Oh wow it's been too long. I really went through tough times and put this on the backburner. Every time I wanted to keep going, something else pulled me back. But in the end I'm okay. Thank you for those who sent me DMs about how much they enjoyed the fanfiction. I took it to heart. I want to finish this. And a pleasant surprise, it technically is.
I have heen writing, mapping out the entirety of Inventum Adventures. It's done, just needs to be fleshed out and revised. To preserve the quality I will start releasing chapters 1 or 2 at a time. It may be inconsistent, but it will be occassional. With work and life in the way some days may be harder than others, but on my off days I will crank more content out. So here are chapters 59 and 60. I will even have the following two come out in the next day or two (pending rl plans).
This is for those who were invested in the story so long ago. Maybe some of you moved on, and thats okay. This is also for those who want to pick this up for the first time and want to dive into this.
Anyways, 3 years 4 months later here we go. Let's finish this.
Please note: This chapter is definitely rated T for traumatic experiences. Also casual, direct mentions of womanhood.
News of the Crimson Gyarados attack spread quickly throughout Inventum. While all local and regional stations began covering these breaking developments, even IPSN chimed in, concerned for the dozens of registered pokemon trainers present at the lake.
Numerous injuries were reported, some far more serious than others. In light of a tragedy, there seemed to be no fatalities as of yet. Immediately, people were looking for answers. Why did Crimson appear, proving conspiracy theories that he existed, and why did he violently attack? Was his existence kept secret? Some feared he was provoked, and some have even pointed the finger at Jason and his newly evolved Gyarados amidst the chaos.
Jason and Alex happened to be standing directly in front of Crimson at the start of the attack. The local police believed they could lock Jason up and question Kristine and Alex for their involvement. While the three trainers' identities were unknown to the public, word about trainers being detained, even arrested, spread quickly. And it turned into outrage.
In downtown Viceport, the attack on Lake Sol drew the attention of the head of Team Instinct and Gym Leader of Viceport. Spark, a slim yet well built man with spiky blond hair and usually keen on dressing upper casual, stood in his office at his group's headquarters. Team Instinct kept their base of operations separate from the pokemon gym, which was one block away and across the street from the massive Viceport Stadium.
Spark paced behind a yellow sofa back and forth on slick black tiling and surrounded by pristine white walls. Arms crossed with one hand on his chin, he was getting anxious as he kept his eyes on the mounted flatscreen TV. More information kept pouring out about the attack. Then came something about teenagers being detained and arrested.
"Hold up!" Spark protested, though he was the only one in the room. He put his hands on the sofa, glaring at the television. "You guys arrested children? How on earth do you think they'd aggravate Crimson and drag him to the surface halfway across the lake!?"
Spark was a man of many things. Beyond being a Gym Leader, he was a certified Ranger, and pursued multiple majors in college. He held a council seat for the city of Viceport, and many deemed him the unofficial mayor of the city. He helped preserve and maintain the city's massive wild urban pokemon population and brought tourism to economically boost Sol Peninsula.
Spark carried a lot of influence, and he knew it. Many viewed him as a thirty-something playboy that turned Viceport into a party town and provided no real significant value to Inventum. But to others, Spark drew inspiration and knew how to tap into previously untouched interests and potential.
Spark figured the trainers detained by police had gone through more than enough for the day. They were probably going to stay at the station for the night, and no one was going to find out this was all one big misunderstanding for a while. Not unless he did something about it.
Spark stormed out of his office seconds later. Instead of taking the elevator, he ran down a dozen flights of stairs, often skipping a step or two effortlessly. He took one more flight towards underneath the ground floor, emerging into the parking garage. Pulling out his keys from his pocket, Spark unlocked his nearby metallic yellow luxury convertible, imported from a distant region close to Kalos known as Almia. The driver door opened vertically, and the vehicle automatically turned on after the onboard computer scanned him.
Spark gripped the wheel tightly before backing up. Practically turning on a dime, he sped up a nearby ramp and out the parking garage. He merged onto busy traffic within a sea of skyscrapers. Projectors and screens were showing the aftermath of the chaos at Lake Sol, contributing to the traffic jam.
"Come on people!" Spark yelled while electronic dance music was blasting out his car's speakers. At the first opportunity, he switched lanes and made a left. Moments later, he merged onto a highway and hit the pedal against the floor all the way towards the north side of Lake Sol.
"I'm telling you we had nothing to do with Crimson," Kristine spoke sincerely to a dark-haired female investigator in a narrow, dim-lighted room.
"Right, but tell me what your brother was doing when Crimson attacked?" the investigator inquired.
The police took Jason into the department within Lake Sol's nearby town, putting him behind bars for the time being. Kristine and Alex were taken in for questioning, where they were separated and interviewed by an investigator of the same gender. Kristine was able to wash her hand clean at the sink in the women's restroom, though the custodian present had to sanitize the sink of any blood particles.
Kristine was visibly frustrated at the misconception that, for whatever reason, Jason directly provoked Crimson with a gyarados of his own. And the investigator seemed to notice.
"He was at the edge of the lake," Kristine replied.
"And where were you?"
"I was walking back a fair bit to rent a towel and get some sun. That's when I heard screaming and realized Crimson had shown up."
"And did you see Jason's gyarados?"
"He was still a magikarp then!" Kristine fought the urge to pound her shaking hand on the table. "Please, we've only helped people. Jolteon is badly wounded and could've died. Jason would not do something stupid to put him at risk like that."
"Hmm," the investigator leaned back. A moment later, she got up. "Excuse me."
"I need to call my mom," Kristine requested. "Can I not talk anymore?"
"You don't have to say anything," the investigator smiled. "Just sit tight for a moment."
The investigator left the room, walking down a narrow hallway before noticing her male counterpart exiting another room.
"Something doesn't add up, " she addressed him.
"That's the vibe I got, " the male investigator agreed. "The town jumped way ahead on this one."
"Eye witnesses said Jason was standing directly in front of Crimson and egged him on with his own Pokemon. His sister is pissed. She knows her brother like a favorite book, and besides, who really knew about Crimson?"
"Alex is frustrated too. He said he organized an attack on Crimson in self-defense. Counters what people said about them aggravating Crimson."
"People are trying to perceive something chaotic. They saw what they saw."
"Well, we can't look at it black and white. Something drove Crimson mad. Or someone. And it's not a bunch of thirteen-year-olds."
"Correct. Let's -" the female investigator cut herself off when she noticed Spark barging through the doors into the hallway.
"Release those kids right now!" Spark demanded.
"Spark?" the male investigator seemed surprised to see the leader of Team Instinct storming in.
"Had a word with your boss," Spark explained. "Get Kristine and Alex out!"
"With all due respect, they have the right to leave," the female investigator replied. "Jason is in custody, however."
"Charges against Jason are dropped," Spark replied. "And do you think Kristine's going to walk out without Jason?"
"The chief can only make that call," the male investigator took a step forward.
"Talk to your boss then," Spark stepped aside, leaving an open path to the exit door. "Go on."
The investigators looked at each other. They exchanged nods before opening the doors to the rooms Kristine and Alex resided.
"Jason's free, dear," the female investigator addressed.
Kristine shot right up from her seat and quickly paced out of the confined room. Expecting to see Jason immediately, she was surprised to see Spark himself standing before her.
"The female Kyar twin herself," Spark cracked a grin.
"Uh, Spark?" Kristine took a step back, nearly bumping into the female investigator behind her.
"That's me," Spark gave a thumbs up and a wink. "At least that's what they call me."
Alex walked out from the room he was in seconds later, with the male investigator behind him. He looked right at Spark, his eyes widening.
"Alex, right?" Spark rubbed his chin. "I followed the Junior Circuit as closely as I could."
"Yeah," Alex gave a slight nod.
"The media made it out to be that you and Jason hated each other," Spark continued. "I would not expect to see you hang out with him."
"Yeah, well, things took a turn for the unexpected," Alex gave a slight shrug.
A moment later, the same door Spark entered through opened. Jason emerged, with an officer closing the door behind him. He was free, his hands uncuffed just a few moments ago.
"Jason!" Kristine yelled, prompting Spark to step to the side. She ran right to her brother, giving him a big, tight hug.
Jason said nothing, his face expressing physical and mental weariness. He hugged Kristine back, gripping her tightly. A moment later, he noticed Spark just casually leaning against the wall to his right. "Spark?"
"That's me," Spark took two steps forward. "And I see Jason Kyar in the flesh. It is good to finally meet you."
"Yeah, same," Jason let go of Kristine as she did so as well. "The police mentioned you being here and something about releasing me, so thank you."
"No problem," Spark walked by the twins towards the exit door. He turned his head to the detectives. "Get these kids back to the pokemon center."
"That's the plan," the female detective replied.
"We'll be in touch," Spark addressed Jason, Kristine, and Alex. "Take all the time you need. You're all heroes today. I just want to let you all know that," he then opened the door and departed.
"Alright, let's get you back," the male detective spoke. "I have a SUV to fit you all in."
Later in the evening, the male detective dropped Jason, Kristine, and Alex off back at the pokemon lodge. All three had been given back their pokeball belts that were confiscated since arriving at the police station. Jason, who sat at the front passenger seat, took the lead as he bolted out the door and speed walked towards the entrance of the lodge.
Kristine and Alex were right behind him, exiting from the rear doors of the SUV. The detective soon drove off after seeing the three trainers enter the lodge safely.
Jason immediately walked up to Nurse Joy at the front desk, undeterred by the dozens of trainers and civilians gathered in the lobby. "Where's Jolteon?" he inquired, his face expressing concern yet mental and physical exhaustion.
"Oh, Jason," Nurse Joy walked towards the revolving half-door behind her in order to approach Jason face-to-face. Jason's heart sank as these few seconds felt a lot longer to him.
"Is he going to be okay?" he asked.
Nurse Joy noticed Kristine and Alex coming up behind Jason. She looked at Jason eye to eye. "Jolteon is going to be okay. But, he is undergoing surgery as we speak. He suffered a lot of blood loss and internal damage. He is going to be okay, but we would have to move him to Grace Regional Medical Center for Pokemon in Viceport tomorrow to ensure he is able to make a full recovery."
Kristine walked right up behind Jason's left shoulder. She knew the injury was serious. She had to use her hand to plug Jolteon's wound, after all.
Jason cleared his throat, trying to prepare himself for more bad news. "Will Jolteon be able to battle again?"
Nurse Joy gave a look of sympathy, placing her hand on Jason's right shoulder. "If Jolteon makes a full recovery, then yes," she softly spoke. "But, it could take weeks, even months, for him to be fully ready to battle again. It's going to take a lot of time."
"Okay," Jason took a deep breath, his hands starting to tremble. Still, he maintained his composure. "Can I see him?"
"He is undergoing surgery behind closed doors," Nurse Joy took her hand off Jason. "You can see him tomorrow morning, but please know he will be okay."
"Come on," Kristine stepped up next to Jason. "Let's get some sleep tonight."
Jason complied without saying a word or expressing any sort of body language. He approached the nearby set of stairs, with Kristine right behind him. Kristine turned around to lightly wave goodbye to Alex, who returned the courtesy.
Jason reached inside his left pocket for the room card key before realizing it wasn't there, and checked his right pocket. Frustrated, he aggressively pulled both pockets inside out. He must have lost the card somewhere within the chaos earlier in the day.
"Here," Kristine gently spoke, walking by Jason with a card key in her hand. After placing it over the scanner, the room unlocked. She led the way inside.
Jason took several steps forward as Kristine walked towards the window overlooking Lake Sol. Jason kept his emotions in check the entire time, but being away from the general public, he put down his defenses and suddenly broke down into tears.
"Thank you," he barely mustered to communicate through his sobbing.
Kristine quickly turned around and proceeded towards Jason. "Hey, it's going to be okay," she held onto him tightly.
The traumatic events of the day caused Kristine to become teary eyed. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Neither twin exchanged words; they only embraced one another.
A few minutes have gone by. Suddenly, the computer at the corner of the room lit up, giving a melodic ring indicating an inbound call. Only one person would seek out their room number this late into the night for a call.
"We have to take it," Kristine pulled back, looking at Jason right in the eyes. "Deep breaths."
"Okay," Jason did just that.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Jason managed to compose himself. "Let's do it."
The twins proceeded over to the computer desk. Kristine clicked on the button that accepted the inbound call. Their mother appeared on the screen, appearing nervous yet relieved.
"Thank goodness," Veronica exhaled. "Let me look at both of you."
Kristine leaned towards the camera, tilting her face and pretending as if her mother was there in person.
"You're trembling," Veronica noticed.
Kristine lifted up her slightly shaking arm. "We've been through a lot today."
"And Jason?" Veronica looked in his direction. "Come over here, dear,"
Kristine stepped aside for Jason to approach the computer.
"Oh, Jason," Veronica observed her weary son, his eyes red and his body dusted with dirt and sand. "Kristine, take care of your brother."
"I'll be okay, Mom," Jason assured her.
"Have you heard the details?" Kristine asked her mother.
"The attack is all over the news," Veronica replied. "All of Inventum knows!"
"Yeah. We were in the middle of that."
"They said over 40 people were injured. Many more just shaken up. But no one was killed. People are already saying it's a miracle."
"Jolteon almost died," Jason blurted out.
"Wait what?" Veronica was shocked.
"There was an incident," Kristine softly spoke. "The blast from one of Crimson's Hyper Beams sent Jolteon flying at a high speed against a tree, hitting shoulder first and ricocheting off."
Jason, nauseous over Kristine's description of the situation, abruptly left towards the restroom.
"Jason!" Kristine and Veronica yelled at the same time.
"Maybe we should let him be," Veronica followed up.
"It was bad," Kristine began tearing up. "I don't know if Jolteon hit a sharp edge or if he hit the tree too fast or what. But -"
"It's okay, dear," Veronica tried to calm her daughter down.
"I put my hand in the wound. And just plugged it," Kristine sobbed. "I was so scared of Jolteon dying right there. I had to keep a straight face because Jason was freaking out and I needed him to deal with Crimson."
"That's what they're calling the red gyarados."
"No one freaking knew if he existed. And he does. Came out of nowhere and hurt a lot of people. Almost killed Jolteon. My brother's pokemon. I wasn't going to let Crimson do that to Jason," Kristine clenched her fists.
"You've become a lot more determined and assertive," Veronica admired.
"And angry!" Kristine pounded the desk. "None of this needed to happen!"
"No, it didn't," Veronica spoke firmly. "But it sounds like you saved Jolteon."
"First it was Jason himself. Then Dratini, then - " Kristine realized something. The red eyes Dratini displayed when he nearly succumbed to the mysterious injection in his body, and the red, furious eyes of Crimson.
"Then Jolteon," Veronica finished her sentence.
"When this is all said and done, I might as well become a doctor," Kristine shrugged.
"There are a lot of opportunities in the medical field."
"Yeah," Kristine sighed. "Good luck telling my favorite knucklehead you can do more things in life than being a trainer."
"Do you see yourself being a trainer after getting all twelve badges?"
"Of course. At least for several years or so. I have some time to think about it as a lifelong career," Kristine then laughed. "And to think we still have seven badges to go."
"Oh, and what's with some arrest happening at the Lake?"
"Uh," Kristine scratched the back of her neck. "Jason was the one who got arrested."
"What!?" Veronica shot right up.
"I swear he did not do anything wrong."
"Oh, I know," Veronica was furious. "I've raised too good of children for them to be in trouble with the law. And Jason would not do anything stupid enough to have his trainer's license revoked," she regained herself and sat back down. "Why was he arrested?"
"Something about witnesses thinking Jason egged Crimson on. He was probably the closest on shore to him. That, and Magikarp evolved into Gyarados and fought Crimson. Probably added to the confusion."
"It just doesn't make any sense," Veronica rubbed her chin. "Seems like local law enforcement dropped the ball on that one. For an attack like that, I guess they wanted answers straight away."
"I can't help but feel that -" Kristine stopped herself briefly before finishing her sentence. "Rafael had something to do with this."
"That son of a motherless snorlax took Jim away from me. No way he's going to take my kids away as well!" Veronica pounded her desk in rage. "Of course you were there when this attack happened. He probably paid some bad apples to aggravate Crimson."
"Well, I don't know for sure but -"
"It was him," Veronica spoke firmly. "I just know it."
"Yeah. Probably."
After a moment of silence, Veronica let out a sigh. "You two need to sleep. Go check on Jason for me, okay?"
"Will do," Kristine assured her. "Love you, Mom. We'll be safe."
"Love you both," Veronica gave a slight wave before signing off.
Kristine stared at the ensuing blank screen, mentally exhausted. A moment later, she slowly got up and proceeded to the bathroom only to see the door closed. She leaned in, left ear against the door, and heard the sound of a shower running. Assuming Jason was cleaning himself and getting much needed time of solitude, Kristine proceeded to change into her pajamas before flopping over on her bed.
Jason was indeed in the shower. The water was lukewarm as he made little effort to adjust the temperature. He needed to get the traumatic events out of his head. That, and the number of developments that transpired simply overwhelmed him. His arrest was an inconvenience; he had more pressing matters to attend to, from Jolteon's health to Gyarados to Kristine's well-being.
A short while later, Jason emerged from the bathroom with his pajamas on. Kristine was wide awake as she turned her head towards Jason.
"Everyone else is likely worried sick," she noted.
"Let's just deal with it tomorrow," Jason spoke, his low tone clearly expressing his exhaustion. He flopped over on his bed, staring straight up at the ceiling.
"You're gonna have to call Sydney too," Kristine rolled to her side, eyes on Jason.
"Yeah," Jason sighed. "My girlfriend, huh?"
"You know we all poke fun at that," Kristine lightly smiled. "But she likes you and I know you feel the same."
"Just let me deal with it tomorrow," Jason's tone became expressionless. "It's the middle of the night over there anyways."
"Of course," Kristine kept her eyes on Jason before turning the lamp in between the two beds off. "Try to sleep, okay?"
"I will try," Jason's eyes were still wide open, staring above through the utter darkness. "And Kristine?"
"Yeah?" Kristine began to flip over to her other side.
"I can't function without you. Thank you."
Kristine didn't know how to respond to that. She believed Jason was wrong, and would find a way to cope without her. But she knew she provided a sense of reassurance and comfort for her twin. Perhaps he was starting to suspect he was relying on her good, protective nature.
"I'll do anything for you. But you're amazing by yourself," she attempted to instill confidence in her brother. "Just ask Gyarados. Or your whole team."
Gyarados, Jason thought. He knew he had work cut out for him the next day. That especially meant spending some time with his newly evolved pokemon.
"You're telling me Crimson didn't kill anyone, not even the Kyar boy who I bet you was standing in front of this thing?" Rafael clenched his fist in frustration, speaking to a mobile device he held next to his right ear. He paced back and forth across his office.
"Well, the news says something about a jolteon being critically injured," a voice responded.
"You and I both know I don't care about his pokemon, Romeo!" Rafael snapped. "Was the serum calibrated correctly?"
"It should have been. The geeks confirmed it before we went on mission."
"Then by some miracle, no one died," Rafael scoffed. "Fine, whatever, get out of there. Get back to the boat and you'll receive payment."
"Authorities are scanning the area," Romeo replied. "We can go into Viceport and get to the safe house."
"They have a kadabra who has been on the ship. It can teleport you."
"We can sneak our way through the slums of city pokemon no problem," Romeo assurred Rafael.
"Say that again?" Rafael stopped his pacing.
"We can sneak our way through the slums of city pokemon no problem," Romeo spoke slightly louder.
"Yeah, I hear you just fine," Rafael quipped. "But I have an idea. We have developed enough of the Rage serum to release it in gas form."
"Are you talking about using it on the wild pokemon population here?" Romeo nervously laughed. "Do you want people dead that badly?"
"I want to see what exactly happens," Rafael rubbed his chin. "Then I can spin it. We will usher in order to quell the chaos. I will usher a new leadership into Team Order, and if what happens confirms what I believe will happen, Inventum will be under our rule."
Jason and Kristine wasted no time getting ready early the next morning. Neither of them had slept well, with Jolteon constantly on Jason's mind and Kristine struggling to cope with the traumatic events of Crimson's attack.
Upon reaching the ground level of the pokemon lodge, Jason immediately walked towards the front desk. A male nurse assistant, in place of Nurse Joy, seemed to have anticipated Jason's approach. His eyes were locked onto Jason the moment he took the set of stairs to the ground floor.
"Jason," the man notioned him to come over.
Jason approached him, as Kristine went over to the serving area to grab breakfast and juice.
"Hey, bud," the assistant addressed Jason. "Jolteon is doing well. Would you like to see him?"
"I would like that," Jason expressionlessly replied.
The man walked around the desk and led Jason through the double doors normally restricted to guests. The two walked down a pristine white hallway well lit, much different from the cozy wooden interior of the guest lobby. The assistant stopped at the last door on the right before the hall ended.
"You may go in," the man said.
Jason slowly pushed the door open, his hands trembling. Inside he saw Jolteon resting on his side on top of a patient bed, a blue blanket draped over him. The assistant was right behind him.
"Jolteon…" Jason began tearing up."I'm so sorry."
"Jolt…" Jolteon slowly opened his eyes.
Jason walked over to him. "Hey. We're all fine. We chased Crimson away. We saved the lake."
Jason reached out to pet Jolteon. He responded by licking his hand.
"You're going to get better," tears rolled down Jason's cheeks. "I promise we will have you battling again in no time."
Suddenly, Lucario unleashed himself from his own pokeball on Jason's belt.
"Lu," Lucario stood proudly before Jolteon.
"Jolt, Jolteon…" Jolteon faintly spoke.
"Lucario," Lucario said with a reassuring nod.
Soon, Kirlia summoned herself from her pokeball. Then Rowlet. Then Growlithe.
Jason was mesmerized and touched that his whole team stood in solidarity for their fallen teammate. His sixth pokeball began to rumble. That's when he realized there was one more willing to express their support for Jolteon.
Reaching for the pokeball, Jason blocked the projector mechanism at the center of the pokeball with his hand, feeling intense force fighting it.
Jolteon coughed with a smirk, like he was trying to laugh.
"Uh," Jason faced the man, his teary face turning to slight panic as he attempted to prevent Gyarados' unintentional destruction of the operating room.
"Oh!" it clicked for the assistant. He opened the door for Jason. "Run!"
Jason ran as fast as he could down the hallway, his hands swaying from the force of Gyarados' desire to break free. He burst through the double doors and out to the lobby.
Kristine took a sip of her orange juice as she noticed Jason bolting out one of the side doors towards the lake. Concerned, she shot right up and followed her brother out.
Jason took the pokeball and threw with all his might as far away from the lodge as possible. The pokeball unleashed the roaring behemoth, Gyarados displaying his fury and frustration from being withheld.
"Gyarados!" Jason spoke loud and firm.
Gyarados faced the pokemon lodge, roaring.
"Gyarados!" Jason yelled.
Kristine slowed her pace, standing ten feet behind Jason.
The yelling of his trainer and the calming sight of Kristine convinced Gyarados to listen.
"Gyarados, listen," Jason locked eyes with him. "You're not small anymore. Look how much bigger you are than me."
Gyarados lowered his head towards Jason.
"Jolteon is going to be okay," Jason continued. "Kristine saved him."
Gyarados gazed past Jason and locked eyes with Kristine. Jason turned around to realize his sister wasn't far away.
Kristine stepped forward. "Jolteon is proud of you. We are all proud of you."
Gyarados kept his eyes on Kristine. There was no direct expression of gratitude. Perhaps this was it. Or maybe it was anger and fury interjecting. Still, Kristine gave a calming smile.
Kristine was hoping to use her feminine charm to calm Gyarados down, and it seemed to work. The girl who saved Jolteon, who was not afraid of Gyarados, inched closer.
Jason noticed Kristine making the effort to gain Gyarados' trust. Gyarados maintained his stance towards the tired, weary young woman, bags in her eyes and pale looking.
"We are all hurting from this," Jason chimed in. "But just know I can't be more proud of you than I already am."
Gyarados leaned down towards Jason, offering to be pet by him. Jason began petting him around the face, feeling the thick scales that were almost as dense as rocks.
"I-I'm sorry if I overstepped myself, Jason," Kristine lightly spoke. "I can -"
"No," Jason replied, still locked on Gyarados. "You have not."
Kristine paused for a moment. "I can give you space. I can check up on your pokemon."
"I would appreciate it."
Kristine nodded before heading back into the lodge. She walked in, ready to savor the remainder of her orange juice before requesting to enter the room where Jolteon resided.
A tall and slender figure soon burst through the front doors of the pokemon lodge. Kristine looked over to see who it was.
Amanda, catching her breath, quickly shifted her eyes across the lobby. She noticed Kristine across the lobby, staring right back at her.
"Oh my god!" Amanda ran over to Kristine. "You're okay!" She burst into tears. "You're alive!"
Amanda squeezed Kristine tightly, sobbing uncontrollably and her body trembling.
Kristine felt too emotionally drained to reciprocate any feeling or physical affection. "I'm okay, Amanda. It's nice to see you again."
Amanda looked right at Kristine's face from mere inches away. "There were reports of an attack here and that many people and pokemon were hurt, including one who is in critical condition. I couldn't help it. Liz and I ran over since three in the morning."
"Hey," Kristine gave a faint smile. "I'm okay."
Amanda hugged her again. "You are like a sister to me. I never told you that but I've grown to love you like one. I would regret not telling you that."
"Aww," Kristine hugged her back. "You're like a sister to me too."
"You look so tired and exhausted."
"I am. But I'm going to be okay."
"And Jason!?" Amanda abruptly let go. "Is he okay? Where is he?"
"He is okay too," Kristine calmly replied. "Listen, about that one pokemon who is in critical condition."
Amanda's heart stopped. "No, one of his…"
"It's Jolteon."
Amanda paused for a moment, offering silence out of respect for her friend's pokemon. "He must be devastated. To see him fight in the Junior Circuit, he obviously cares deeply for his pokemon."
"A lot happened yesterday. It wasn't just that."
Liz soon walked through the front doors into the lobby. Seeing Amanda and Kristine, she smirked and approached them. "See? She's not dead."
Amanda turned her head to Liz, with eyes that looked like they were about to burst in tears.
"Oh boy," Liz's smirk quickly evaporated.
Kristine gave a faint smile to Liz. "Good to see you."
"Yeah, you too," Liz stepped closer. "Uh, is everything okay?"
"Jolteon is injured and is in critical condition!" Amanda burst into tears.
"Jolteon? Jason's jolteon?" Liz attempted to comfort Amanda by holding onto her.
"Yeah," Kristine responded.
"Where is Jason?" Amanda sniffled. "I would like to see him if he wants company."
"Well, he might appreciate seeing you guys," Kristine began to point to the nearby exit she came from. "He's with Gyarados right now."
"I'm sorry?" Liz let go of Amanda, and began walking where Kristine pointed.
"Gyarados?" Amanda turned around.
"Magikarp evolved," Kristine vaguely explained.
A combination of anxiety and weariness caused Kristine to lose her balance.
"Woah woah woah," Amanda held onto Kristine and helped her upright.
"I'm okay," Kristine stated.
"No," Amanda shook her head. "No you're not."
Meanwhile, Liz approached the exit door and saw Jason and Gyarados through the glass panels. She was awestruck, seeing Jason calmly taming the behemoth before him.
"No way…" Liz was impressed yet envious. There was something about him, but this is true strength. Man, I would love to battle him right now.
"Liz!" Amanda called out.
"Yeah?" Liz turned her head and saw what was going on. "Oh damn!"
Jason continued to pet Gyarados. Suddenly, he had a hunch that something was wrong with Kristine.
"Sis," he blurted out in concern. He then closed his eyes, hoping she was okay and wondering if she was worrying too much about him.
"Sit down," Liz practically demanded.
"Yeah, let's do that," Amanda helped Kristine over to a nearby table.
Liz spotted the half full orange juice and handed it to Kristine. "Drink."
Kristine began drinking, her hand shaking once more.
Amanda grabbed a chair and sat in front of Kristine. "We are gonna have some girl talk. On a scale of one to ten, how much distress are you in?"
"Seventeen," Kristine lightly chuckled.
"You've got a little humor," Liz laughed. "Good sign."
"Kristine, have you started your period yet?" Amanda bluntly asked.
Kristine looked right at Amanda.
Amanda shrugged. "What? I started mine a while back."
"About two or three months ago," Kristine responded. "In between Valerie Bay and Kenalta."
"Still waiting on mine," Liz chimed in. "Based on what I've heard, it can take its time. I'm in no rush."
"And the last time you had it?" Amanda continued.
"Couple weeks ago," Kristine answered. "So I don't think any of this has to do with that."
"You've been through a lot," Liz said. "You look terrible, to say the least."
"Don't say it like that," Amanda snipped.
"You literally just asked her about her periods."
"Well yeah that's a normal thing. Believe me when you feel like someone is stabbing your lower back you'll get it. I had to ask."
Kristine laughed. "You'll get there soon, Liz."
"Oh boy, can't wait," Liz sarcastically replied.
"But seriously," Kristine sighed. "Liz is right. I feel terrible, so I probably look it too."
"Your brother is going to be fine," Liz gave a thumbs up. "He has a Gyarados watching his back now."
"Insane, isn't it?" Kristine responded.
"Jason wouldn't want you to stress any more than what you're going through," Amanda added. "From what I've observed, you're his best friend, not just his twin. He loves you as such."
"I would bet the last thing he would want is to put you through all that all over again," Liz crossed her arms. "After that incident in the Nappalchan Mountains."
"He would want you to rest," Amanda said. "He would want you to have your space, even if he doesn't say it or express it."
Kristine suddenly felt a calmness course through her. She could sense Jason was concerned for her. Almost as if he was standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not okay," Kristine admitted. "But I'm going to be okay. I just need rest. But, I did say I was going to check on his pokemon."
"I'll do it," Liz volunteered. "I think they are familiar with me to a degree."
"Let us help you," Amanda smiled. "I'll take you to your room."
Amanda helped Kristine back up to her and Jason's room, wrapping her arm around her upper back.
"I have hope that everything will be fine," Kristine faintly spoke.
"It's good to think that," Amanda responded. "You can feel tired, weak, sad, upset, whatever. But don't lose hope."
Kristine nestled the side of her face against Amanda's shoulder. "You know who helped me realize to never give up hope?"
"Jason?"
"Every single day that knucklehead wears his heart on his sleeve. Every single day he makes sure I am okay, makes sure his pokemon, and mine, are doing okay.
"I would do everything to look after him and protect him, but I know I'm protected with him around. And when things go south, he never gives up. It's just not in him. There are times I wanted to give up. But I'd fail him. I'd fail my team, and I'd fail myself."
Kristine paused for a moment as Amanda helped her up the last flight of stairs. "The burden I carry is too much at times. My mom expects me to look after him like I am accountable for everything that happens."
"I think it's a mom thing," Amanda replied.
"She told me well before we left that Jason is going to need extra help with certain things," Kristine softly spoke, barely above a whisper. "Jason hates me mentioning that."
"Your secret is safe with me," Amanda held Kristine tighter as the two got to the twins' room.
"So I look after him. In the process I realized I needed to take care of myself. Especially when, well, I entered womanhood."
"And I'm sure Jason understands your need to prioritize yourself."
"Of course. I'm sure he knows what a girl can go through but I'm also sure it's all going way over his head for the moment," Kristine snickered.
"And if he does ever figure it out, he'd be understanding," Amanda smiled back.
Amanda helped Kristine inside her room as Kristine sat down on her bed.
"And it's not like Jason is entirely dependent," Kristine elaborated. "But he has his quirks. He has his focuses, his hyper fixations."
"It's okay to be his anchor," Amanda sat down next to her. It seems like he is yours, as well."
"And do not get me wrong," Kristine spoke clearly. "I do not mind looking out for him. I enjoy it, to be honest. It gives me a sense of peace to see my own twin brother happy."
"It's very human of you," Amanda responded. "To see someone else be happy, to be successful."
"Which is why I felt bad for beating him and his team."
Amanda smirked. "Someone had to lose. I know deep down you are a competitor."
"Something else I owe to Jason."
Suddenly, the computer terminal on the far side of the room pinged.
"Your mom?" Amanda got up.
Kristine felt a slight rush. "Oh shoot!"
Amanda, curious, walked over to the terminal. "Incoming call from Galar."
"Sydney!" Kristine shot up.
"It's fine," Amanda calmly spoke. "Please sit back down."
"Right," Kristine did so.
Amanda accepted the call. "Hi Sydney!"
Sydney's worried face appeared on the screen. "Hi, uh, did I get the wrong room?"
"No no," Amanda smiled. "Remember me? I'm Amanda, you met me briefly back in Valerie Bay."
"Yeah, I do!" Sydney remained courteous yet increasingly concerned. "Is, um, Jason okay?"
"Yeah! He's okay. He's out at the moment, a lot has happened and he's processing it all right now."
It became clear Sydney was holding back tears, her face turning red. "Can, can I hear from him at least? Can I see that he is doing okay? Please?"
Kristine got up and walked over, evading Amanda's detection. Amanda was slightly jolted to feel Kristine's hand over her right shoulder, and it gave Sydney relief to see Jason's sister enter the screen. It also gave relief to Amanda, who was too frozen to give a response.
"Hey Sydney," Kristine gave a weak smile.
"Hi," Sydney was happy to see her. "Are you okay?"
"I will be," Kristine responded. "Listen, I will get Jason up here, and you can both talk. Just you and him and no one else around. Does that sound good?"
Sydney was embarrassed at this point, but she was honest. "I - I would like that very much."
"Just stay on and give us five to seven minutes," Kristine said. She and Amanda proceeded out of the room.
"You can crash at my room once I get it booked," Amanda kindly offered.
"I appreciate that," Kristine said. "I need to rest, but -"
"She loves him!" Amanda gossiped in a whisper.
Kristine laughed. "She was so embarrassed too."
"She has feelings for him! It's really cute!"
Amanda noticed Liz walking out to the lobby. She hung over the railing to get her attention.
"Hey Liz!" Amanda yelled. "Tell Jason Sydney is on call and he needs to talk to her!"
"Who?" Liz shrugged.
"His girlfriend!"
"He has a girlfriend?"
"Just tell him Sydney is waiting for him!"
"Fine," Liz proceeded towards Jason.
"You do realize Liz is as blunt as they come, right?" Kristine asked.
Amanda giggled. "Better than you, Kristine. Better than you."
Meanwhile, Liz exited through the glass door, slowly making her way to Jason and Gyarados. Her entry caught the behemoth's attention as he shifted eyes towards her.
"Hey there big guy," Liz smiled as she inched closer.
"Liz?" Jason turned around.
"Hey dude," Liz waved. "Just checked on your team for your sis. They're doing fine."
"Oh, I appreciate that. Is Kristine okay?"
"Yeah yeah. She just needs rest. So Amanda and I are helping her. Don't worry about it. You do you. We got you guys."
Liz stepped closer, seeing Gyarados locking eyes on her. "Listen, your girlfriend is on call."
The intensity of the situation instantly evaporated. Gyarados shifted his eyes to Jason, whose face was beaming red from embarrassment.
"I'll go talk to her," Jason kept his head down and walked back inside the lodge.
Liz and Gyarados exchanged smiles, the first time Gyarados expressed such an emotion.
Liz shrugged. "You know anything about this, dude?"
Gyarados gave a single nod.
"Huh," Liz turned around. "Not something I can relate to, but good for him I suppose."
Jason walked up the stairs towards his room. Amanda waited for him just outside. She smiled, keeping the door open with her foot and pulling the handle to let Jason in. She shut the door behind him.
Jason took a deep breath and approached the computer terminal. There he saw Sydney, fidgeting with her hands in nervousness until she looked up to see him sitting before her on the screen.
"Hey," Jason faintly smiled.
"Hi," Sydney perked up, holding back tears.
"Hey I'm okay," Jason assured her. And we're alone. If you want to -"
"I'm so happy to see you," Sydney replied. "I hope I'm not too upfront and all this news that we are hearing and how we really got along -"
"I'm okay," Jason calmly spoke. "Let me tell you how it happened."
Jason stepped out of the room 20 minutes later, his face unreadable as he closed the door behind him. Amanda was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and a grin threatening to spill over.
"Well?" she asked, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Jason rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "It went… good."
"Good? Just good?" Amanda's grin widened. "Come on, Jason. I saw that look on your face before you went in there. What happened? Is it a secret? It can be a secret."
Jason hesitated, uncertain but finally ready to be serious about this. "I think… I have a girlfriend now."
Amanda let out an exaggerated gasp, clasping her hands together. "Oh my gosh, Jason! That's adorable! Wait, what did she say? Did you say it? Did she say it? Did—"
"She kissed the screen before she signed off," Jason admitted, his face turning red.
Amanda's jaw dropped.. "Jason Kyar!" she teased. "I mean, technically, you didn't actually kiss her, but—"
"Amanda," Jason groaned, though he couldn't hide his smile.
Amanda laughed, giving him a playful nudge. "Fine, fine. But I'm happy for you. And for Sydney. You two are… perfect for each other."
Jason shook his head, the weight of the day creeping back into his expression. "Let's just keep this between us for now, okay? I need to focus on Jolteon."
"Of course," Amanda said softly, her tone shifting to sincerity. "Go be with your team. I'll check on Kristine."
Jason gave a small nod of thanks and walked down the hall. Amanda watched him go before turning toward her room where Kristine rested. Despite the lightness of their exchange, the lingering tension of the day hung heavy in the air.
By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, the sky over Lake Sol was painted in hues of orange and purple. On the flat grounds near the pokemon lodge, Jason and Kristine stood side by side, watching as the sleek, white-and-blue helicopter descended from the sky. The rhythmic thrum of the blades grew louder as it approached, whipping up a gust of wind that scattered loose leaves and rippled their clothes.
Jason clutched Jolteon's pokeball tightly in his hand, his knuckles pale from the force of his grip. Even though Jolteon was secured on a stretcher inside the helicopter, Jason felt a need to keep his partner close. It was as if holding the pokeball was the only thing tethering him to his injured pokemon.
Kristine glanced at her brother, noting the way he stared intently at the open doors of the helicopter. She didn't say anything at first—Jason's silence was his way of holding himself together. But she felt compelled to reassure him.
"Jolteon's tough," she said, her voice soft but steady. "He'll pull through. He always does."
Jason nodded, though his jaw remained tight. "I know," he said quietly, but his gaze didn't leave the stretcher.
A pair of medics stepped out of the helicopter, one of them waving to Nurse Joy, who was waiting nearby. "We're ready to transport," the medic called out, his voice cutting through the noise of the rotors.
Nurse Joy approached the twins, offering a reassuring smile. "You've both done everything you can for Jolteon. The medical team at Grace Regional is the best in Inventum. They'll take excellent care of him."
Jason took a deep breath, nodding again. "Can I sit with him during the flight?"
"The medics need room to monitor him," Joy explained gently. "But you'll be right behind them. You'll be the first thing he sees when you land."
Kristine reached out and placed a comforting hand on Jason's arm. "We're going together," she said. "We'll be with him the whole way."
Jason glanced at his sister, her quiet confidence grounding him. "Thanks, sis."
The medics motioned for the twins to board. Jason stepped forward first, his eyes briefly lingering on Jolteon's stretcher as he climbed into the cabin. Kristine followed close behind, settling into the seat beside him. As the helicopter's engines roared to life, the lodge and Lake Sol began to shrink below them, the wind whipping through their hair as they ascended.
The city of Viceport came into view, its glittering lights reflecting off the distant water. The sight was mesmerizing, yet Jason's focus remained inward. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at his hands.
Kristine looked at him, her own thoughts swirling. After a long silence, she spoke.
"Like that time in the Mountains," she recalled. When we - you got rescued. It's that same feeling."
"Almost like the eye of the storm," Jason added. "We're not out of it yet, but at least there's a sense of calmness."
Kristine gave him a faint smile, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. The helicopter pushed forward into the twilight, its hum a steady reminder of the challenges ahead. Together, the twins braced themselves for what was to come—with Jolteon, with their journey, and anything uncertain coming their way.