Moxy checked her watch again, almost tripping on the wet sidewalk as she ran. The shorthand pointed towards eleven, and her legs grew heavy when the brick, three-story building came into view. Thankfully it had stopped raining, and the yellow lampposts of Rustboro shone brightly under the moon as the girl hurried past them. Once Moxy reached the steps, she turned around to see her pokemon still catching up to her. Once Sylveon finally made it to her, the pink pokemon was breathless.
"Sorry, Sylvie. Going to have to ball you up, okay? I'll let you out once I get things sorted with Penny," Moxy said in a soothing voice as she pulled out Sylveon's pokeball from her soaking backpack. Sylveon was reluctant, but after a warm smile from Moxy, the pokemon pressed her nose against the red ball and went inside it. Moxy put away the ball and took a deep breath.
Wish me luck, she thought to herself as she walked up the steps leading to the orphanage.
All the lights in the building were off as Moxy creaked the door open.
"...For all you listeners tuned in this late at night, the clouds have passed over Mauville and are heading north, towards Foretree. Anyone there right now is recommended to get indoors..." a persuasive, male voice spoke on the radio in the lobby.
She twisted the knob before closing the door behind her and began to tiptoe up the staircase as fast as she could. Near the middle of the staircase, the lights inside quickly switched open.
Shit. Moxy turned to look downstairs, where Ms. Pennington stomped into the lobby. She had an angry contortion on her face, and Moxy's mouth turned dry.
"Do you have any idea how long I waited for you to show up!?" the headmistress shouted, her voice ringing in Moxy's ears.
"I- I'm sorry, ma'am. I was training, and I hadn't realized it was so la-"
"Do you think me daft, you scoundrel?" Ms. Pennington interrupted. "The police showed up here shortly after you left. Asking me questions about some robbery and perusing all over the bloody place. And now you come here at almost midnight. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were out pilfering as per usual. But it ends now."
"Please, ma'am, I didn't realize the time…"
"Get. Down. Here. Right. Now," Ms. Pennington articulated. However, Moxy was frozen on the spot.
"NOW!" the headmistresses yelled, her nose flared. Moxy instantly hurried down the steps and stood politely in front of her headmistress. Her eyes were unable to meet the woman's condemning gaze.
"Hands behind your back," Ms. Pennington ordered, raising a hand. Moxy's hands stayed hovering around her waist timidly, and she regretted it the moment Ms. Pennington's mouth drew into a grit.
Within a second, Moxy's world turned red as she tumbled onto the floor. Pain welled from the red mark on her cheek and Ms. Pennington stood over her with bold eyebrows rumpled in anger. Moxy hid her head in her arms, fearful of Ms. Pennington hitting her again.
"Upstairs to your room. You're grounded until your birthday. You will be back here at three-thirty sharp. There will be no training, no going out, and no playing, whatsoever. Every chore in this house will be done or that smack will be the least of your worries," Ms. Pennington threatened. Moxy burst into tears as she coddled her cheek.
"I SAID UPSTAIRS NOW!" Ms. Pennington screeched, grasping a chock full of Moxy's red hair in her fist. Moxy wailed in pain as she was forced onto her feet. Ms. Pennington then shoved Moxy towards the staircase. Moxy broke her stumbling with the staircase handle, and her sobs grew louder.
A little jingle played in the living room where the radio was.
"...This just in. Not too long ago, the missing ruby from the Rustboro Museum was recently discovered by the police, our sources say..." the same man on the radio said, the sound a little louder than before.
Ms. Pennington was still watching Moxy shamble up the stairs.
"...The thief responsible for this robbery has been identified. According to our sources, the Hoenn Law Enforcement officers are en route right now to take the thief in..."
Moxy quieted her sobs. She slowed her ascent about halfway up the stairs, listening intently to the radio.
"...The suspect is..."
Ms. Pennington frowned at Moxy's dwindling movement, "What the hell are you doi-"
"...Moxy Pennington..."
She froze. Ms. Pennington turned her widened gaze towards the living room.
"...a camera caught them running from the scene of the crime just yesterday. The police recovered the stolen gem in a dumpster outside the Rustboro Training Academy, the same school Pennington studies in..."
No. No. NO! Moxy's mind racked with panic. If things were bad, they were ten times worse now. Her heart thumped rapidly when Ms. Pennington's turned her glare back on Moxy. Instinct and fear took over, and Moxy bolted to the top of the staircase.
"You stinking, no-good rat!" Ms. Pennington stomped after her. Moxy ran down to the end of the hallway, where her room was, Ms. Pennington on her heels. The old coot was faster than she looked. As soon as she entered her room, Moxy slammed the door shut with her body. The entire room rumbled when something crashed on the other side of the door. Moxy's hands quivered as she twisted the doorknob lock.
"Open this door right now, Moxy!" her headmistress screamed through the slits of the door, and Moxy recoiled her hand away from the knob as it rattled.
"I swear I didn't steal that ruby! Please, you have to believe me!" Moxy shouted, her voice breaking.
"I'll never believe a single word out of that slimy mouth of yours! Open! This! Door!" The door thumped violently with every word.
Moxy backpedaled slowly and sat on her bed, her head pressed between her palms.
Why is this happening to me? The thought repeated itself in her mind like a broken radio. The day went from horrible to straight out of a nightmare. First with Janice, then Walter, and now this? Every ounce of her planning could do nothing to save her now. She was ruined.
Ms. Pennington growled loudly as she whammed the door again. This time, something cracked within it. Moxy's eyes widened. She zipped open her bag and rummaged through the disorganized notebooks and pens.
Wood chips exploded from the broken lock as the door swung wide open. Ms. Pennington's face was puffed up and red, and her breath came out in wheezes. The headmistress advanced on Moxy, but she finally felt the cold aluminum of Sylveon's ball. Moxy bounced towards the far end of her bed and raised the pokeball at her headmistress. The woman stopped dead in her tracks.
"Put that down!" she demanded through her yellow-stained teeth.
"You have to believe me, Nicole. I didn't steal that ruby," she blubbered, the pokeball rattling in her fingers. "Someone's framing me."
A realization festered in Moxy's mind. "I-It's Walter! That's why I came home late! I was speaking to him, a-and he threatened me!"
Moxy bit her lip, realizing how ridiculous it must have sounded to Ms. Pennington. It was confirmed when Ms. Pennington shook her head.
"I've had enough of these idiotic excuses, Moxy. You will come downstairs with me and wait for the police. I won't hurt you." Ms. Pennington held her hand out, but the anger in her voice made Moxy doubt her promise. The headmistress took a cautious step forward, and Moxy instinctively clicked the button to prime Sylveon's pokeball.
A flash of multicolored light erupted in the small room. As soon as it was gone, Sylveon was standing between Moxy and Ms. Pennington. She looked around confused. She saw the broken door, Ms. Pennington's angered expression, and Moxy's feeble form. The headmistress tried to take another step, but the girl snapped her fingers and pointed at Ms. Pennington. Sylveon immediately arched her spine and a growl emanated from her throat.
"What good will come out of any of this?" Ms. Pennington held up her hands in defense, but her voice still held a hostile tone.
"Please, just let me go. I know you hate me being here. I'll run away and never come back. I'll be out of your life. Just don't give me to the police."
Ms. Pennington's eyes were focused into a glare. "Not a bloody chance. Either you come with me and give yourself up willingly or the police will arrest you by force. I won't let you get away with your crime!"
Moxy's legs turned numb. She couldn't go back. If juvie was a nightmare, what would prison be like? She wasn't eighteen yet, but the judge wouldn't care. According to what Ryker said, she stole a ruby from the king or queen of Unova. She couldn't remember if the region was governed by a monarchy, but it was besides the point. Moxy eyes scanned the disheveled room around her. She should just give up. Go to prison, get out, and resume her life.
But Sylveon was still standing protectively in front of Moxy. She couldn't bear leaving her again. She had Charles before, but now? Sylveon wouldn't have anyone to protect her. All of her promises to her pokemon's future would be for naught.
And the funniest part was that she wasn't even to blame for this. It was a damn coincidence, and it infuriated her to no end. The universe might be punishing her, but she wouldn't roll over and give up.
I won't go back, she thought, her fearful look turned resolved. And Ms. Pennington caught on to her expression.
"Moxy. Don't do this."
"Sylveon," Moxy started, her lips quivering as she covered her ears. Ms. Pennington took a step back. Without hesitation or command, Sylveon let loose a deafening cry. To say the headmistress was blasted backwards was an understatement. Her obese form flew the doorway, almost comedically. The discharge of sound was so great as it tore through Ms. Pennington that even the crusty wallpaper was shredded by the soundwave. Moxy winced from an audible crack as the big brute of a lady landed in the hallway. She lied on the floor, unmoving.
Moxy was wide-eyed as she scampered towards the woman. She kneeled to Ms. Pennington's side and put a finger on the side of her neck, hoping to Arceus she wasn't dead.
Fortunately for her, Ms. Pennington still had a pulse, but blood dripped from her ears. Moxy wiped her sweating brows and looked at Sylveon. The pokemon stayed far away from Ms. Pennington, a horrified look on her face.
"Don't worry, she's only unconscious," Moxy consoled. "But we have to go. Right now."
Moxy knew that soundwave must have woken up everyone in a half-mile radius. She ran to her room and uprighted her backpack. All of its contents had spilled onto the floor when she pulled out Sylveon's ball, and she wasted no time shoving everything back inside. Sylveon walked up to Moxy and placed her paw on her trainers' leg, purring in question. Moxy just glanced at Sylveon before returning to her work.
"The police are on their way Sylveon! We have to hurry! Help me, c'mon!"
Sylveon kept gazing at Moxy, her ears drooped. After a few seconds, Moxy brought her attention to Sylveon, and her heart wrenched when she saw the tears in her pokemons eyes.
"I...I'm so sorry I put you through that." Moxy tried her best not to break down in tears herself. "I couldn't abandon you again. Y-You're my only friend now. If something were to happen to you… I don't know what I would do."
Moxy tried to stroke under Sylveon's chin, but the pink pokemon turned away, returning to her sorrow. It couldn't be helped, she guessed. Moxy reached down to grab more of her stuff, and she saw the phone Aiden had given her. As she picked it up, it burned in the palm of her hand, and she considered calling him. She threw it inside her bag along with everything else. After she had put everything away, she put on a dry, black hoodie from her wardrobe before leaving the room.
Ms. Pennington was still unconscious in the middle of the hallway. Something ticked in Moxy's head upon staring down at the headmistress's vulnerable state, and she couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face.
Sylveon tilted her head when a chuckle arose from Moxy.
Moxy could cover her mole-riddled face with a pillow. Suffocate her. Maybe she would beat her head in until the blood on her knuckles turned dry. Maybe she should, after everything that vile woman put her through.
Moxy tightened her balled fist. There was no time. She stepped over the headmistress's body and hurried down the spiral staircase as fast as possible, Sylveon hot on her heels.
Moxy opened the door to the orphanage. For some odd reason, she felt pleasure in doing so. And she knew why.
She was free.
Moxy hurried out of the brick building. The lampposts reflected their light off the wet surface of the sidewalk, and the moon was hidden behind the large clouds in the sky, darkening Rustboro. She pulled her hoodie over her head and checked the time. It was eleven fifteen. She could have sworn hours had passed since she'd been inside the orphanage. It was still strange, however. The police should be here already. Their response time was normally around ten minutes without traffic.
The sounds of a siren in the far distance sent a jolt through her legs, and she moved faster. Sylveon followed close behind her. Moxy considered recalling Sylveon, but she didn't want the police to take her by surprise. If push came to shove, Moxy would fight for her life. It was over anyway, and she might as well go out with a bang. Moxy delved deep into the back of her mind, thinking about her next move.
She could just run away. Go to a different city where nobody knew her. However, the league would probably put a bounty on her head, and she knew how much trainers loved scavenging for thieves when the payout was big. A whimper sounded from behind her, and Moxy glanced behind her to see Sylveon. Her ears were still drooped ever since they left the orphanage, and her eyes looked heavy.
Sylveon must be feeling even more horrible than I am, she thought. She turned her gaze back on her path and kept brainstorming.
Even if she did go to another city, she couldn't get help from pokemon centers or anything. All public services run background checks on ID's to cross-check them with people with warrants out for them.
She thought about hitching a ride to another region, but unfortunately, she didn't have a passport, and if she were caught without one, she would be deported back to Hoenn for being an immigrant. Worse, her crime was of an international nature, which didn't help her case.
Maybe I'll just live in the wilderness, she mused sarcastically. There was one last option. Maybe those people Aiden talked about could help her out of this situation. It was a long shot, and she couldn't help but feel a shiver crawl down her spine thinking about it.
Nevertheless, she swung her backpack around and zipped it open. Upon pulling out the phone, A growl startled the teen.
"Well, what do you suggest?" Moxy fumed on an angry Sylveon, quickening her pace, "We're on the run, and the police have more resources than us. Besides I…" Moxy trailed off. If this last option was a waste of time, she would be out of good options. Her throat became dry when Sylveon made another miserable whimper. The girl stopped in her tracks before kneeling down in front of her pokemon.
"Please stop crying," Moxy mumbled, her left hand caressing Sylveon's neck, "I know it's hard, but we have to stay strong and keep moving forward. Or else we're finished. I don't like it any more than you do, but unless I come up with something better, it's all we've got."
Sylveon ears drooped, a sad expression forming on her face as she hesitated to nod. Moxy wiped her eyes and stood up. She pressed the contacts list on the phone. There was only one number saved, and it was marked unknown. She tapped it and pinned the phone to her ear.
The cold wind breezed through her hair, and with every ring of the phone, Moxy head throbbed. After about ten rings and no response, her heart sank. Suddenly, Moxy heard the static sound of someone picking up the other side. However, it was just silence after that.
"H-Hello?" Moxy whispered awkwardly, but nothing answered back. Fear flooded into her head. Her heart pounded rapidly.
"I need help," she begged, her voice breaking. "I have nowhere else to go. Please…"
A second that felt longer than it should have passed before a voice crackled on the other end.
"Go to the Route 116 gate," Aiden said. The phone beeped into silence right after that, and Moxy stared at the phone, dumbfounded.
She couldn't believe it. If Aiden hadn't picked up, she would've had a panic attack. Just being on the brink of devastation, emotional and literal, was enough to make her smile. Maybe, just maybe, she would make it out of this situation in one piece.
However, as she looked up, the dark silhouette of a tall, male figure stood about three sidewalk gaps away from her. It stepped into the light of a lamppost, and she could make out those familiar broad shoulders, short caramel hair, and blue eyes.
"Mox, is that you?" Charles asked, squinting his eyes. Moxy took a step back, unsure whether Charles knew about what happened. Sylveon hid behind her trainers' legs, unable to meet Charles' gaze.
"H-hey," she responded, hastily pocketing Aiden's phone. "What are you doing out here so late?"
Charles cocked an eyebrow at Moxy and Sylveon's irregular behavior. "I could say the same to you. I thought it was going to be quite the challenge trying to get past your overprotective headmistress at this hour. But here you are," he pointed behind her, "going in the opposite direction of the orphanage. Did something happen?"
Moxy rubbed the back of her head. "Wait, you haven't gone home yet?"
Charles shrugged, "I wandered around, thinking about what you said earlier today. So, I went to train with Espeon a bit more, and then I came all this way to apologize to you."
"To apologize? For what?"
"I've changed my mind. I want to go on a journey with you, and I don't care about what my father says. He can't stop us," he said, a smile on his face. Moxy crossed her arms, a dejected look on her face.
"What's wrong, Moxy? I-I thought you would be happier," he asked, his cheery voice replaced with a puzzling tone.
"Go home, Charles," she said quietly.
Charles put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's with the brood? I'm right here with you, one hundred percent. I'm not going anywhere. You still want to travel across the region with me, right?"
Moxy swatted his hand away, her expression infuriated. "I can't anymore! Watch the news! That will probably explain what your snake of a father did to me!"
Charles' eyes were wide. "What… What did he do? Tell me!"
Moxy turned away from him. "It doesn't matter what he did. And I can't… trust you. As long as your father here, he will do anything to keep you on a leash. And I…" her warbled voice trailed off.
There was a silence between them.
"Just go to Unova. Finish your training. Find someone else to journey with. Anyone but me. I don't deserve to be your friend."
"Stop saying that. I told you once before and I'll say it again. Nothing will ever drive me away from you."
Moxy brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to compress her sobs. Suddenly, Charles spun Moxy towards him. He lifted her chin with a gentle hand, and his warm, blue eyes locked with hers.
"You mean too much to me. I don't know what I would do without you. I-"
Moxy couldn't listen to him anymore as she shoved past him, her eyes shut tightly. Charles grabbed her arm before she could get out of his reach.
"Please, Mox. What about all those things we talked about, huh? Changing the world? Becoming Champion? I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to face my father. Just don't leave me!" he begged.
"If I stay, you will lose me anyways. I'm in too much trouble now, so you are going to have to carry on in my place," she mumbled. "Are you going to let me go, or should I have Sylveon do it for you?"
Charles released his grip on her arm, and a tear ran down his cheek. Sylveon gave the boy a heart-broken look before tottering after her trainer. Charles stood under the street light as he watched Moxy's figure fade into the darkness of the streets. He kicked a puddle on the sidewalk, splashing water everywhere. Then, he just stood there in torment. He didn't understand.
What did he do?