Weeks passed as Alex slowly readjusted to her human body. Most of that time was spent in rehab, and trying to remember how to speak English. Her speech still came out choppy sometimes, but she could at least communicate verbally now. More and more, her time as a riolu began to feel like a dream.
But it wasn't. I know it wasn't.
She could still see aura, and that was slowly getting easier and easier the more she practiced. She hadn't tried any moves, but if she thought about them, she felt like her muscle memory was still there.
More importantly, she remembered Splash.
He'll find me. I know he will. And I'm not going to stop trying to get back to him, either.
When she was finally able to communicate with the doctors and nurses, they explained her condition.
Apparently, she had been in a coma for several weeks. Following a car accident, she suffered a blow to her chest that interrupted her heart beat. The accident happened in front of an ambulance, so EMS could begin treatment right away. She slipped into a coma on the way to the hospital, had some light surgery, and had finally woken up.
The nurse tried to explain that she was suffering from something called Retrograde Amnesia. While she didn't understand the science behind it, it was a form of long-term memory loss. Alex wouldn't be able to remember what happened before she woke up, at least not for the foreseeable future, if she would ever remember at all.
"Through extended treatment, Alex may begin to recover some of her old memories, but she won't be able to get the majority of them back," explained the nurse to her father.
He had a solemn look on his face, but Alex couldn't understand why. Not for lack of trying, but she knew nothing about the man who apparently raised her.
"Jack," continued the nurse. "I know this is hard for both of you, but Alex is going to be okay eventually. She'll need time to readjust before she can return to her normal life, but even if she doesn't remember who she was, you'll get to know her again. She's still your little girl."
Her father, Jack, was covering his face, crying softly to himself. There was a twinge in Alex's chest, as if she should reach out to hold him, but she didn't know why. What's this instinct I'm feeling?
"Alex, for your part, you may not be able to return to school for some time. Take an extended leave of absence, and depending on how your memory goes, you may be able to continue next year."
"School?" asked Alex. "I don't understand. How old am I?"
Jack took a deep breath, looked up and forced a smile. "You're 17. Just finishing out your last year of highschool," he said. "Your friends have been worried about you. I told them you were awake, but that you needed some time to get your bearings before they came to visit."
She looked around the room and spotted a box sitting in the corner. It was full of letters, but she didn't understand why they were addressed to her. Now it made sense.
They were get-well cards from people she didn't remember. She read them about a week ago, and while they made her happy, she didn't understand why.
At that point, Alex was still stuck in the hospital. She could move around more freely, but not without a nurse accompanying her if she chose to leave her room. Physical activity had to be kept to a minimum, and she was monitored closely besides.
All the while, one thought kept dominating her mind. I have to look for a way back. This isn't where I belong.
Only two weeks later, she was allowed to leave. Before her final meeting with the nurses, she was given a set of clothes and stepped into the restroom to get dressed.
"How are you doing, sweety?" came her father's voice from the other side of the restroom door.
"I'm fine," she called as she pulled her head through the hole in the shirt. "I'll be out in a minute." They felt uncomfortably restrictive despite seeming casual compared to what her father or the doctors wore, but she put them on anyway. I can deal with it for now and find something else later.
When she stepped out, her father smiled at her. "You look like you're doing a lot better these days," he said.
"Thanks. I'm feeling… stronger," she tried. She clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling her aura cycle through arms. He gave her a goofy look. "What? Did I say something weird?"
"No, it's alright," he said. "You've already come a long way. Don't worry about it." He handed her a small, flat box with a glass front.
"What's this?"
"It's your phone," he said. "Do you remember how to use it?"
Alex turned the device over in her hands a few times. Something about it reminded her of the Expedition Device. She felt the edges and pushed a button, lighting up the screen and showing the time. She swiped it open and was greeted with many different icons. A few seemed similar to what she knew, such as a map, a chat bubble (Probably for sending messages to someone, but who?), and something for… settings?
"Not really," she said. "It's familiar, but probably not in the way you're thinking."
"That's okay. I can show you how to use it later. Push the button on the side to put it to sleep again so it doesn't go off while it's in your pocket."
Alex pressed the button and put it away. While they waited for the nurse to return, her father spoke up.
"Maybe it's too early to ask this, but… can you tell me what you remember, if anything?"
Shit! I was hoping he'd wait so I could figure some things out first. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't ask me earlier, but why now?! she thought. Maybe I can work my way out of answering him.
"Yeah, sorry," said Alex. "I'm still not really ready to talk about things yet."
Jack looked hurt, but he tried to fake a smile through it. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. You just need some more time. I hope you can tell me later. I haven't stopped worrying about you since the crash, and now you're back. I guess I'm just…"
"Just… what?" she asked curiously.
"I'm just happy you're home," he finished.
Alex wanted to say that it felt good to hear, but she could only feel sorry for the man. Someday, I'm going to leave him behind, she thought. He may be my father, but I don't know him. This isn't who I am. None of this is right. When I find my way home, it's going to hurt him more than it'll hurt me.
"Did you have any good dreams?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
They weren't dreams, but maybe she could use this as an excuse to share her story about Splash and the Expedition Society. "Actually, yes," said Alex. "I dreamt that-"
A knock came on the door to the room, and a nurse walked in. "Hello, Alex. How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'll tell you later," said Alex to her father. She faced the nurse and said, "Never better."
"That's great. I've got a few final questions and some paperwork to fill out, then we can coordinate on follow-up care, and get you home. How does that sound?"
"That sounds good," she said. I said I was better, right?
The nurse talked with Alex and Jack for a while about her condition. He went into more detail on what happened to her body while she slept, and how to care for and monitor her condition after she got home, as well as scheduling follow up appointments to continue rehab.
Before she knew it, she was on the way with Jack back to his house.
As they drove, she asked him about where they were. "This is Ilwaco," he said. "We're on the Pacific Coast, close to the ocean. We live just outside of town, so it's a short drive to get there."
Her father's house was only a five minute drive from the hospital. She tried reading the signs as they passed, and they ended up turning down a road near a place called Beard's Hollow.
It seemed to be some kind of private drive, as only one house sat at the end. They pulled up, and Jack helped Alex out of the car.
Immediately she was hit by the smell of seabreeze. She took a deep breath and stretched. "We live out here?" she asked, amazed. She was surrounded by trees on all sides, and just the right amount of sunlight seeped through the canopy of evergreen above.
"Yep. Livin' the dream," he said happily. "I cleaned up your room after you were admitted for long term care, so it's ready for you."
"Thanks." She turned her head to face the sound of the waves. Alex couldn't explain it, but it felt like something was pulling her towards the sound. She tried seeing through her aura, but nothing looked out of place. She noticed a few birds in the trees overhead, and some squirrels in the bushes, but no other humans.
"Hey, Dad?" she started, startling herself at how naturally that word rolled off of her tongue. "I'm going to go down to the beach."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked. "You haven't even gone inside the house yet. Are you sure you can make the trip down there and back?"
"I'll be okay." In truth, she wasn't entirely certain. Her legs weren't shaking anymore, but she hadn't tried walking on uneven surfaces like a dirt trail.
"Here, I can come with you," said Jack. "Let me just drop off a couple things inside, and I'll be back out."
Jack took some envelopes inside, and came back out with two jackets, giving one to Alex. She declined at first with a shake of her head, but Jack said, "It gets really windy down there. I'll bring it with me in case you need it."
Together, they set off down the path. It was a straight shot to the beach, and after coming out of the trees, Alex could already see the coast. Something in her stirred as she watched the waves lap at the shore, and she broke into a light jog without realizing it.
"Slow down!" called Jack as she got away from him. "You shouldn't be running right now!"
She felt driven, as if some invisible force was pulling her to the beach at that exact moment, and if she didn't get there now, she felt like she would miss something important.
Her legs were noticeably sore by the time she got down to the water, but she didn't care. She stared out at the waves rolling in the distance as the tide came in, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
But what am I even looking for? It's just the ocean. I've seen it a hundred times. Okay, maybe not this ocean, but I know what the ocean is! What's special? Why did I come down here?
She reached out with her aura again, but that didn't reveal anything either. Just a few random sea creatures in the waves, and seagulls overhead. She felt her father hurrying down the beach after her as well.
"Are you alright?" he asked, catching his breath and brushing sand from his pants.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just-"
Her senses suddenly flared, and she stopped dead. Somewhere nearby, a powerful aura was radiating. She turned and started scanning the beachhead.
From a little ways down the beach, she noticed someone coming off of another path. He had short, brown hair and wore a thick-looking green jacket with brown pants. A satchel hung from his shoulder, and he was taking slow, careful steps down towards the water.
She knew that energy. What she saw with her eyes was a human man, but with her aura, she felt the presence of a pokemon. Not just one, but two forces seemed to be radiating from him.
Who in the world is that? she thought.
Her father must have noticed her staring, as he suddenly said, "Do you know him?"
"I'm going to go talk to him," she said, and started down the beach. She heard her father sigh, and he followed slowly.
The man was making his way down to the water like she had. He moved slower as if he wasn't quite sure of his own legs yet. When he came to a stop, he stood up straight and stared out at the waves.
The setting sun bathed the beach in warm, orange light. As Alex got close, she called out.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. She felt out of breath despite the short walk.
The man turned to face her, looking slightly confused. "Yes?" he asked.
"I'm sorry to bother you," began Alex, "but I wanted to check something." He watched her expectantly, so she continued. "Can you stand still and focus on me for a moment?"
He raised an eyebrow, then looked around. "This isn't some kind of prank, is it?" he asked. "I'm not really in the mood today."
"No, I just wanted to check something." Her father was far enough behind, so this was her chance. She shut her eyes and held out a hand towards the man. Focusing all of her aura, she tried to hone in on him.
Definitely not human, she thought. She was trying to make sense of what she saw, but it seemed as if two auras were mixed together, flowing past each other freely throughout his being. One of them felt familiar.
She slowly opened her eyes, her mind struggling to process what she found. "It's not… You aren't… You can't be," she stammered, taking a few steps back.
"What's wrong?" asked the man, very confused.
She kept rolling the idea around in her head, but she couldn't make any sense of it. It was impossible. And yet, here he was, along with someone else.
She had to ask. She knew she was probably wrong, and that hearing that confirmation out loud would only cause her more grief, but she couldn't let it go. Be brave, she told herself. Like Splash. Be brave for him.
"Is that… Jirachi?" she asked.
The man's eyes went wide, and his bag slipped off of his shoulder and fell into the sand. "How do you know that name?"
Alex's breath caught in her throat. All she could do was stare at him. He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please," he begged. "You have to tell me. How do you know about Jirachi?!"
On reflex, she reached out to him, placed a hand on his chest, and focused her aura into a Force Palm.
The man went rocketing away from her with a pained shout, tumbling into the sand. He groaned, then went still.
Alex cupped her hands over her mouth.
"Alex!" shouted her father, getting much closer now.
"Oh no. I'm so sorry," she said. She hurried to the man's side. He was still breathing, but it looked like he had passed out.
Jack got behind her. "Are you okay? What happened?"
The man's breathing seemed to slow. "We have to help him," said Alex.
"Help him? What's going on? And what did you do to him? I've never seen anyone fly like that."
"I'll explain later," she said. "Right now, he needs our help."
Jack looked torn.
"What are you waiting for?" she urged, trying to pick him up.
After a few moments, her father finally said, "Okay, let's get him back to the house. We'll figure this out there." Jack took the man from Alex, and she grabbed his satchel. It was remarkably heavy, and it felt like a stack of books rested inside.
Why does this man's aura feel like Jirachi? Why did he recognize the name? Just who is this?
AN: I think there's something off with the formatting. This is being written in Google Docs, so it may not be showing up properly. Might need to re-upload this chapter later, but I'll be reviewing them when I have more time. Thank you for sticking with the story so far, and let me know what you think!