Chapter 52: Making Amends

"Aww! Come on!" a boy who was about twelve years in age pleaded. "Can't I take a quick peek? It won't be no more than a second."

"Raikou is not some prized attraction you can just waltz in and marvel at!" my trainer stated.

"And besides, this is the Pokemon Center!" Laura added. "A place for pokemon to heal and recover at! Taking care of pokemon is a lot of work that not a lot of you would understand since-"

"Listen," said a girl who looked to be in her late teens. "I don't know who you think you are, but we never get this kind of excitement very often. Getting to see Raikou is a once in a life time opportunity that we refuse to miss out on." The rest of the crowd agreed in response to her comment, pressing forward, forcing us back a few steps. The doors to the inside opened automatically, but none pressed any further in hopes to persuade both trainers to let them through.

The nursing staff were all inside, terrified not of the oncoming crowd but for the sake of the pokemon who would be disturbed upon their exploration. And unfortunately, the cops were currently busy tracking down any remaining escaped Rocket members to show up and deal with the situation.

I heard an annoyed tsk come from someone in a crowd as an older, chubby woman spoke up. "Why are we wasting our time trying to persuade them?" she asked. "I say if they won't let us through, we force our way through. Most of us here have pokemon, don't we?"

They weren't serious, were they? Were they that determined to see Raikou to the point that they would use their own pokemon upon both my trainer and Laura? My question was immediately answered as the woman unclipped a pokeball from her side and enlarged it. Several others within the crowd followed suit, ready to aid her. I gave them a warning in the way of a growl as to let them know to back off.

"Heh. Don't think that puny Charmander's going to be able to fend off all our pokemon," said a boy who looked to be in his mid-twenties. How was I able to differentiate age you may ask? I study the structure and build of a person that gives me an estimate of what age zone they're in. Of course, it's just a based assumption.

"You people are insane!" Laura stated. "Is seeing Raikou that important enough that you're willing to hurt others?"

"Laura, get back!" my trainer said as they poised to release their pokemon, stepping in front of her as I readied for a battle I knew I would lose. As much as I didn't want to admit to needing the help, Skitty's assistance sure would come in handy right about now, despite how she can be. Luckily, the need for assistance came, only not in the way I was expecting it.

"Hey guys! I've been wondering where you've- THUNK! I turned, as did both trainers. And I'm pretty sure the sudden thunk caught the crowd off guard as the familiar sight of a Shiny Umbreon rubbed a paw at his face, the doors opening back up as my trainer turned.

"Zack!?"

I realized that the momentary distraction of Zack's appearance gave the upper hand to the crowd of people who realized as well that they had an opportunity to overtake us. "Charge them!" someone yelled as the crowd began to rush forward, catching both Laura and my trainer by surprise.

Before the crowd could trample them, however, they stopped abruptly as a loud, booming voice yelled, "What's going on here?" Everyone turned in the direction the voice emitted from to see a large, muscular, spiky blond haired man walking towards them, a large, orange rat with huge ears and a long tail with the shape of a lightning bolt at the end walking alongside him. With each step the man took I swore I could feel the earth tremble from beneath my feet. I'm sure the crowd could feel it as well being that most of them appeared to be intimidated by his presence.

Of course, it could have also been because of his physique, not to mention who he was that probably resulted in the reaction they gave. "L-L-Lieutenant Surge!" someone in the crowd stuttered nervously. "Wh-what are y-you doing h-here?"

"I could be asking the lot of you the same thing," was his reply.

"it's nothing to really worry about," said the woman who took charge. "We heard Raikou was being treated and as concerned citizens, we wanted to check in to make sure it was all right." She then pointed a finger at us. "However, these two refuse to let us in to see it."

" I bet they just to keep the Raikou for themselves," someone in the crowd spoke, to which everyone agreed with him on.

"I see," Surge said, standing there cross-armed. "If that's the case, then I shall allow you all to check-in on Raikou." A wave of relief washed throughout the crowd, excited chattering starting up as the very thought of getting the chance to see a Legendary seemed almost too real for them to comprehend.

"On one condition."

Everyone turned their attention back upon Surge who kept that same, stern look upon his face creating tension amongst them. It was rather interesting how someone like him could build up the expectations of a person only to dampen them. "If you're able to beat my Raichu, only then will you have my permission to see the Raikou."

A hush fell over the crowd, the unexpected condition catching them all completely off guard as the Raichu next to him backed his words up by sparking his cheeks to show how serious he was being. A few of the trainers appeared to contemplate the choice given to them and if it was worth risking their pokemon's health just to see a Legendary. Others had the look of disappointment, knowing full well that they stood no chance against Surge's Raichu.

"Tch!" the woman from before tsked as she returned her pokeball to her side. "That'd be a great waste of my time. I have much better things to do then to fight your Raichu." She then walked off, nose in the air like the snob she was as the rest of the crowd followed suit.

"Heh. Figured they'd be all bite and no bark," the Raichu said as he walked over to me once the crowd had fully dispersed, Surge walking over to Laura and my trainer to converse with them. "You doing okay though?"

"Not too bad," I replied. "I'm just glad you guys were in the area. Another few minutes and we would have been overrun by them."

"Has that been the same crowd that has been trying to get in?" Zack's voice suddenly piped up from behind me, resulting in my entire body tensing. A small cringe escaped my control as a blush of embarrassment formed for having done so in front of the Raichu. It took me a second to find my voice to answer his question.

"M-more or less. Numbers have increased little by little every day." The Raichu raised an eyebrow curiously at the sudden reaction and shifted his attention between both Zack and I to figure out what was going on between us. "Thankfully Raichu here and his trainer broke it up before they could do anything."

"I see," was his reply. "I do thank you very much for helping out, especially since I've been out of commission so-to-speak."

"It's no biggie really," Raichu said. "It's not like they had the courage to back up their desire after all."

"I agree," I spoke with a nod. "How goes the search in the meanwhile?"

"The cops are still out looking for any remaining members," Raichu answered. "Honestly, the rain would have provided a great cover-up for them to escape. Thankfully the storm dispersed and tracking them is a lot easier, though there are probably a few spots out in the open for them to hide in."

"But given the situation with what happened in the middle of town, I expect at least a few to make a getaway."

"You have a point there."

"I'm sorry, but what are we talking about?" Zack asked, sounding confused by the topic of the conversation.

"Your friend here stumbled upon a secret organization that was shipping stolen merchandise across seas," Raichu told him, placing a paw on my shoulder.

"He did?" Zack asked surprised.

"Of course, the Raikou destroyed the ship they were all on. Charcoal and your Skitty friend were lucky my trainer and I were close by. They might have met a watery grave if it weren't for him."

"Well again, I really appreciate you and your trainer helping them when they needed it. I'm Zack."

"It's nice to meet you Zack. I'm Raichu. And if I'm not mistaken, you're Charcoal's teammate."

"That I am," Zack replied.

"Well I certainly look forward to our battle once you recover."

"Battle? What do you mean?"

"Zack, Raichu is the gym leader's pokemon who happens to be standing with our trainers."

Cue one overexcited pup as his entire body shook.

After managing to calm down from being in the presence of the gym leader and his pokemon, I figured I would go back in to rest a bit more, which wasn't my true intention at all. I've done plenty of resting and if I rested anymore, I'd probably go crazy. My true intention was to visit the Raikou since I hadn't had the chance to actually see it. Now the only problem I had was figuring out which room he was in, which wasn't going to be that hard considering there were only so many rooms to find him in. And being that every room I passed to find the metal contraption in didn't have him within narrowed my search down immensely.

Perhaps I should try looking in the room that was different from the others. And by different, I meant that it had one of those see-through windows that looked like it led into another room, considering I saw a ceiling within it. And within no time flat I had found the room I was seeking, poking my head through being that the door was already slightly open. The nursing staff must have forgotten to shut it completely trying to help stop the crowd.

Nevertheless, I scanned the room, finding the Raikou resting upon a rather large-sized bed. And let me tell you, this guy was huge! I couldn't even tell what species he was let alone find any attributes that would make him any more of a Legendary. And of course, my presence alerted him as he stared back at me. "Hi!" I said with a wave.

"Hello," he replied back. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not really," I replied as I entered the room. "I actually came to see how you were doing as well as meet you in person."

"And why do you wish to meet me?"

"To be honest, we were in a bit of a situation when you showed up," I answered as I circled him. "Not really the best of ways to meet."

"Indeed," he said. "And if I'm not mistaken, you were the one to help stop that pokemon."

"I didn't do that much," I said sheepishly, rubbing a paw behind my head as I stopped in front of him. "My friend Ted was the one to keep your lightning from being drained. Which reminds me, you didn't lose any of your power, did you?"

"No," was his reply. "I feel the same as I have been. Nevertheless, you still played a role in stopping… what was his name again?"

"Destiny."

"Ah yes! Destiny. Just who is he anyway? And what's this nonsense he's talking about my time as a Legendary being at an end?" I answered any and all questions he had by explaining of my encounters with Destiny and what his overall plan was about. He remained silent for the most part as he listened.

"I see, he said once I brought him up to speed. "To think that such a powerful Psychic type like him has that kind of power. And yet you and your friends are out there putting your own lives on the line to stop him from doing so? That's… quite a commendable thing you all are doing, even more so risking your own life to save the life of your friend as well as mine. That in itself is a noble act if I must say."

"Aw shucks! It's nothing really."

"I disagree. You and your friends are fighting for something that you could very well choose to walk away from at any given time."

"We could," I admitted. "But knowing what I know now, I don't think I could live with the guilt of knowing I could have stopped him if he ever achieved his goal."

"And because of that, you and your friends have my deepest gratitude," the Raikou said with a bow of his head. "Without any of you, I may not have been here now as I currently am."

"It's no problem," I said. "I have to say though: you're not what I expected as a Legendary. You don't look any different from the everyday pokemon I see nor have anything that makes you stand out from being as one."

The Raikou simply blinked and stared at me, his mouth agape. Several seconds went by, making me think that that was something I shouldn't have said when he busted out laughing. "That has got to be the first time I have heard anyone say anything like that to me!" he said after a few minutes, wiping his eyes. "You are quite the odd one, aren't you?"

"I've been told as such," I replied with a nod of my head, questioning as to why I was used to such a thing.

"Zack! Zack!" I heard Skitty yell sometime later as I lied back on the bed in the room I had been resting in, my chat with the Raikou having ended when the nurses returned to check on him. I had never seen so many big, pink, blob-like creatures working in a healing center before in my life. Then again, I had never known there were big, pink, blob-like creatures in the first place.

"I'm in here," I called out to her as she came skidding in a second later. "What's up?"

"We have a problem!" she replied. "That metal ball thing is gone from its room!"

"What!?" I said in surprise as I leapt off the bed and ran straight for the room the metal contraption was in. Having burst into the room, the bed was the first thing I turned my attention upon, finding it empty with no signs of the metal contraption occupying it. Questions began to fill my mind as panic settled in. Where was it? Did the nurses come and take it to another room? Did Skitty just think that it was missing? And where was that delightful breeze coming from?

My last question was answered as I looked at the open window to which the breeze was flowing in from, which answered where exactly the metal contraption was. But now the question was if it was a good idea to go find it. I mean, after all, there's no telling how long ago it may have floated out or which direction it went. Now that the storm was gone, there was no telling which way it would have went. My thoughts were interrupted, however, as I heard someone run in, prompting me to turn about to come face to face with Charcoal once again.

"Oh! H-hey Charcoal! Wh-what are you doing here?"

Uh… n-nothing really," he replied, awkwardly rubbing an arm. "I… I heard that there was some trouble involving you and I… kinda came to help out?"

"It's nothing really serious," I told him. "Just that that metal contraption thing that was here is now gone. No doubt went back to Destiny."

"Ah! That's… unfortunate I suppose," he said, sounding like he was trying to put forth the effort as an awkward silence fell between us for several moments. "Well… I'm j-just going to go seeing as how there isn't any-" Before he was able to finish his sentence, the door to the room swung shut, trapping us both within. No doubt the breeze was behind that. "…trouble."

Another awkward silence fell, lasting longer this time than the first time. Since we were both stuck in the room for the moment, I figured I'd find something to try and break the ice with. Only, there was only one thing I could think about talking to Charcoal with. Giving a sigh of reluctance, I focused my attention on him and said, "Look, Charcoal I-"

I paused as I watched his body flinch and stiffen, his gaze quickly falling towards the ground. "I'd like to talk about what happened the other day." He cringed. "I've had time to think about what was said and I should have put your fears and concerns into perspective. I'm sorry for taking what was said the wrong way and I hope you can forgive me for that."

He blinked, shifting his gaze upward to meet mine. "But try to understand that what you say sometimes can be taken the wrong way if not said the right way, if that makes any sense."

He cleared his throat after a few moments and replied. "I-it does, actually. And I'm sorry for having said what was said. You are right though. I was only worried for the safety of the team and, Skitty aside; I know how you can be at times, which isn't a bad thing at all. Just… try and think of what could happen if you rush into things without thought."

"I try to honestly," I told him. "It helps though to have friends remind me that every now and then."

"F-friends?" Charcoal questioned.

"Well of course we are. When have we ever been not?"

"Zack I… I have a confession to make. And it's not easy for me to admit it, but… I've never really ever had a friend because of the way I am. I try to, but I always say something that puts others off and they don't bother with me after that. I don't know how to be a good friend without saying something that will make others mad at me."

"It's always worth the effort to learn," I said. "Besides, I don't think you can really be a good friend without a few arguments happening here and there." A small smile spread upon his face. "You have Ted and Skitty as well to help you out much like they've helped me, though I'm not exactly sure how much Skitty helps in that way."

"She has her ways," Charcoal said. "Even if we don't see them."

"I suppose," I said. "Sooo are we friends?"

"Yeah. We're definitely friends."

"Awesome!" I said as I bounded over to him and attempted to give him a hug.

"Careful please," he said as he rubbed his neck. "I had a shackle placed upon me and got pulled around a bit. I'm still a bit sore from that."

"Oh yeah! The gym leader's pokemon mentioned you stopped some organization or something. What's up with that?"

"I'll tell you once we get out of here," Charcoal said, looking at the door. "Mind giving me a boost?"

"Sure thing," I said lowering myself so he could climb upon me. Doing so, it then took a little effort opening the door, but Charcoal managed to soon free us. And who should so happen but be on the other side of it than Ted? It then clicked that it must have been him who had set the whole thing up for Charcoal and I to talk. The metal contraption's leave was most likely not a part of it, but still a good way to set the talk up. "Hey Ted!"

"Hello Zack bro. And to you, Char-bro. What seems to be going on?"

"Oh, you know," I said with a grin. "I have to really thank you. You always know how to fix situations between friends."

"I do?" Ted asked.

"No use being modest," Charcoal said. "You are always one step ahead of everyone else."

"I am?"

"Yep!" I said. "It's because of you that we're still a team. And without you, we probably wouldn't be."

"Not to mention be this far out altogether," Charcoal said.

"Exactly!" I said as I gave Ted a hug. "So thank you for everything Ted. "You mean a lot to us!"

"Ook?" Ted questioned as Charcoal and I made our way through the building.

I watched from the room I was in as the blue-ringed pup and his fire tail friend walked off, leaving a most confused bear standing in the hallway. A smile adorned my face as my plan came together. I wasn't that dumb. I was aware of what was happening and I needed to see that smile upon his face. It was the kind of smile that assured me that everything was well within the group and that he would be around forever.

I chuckled a little internally, realizing what a hopeless fool I really was. A shame they would never know that Ted had no idea that I was the one to fix their friendship. And it's probably for the best it stayed that way. Just being around him was enough to make me happy. And if I needed to, I would always find a way to keep that smile on his face.

I sighed and returned within the room to nurse the minor wounds I received. And with a shake of my head, I simply muttered out amusingly, "Boys!"