some cupcakes and Poké Puffs…"

There were stars in Roxy's eyes as she listened to her master list all of the creature comforts she had missed so dearly. Just picturing her nice warm house, with the comfy couch and the yummy food, was enough to make her quiver in anticipation. Her bed! Roxy couldn't wait to spend a night in her comfy little bed.

She gasped. She would get to have a real bath!

"Oh my gosh!" her master exclaimed, gasping as well, "We gotta get you home so daddy can see that you're okay!"

"Desmond!" Roxy squealed. She couldn't wait to see him again as well.

"Yes, Roxy! Desmond is home right now! What're we sitting around here for? Let's go!" The young girl gave Roxy a quick squeeze, still holding her in a hug, and then started to stand up.

She paused halfway through, and both of them remembered that Taka was still there. Roxy turned her head to look at him, and saw that he looked strangely at ease. He was looking at her, or rather looking at the two of them, with a contented sort of look of realization. He looked as if some great question had finally been answered to him.

"Taka?" Roxy called to him.

"…Mm?"

"You all right there, buddy?"

Taka's facial expressions seemed to soften, something Roxy hadn't really seen since not long after Makari had died. He let out a slow breath of air, and then said, "Nothing. I'm fine."

Roxy's enthusiasm simmered down a bit as she realized the question of 'What now?' was hanging in the air. Was it truly time to say goodbye to Taka now? He hadn't even planned on being present when she reunited with her master, but they hadn't planned on finding her in the park. Roxy was itching to get back home, and her master was ready to take her there right away. With a heavy heart, Roxy realized that it was probably time to say farewell to her friend.

Before she could, however, her master spoke up instead. "What about you? Are you coming with us?"

Both Roxy and Taka turned their heads up to look at her curiously.

Her master was smiling warmly. "You can if you want. That's totally fine."

Roxy turned back to Taka with her eyebrows raised, unsure of how the other Pikachu would react to this invitation.

Taka looked like he hadn't expected this at all and was slightly caught off-guard. Roxy figured that his answer would probably be 'no', but truth be told she was secretly hoping otherwise.

"I…" Taka murmured.

"You've come such a long way with Roxy," her master continued, "You aren't just gonna part ways now after everything, are you?"

Taka glanced at Roxy, confused. She gave him a brief summary of what her master had said.

"If nothing else, I've gotta give you something nice as thanks for helping Roxy. I can get daddy to cook some yummy food for you."

Again, Roxy relayed this information. "I dunno what you wanna do, Taka," she added at the end, "but…Desmond's cooking? Trust me, you'll be impressed."

"…"

"It's up to you, Taka…but I gotta admit, a big part of me doesn't want to say goodbye yet…"

"Roxy…" Taka murmured, sounding slightly irked.

"It's okay," her master spoke, "I know I can trust you. You helped Roxy, after all. And don't worry, we're not gonna try to catch you or anything." After a pause, her master turned to Roxy and added, "Speaking of which, where's your Poké Ball?"

Roxy grimaced, and mimed the act of breaking something in half with her paws.

"Oh dear! We'll have to get you a new one right away!"

This made Roxy grin. Even though she hated Poké Balls, it was the symbolism of the act that she cared about. Being registered to a Poké Ball was one of the biggest things that connected her with her family, and it had been bugging her that this link had been broken.

Her master then stood up with Roxy in her arms, clearly getting anxious to get back home as well. "So?" she said, turning to Taka once more, "You wanna come? Again, you're more than welcome!"

Taka's eyes shifted around for a bit, his brow furrowed. Roxy gasped softly, seeing that he was actually being indecisive about this proposal. "Come on, Taka!" she encouraged, "You know it doesn't have to be forever or anything."

He gave her a sidelong glance.

"I'd really like it if you came along…"

He then glanced at the ground. "Roxy, I…"

"Let…Let me show you my home…"

Taka looked up at her one more time, and then sighed softly as a reflective look appeared on his muzzle. It seemed like a thousand thoughts were going through his head, none of which Roxy was privy to.

Then, he gave her a smirk, though it was decidedly less smirk-like than usual and closer to a smile. "Sure," he said with a nod, "Why not?"

Roxy smiled brightly. "Yay!" she cheered, "Awesome! Well, come on then! Let's get going! You wanna ride up here? Master can carry us both!"

Taka gave her a flat look.

"…Or, you can walk behind. Y'know, whatever."

"You wanna come with us, huh? Okay, then!" her master said, and then leaned towards Taka. He flinched from her extending arm briefly, but then stood still and allowed her to pet him a couple of times. The young girl then fully stood up, still cradling Roxy protectively in her arms.

"Let's go!" Roxy cheered excitedly, giving her master an eager look.

She laughed. "I know, I'm excited too! Let's go see daddy!" She glanced over her shoulder and gave Taka a toss of her head. "Follow us!"

Taka nodded, and then they finally set off. Her master didn't run, but she did walk rather quickly and there was an excited pep in her step. Roxy grinned eagerly as they headed down the path, knowing that it led to streets that would lead to more streets, eventually leading to the house that she so dearly missed.

Roxy turned to look behind her and saw that Taka had to run to keep up, but he didn't seem to mind. It brought a certain, unique kind of joy to see that he was still sticking around with her, even though she didn't know ultimately how long it would last. For the moment, it was nice to see these two worlds that she now belonged to coming together like this.

She eeped softly as her master surprised her with another tight hug as she ran. Roxy squealed and nuzzled herself into the warmness of the hug, relishing in the familiar feel and scent of the human she had missed so much. Roxy guessed that the smile she wore would not be going away for a long while.

"Welcome home, Roxy…" her master whispered into her ear.

Roxy sighed happily, gazing out at the familiar city that lay before her. She was as happy as she could possibly be, and eternally grateful that things had finally turned out okay. She looked upwards, seeing the fluffy clouds covering the endless blue yonder above. She held her gaze there for a moment in silence, then closed her eyes and rested her head contently. She whispered soft words that only those who were truly listening would be able to hear.

It would probably be a long while before she felt comfortable taking a long-distance vacation again, but that was fine. She didn't plan on leaving home for a long while.

Her smile grew even wider as she sighed in contentment one more time.

Home…


Thanks to everybody who read along, I really hope you enjoyed this story. I spent a long time working on it, and I'm super proud of it. This is the largest Non-MLP story I have ever written...and also straight up THE largest story I've ever written. I am so happy I was able to make it through to the end and complete Roxy's story.

Roxy was named after a family pet who passed away a couple years ago. She was a Black Labrador X Golden Retriever X ? dog who was insane, but we loved her so much.

Infinite thanks to ArtyLovr for her pre-reading and editing. Go find her on Tumblr before the site crashes and burns completely. She draws the pokeymans.

Finally, if you enjoyed what you read, please share. Sharing this story with others is the number one most important way to help me out.

~GB