Chapter 8: The Coming Storm

"Okay, what was I doing?"

Out of nowhere, Blue suddenly felt restless and forgetful. He wandered around his house, agitatedly muttering to himself.

"Blue?" Eevee was coming downstairs. "What's wrong?"

"I set something down and don't know what I did with it."

"What was it?"

Blue scoffed to himself, looking around with an annoyed frown. "That's what I'm trying to remember. Whatever. I guess it wasn't important enough for me to recall what it was."

"Your hair's standing on end. Is that the only thing bothering you?"

"Yeah," Blue grumbled, carelessly flopping down on the couch. Oh, shit! He thought with a downwards glance towards Holly. Despite his stir-craziness she was still fast asleep.

Eevee hopped up next to Blue. She studied him for a moment, but he avoided looking her way since he didn't feel like being analyzed.

I don't know why I'm feeling so crappy all of a sudden. This sucks. I need some fresh air or something. Blue thought. He stood up right as Eevee sat down, announcing, "I'm going for a walk."

"Sure! Let's go to Pallet Town!"

"I mean, that's kinda far, but I guess…"

"We can walk part of the way there," Eevee said, stretching her forelegs and back. "I'm feeling lazy and motivated at the same time. You?"

"Yeah, you got me. You had my number, as us—that's what it was!"

That was what he'd been looking for. His phone.

"Oh…right. Your, uh, phone." Eevee said awkwardly. She ran off and brought him a shriveled up hunk of metal and plastic. "Um, ta da?"

"What the hell happened?" Blue cried.

"I guess you had it on you when you got struck by light—uh, by that light-thing yesterday..."

"Unreal, I'd just GOTTEN the damn thing! Oh, whatEVER!" Blue groaned. "I'll just get another one later! Let's go, Eevee!"

Blue had Alakazam teleport them smack in the middle of Route 1. They were at ease in the morning silence as they traveled the rural countryside between Pallet and Viridian, but Blue still felt on edge for some reason.

At some point Holly woke up. Blue just happened to glance down to see her big eyes staring up at him. She soon became curious about her surroundings.

"Niii?" she asked, pointing at the side of the road.

"That's a tree," Blue told her. "Around here, folks like to climb or sleep in 'em. Wanna see how fast I can—huh? That's a road sign," Blue said, when she pointed again. "It tells people where to go, so if you're illiterate you'll stay lost forever."

From that point on it was like a game of I Spy; Holly was very keen and kept shifting around in the pouch, searching for things to point out. An old shed, a fence, a tractor, another tree…

"C'mon, ol' Blue," Eevee spoke up.

"Wha? Oh!" he exclaimed, finally noticing that Holly was pointing up at him. "You know what I am, Holly, I'm a human."

Holly stared at him intensely, sucking on a hand. She slowly pointed over their heads.

"That's the sky. See the sun and the clouds?"

After that, Holly fixated on the sky. As they neared Pallet Town Blue slowed up, putting his hands in his pockets. He felt Eevee look up at him and already knew what she was getting ready to ask.

"When are you going to talk to your family again?" she asked.

"Tch…today, I guess."

But Blue really didn't feel like doing that.

"Oh, come on now!"

Professor Oak lightly slammed his mouse onto the table, frustrated. It was acting wonky and he was inadvertently dragging and dropping things where they shouldn't have been. All he wanted to do was send an email!

"Darn thing," he muttered. "Why won't you work?"

He roved the mouse here and there, but now the cursor was stuck in one spot. He was startled when his grandson spoke from behind him. "The light's blinking red. You just need a new battery."

"O-Okay, where did I put…?"

Oak started searching fruitlessly through his drawer. Blue took a pack of batteries off a filing cabinet and slid it across the desk.

"Oh! Thank you. Hi, Eevee," Oak said, patting her as she jumped onto the desk to greet him. The younger Oak set his bag down on the desk and a glossy blue item slipped out the front pocket. The professor leaned forward, fascinated.

"What is that, Blue?"

"An instrument. Cynthia gave it to me when I was in Sinnoh," Blue said, taking the flute and zipping it back up. "Told me she's had it in her family for generations."

"And gave it to you? Is there something she can't figure out about it?"

"No, she has an idea of what it's for. Just wouldn't tell me," Blue recalled. "But, she wanted to see what I could dig up on it."

"Anything exciting?"

"Nah…I haven't even started doing research on it yet. Been too distracted. Have you heard from Professor Rowan? How're things going over there?"

"I sure have, I got off a video call with him earlier," Oak said seriously. "Oh, it's just terrible for Jubilife City. There's been billions worth of damage done to buildings and other structures. There's a lot of fires that haven't been contained yet…he told me the current count of fatalities for humans and Pokemon combined is over 300, and there's hundreds more missing."

Blue clutched his head. "Geez…"

"And still, the scientists and professors over there have no idea why Arceus appeared in such a rage. It's terrible, oh my goodness. It could always happen again," Oak said somberly. "John expects…erm, an influx of what he calls 'amateur scientists' and 'armchair detectives' to flock to Sinnoh—of course to interpret what's happened in their own way."

"Who expects an influx?"

"John," Oak repeated, puzzled by his grandson's blank and annoyed look. "Professor Rowan?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," Blue said quickly.

"And I just hate sitting here in my office. I was thinking I could help with some of the efforts. My workshops may've been canceled, but I'll be heading to Sinnoh soon to see what I can do. Would we happen to be on the same page?"

"Yeah. We are."

Oak smiled. "I thought so! I already went and bought two plane tickets."

But Blue didn't fall for that smile. "Anyone else coming with us?" he asked casually.

There it was. His grandfather's wince.

"Uh, er, yes," Oak said carefully. "Agatha wanted to go along, so…"

"So you have three tickets, not two?"

"Well, yes, I was going to elaborate on that more…"

Blue exhaled, glaring at the ceiling. "Oh, for…since when did she care about going on research trips?"

"Well, remember, this trip is mostly one of goodwill. Though I was still surprised to hear she wanted to come along—Blue, hold on a minute. Wait just a minute!"

Oak stood up, gaping. "Blue—is that—! Where did you find that? That's Violet's maternity jacket, isn't it?! Have…oh, my goodness! Have you got a baby in there?!"

"I mean she's been staring at you this whole time, Gramps."

Oak moved closer until he could see the top of Holly's head. "Why, hello there!" he said, as she turned to look up at him. "What's your—AGH!"

Holly had poked him in the eyes. "Holly!" Blue snapped, but Professor Oak was laughing it off as he massaged his face.

"Oh ho, that's on me. I should've respected her space. Goodness, she's little for a Happiny, isn't she? No wonder I didn't notice her at first."

"Yeah…I've gotta work with her on a lotta things," Blue said, staring out the window. "You wanna take a break? I'm feeling a little cramped in here."

"Wait! You said what, now?!"

They were traveling away from the lab and deeper into town, towards the Taraus fields and croplands. Holly hung out of the pouch, idly sucking her hand as she watched farmhands race through the fields on Ponyta and Rapidash.

"Yeah…Anya told me she'd found Holly's egg on the porch," Blue muttered. "I'm so glad she came by when she did…"

"Well, me too! Is the little one alright?"

"Yeah…she's just a runt…ay!" Blue cried, when Holly jabbed him in the stomach. "That wasn't an insult, it was a factual observation!"

"Oh ho, well she certainly reminds me of you when you were younger." Oak extended a hand to Holly but she just glared at him. "Okay! Never mind me, then."

They walked a bit in relative silence, with Blue only speaking to Holly when she pointed at something for explanation. Eventually the younger Oak slouched, hanging his head with a frown. He was already seething a little before his granddad spoke up again.

"Um," Oak said, as they were climbing a hill. "I was wondering…you didn't open it, did you?"

"…grandad?"

"Yes?"

"It's too soon."

"Oh…alright, then."

They came to the top of the hill, from which they could see the small port built along Route 21's waterway. Professor Oak went on a bit before he noticed his grandson had stopped at the top of the hill.

"Blue?"

His grandson didn't look at him and continued to resentfully stare into space. Holly pointed at the port but went unnoticed.

"You know what…I don't get what's so hard about giving me a letter," Blue said quietly.

"That—that isn't the hard part."

"Then what is?!"

"You reading it! Blue, you need to understand! Before your mother passed, it became very hard to follow her words and thoughts!" Oak cried. "I can't say for sure what's been written in that letter! I'm afraid it may be something that changes your view of her."

Blue felt a pain in his chest but was still too bitter to admit Oak made yet another fair point. "That doesn't matter. The bottom line is that I should've been the one to decide when I open it. I'm an adult. I was an adult when you were supposed to hand it over, you think I couldn't decide for myself whether or not I wanted to read it? That I was going to just tear it open like some complete asshat?"

"I don't know, I…"

"Of course that's what you thought! That's what you were afraid of! Fine, you AND Daisy," Blue sneered. "Then you both stayed in your little echo chamber and held out on me. So you said you can't say for sure what she wrote, huh? What do you think's in it? Got the slightest idea?"

Oak hesitated. "I…may."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes, but—"

Blue lowered his head and clenched his fists, shaking. "Blue?" Eevee said, worried. "Remember to keep breathing, alright?"

For the first time since he'd been a little brat, thinking he knew everything there was to know, Blue ignored his closest and oldest partner. He was unable to get rid of the wrath choking his heart. '

"But. What?" Blue snarled.

"I…I can't speak for her. So I can't say what I think she—"

"What!? WHAT SHE SAID? Why? You wanna try sparing my feelings, is that it? You think I'm too immature, too much of a mama's boy to handle it!? But yeah, you went ahead and let AGATHA in on it, and you know what, she probably knows what you know, too!"

"Things just ended up in a way I didn't—"

"OHHH, don't even try to hit me with that. You needed someone to confide in and you chose her. Yeah, okay, I see how it is, you trust her more than you trust me." Blue threw his head back, "AH HA HA HA HA!"

"That's not…"

"That's not right?! Then what is?! You still haven't justified any of this! What am I supposed to do, just lie down and take everything for face value!?"

"Blue, please, I'm trying to—"

"Nothing you say is going to change how I feel," Blue snarled, now furiouslsy pacing back and forth. "NOTHING. I bet you think it was funny, the three of you keeping secrets from me. Am I right? Huh? Did that impart some joy on you all, knowing something I didn't know? Pfft, in fact—yeah. Screw this. Screw everything. Go to Sinnoh without me. Go without me, and take HER instead. That way you both can enjoy yourselves without being concerned with me. That sound good?"

"Blue, come on! I don't want that!"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WANT! YOU DIDN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT I WANTED!" Blue bellowed. "SO FINE! LEAVE ME OUT OF IT! I'll go on MY own time!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" A rider on a Ponyta appeared at the fence. "Easy, son, tone it down. You're disturbing our Pokemon!"

"Shut up and mind your own business," Blue hissed. "I'm serious, granddad. I am not going with you. So get your lousy refund on that third ticket because I am DONE. I'll get there faster on Pidgeot than on some stupid plane…"

His grandfather looked like he wanted to say something, but Blue had already turned and stormed off, Eevee trotting guiltily after him.