Chapter 47: More Than Things Seem

Two days have passed since our arrival in the city. And two days has it been that the storm has done everything but dispersed. Even now another bolt of lightning struck up from above, leaving a burn mark upon the ground as I watched from the window. Boredom had long since settled in, being that the lightning had prevented everybody from going anywhere, including the gym we were to battle against next I had come to find out was here, which resulted in me to pace about frantically over the fact that I couldn't battle, which resulted in Ted having to calm me down, which resulted in me trying to preoccupy my time, which is where I found myself staring out a window watching the onslaught of lightning continue another day of keeping everybody trapped where they were.

I took a deep, mental breath, realizing I was beginning to go into another frantic frenzy. I tore my gaze away to look around the building, landing my sights upon Charcoal who was across from where I was, leaning against the desk. I was still pretty upset with how insulting he was, thinking I'd be the reason our group would be disbanded. The nerve! I watched him as he stared at the ground, arms crossed and a most perplexed look upon his face. Every now and then his gaze would wander up towards the two men who were currently playing some kind of game involving cards. I wasn't sure why he was watching them. If anything, the old man was the one to be watched upon the most.

Even as I spoke, I spotted him lurking bout near a group of people. Listening in, he asked if they had seen anybody suspicious, to which they replied that they haven't. The irony!

"What the hell are you looking at?" I heard D.Z. suddenly say, causing me to turn my attention to see what was occurring. Standing directly in front of him was Skitty who stood there staring at him. Just staring… staring… staring…until D.Z. finally stood up from having been looking out the window, his trunk like nose swaying as he did. "You got a problem with me? You want to make something of it?"

And yet she stood there, staring at him until at last she raised up a paw and gave his trunk like nose a good smack, causing him to lose his balance and stumble. I stared blankly at the scene before me, unsure of what to make of what had just happened. Then again, I wasn't sure what to think of at all.

"How does that not weigh you down?" she asked.

Strange.

Skitty seemed to be the only member in our group who seemed to be out of the loop of half the stuff the rest of us have been through. But then again, perhaps she knew what was going on and feigned ignorance to make everyone else think she had no idea what was going on.

I thought back to the night she slept up curled up beside me, admitting what she knew what others thought of her and how she was like everyone else when it came down to it. That was reason enough to prompt me to get up and walk over to talk with her before D.Z. had a chance to go off on her for smacking his nose. She spun on a dime, facing me as I walked up.

"Ah! The return of the blue-ringed wanderer!" she said. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Well," I began. "I had been thinking that since there's practically nothing to do that maybe we could walk about? Maybe just talk about things in general and stuff?"

She tilted her head in curiously asking, "What kind of stuff?"

"Um…," I replied, unsure of how to respond. "I guess just catching up kind of stuff? I mean with how much traveling we've been doing, I don't think any one of us has had the time to stop and chat much"

"Hmm," she murmured, contemplating my suggestion. D.Z. meanwhile recovered from his stumbling, checking to make sure his nose was all right before marching right up to us, well, Skitty rather than me, readying to say something when Skitty placed a paw to his mouth, silencing him.

"Why not?" she answered. "I haven't really spent a lot of time hanging with you. I'm usually hanging around with Ted so this might be kind of fun."

"Really?" I said with mild surprise.

"Think of it this way: it'll give me the chance to know you better."

"Hey!" D.Z. yelled, swatting her paw away. "I'm not done with you! You're going to pay for-" He was cut off as Skitty pushed him back. D.Z. stumbled backwards before tripping and falling on his rump. Skitty and I then walked off before he could recover and yell some more. And I could really do without the headache.

"You do realize that he's on our team, don't you?" I asked, figuring I'd start the conversation somewhere.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," was her reply, a little slow and strenuous though. I took a glance at her, noticing her body was a bit stiff as she walked. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling all kinds of awkward, to which I was. It felt weird talking with a hyperactive cat who was acting quite normal for once. It was rather scary to think about, despite the fact that I was thinking about it.

"Sooo… you've been doing okay since… well, you know." Idiot! That was probably a touchy subject for her and you just had to go and mention that because you couldn't think of anything else to say!

"Yes," she replied with a nod, her ears bouncing slightly as she did so. "I know Ted can handle himself. It wouldn't do me any good to worry myself sick if he did something like that on a regular basis. I know he'd back no matter how long it took. It was just unfortunate the rain came when it did."

"I've noticed," I commented. "Rain does tend to affect most pokemon's moods."

"It's not just that," Skitty said. "Color affects my moods as well. I'm sure you saw how dull and boring I acted in the first gym and how hyperactive I was in the second."

"I just figured you were being your usual self in the water gym," I admitted.

"Usually: yes. But when I'm surrounded by blue colors I tend to overhype even more so in complete and utter joy and express just how much passion I have for it and such."

"I think that makes sense in a sense of sorts."

"Eh. You'll learn. You just have to be more observant. That or you could just ask Ted. He knows me inside and out."

"Duly noted," I said as we both fell silent amidst our walk. It was an awkward silence, one that left an uncomfortable feeling inside of me. I took a look around to take my mind off it, thankful we were indoors otherwise who knows how far we'd walk or how lost we'd get from just walking?

As we made a turn to walk to the other end of the building Skitty asked, "So what's up with you and fire boy?"

"Wha-?" I questioned, being caught off guard.

"You and fire breath there," she said, motioning to where Charcoal stood still looking perplexed over something.

"Tch!" I said with a tsk as I looked away grudgingly. "Charcoal doesn't think I have enough common sense and that I'll be the reason why our group will be disbanded."

"Why would he think that?" she asked.

"It's obvious isn't it? He doesn't trust me."

Another awkward silence fell between us, neither of us knowing what to say until Skitty stopped me in my tracks with what she said next. "I don't know. Not all that you may think is what it seems to be. After all, Charcoal does seem to have a conflicting nature he can't seem to escape."

I stared after her as she continued to walk on, wondering if I heard things right. Charcoal? A conflicted nature? What did she mean? Was there something about Charcoal that caused him to mistrust me? Or was the mistrust actual arrogance blinding me? And how much did Skitty actually know? Did Ted teach her to read other people's emotions? Or does Skitty have an agenda all her own and make use of it in the way she acts? So many questions ran through my mind as I tried sorting it all out. But the biggest question I had running through at the current moment was why my fur was suddenly standing on edge?

My question was answered a split second later as something came crashing through the roof, striking the ground mere inches from where I stood. I gritted my teeth as my muscles locked up, my heart practically skipping a beat I swear it could have stopped. I barely knew what had happened as screams of terror reached my ears.

My mind was slow to register what was going on around me as I heard my name being yelled out. I slowly swung my head around to see somebody run up to me. It took me half a second to recognize that it was my master who was coming to check up on me. I, however, was finding it difficult to make any kind of sound, my mind still reeling from what almost could have happened. I wasn't really sure if I was aware of that fact or anything else going on around me when I felt my body suddenly relax, my muscles unlocking from the sudden event as my mind caught up with the rest of the world.

"You all right there, Zack bro?" were the first words I heard. I looked slightly to my left to see Ted standing there with a worried look upon his face.

"I think so?" I questioned with a bit of a squeaky voice before clearing it. "Wh-what happened?

"Zack!" I heard my master say, prompting me to look at him as he embraced me in his arms. "I'm so glad that you're all right! A few more inches and you could have been fried."

Yeah. No joke. It's not every day that lightning strikes into a building and almost hits you in the process. Thank goodness I wasn't any closer, though in the case that my master was smothering me, I probably did still have the chance of dying.

"You might want to let him go," came Laura's voice. "He looks like he could pass out from all the smothering you're giving him." Thank you intervention! "Besides, I don't think you realize where you're foot is."

There was a momentary pause as I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for what I had done upon being almost struck. "Eww!" my master cried out. "Gross!" I honestly didn't know where to shift my attention until I was aware something was pressed up against my front side. Glancing down, I found Skitty face first in my fur doing… something.

"Um… Skitty?" I questioned, curious as to why her face was implanted into me. I saw her ears twitch as I said her name before backing up a bit and looking up at me with a quivering lip and tears in her eyes. "S-Skitty, what's wrong?"

Without a word, she placed her face back into my fur, adding more confusion and awkwardness into the mix. "Seems she was afraid for your well-being as well," Ted said.

"What do you mean?"

"I know she may not seem like the type, but Skitty cares about others the longer she's around them. That fact aside, are you sure you're all right? No one comes that close to death and lives to tell about it."

"It helps to have someone like you," I admitted with a sheepish grin. "I do have one question though: why are the lights out?"

"May I have your attention everyone!" the nurse spoke, catching everyone's attention. "Everyone please, calm down." She waited as the sounds of frightened chatter and kids crying calmed to a point so she could be heard. "First I want to make sure that no one was hurt by the sudden lightning strike. If anyone was, my nursing staff and I will do our best to treat any and all wounds."

"I think we're all good," my master spoke up after a moment of semi-silence. Speak for yourself!

"That's a relief," the nurse said before continuing. "Now, thanks to the back-up generators kicking in, I was able to receive word that the power plant had been struck as well, resulting in a power outage through the entire city."

Murmurs began to stir up once more as the sounds of frightened whispers spread amongst one another, children huddling up with each other, or at least most of them. Others probably didn't have a clue as to what was going on. "Quiet down! Quiet down! There is another piece of information I would like to inform you all on." She fell silent, waiting until everyone followed suit. "I managed to get in touch with the rescue team, but due to how severe the weather has gotten over the past two days, it'll be at least an hour before they get here. So in the meantime, please gather up what you can take with you and wait for further instructions."

Wait. What? Were we really having to leave the city? All because of bad the weather was becoming? Granted, I know everyone's lives are important, but if we were to leave the city, then I wouldn't be able to battle the gym here and I didn't go through wind and rain to get here just to leave again. I groaned detestably. "This sucks! Stupid lightning! We got here not but two days ago and we haven't been able to go out and do anything! And now we have no choice but to leave the city?"

"Sad to say, but we really don't," Ted responded.

"Where the heck did this stupid storm come from anyway? Storms just don't gather up in one place and last for days to end."

"Then why not backtrack a bit?" Ted suggested. "In order to discover the reason as to why the storm is here, we have to know what the cause is."

"That's just it! We don't!"

"Maybe not," Ted said. "But what we do know is that we saw a storm much similar to this before, have we not?"

"Yeah we have," I answered. "Back in that town where we ran into D.Z."

"And the night of the storm, was there anything unusual about the storm that I was unable to see?"

I raised an eyebrow, curious to know what he was trying to get at. Nevertheless, I thought back to that night I spent by the window, watching the torrential downpour. Nothing about the storm proved to be any different than other storms have been. In fact, the only thing that I might have found different about the storm was-

My eyes lit up as the memory clicked. "The lightning!" I exclaimed. "I remember that the lightning was acting a little… off."

"What exactly do you mean by 'off?'" Ted questioned.

I held a paw to my head, trying to remember what I saw the lightning do as I watched it. "I remember that every time the lightning flashed, it would always do so away from the city."

"That's a start," Ted said as I began to pace, bringing forth what I could remember that night.

"And… um…I think I remember we were in the farthest building in that one guy's home and…" I trailed off, having closed my eyes as I pictured myself back there, sitting by the window as I watched the storm rage on; the lightning flashing out towards the distance with each bolt that struck out. The rain was alluring with the rhythmic pitter patterness, but as a creature made for the night, I was able to resist its hypnotic power.

I wasn't sure how long I watched the torrential downpour. It was at some point I heard a slight shuffling sound of feet from behind me and turned to see who was approaching when, in mid-turn, I paused. I'm not exactly sure how I was doing it, but with some mysterious force controlling me, I was able to look out from the corner of my eye back at the window. Focusing my vision, I looked past my own reflection to the outside, attempting to get a better look at ground level view rather than the sky, but couldn't see much.

I found myself slowly craning my head in that direction to get an even better look and examined the surrounding area. After a few minutes, I landed my gaze upon the path that led to and from the town, trying to figure on why it looked so familiar when something suddenly clicked. The path that led out, the direction the lightning was aiming, it couldn't be…

"I got it!" I yelled out, shooting open my eyes, only to blush awkwardly as I stared into the soft, brown eyes of a Teddiursa who had his head up against mine, a paw on each side of my head. I could see the sudden surprise and embarrassment in his eyes as he quickly backed away from me, rubbing an arm. "Er… um… wh-what exactly were y-you doing?"

"S-sorry Zack," he said. "I was just… I was trying to…" Whatever it was he was saying, he couldn't seem to have found the words, especially since he began to look around, prompting me to do the same, only for me to avoid eye contact with some of the pokemon who saw what was happening, most of them being nursing staff while others belonged to some of the people inside. "S-so… have you figured out anything about the storm?"

"Hmm?" I asked, directing my attention back at him. "Oh! Right! The storm! Um… oh yeah! The lightning kept striking out into the distance that night, which was the same direction we went upon leaving."

"Interesting," Ted said thoughtfully. "So the lightning was already being drawn here at that time meaning that this isn't a natural occurrence. There's definitely something else at work here."

"What do you think it might be?"

"There's only one way to discover that answer," was his reply. He was right too. The answer wouldn't present itself by just sitting around doing nothing. I beamed a smile at him, excitement overtaking me. "I take that as our means to make our exit then."

"Like they'd be able to stop us!" Ted chuckled in response as I stretched my limbs, pausing as I turned to look for Charcoal. Only he was nowhere to be seen. A shame. I had thought about asking if he had wanted to come along, but then the conversation we had the other day was brought back to the forefront of my mind, resulting in me reconsidering the offer.

"Something wrong, bro?" Ted asked, returning my attention to the task at hand.

"No," I told him. "Everything's all right."

"Then let's not waste any more time, for time itself is short for us."

"Better hold on tight then," I told him as I leapt into a run. I felt Ted's paws wrap around me as I ran past him, increasing my speed as I sighted the door we were aiming for. It wasn't until the doors slid open that people were aware of our leaving. I could hear both our trainers call out to us, but by then I was already putting some distance from the Center. "So where exactly are we going?"

"Haven't the slightest," Ted replied as a bolt of lightning struck just several feet to the left. "We can figure that out once we've gone far enough." I nodded in agreement, a recent blush returning to my face as I dodged an incoming bolt in front of us, remembering how close Ted was to- nononononononono! Bad Zack! Ted's my friend! Where did this sudden thought even come from? It was just an awkward moment we had, which was something I was going to have to confront him on. Pushing aside the thought for now, I kept on running straight forward, making sure we both weren't struck in the process.

"Make a left up at the house and stop," Ted said a few moments late; I following his orders. Another bolt of lightning struck several feet away from where we stood as I peered around the corner of the house, a bit paranoid of us being chased after. "Rest easy bro. No one would be foolhardy enough to give chase to us in this kind of predicament."

"I know," I said to him. "It's just one of those feelings you know?" Ted was silent as I made sure no one was following suit before turning back around and asking the obvious: "So what now?"

"For starters, it would probably be a good idea to keep moving so as not to get fried."

"Good point," I agreed as we picked a direction to walk in and took it. We both were silent as we walked, mostly to keep an eye out for any bolts of lightning that may strike out in our general direction. I wasn't entirely sure where we were supposed to go, but the silence itself was rather unsettling.

"So…" I spoke, breaking the uncomfortableness. "Skitty certainly surprised me. I didn't think someone like her wouldn't care that much."

"There's a lot that you'll come to know about her," Ted said. "What I can tell you is that her hyperactiveness can come in handy when things look grim. Although, it is rather hard to tell when she's acting and when she's not."

"Wait! You mean half the stuff Skitty does is acting? But… why would she feel the need to do that?"

Ted simply smiled and said, "I can't go about spoiling everything now, can I?"

I groaned.

"You just love making things difficult, don't you?"

"Not necessarily," was his response as my ears twitched. "But you must understand that there are things you have to learn on your own."

I scowled a little, unsatisfied by his remarks. However, there was currently a bigger situation at hand, forcing me to put aside my disappointment for the time being. Having lowered my voice enough for Ted to still hear I said to him, "We should probably make a left up there."

"Agreed," was his reply in a low voice as well. "Just act natural."

"Right," I responded as we made the left into the space between the two houses, hugging the wall once we were out of visionary sight. I squatted down, readying to take action as the sounds of footsteps reached my ears, drawing close to where we hid. Ted motioned me to hold, I complying with his order as the footsteps drew ever so closer. It wasn't until the silhouette of a being came into view that Ted yelled for me to go. Springing from my position, I pinned down the being following us, only to be surprised by who it was.