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TEEN: Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey (COMPLETE!)

Hi, there! I've been meaning to check out your work for a while, and now's as good a time as any. This is for your latest chapter.

Team Rocket fics are pretty common around here, but there's a reason for it. There's a lot of potential with them and any other villain team, and I think you make good use of them here. Harriet actively being part of Team Rocket and committing crimes she didn't want to do is an interesting spin on it. Them overstepping bounds into the realm of child abuse and torture also adds to how "villain-y" they are, for lack of a better word. My only complaint about them might be that the torture scene was a bit lacking in description. While the names and things they threw at Harriet were awful and I do indeed think of it as mental torture, there were mentions of physical torture that I didn't see described. I assume that might've been to keep your Teen rating or to just not go into gruesome detail, which is fine, although even the smallest amount of detail goes a long way.

Harriet seems like a sweetheart. I'm not sure what to make of her character as a whole after reading only one chapter, but she seems to have a good heart, wants to do what's right, and feels guilty when she isn't able to help people. I think with such an intense chapter it might've gone a long way to describing her character through showing, not telling - ie., you say a lot of times that she's beyond overjoyed and relieved at Danny being saved, but how is she overjoyed? What images are going through her head? Is her heart pounding? Does she stammer when overexcited? Does she have an object she carries around for comfort that she was holding on to when she heard this news? Things like that would have added to the emotional depth of this chapter, I think.

I saw you were writing an original story soon, and I wish you luck with that and with this project if you're continuing it!
 
Team Rocket fics are pretty common around here, but there's a reason for it. There's a lot of potential with them and any other villain team, and I think you make good use of them here. Harriet actively being part of Team Rocket and committing crimes she didn't want to do is an interesting spin on it. Them overstepping bounds into the realm of child abuse and torture also adds to how "villain-y" they are, for lack of a better word.

Thanks! Yeah, I definitely upped their creepiness and evilness here, mostly because in the games...they were kinda just there. Just a bunch of trainers you can battle, nothing more. They didn't really get to actually do much. The Trio in the Pokemon anime are no different. People love villains who are active and actually do something rather than just sit around and look intimidating (Looking at you, Hawkmoth). I wanted to make good use of Team Rocket and make them much more of a substantial threat. Plus, I've been watching a lot of shows on channels such as Investigation Discovery and stuff that really goes into why certain people do what they do, even cults. I often wondered, "What would villain teams like them actually do to convince their members to join their ranks? What would happen if such-and-such happened?" I wanted to try exploring that in detail based on what I've seen, researched, and learned.

Harriet seems like a sweetheart. I'm not sure what to make of her character as a whole after reading only one chapter, but she seems to have a good heart, wants to do what's right, and feels guilty when she isn't able to help people. I think with such an intense chapter it might've gone a long way to describing her character through showing, not telling - ie., you say a lot of times that she's beyond overjoyed and relieved at Danny being saved, but how is she overjoyed? What images are going through her head? Is her heart pounding? Does she stammer when overexcited? Does she have an object she carries around for comfort that she was holding on to when she heard this news? Things like that would have added to the emotional depth of this chapter, I think.

Crap. It seems I can never get the hang of actually showing no matter what I do, and I've been trying so hard to rectify this. Well, thanks for the examples you gave me. They'll be really helpful for future chapters.
 
Crap. It seems I can never get the hang of actually showing no matter what I do, and I've been trying so hard to rectify this. Well, thanks for the examples you gave me. They'll be really helpful for future chapters.

There's definitely some "showing" in there, don't worry! You've definitely got a decent grasp on it. I can't compare to previous chapters since I haven't read them yet, though.
 
Chapter 43: Radio Tower Siege!

News of Team Rocket’s takeover spread like wildfire. People could hear it on their PokeGears, since Team Rocket themselves were delivering their announcement via radio broadcast. Before noon, police cars and SWAT trucks had clustered all around the radio tower, crowding the streets. Police officers were already setting up barricades around the area, preventing any civilians from getting inside. They didn’t want to risk any of the citizens getting hurt or worse. The lights on the police cars glowed in ghostly red and blue lights, illuminating the entire front area. People could see the flashes from their houses, even from tall buildings and apartment complexes. The combined police cars and black SWAT trucks clustered all in front of the tower looked like a mass of large, black and white bricks making a big barricade, with SWAT members right behind them, shields and rifles in hand.

One police car arrived later than all the others, pulling behind one of the SWAT trucks, one that was far bigger and longer than the others. Out from the police car came Falkner, dressed in full uniform, with a gun holstered to his waist. He approached the SWAT truck and pulled it open, revealing that it was actually a makeshift command center. People sat at computers, watching for anything that might happen. Other officers, accompanied by Bugsy, Jasmine, and Morty, were gathered at the other end of the truck, talking amongst themselves before watching Falkner come inside. Several other people were running to and fro, both inside and outside the SWAT trucks.

“Falkner!” Whitney was the first to notice the man’s presence. “About time you got here!”

“Sorry about that,” Falkner said, brushing some sweat off his brow the minute he arrived. “You won’t believe how bad the traffic is. Anyway, what’s the situation?”

A man sitting at the computers was the first to answer. “Team Rocket’s taken over the whole building,” He explained grimly. Falkner leaned over to look at the screen. It showed six different rooms on six different cameras. In the top right corner, Mary, Eusine, and Eduardo were all trapped in their room, with Team Rocket members pointing their guns and rifles at them. Another showed a dead guard lying in a puddle of his own blood. One screen in the far left showed two Team Rocket members conversing amongst themselves, but there was no audio.

“There have been eight confirmed casualties so far, all of them guards. There may be more that we don’t know about yet,” The man explained further.

Jasmine’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at her sandals. “Those poor people…” Her heart went out to not just the dead guards, but their families as well. Why did this have to happen? Seeing her friend’s sorrow, Whitney simply put a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it sympathetically.

“We need to find a way to get into the building and save the hostages,” Another police officer said. “But there are Team Rocket members swarming the city. There might not be any way for us to get in without their noticing.”

Falkner folded his arms. “Agreed.”

The situation was dire, and they weren’t even in the building. “Does anyone have a layout of the radio tower?” Morty asked. “There has to be a back door somewhere.”

“I got it!” A woman at another computer announced. Immediately, a blueprint of the radio tower materialized on her screen, showing every door and exit possible. “But we don’t know if they’re all being guarded or not.”

“I have a visual on one of the back doors,” Another man exclaimed. His monitor showed two Team Rocket grunts guarding one of the doors that led to the back of the tower. Both grunts donned white uniforms with red R’s on their torsos.

Falkner and some other officers leaned closer to get a better look. “Hmmm…” The cogs in his mind were already spinning, putting together a potential plan. “I think I have an idea. Morty,” The police chief turned to the Ecruteak gym leader. “Your Gengar knows Hypnosis, right?”

Morty nodded. “Yes, he does,” It didn’t take long for Morty to catch on. “You want Gengar to knock those guards out, thereby allowing the police a chance to get inside?”

“Precisely.”

“And Bugsy,” Falkner turned to face the youngest gym leader among them. “Your bug Pokemon may be able to help as well.”

The young gym leader flashed a grin. “I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can, sir!”

“Chief…” The man sitting in front of one of the monitors furrowed his eyebrows, looking concerned. “Surely you’re aware of the risks involved.”

Jasmine stood up. “Charlie is right,” She held a closed fist to her chest. Falkner could see it shaking. “I do trust you. We all do. But if any part of your plan fails, many innocent civilians could die. We could die, or our Pokemon could die in the attempt.”

Everyone could hear the worry in her voice, as much as she tried to hide it. Falker could only cross his arms. He knew the risks all too well. Being a police officer--and the police chief at that--was practically gambling one’s life in and of itself. Every day was filled with risks, the very real possibility that Falkner would either get seriously hurt or killed in the line of duty being one such risk. It was always on his mind every day of his life. He understood her concerns. Falkner had put his life on the line multiple times during his career. But living in fear of dying wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He knew that for a long time. Not once did Falkner ever regret working as an officer and helping those in need. After all, his job was to make the world a safe place for people and Pokemon to live in.

Helping the people and Pokemon trapped in the radio tower was no different. What kind of man would he be if he left them in the hands of Team Rocket? He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try. Team Rocket had no right to do what they were doing. Not on his watch.

“I know, Jasmine. I know. But we need to do all we can to save everyone inside, even if it means facing certain danger,” Falkner reassured. “I know we can do this, because you all are here with me.”

All the people in the room smiled at his encouragement.

***

In one corridor, two Team Rocket grunts holding rifles guarded one door, keeping their eyes on several frightened hostages. “Heh. This is too easy,” The black haired grunt chuckled under his breath. “Look at these people! They’re cowering like baby Caterpie!”

“I know, right?” His partner, a blonde haired grunt, agreed. “Still, I don’t know why they’re not broadcasting the signal right now. Is Archer even ready yet?”

“Who knows?”

Unbeknownst to them, a set of glowing red eyes appeared on the walls, scanning the scene before them. Several employees were stuck to their desks in fear. Others were hiding in the corners, curled into fetal positions. It was then that the blonde haired grunt suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

“Whoa!”

“What is it?”

“Is it just me, or did it suddenly get cold in here?”

The black haired grunt raised an eyebrow. “Come on. It’s September. Of course it’s cold, you moron!”

“No, I mean...it’s colder than usual!”

Something told them to turn around and face the wall. When they turned, they saw red eyes staring right at them. Before they could react--or probably scream, as any normal person seeing creepy, disembodied eyes on the wall would do--the eyes glowed in an eerie light. The grunts began to feel lethargic, and could no longer keep their eyes open. The energy was sucked right out of their bodies, and their wobbly legs could no longer hold them up. After that, the grunts collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious. The red eyes disappeared, and a shadow moved across the walls, going out the other door.

Before long, the shadow materialized into a Gengar. Gengar looked both ways, seeing if the coast is clear. No Team Rocket grunts were around at the moment, so it seemed safe for now. Attached to its forehead was a small device, blinking in a soft red light. Gengar cackled to itself, happy that it could do all these cool things like turn invisible or possess people’s shadows. Now he was using his powers to help people! What joy! But he had to stay focused, or else the mission would be a complete failure. Gengar turned invisible once more, floating down the many hallways to check for hostages and grunts. He could make out one set of voices in one door that came within his line of sight.

“You have no right to keep us here!”

Gengar stopped, having recognized the voice. That was Eusine, Morty’s friend! Gengar phased through the wall, getting a better view of what was going on. Eusine, Mary, and Eduardo were trapped in their booth, with several grunts pointing their rifles at them. Mary stayed in her seat, looking straight down at her desk, staring at nothing. Probably trying everything she could to keep herself composed in spite of her all-consuming fear. Eusine stood in front of the table, glaring at the grunts like he always did when he was mad at someone or something. Mary’s Meowth stood on the table, tail puffed up and claws ready to slash these stupid grunts for daring to threaten its trainer.

“I said shut up!” A brown haired grunt yelled. “Just because Ariana left doesn’t mean you start talkin’ again! Now be quiet or you’re gonna have a bullet in your head!”

Gengar. Use Hypnosis on the grunts. NOW,” Morty’s voice was full of dread as he gave Gengar the command.

It was easy for Gengar to sense everything from his trainer, even just from hearing his voice in a tiny device implanted in his ear. He was a ghost Pokemon after all, and one that could feel any negative emotion known to man. There was no mistaking it: Morty was dead serious. Without hesitation, Gengar’s eyes once more glowed in an eerie red light. This time, the grunts didn’t need to look it in the eyes. Gengar could glimpse their eyes from where it was, and he just needed to see them in order for Hypnosis to work. Thankfully, the grunts’ eyes grew heavy, and they could no longer keep themselves awake. Soon, they were limp and unconscious, falling to the ground, their rifles clattering to the floor as their owners left for dreamland.

“What…?” Eusine’s mouth fell open. Why did those grunts fall asleep like that? Then, a Gengar materialized from out of nowhere. Eusine’s confusion turned into joy, a radiant smile flashing across his face. He knew that Gengar anywhere.

“Gengahh!”

“You’re Morty’s Gengar, aren’t you?” Eusine greeted it with a handshake. Reluctantly, Mary and Eduardo broke from their positions, approaching the Gengar with trepidation. “Thank you for saving us.”

Gengar beamed. “Gengahahaha!” With a hearty laugh, Gengar then pulled the earphone out from his ear, handing it to Eusine. Knowing what it was for, Eusine held it to his ear.

“Can anyone hear me?” Eusine asked.

Eusine! We hear you loud and clear!” Morty’s surprised voice responded immediately. “It’s me, Morty. I’m in the command center right now. How are things on your end?”

A wave of relief washed over Eusine. His friends were looking out for him. He always did appreciate Morty’s kindness, even back when they were kids. But he couldn’t celebrate just yet. “Team Rocket is everywhere. But from what I’ve heard, the radio signal hasn’t been broadcast yet. Mary and Eduardo Innocenti are with me right now, safe and sound.”

We’re in the process of trying to secure an infiltration route as we speak,” Suddenly, Falkner’s voice cut through the static, replacing Morty’s. “Morty’s Gengar is helping us with that,” He explained.

Eusine looked over at the unconscious grunts, lying on the ground without a care in the world. Gengar must have used Hypnosis on them for that purpose. “Hold on a second,” Eusine then turned to Mary. “Are there any places in the building where only staff and personnel are able to enter the tower through?”

“Huh? Uhh…” Mary pushed her fear aside and looked up at the ceiling, ruminating. Then with a gasp, she put two hands together. “There’s the back entrance just behind the Magnet Train station near the parking lot, but hardly anyone knows about it because it’s so well hidden.”

“Did you hear that?” Eusine turned back to his earphone.

Loud and clear,” Falkner replied with confidence. “That’ll be our ticket inside. Eusine, take Mary and Eduardo out that back entrance. Gengar can protect you, and I know you have your own Pokemon who can help as well. But don’t take too many people out, lest we draw too much attention.”

“Got it.”

Falkner explained further that they didn’t see anyone guarding that back entrance as of right now, so as soon as Eusine got out, everyone else would go right in and do what they could to stop Team Rocket. As far as Eusine knew, he, Mary, and Eduardo were on the fourth floor, and grunts were still nearby, so they needed to be as quick about getting them out of the way as possible while staying out of their sight. Gengar could definitely help with that.

We’ll keep an eye on you from here, so we’ll know right away if something goes wrong.”

“How can you see us?”

I put a video recorder on Gengar’s forehead, so anything it sees, we can see here in the command center. Anyway, get yourselves out of there right away.”

“Right. Thank you, Falkner.”

With that, Eusine gave the earphone back to Gengar. Trembling, Mary wrapped both arms around Eduardo.

“So we’re going with you, I presume?” Eduardo asked.

“Yes. Come with me. Gengar here can help us out,” Eusine gestured for them to follow him.

Gengar went on ahead, immediately making himself invisible as he left the room. Eusine, Mary, and Eduardo followed. Through every corridor they walked, they saw Rocket grunts either lying on the floor or against the wall, all unconscious. Gengar put them all to sleep. Finally, they made it to the stairs and walked right down several floors. They picked up some confused and frightened employees along the way, some of whom were bleeding from either their arms or their legs. Not long after, they found the back door. An officer opened it, gesturing for them to come right out. Eusine, Mary, Eduardo, and the four people they brought with them burst right out of the building, relieved to finally be outside.

“Alright! Move in! Move in!” The officer barked as he charged inside. Several other officers decked in SWAT uniforms followed suit, along with Falkner, Jasmine, Bugsy, Morty, and many of their Pokemon. Several Butterfree flew through the halls, flapping their wings and producing clouds of glittering green powder that spread all over the place. Several Team Rocket grunts, unfortunately, sniffed the powder, and with one whiff, they were out like lights, falling to the ground before they could comprehend what was going on.

“Keep it up, Butterfree!” Bugsy commanded, rushing past some of the sleeping grunts. “Make sure you don’t knock out any innocents, okay?” The Butterfree nodded and kept their Sleep Powder attacks focused solely on the grunts. Jasmine and several officers escorted some employees out the front door, once that area was secured. Many of them were injured, and EMTs were quick to rush to their aid, medical supplies and all.

It was now or never.

“Hey!” Several grunts who hadn’t been knocked out caught sight of Falkner and his group. “Don’t move or we’ll shoot!” They pointed their rifles right at the officers.

“Spinaraaaaak!” Of course, they had no time to act, because a group of six Spinarak, all of whom crawled onto different areas of the lobby, spit silk at them in all directions. Their arms and legs were literally tied as String Shot had them trapped. Some of them couldn’t keep their balance and fell to the ground, their rifles clattering against the floor.

“You’re all under arrest!” Once the grunts were down, several officers skidded toward them and dragged them away, leaving not a moment to spare.

Falkner couldn’t help but smile at the sight before him. Their plan was working so far! But he couldn’t celebrate just yet. There were still a few more floors they needed to secure, and many more people to save. The most important one was obviously the director. Where was he? He didn’t see him anywhere on the first floor. Was he in his office? It was likely he’d be there, assuming maybe a Team Rocket grunt held him hostage up there. Not really helping matters was that his office was on the fifth floor. Grunts from all directions cried or yelped as Spinarak, Butterfree, and many other Pokemon pelted them with any attacks they could belt out, unable to do a thing.

“Falkner!” Morty approached him from behind, his Haunter and Misdreavus tailing him on each side. Several officers followed suit, waiting for their superior’s orders. “They’ve got it covered down here. What do you suggest we do next?”

He didn’t have to think twice. “We’re going up to save the Director and stop this radio signal from getting out,” Falkner told them. “This’ll be dangerous, so I’ll head to the radio transmitter room. Morty, you and Officers Stabler, Benson, and Tutuola head to the Director’s room. For all we know, he may have been taken hostage. Got that?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Alright! Let’s move!” With that, they were on the move once again.

The second and third floors had more Rockets on patrol, but that wasn’t a problem. The Spinarak had already crawled as far as the third floor, and several of them were already trapped in half-finished silk cocoons. Others tried to launch sneak attacks on Morty and the other officers. Seeing this coming, Morty’s Haunter and Misdreavus knocked them away with Shadow Ball while Gengar put them to sleep with Hypnosis once more. When Falkner reached a side door, which would lead him to Mary’s studio and the radio transmitter room, he found himself at an impasse. The metal door refused to open no matter how hard he pulled or pushed. Then he looked to the side. A card key slot was right next to it.

“Darn! I forgot you need a card to get in here,” Falkner cursed himself for forgetting such an important piece of information. No matter. He had another way in anyhow. He took his pistol and fired one round at the key slot. Just like that, the metal doors opened wide, allowing him and other officers to get through. At this point, there was no time to be worrying about getting a card and entering the usual way.

“Oh no!” Falkner heard several grunts cry out when they heard the shots. Of course he’d alerted them to his presence. But he knew that was an inevitability. They’d find out about him whether he made his presence known or not. “They’re onto us!”

“Pidgeot!” Falkner pulled a PokeBall out and threw it. “Use Gust and blow them away!”

Out from the PokeBall appeared a large, regal, tan bird with long wings and a glossy yellow and red head crest that stretched as long as its body. As soon as Pidgeot flew in front of the army of grunts, it flapped its wings with great force, creating a swift, furious gust of wind that blew every grunt off their feet. Some of them were sent flying down the corridor, unable to keep their feet to the ground. Falkner found an opening and sprinted through the crowd as Pidgeot continued to flap its wings. By this time, Bugsy’s army of Spinarak and Butterfree had arrived on the floor, ready to subdue them while they were down.

“It has to be around here somewhere,” Falkner muttered to himself as he searched every corridor. As far as he could tell, he was on the fifth floor right now, and the transmitter room was nearby. If he could break into the room and stop Team Rocket from broadcasting the signal, the whole mess would be over, and millions of lives would be saved.

Eventually, he found the corridor in question. Two Team Rocket grunts draped in white uniforms stood side by side, guarding one door in particular. Rifles were in their hands, and two Pokemon, both Raticate, stood guard along with them, baring their large, sharp teeth, obviously to scare off any intruders. Or rip them to pieces. Falkner could only eye them from the side, lest he risk getting spotted. How could he get past them right now? Could he wait for Bugsy’s Butterfree to show up? Or would he risk it all and subdue them himself? But if he did that, whoever was in the transmitter room would likely hear the commotion and let the others know.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to think too hard. One of Bugsy’s Butterfree appeared right at that moment, giving a quiet coo, greeting Falkner.

“Quiet. I found my objective,” Falkner whispered, pointing to the hallway. “Use Sleep Powder on them, but don’t let them see you.”

Butterfree nodded, having understood his request. Falkner backed away as he let Butterfree flap its wings, creating another glittering green cloud of powder. It didn’t take long for Falkner to hear the grunts’ bodies fall to the ground. The last of the obstacles was cleared. Falkner entered the corridor and gestured for Butterfree to leave, which it did. Pistol in hand, Falkner finally burst through the transmitter room, kicking the door so hard that it opened all by itself.

Falkner kept his pistol pointed at whoever was in the room. Both Ariana and Petrel stood up from their chairs, eyes wide and taking in the sudden presence of this man. The actual transmitter room wasn’t much except for a small room whose space was taken up by tall, rectangular machines with lots of dark buttons and blinking red and green lights. Both Ariana and Petrel stood before several computers, all of them displaying moving red lines going across a blue screen. Ariana narrowed her eyes into slits once her shock wore off.

“Tch. I knew the grunts we put out on patrol were pathetic,” Ariana spat, putting a hand on her hip.

“Get your hands in the air, now!!” Falkner bellowed, keeping his pistol pointed at the two Team Rocket executives. “It’s over! We’ve knocked out every single grunt you have under your control!”

A smirk spread across Petrel’s face as he shrugged his shoulders, sitting back down in his computer chair. “I must admit, you must be quite strong if you managed to come this far, Police Chief Falkner Uccello,” Petrel told him in a smug tone of voice.

It took everything Falkner had to keep himself calm. Petrel was deliberately condescending him in an attempt to catch him off guard by using his full name and title. He knew this tactic all too well. Then again, Team Rocket was known for doing their research on anything and anyone they had their eye on. They didn’t manage to take over the tower by being slackers, after all. But Falkner knew he had to make sure he didn’t fall for any of their tricks. Petrel was likely about to lay some kind of trap before him right now.

“But don’t think having defeated all of those useless grunts ensures victory,” Petrel said.

Ariana pulled a PokeBall out. “Go, Arbok!”

A large, purple cobra stood before Falkner, baring its fangs and sticking its tongue out, like it was ready to consume its prey whole. “Chaaaa-baka!”

“I don’t have time for this!” Falkner hissed, eyes blazing at the sudden development. Of course they were going to try and distract him. “Noctowl! Use Tackle!”

A Noctowl popped out from the PokeBall, throwing itself right into Arbok’s chest. The force wasn’t so strong that it knocked the cobra off its tail, but it was enough to take the air right out of its body. For a brief moment, no air came into Arbok’s lungs. It hurt to even try to breathe.

“Hypnosis!” Falkner shouted. He had to stop them from activating the radio signal above all else. Obviously, this battle was just a distraction.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Noctowl was quick to make its eyes glow in an eerie red light. Thankfully, Arbok was so stunned by the Tackle from earlier that it wasn’t able to avoid making eye contact with Noctowl in time. As soon as the cobra met eyes with Noctowl, the energy in its body began to drain away, and it suddenly became lightheaded. Its eyes grew heavy and wouldn’t stay open. No longer was it able to keep its balance. Before long, Arbok fell to the ground, asleep and drifting off to a peaceful dreamland.

Once Arbok was asleep, Petrel found his chance. He pressed a button on the computer. The monitor displayed a red box with white letters on it, which read ‘Evolution Inducement Wave Transmitting.’ Falkner’s eyes shrunk in horror. Even more so when he could hear shrill, pained cries coming from just outside.

“Spiiiiiiin!!” All of Bugsy’s Spinarak had completely keeled over, all lying on the floor, their spindly legs curling in and out, unable to stop. Some of the Spinarak writhed in agony, their bodies shaking violently, like they were having severe epileptic seizures. Others simply kept shaking their heads, crying in shrill, strained voices.

Jasmine came down the hall, stopping at the sight of the group of Spinarak screaming like they had never screamed before. Behind her, two Butterfree and Falkner’s Pidgeot stood guard, unaffected by whatever was causing the Spinarak so much pain. Jasmine skidded to the floor, scooping one poor Spinarak in her arms as gently as she could, like she was holding a baby.

“It’ll be alright, sweetie. It’ll be alright,” Jasmine crooned in a soft, motherly voice, stroking Spinarak’s back in a slow rhythm. Her heart and ears were assailed by the Pokemon’s pained cries. It didn’t take long for several officers and Bugsy to witness the scene themselves.

“What is this?!” Bugsy cried. “Spinarak!” He was quick to grab all of his PokeBalls and recall every single Spinarak, saving them from further pain.

Falkner kept his pistol aimed at the two Rocket executives, eyes flaring with rage. “Turn that radio signal off! We know about your plans!”

“As if!” Ariana spat. “We didn’t come this far just to let you brainless idiots get in our way!” She roared, baring her teeth like an Arbok ready to snap at its prey.

Too bad it was here that she completely forgot about Noctowl. Seeing an opening, Noctowl took the chance to make its eyes glow in an eerie red light. Suddenly, both Ariana and Petrel found themselves numb. Ariana tried to move her arms, but they did not stir. Petrel tried to stand up from his seat, but his body refused to obey his commands. Nothing happened. Suddenly, their bodies were as lifeless as marble. A glowing red aura surrounded them.

Falkner’s mouth fell agape. What happened. “Toroooo!” Noctowl’s trill pulled him out of his confusion and he swung his head in his friend’s direction. Of course! Noctowl was using Psychic to keep them from moving! Falkner wished he had told Noctowl to do so earlier.

“I...can’t...move!” Petrel choked out. Even his vocal chords struggled to make sound, like they were close to turning into stone.

“Now’s my chance!” Falkner seized the opportunity. The blue haired man bolted over to the transmitter and pulled out a tangle of plugs from the outlets, shutting it off. The monitors on the computer turned pitch black, with nothing else on the screens. The blinking lights on the rectangular machines stopped glowing. No longer did he hear pained screams coming from the hall behind him.

“Falkner! The signal’s stopped!” A police officer yelled as he burst into the room. “You did it!”

“Fools…” Ariana choked out.

Both Falkner and the officer turned to Ariana, who was still trapped by Noctowl’s Psychic attack.

“If you think…” Ariana kept hissing every word she spat out. Whether it was Noctowl’s powers hindering her or she was intentionally hissing the way she was, neither Falkner or anyone else could tell. “You’ve won...just you wait!”

There was more? Falkner and the officer exchanged perplexed looks. What else was Team Rocket doing? What else did they have planned? Falkner was sure that stopping the radio signal from airing all over Johto would stop them in their tracks.

Crackling static echoed out from Falkner’s walkie-talkie. “Chief Falkner!! The signal suddenly started back up again!!”

The signal was still airing? But how? Falkner put a hand on his chin. They shut off the transmitter, and Noctowl kept Ariana and Petrel here the entire time. There was no way they could have activated the transmitter.

Unless…

Both Ariana and Petrel flashed smug smirks in his direction, which told them that they were still one step ahead of everyone.

Falkner shouted into the walkie-talkie, “They have a backup transmitter somewhere!! Search every inch of the Radio Tower and anything else within its vicinity! Question every Team Rocket member you’ve got!! I repeat, they have a backup transmitter! Find it!! Find it!!”

***

“Shuckle!” A yellow turtle Pokemon with a red shell ran across a grassy field under near a starstruck sky. Behind it, Amara and Gengar gave chase. The ghost Pokemon, sensing an opening, managed to fly further ahead. The turtle Pokemon couldn’t afford to stop, its heart thundering with every step it ran. Then, down from the sky came Gengar, its malicious, twisted grin and sharp white teeth frightening the poor Pokemon into freezing up.

“Shu-Shuckle!” The turtle Pokemon shivered. Suddenly, the air around it grew cold. Much colder than it was earlier. Now everything around it seemed almost frigid, like a harsh blizzard was blowing through.

“Gengar! Use Dark Pulse!” Amara commanded. Unlike before, Amara’s order wasn’t twinged with her usual aggravated annoyance or anger this time.

Gengar only had a second to notice that before shooting a slew of glowing, dark circles right at the helpless turtle. Since Shuckle was too slow to react, the Dark Pulse knocked it right off its feet, sending it rolling across the grass. It did, however, manage to pull its head and legs into its red shell, protecting itself from anything else that could harm it. Once the Dark Pulse attack faded, Shuckle didn’t come back out of its shell at all. Its head and legs remained inside, as if it didn’t want to come back out again.

But that was just what Amara expected to see happen. “Yes! You weakened it!” Amara cheered before pulling a PokeBall out from her pocket. “Go, PokeBall!”

With a swift throw, the PokeBall landed right on Shuckle’s shell, turning it into red light and pulling it inside. The PokeBall then fell to the grass with a soft thud before rolling side to side, the red light blinking. Gengar and Amara could only stop and wait as anticipation gripped them. But already, Amara was wishing the PokeBall would just stop swaying right now. Why did capturing a Pokemon have to take up so much time? Amara groaned after the PokeBall swayed for a third time. She never did like having to do things that took too long. Patience was never one of her strong suits. Many people had told her this, not that she liked admitting it.

Then, the red light faded, and the PokeBall stopped blinking. Amara walked over to the PokeBall and picked it up with one hand. “Yes! We caught a Shuckle!” For once, Amara couldn’t help but smile at having caught a new Pokemon.

It was then that Gengar noticed something else. Amara turned in his direction and flashed a soft, proud smile. Gengar raised an eyebrow. Was Amara...smiling at him? That was rare. Amara hardly ever smiled at her Pokemon. Was this some kind of trick? Gengar narrowed his eyes into slits as Amara walked over to him, preparing himself for either a scolding or a slap to the face. The slaps he could handle, as he could easily make himself intangible. At least, unlike the other Pokemon, he had a way to avoid being used as her punching bag.

“Hey, Gengar,” Amara said. “Thanks. You did a great job.”

What? Gengar’s body relaxed, and his eyes widened in shock. Did he hear right? Did Amara just praise him? She actually thanked him? For a moment, the ghost Pokemon thought the night was playing tricks on him. But it wasn’t a trick. Gengar functioned best at night. This Amara was still his trainer, as much as he hated to admit it. What’s more, Gengar didn’t sense any negative feelings inside of her. He didn’t feel any negative energy coming from her like he always did. That told him that she was serious. She meant what she said just now. Just like she was serious about having given Granbull to that girl Maria a week before, and for releasing Victreebel.

“I know...I haven’t been the nicest trainer towards you,” Amara told him, her voice lowering to a soft, almost sad tone. “I don’t blame you for hating me. After all, I...still kinda hate Pokemon in a way…But…” She looked down at the PokeBall in her hand. “Maybe...I don’t have to spend my life hating the ones I caught myself, you included.”

Gengar’s feet met the ground beneath him. He had never heard Amara talk in a soft, almost kind voice before. Maybe she did have some good in her after all.

“Do you...want to leave?” Amara asked. “You don’t have to stay with me. I can release you--”

“Gengah?”

Rustling leaves stopped their conversation completely. Gengar had longer ears than Amara, so he heard it before she did. In the stillness of the night, anyone could hear just about anything. Then, a white flash of light suddenly ran across their eyes, blinding them.

“Ugh! What?!” Amara squeezed her eyes shut as she shoved Shuckle’s PokeBall in her bag. Gengar simply melted into a shadow nearby, disappearing from sight.

“Excuse me! Miss!” A man’s voice called out from behind a bush. Amara could feel the light moving away from her eyes, so she found it safe to open them. Still, the pure white light against the dark of the night was still blinding in a way. She was able to make out two adult men coming toward her. Both of them were wearing dark uniforms.

Gold police badges gleamed under the flashlight’s rays.

Oh crap!’ Fear pricked her spine. ‘I gotta get outta here right now!’ It was the police! If they figured out who she was...She quickly turned around, attempting to make a break for it. A hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, stopping her from moving even a single step.

“It’s alright, miss. We’re not here to hurt you,” A dark haired officer told her kindly.

The officer next to him, a blonde haired gentleman, held a cellphone in his hand, using one finger to scroll through some information about missing people. One image came up that made him stop. A young girl of about thirteen, with light brown hair in a ponytail. The name read Amara Parisa.

“No doubt about it,” The blonde haired man said. “She’s definitely the runaway from New Bark Town, Amara Parisa. Her hair’s a different color, but it’s her.”

The realization hit her right then and there. The police found her, and they were going to probably send her back to New Bark Town! And she was one badge away from having all eight of them! If she were to go home now, she’d not only have her Pokemon and badges taken away, but it was likely she’d be put on the blacklist permanently.

“You’ll have to come with us, Miss,” The dark haired officer told her as he escorted her away from the clearing.

“No! I don’t want to go home!” Amara yelled, dragging her feet as she tried to use her free hand to push the officer’s hand off her wrist. But the officer had an iron grip. It didn’t hurt, but the last thing she wanted was to be sent back home. “You can’t send me back! I’m not going!!”

“You don’t have a choice in this one, kid,” The policeman with the blonde hair didn’t mince any words with the resisting thirteen-year-old.

Her struggle against law enforcement was futile. Even so, Amara couldn’t let her journey end here. Not when she had come so far all on her own. “Let me go! Let me go!!” She resisted and screamed and thrashed, but Amara was pulled away from the clearing. Nothing she tried convinced the policemen to release her. Before long, she was put into a police car. Gengar, reappearing from the shadows to get a better look, watched as the car with the blue and red lights drove away into the night.

Gengar wasn’t sure what to do. Go about his merry way and finally leave her, or try and free her from the police’s crutches? It was a hard choice.

***

A/N: FINALLY! MarJour’s finally been updated after so long! First chapter of the new year and it DOESN'T take months to come out this time! I really hate not being able to work on my stories. But when inspiration and motivation isn’t around to make you bang those chapters out, along with life in general, putting a chapter out is like pushing a bulldozer but without using any of the controls, even when you know how you want the chapter to go. Anyway, with this, the Radio Tower arc has started! The second part, hopefully, won’t be as hard to write this time around and probably won’t take as long. Still, I don’t find myself proud of how this chapter came out. Probably because I’m not used to writing about adults or police raids on...well, anything, nor have I really done so before. Even so, this year, I’m not gonna leave MarJour by the wayside in favor of other projects now that I’m almost finished with my Tales of Zestiria fan fic. Not when I’ve come so close to the end! Expect more chapters to come! Sorry this one took so long to come out!
 
Chapter 44: Conflicts On Different Scales

High in the sky, overlooking the bustling metropolis down below, Archer stood before a glass window on the radio tower’s observation deck, arms crossed, deep in thought. He had been waiting for this day for months. Now it was finally here. The day Team Rocket would take complete control of Johto and its Pokemon. In his hand was a small, black, rectangular object with a silver antenna sprouting out from the top, resembling an old school walkman. He could only smile as he saw the fantastic view before him. A sea of tall buildings stretching far into the horizon, boasting their high reach towards the heavens. The city that would soon be his, and by extension, all of Team Rocket’s.

Next to him, an old man sat on the floor, thick ropes tying his hands behind his back, and around his ankles, rendering him unable to move. His grey suit had rips and scratch marks all over it, and one part of his left pant leg had a red bloody stain on it. Two Houndoom snarled at the cowering man, baring their teeth and glaring at him, almost as if they were daring him to make one move. The man’s wide eyes trembled with fear, and his grey hair was unkempt and dripping with sweat. Archer paid him no heed. The Rocket executive simply stared down at the portable transmitter in his hand.

“P-P-P-P-Please! I’m begging you! You can have the radio tower!” The old man sobbed, his shaking voice having gone long past hysterical. “You can do whatever you want! Just let me and everyone else go! We won’t tell anyone!”

Archer shot a disbelieving look at the helpless man below him, his hand clutching the portable transmitter just a bit tighter. “Do you honestly expect me to believe that? You’re pathetic,” Archer snarled, screwing up his face to look just like his two Houndoom. To think it had been so laughably easy to take this man--the director of the Goldenrod Radio Tower--hostage. That just made things much easier for him in the long run.

“I can’t understand why you’re doing this!” The director didn’t dare meet Archer’s eyes. But Archer clearly saw the desperate, pleading look in his hostage’s eyes. Just looking at this helpless man made him wish he’d shut up already. “You have nothing to gain from taking over all of Johto! People and Pokemon aren’t tools you can control and manipulate to your convenience!”

Tools. This time, Archer was the one baring his teeth at the terrified director. “Keep your mouth shut, you oaf!” Archer barked, his voice rising so high, it almost didn’t belong to him. “My Houndoom can easily tear you to pieces! Or are you that desperate to be their dinner?”

The director winced. Figuring it was useless to argue any further, he simply kept his head down, unable to look at anything or anyone else. Nothing else was said between them. Then again, Archer had zero interest in talking to his hostage anyway, other than making sure he was quiet. Just as that thought crossed his mind, a blue blur suddenly caught his eye.

A blue and purple one. A large Pokemon hopped from rooftop to rooftop, coming closer to the Radio Tower with every leap. Behind it was a large yellow Pokemon with a curling purple mane behind it, only it was smaller. Archer recognized them immediately. Suicune and Raikou. Two of the three legendary beast Pokemon from Ecruteak City. Archer’s eyes widened in surprise. The radio signal worked! They were probably lured here.

No sooner did that thought cross his mind, Hunter J, riding her Salamence, swooped right down from the sky, firing a beam of light at Suicune. The aurora Pokemon leaped out of the way just in time, and Raikou let out a roar before shooting a lightning bolt in her direction. Salamence swiftly flew to the left, letting the bolt fly right past it. Archer could see Suicune digging its feet onto one rooftop and shaking its head wildly, as if it were trying to shake off the mind control. Raikou followed suit, but bit on part of Suicune’s flowing mane and pulled on it, beckoning it to move.

Suicune! Come on!” Raikou roared, continuing to pull on his friend’s mane. “We need to go! She’ll capture us!!”

I...I can’t...move…” Suicune rasped. His legs felt like stone, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his brain. “My body...won’t listen to me...I can’t…!”

I know! But we can’t stay here! We need to--” Unfortunately, Raikou wasn’t able to finish that sentence. Before long, a ray of light suddenly struck Raikou’s rear, and his entire body turned to stone. Suicune could only watch in horror as his friend turned a dark gold color, completely frozen and lifeless. The aurora Pokemon’s mouth fell agape, and his eyes shrunk. He wasn’t given time to process his friend’s fall, as his own body turned to stone as well. He didn’t even have the chance to react.

Two floating, mechanical plates floated underneath the two legendary beasts, generating glass barriers that covered each of them. The glass containers then floated away. Archer assumed they were going into J’s airship. He figured she kept it invisible and had it nearby just in case she caught them. Well, that took care of that. Archer pulled back his sleeve, tapped his black watch, and watched as a holographic bust of J appeared. From the disinterested look on her face--at least, what little Archer could make out since she was wearing her goggles--she didn’t look too happy about seeing him right now.

“What do you want?” J asked, her voice adopting a tone of barely contained annoyance.

“I just thought I’d congratulate you for having caught all three of the legendary beasts,” Archer answered with a pleased smile. “I saw the whole feat from the observation deck just now. They were helpless against the radio signal, just like you wanted.”

“Don’t act so smug. You’re not the one who caught them. I need them for my mission.”

“Come on, J. That’s no way to talk when someone’s actually praising you.”

“I don’t need your praise,” J hissed firmly. “You know full well that I’m only using you and Team Rocket to get what I want. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten our deal.”

Archer shrugged. Then again, he knew she would say that. “Yes, yes, I know. If you let us use your technology for our plans, we in return have to let you use us for your own plans as well.”

“Good,” J was in absolutely no mood for fun and games. Archer was sure anger or being serious were the only emotions she was capable of. “The time for Ho-Oh’s arrival is drawing near. Now that I have the three beasts, I have a chance to be able to nab it as well. Maybe Lugia, too, if I’m lucky. Anyway, I’m leaving. Feel free to do whatever you want for now.”

With that, the hologram coming from Archer’s watch disappeared.

“Oh, believe me, I will,” Archer looked down at the transmitter in his hand and smiled. This was going to be good.

***

“It has to be here somewhere!” Falkner shouted, looking in every nook and cranny of the transmitter room. Jasmine, Bugsy, and several other officers were in the room with him, helping him look. But so far, they hadn’t seen anything even resembling another transmitter. “Darn it! What did we miss?!” Falkner growled, slamming his fist onto the wall. He didn’t care if his hand throbbed from the impact. He couldn’t believe he was incapable of stopping a stupid radio signal, of all things. It was his job to help everyone.

At this point, several police officers managed to apprehend Ariana and Petrel, dragging them out of the transmitter room as soon as Noctowl felt it was safe to release them from Psychic. Falkner made a mental note to give Noctowl his favorite brown rice as a reward for his efforts when this was all over. At least they managed to get Ariana and Petrel arrested. Still, the evolution inducement wave was still being broadcasted as of now.

“Is there any place we haven’t looked?” Bugsy poked his head out into the hallway. So far, nobody else was in sight. No Team Rocket grunts, no other police officers, nobody. “Think maybe there’s someone downstairs we overlooked?”

“I’ll have them check,” One of the officers offered, then proceeded to speak into his walkie-talkie, telling any officers who heard to check all floors of the building for a transmitter or anyone that had access to one. No stone was to be left unturned.

Jasmine looked up at the ceiling, wondering just where this backup transmitter could be.

Wait a minute…

Up.

It hit her right then and there. “We haven’t checked the observation deck!” She exclaimed as soon as the thought popped up in her mind.

Everyone stopped to look in her direction. The observation deck...She was right. Nobody had gone up that far yet. At least, none of the police officers did. Were there more Team Rocket members up on the observation deck? Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from down the hall. Falkner readied his pistol, already on guard in case it was another TR grunt. Any tension he had wavered as soon as he saw a mop of blonde hair with a dark purple headband on it. That wasn’t a Team Rocket member.

“Falkner!” Morty came bounding into the room, with several officers following him from behind. Falkner let out a sigh of relief, aiming his pistol down at the floor. “Sorry I’m late,” He huffed, bending over to catch his breath, complete with his hands on his knees. “The grunts down there were absolutely relentless.”

“I can imagine,” Falkner said.

Once Morty caught his breath, he cleared his throat. “I did manage to get some information from one of the grunts. Apparently one of their executives, Archer, is up on the observation deck holding the director hostage.”

“We were just thinking about heading up there ourselves,” Jasmine explained. So they had the exact same idea. Now that they knew the director was being held hostage up on the observation deck, the chances were good that they could find the backup transmitter up there as well. There was no time to lose. Falkner and Jasmine exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

“Bugsy,” Falkner turned towards the youngest gym leader. “You’d best get out of the tower quickly. I’d rather not risk putting your life on the line. Whitney and the others could definitely benefit from your assistance. Think you can do that?”

“I’d much rather stay and help you guys out,” Bugsy answered, kicking one leg out. “But I understand. You guys be careful!” With that, Bugsy ran down the hall. Falkner motioned for one police officer to follow him, if only to make sure he got out safely. Seeing what he was referring to, the officer in question nodded in affirmation and followed Bugsy out.

“The only way up to the observation deck is an elevator,” Morty told them. “It should be on this floor somewhere.”

Without another word, everyone dashed out of the transmitter room to look for the elevator. It didn’t take long for them to find it, as it was only a few doors down from the left. Jasmine pressed the up button, and the elevator doors pulled themselves apart instantly. The gym leaders and some of the officers went inside, and they were all bunched together in a five by five confined space. Falkner clenched his fists and his teeth as he stared into the elevator doors. Confined spaces weren’t exactly good places for a freedom loving, high flying gym leader like him. Small places like an elevator were cramped, almost suffocating, especially when surrounded by so many people.

Falkner swallowed. This wasn’t the time to let his hangups get the better of him. Still, could feel his hands producing sweat, and the hilt of his pistol holder grew a little damp. Worse than that, the elevator was going extremely slow, moving about as fast as a sick Slugma. Then again, the elevator had always been aggravatingly slow, from his few visits to the place years before. He had to stay focused, so he simply stared at the doors. The shiny, metallic doors that reflected his whole being back at him. His frizzy blue hair made worse by his policeman’s cap, the many wrinkles in his uniform from the struggles in the transmitter room, his tense eyes…

There was no sound except for the whir of the elevator going up, and nothing changed except for the red glowing numbers on the display screen. Nobody said a word to each other throughout the ride. That is, until the elevator made a soft ding.

“We made it!” Jasmine exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Both doors pulled away, revealing the observation deck. The first thing they saw was the director, tied up and on the floor, eyes wide with naked fear.

“Help!! Help me, please!!”

“Director!” Jasmine gasped right out loud, horrified upon seeing the disheveled, pathetic state he was in.

Archer turned to face the gym leaders behind him. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors. Oh well. I was getting bored, sitting up here and doing nothing but babysit this addle-brained fool,” The teal-haired man said.

Falkner was quick to pull his pistol out once more, aiming it straight at the executive. “If you know what’s good for you, release him immediately,” He ordered, keeping his voice low but firm, resolving to use any force necessary to save the director. For all he knew, this might explode into a huge gunfight, or Archer might use his Pokemon to attack them personally. He could already see a black walkie-talkie in Archer’s hand with a tall antenna.

Oddly enough, Archer simply shrugged. He pulled on the cowering man’s suit collar and unceremoniously threw him in their direction like he was a rag doll. “Whatever. I’m done with him, so you can have him back.”

The director’s stomach met the floor with a soft thud. “Ugh! Ow!” He yelped, right as Jasmine ran over to help him up.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“I don’t know...but thank Arceus I’m free!”

As Jasmine undid the ropes, Morty was the first to bring up the walkie-talkie in Archer’s hand. “Stop this radio signal right this instant! We know that’s the backup transmitter!”

Archer looked at the transmitter, then at the three Houndoom by his side. “If you really want to put a stop to our grand plans, then give me your best shot! Houndoom!”

“Gaaaarrr!” All three Houndoom leaped in between Archer and the gym leaders, backs arched in the air and baring their sharp teeth.

“Hurry!” Jasmine handed the director to two officers as they went into the elevator before returning to Falkner and Morty’s side.

“Noctowl! I need your help once more!” Falkner called forth Noctowl, who was quick to pop out of his PokeBall again.

Morty’s Gengar was quick to materialize, and Morty didn’t even need to call it out by name. Jasmine threw a PokeBall herself, and out came Ampere the Ampharos, who let out a battle cry as it charged right at the three Houndoom.

“Noctowl! Use Air Slash!” Falkner shouted. Noctowl’s wings glowed in a white light before the owl Pokemon flapped them once. Six sharp discs made out of white light flew right at the three dark Pokemon.

“Houndoom! Use Flamethrower!” Archer ordered.

All three Houndoom opened their mouths and made streams of red flames shoot forth. All of them collided with the white discs of light before making a small explosion of fire. Morty and Falkner were quick to back away, not wanting to risk getting burned.

“Ampere! Use Dragon Pulse!”

“Ampaaaa!” With a piercing cry, Ampere’s mouth glowed in a rainbow of colors before shooting out a beam of light. Said beam of light suddenly sprouted draconic wings, eyes, and a mouth before landing a direct hit on two of the Houndoom. One of them leapt to the side right in the nick of time before pouncing on Ampere and closing its mouth right on its neck, sharp teeth digging right into its skin. The light Pokemon let out a loud screech as a searing pain shot through its long neck.

“Ampere! No!” Jasmine’s hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide with horror as her friend suddenly became Houndoom’s dinner.

“Gengar! Dark Pulse!” Morty shouted.

“Gengah!” Sensing the urgency of the situation, Gengar fired a stream of black circles right at Houndoom, managing to push it right off of Ampere. The light Pokemon was quick to cover any puncture wounds it had with one of its fingerless arms. Still, Jasmine could see streaks of red staining Ampere’s arm. But before she could try and return it to it’s PokeBall, another Houndoom snuck up behind it.

“Ampere!! Behind you!!” Jasmine cried in the loudest voice she could muster.

Thankfully, the light Pokemon caught on. Its tail glowed in a silvery sheen before spinning around, whacking the dark Pokemon with such force that it flew straight into the elevator. Houndoom let out an almost pitiful whine as its body hit the elevator doors before slumping to the ground. Far from the intimidating, fearsome beast it made itself out to be.

“Houndoom,” Archer muttered. “Use Slash.”

“Oh, no you don’t! Noctowl, use Echoed Voice!”

With a high pitched trill, Noctowl generated big circles of white sound waves, bombarding the two Houndoom that were still going. The two Houndoom could only shrink as the piercing screeches held them in place, rendering them unable to move. The Houndoom on the left suddenly lifted its head and shot Dark Pulse at Noctowl, sending it flying into the ceiling. At last, the Echoed Voice attack ceased, and both Houndoom were free to move as they pleased. Knowing they were likely to pounce once more, Jasmine ordered Ampere to use Thunderbolt. As ordered, Ampere fired a flurry of yellow lightning bolts at the two dark Pokemon, striking them with ease. One Houndoom roared in pain as the thunder seared through its entire body.

“Don’t let those idiots beat you, Houndoom!” Archer barked, his ruthless eyes baring right into his Pokemon. “Use Crunch! Bite their heads off if you have to!”

The command sent a chill down everyone’s spines. He meant what he said. Everyone could feel it, even the Houndoom. The one that had been thrown against the elevator finally staggered back to its feet. Noctowl caught on, dove right in front of it, and began assaulting it with a barrage of Peck attacks, using its tiny beak to peck at every single hair follicle on its head. No way was the owl Pokemon going to let this mangy mutt win!

Archer could only smirk as he watched the brouhaha play out before him, still holding onto the transmitter. He had to admit, this was quite a show. For what it was worth, it at least killed some of his boredom from having to stand up here all day. Plus, watching these gym leaders and their Pokemon squirm was proving to be entertaining. If he could hold them off for as long as he could, the evolution inducement wave could broadcast all over Johto at this rate. He was so focused on commanding his Houndoom and watching the other gym leaders that he didn’t notice a white blur rushing right past him.

Suddenly, a blow struck the hand holding the transmitter. Before he could process what was going on, Jasmine’s sandal knocked the walkie-talkie out of his hand, sending it skidding across the floor, right towards the other side of the deck. Archer let out a growl as both he and Jasmine sprinted towards the fallen transmitter. Jasmine threw her sandals off, running across the observation deck completely barefoot by this point. Nobody cared. Then, as she and Archer were neck and neck, grasping for the transmitter, Jasmine made a huge leap, pouncing right on top of the transmitter, her dainty hand swiping it off the floor.

Unfortunately for her, Archer took the chance to pounce right on top of her. Jasmine clutched the transmitter with all her might, even as the weight of Archer’s body held her down. Archer’s hands reached for the transmitter at every turn, grasping it with every swipe of his hands.

“Give it to me!!”

“No!!”

“I said give it, you filthy wench!!”

“Make me!!” At this point, Jasmine howled and screamed like a wild mother animal protecting her young. Her voice was beyond hysterical, and it didn’t sound like it belonged to her anymore.

Morty saw the scuffle, and his mouth fell agape. “Jasmine!” He needed to do something. This was their chance to turn off that transmitter. He had to take it. And he did. “Gengar! Use Psychic to get Archer off her!”

Gengar nodded and its eyes glowed in an eerie red light. Before long, Archer’s body was surrounded by a purple aura, and he was magically lifted into the air. “Hey! Let me go!!” Archer howled, struggling to move and writhe in Gengar’s magical grip. Too bad his body was completely frozen, and his paralyzed limbs refused to budge. Jasmine staggered back to her feet, clutching the transmitter, holding it to her chest.

“Noctowl! Take the transmitter!” Falkner commanded.

Knowing what he planned to do, Jasmine threw the device into the air, allowing Noctowl to swoop in and take it into its talons. Then, without warning, Noctowl squeezed the device with its talon. Before long, the device completely snapped in half, reduced to nothing more than scraps of metal. Bolts and wires fell to the floor, clattering as they bounced on the ground. Archer’s pupils shrunk in horror as what was left of the transmitter shattered before his eyes. Just like that, his grand ambitions--Team Rocket’s grand plan--were completely ruined.

“Gengar. Put him down,” Morty told it. Gengar’s eyes stopped glowing, and Archer fell to the floor, right on his rear.

“Ow!” Archer yelped, and didn’t have time to rub the throbbing area as Falkner approached him, holding a pistol right at his face.

“It’s over. You lost,” Falkner snarled. “You’re under arrest.”

By this time, all three Houndoom were lying on the ground, their battered bodies rising and falling in tune with their tired, labored breaths. Jasmine had put Ampere back in his PokeBall, making a note to take him to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible, and the other officers stood on both sides of Falkner, also aiming their rifles at him. Morty recalled Gengar and walked over to Jasmine to make sure she was okay. He didn’t see any scratches or bruising on her, so it was a relief to see her safe. She really did earn her reputation as a maiden draped in silk that hid steel. No wonder she was the Olivine City gym leader. Still, he had to admit, throwing herself against Archer and taking the transmitter by force could have ended badly. It was definitely a reckless move on her part, and Archer could have done away with her easily.

Archer stood up, hanging his head, the rifles still pointed at him. At this time, Jasmine went to the elevator, assuming everyone else could handle things from here. Besides, Ampere needed medical care right away, on account of those neck wounds. Morty understood and silently waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed. But when he turned around, Morty’s eyes shrunk. One of Archer’s Houndoom was sneaking up behind Falkner, its mouth glowing in an eerie purple light. Was it going to…?

Morty’s legs moved on their own. He sprinted across the observation deck like he was running a marathon. Fear completely seized him, but also sent adrenaline running through his veins. “LOOK OUT!!” Morty screamed in the loudest voice he could muster. As soon as Falkner turned around, Morty was right in front of him.

“Gaaaar!” Houndoom spat some kind of icky purple liquid right on Morty’s face. Some of it got onto Morty’s hand. Falkner gaped as he saw steam coming off of his friend’s hand. It didn’t take long for Morty to crumple to the floor, folding himself in a fetal position, howling as a searing, burning sensation shot through his whole body, especially his hand.

“Morty!!” Falkner skidded down to his friend. What in the world happened? He looked over to the Houndoom in question, seeing the toxic purple substance seeping from its mouth. He then looked over to Archer, who still had that smug grin on his face. Did he command his Houndoom to use Toxic somehow?

Suddenly, Archer pushed through two of the officers, making a mad dash for the glass window.

“Wait! Stop! Stay where you are!” The officers fired several rounds, all of them missing their target. After that, Archer rammed right through one window, breaking the glass around him, leaving him right outside the observation deck. Some shards did embed themselves into his shoulder and arm, but Archer merely grunted as he made the mighty jump.

Then, a small helicopter rose from the ground. Archer was quick to grab hold of it as the Team Rocket grunt piloting it motioned for him to get on. By the time Falkner and the others made it to the broken window, the helicopter made a quick turn around, the loud propellers spinning like a tornado as it flew away.

But Falkner knew that at this point, someone else needed his attention. “Morty!” His friend lay on the ground, writhing and howling. The police chief whirled around to face an officer standing behind him. “Get an EMT up here right away!” Falkner roared.

One of the officers pulled out his radio, calling for medical personnel. Falkner clenched his teeth, lamenting being unable to catch Archer and arrest him. If he, J, and other Team Rocket members were still on the loose, who knows what else they could do. But he had to admit, some good did come out of this. The radio signal was stopped, the transmitters were shut off, and the Goldenrod Radio Tower was safe now. At least that mission was a success.

He could only pray that help would get here soon. Morty was badly poisoned, and he needed medical care right away. If his friend died right here...Falkner shut his eyes. He didn’t dare let his imagination take him that far.

***

Kassia stood before a small, one-story house in Cherrygrove City, her car parked on the main street. The house was rather small, painted a deep navy blue, with a big wooden door in front, and white railing around the porch. She could see some leaves and twigs stuck in some of the roof tiles, and a shoot happened to spring up from the gutter. But other than that, the house was clean. Some small shrubs lined the property, long and flat, with a couple shoots springing up from various places. Compared to the rest of the neighborhood, the house wasn’t nearly as nice or big as the other houses. But it had its own unique charm about it.

But this wasn’t the time to be admiring houses right now. Swallowing, Kassia stepped onto the porch and pressed her finger onto the doorbell. She could hear two rings from inside the house. Peering into the window, she saw a head of wavy, curly black hair bounce around energetically. Then, the door opened, and out came a woman about the same age as she, with long hair that cascaded down to her lower back. Her deep brown eyes widened as she took in Kassia’s appearance, and her green dress stood out starkly compared to the navy blue paint of her house. Their eyes met, and there was a brief silence before Kassia finally spoke.

“Hello, Edelmira.”

“Kassia?” The woman in question, Edelmira, recognized her right away. “You’re Amara’s mother!” Flashing a wide, pleased smile, she took Kassia’s hand into her own and shook it, brown eyes beaming with delight. “It’s so good to see you! It sure has been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“Yes it has.”

“I take it you got the birthday cards I sent to your daughters.”

Kassia’s answer to that was a nod. “I have to admit, I’ve never been to this part of town before. I’m just glad I got your new address to begin with.”

It had been a long time since the two of them had last seen each other, but both women could feel the connection they had as strongly as ever. It was like time hadn’t passed at all. “Would you like to come inside? I’ll make you some coffee. I think it’s still fresh, so just make yourself comfortable.”

Edelmira’s house was pretty nice compared to the old one they had. So far, the living room only had a bright red sofa, some blue pillows, a TV on top of a mahogany credenza, and a tiny glass coffee table in front of said sofa, along with some other odds and ends. But one piece of furniture stood out from all the rest. A light yellowish brown box was mounted onto the wall, with a tiny glass vase housing some pink flowers inside it. Next to that was a tiny, white, unlit candlestick, and deep in the center of the box was a picture of a young girl in dark pigtails holding a baby in her arms. The girl’s brown eyes were sparkling with cheer, and she was smiling while holding the baby up to look at the camera. Kassia’s eyebrows furrowed. She recognized the girl and the baby right away.

Chanel Ramsey and her little brother, Eladio Ramsey.

“Coffee’s ready!” Edelmira called from the dining room.

Both women sat down at the dining room table, white cups of coffee sitting right in front of them. They could see the steam billowing out from the brown liquid. Sometimes the steam seemed to blend in with the air around it, looking as though it was fading in and out, like a flickering light bulb. As much as Kassia liked coffee, she couldn’t bring herself to drink it. Not when she saw Edelmira’s eyes still touched with sadness.

“So...how is everything? It looks like you’re doing well here,” Kassia began awkwardly, not sure of how to start a conversation.

“It’s been hard…” Edelmira glanced over at the box on the wall. “Sometimes it feels like Chanel and Eladio never existed,” She looked down at her coffee, averting her friend’s eyes. Kassia could tell she was trying to hold back tears. “I know that’s a terrible thing to say. Everything feels so...empty without them.”

“I can imagine. I’m sorry we couldn’t make it to her funeral.”

“It’s quite alright,” Edelmira reassured, waving a hand dismissively. “Considering the nature of your job, I understand completely. Besides, where my family and I are from, our funerals tend to be more private, only involving immediate family, after all...that, and I didn’t want to traumatize Amara by inviting her and having her see Chanel...in a casket…”

Kassia could see where she was coming from. As much as she herself wanted to go, she knew she couldn’t. Plus, she wasn’t sure if both Amara and Julia could handle going to a funeral, Amara for the fact that it was her best friend, about to be buried into the ground, never to come back, and she was sure Julia would find just being there both sad and boring. Of course, Julia did her own share of grieving for Chanel. Kassia knew that for sure. There was no way she wouldn’t. Both girls cried their eyes out from the awful news. But she found herself not liking where this conversation was going. She didn’t want to start this off on a sad note.

“Is your older daughter still in college?” Kassia asked. “Gracie, right?”

“Graciela? Yes,” Edelmira replied as she looked down at her coffee, stirring it with a spoon. “She’s doing so well. She just loves it there. She’s even staying in the dorms now,” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. Kassia could tell there was more to it than that. “She’s been spending more and more time at college after...Chanel and Eladio...she keeps telling me it’s so she can work hard and support me and so we don’t have to worry about driving up there all the time, but…”

Another pause. “...I think she just wants to get away,” Edelmira continued. “Away from everything.”

“I see…”

More silence would have followed, had a long, drawn out squeaking sound not caught their attention. “Quiiiiil!” A high pitched squeal made both women almost jump from their seats. Kassia turned to the left and saw that a Cyndaquil had crawled onto the table. She could see the empty chair it used right between herself and Edelmira. Just as quickly as it had appeared, Edelmira’s shock dissipated, and her mouth made a friendly smile.

“Hey there, little guy,” Once the Cyndaquil got close, Edelmira stroke its head happily. The fire mouse Pokemon curled up onto the table, its round body shaped like a comma as it relished in the feel of Edelmira’s hands in its fur.

“Cyndaaaa…”

“When did you get a Pokemon?” Kassia asked.

Edelmira trailed her hand down Cyndaquil’s back. “About a month after we moved here,” She explained. “Chanel always wanted a Cyndaquil. She would go on and on saying that if she became a trainer, she’d pick a Cyndaquil because they were her favorite. It was actually my grief counselor’s idea.”

Cyndaquil didn’t move from his spot, content to just lay on the table and be with Edelmira. “She said having a Pokemon might help,” She murmured, her voice growing wistful. “I got him from Professor Elm, and the little guy’s done wonders for me. Cyndaquil’s such a joy to have around.”

Kassia could only grin. “I can see that,” For her, it was easy to see the way Edelmira seemed to glow a little when Cyndaquil was around. She had raised Pokemon for years, long before she had both her daughters, so she knew the joys of having Pokemon for companions, especially during dark times. Her heart warmed at the sight. “Your new house is nice.”

“It is. I like it much better than our old house,” Edelmira agreed. “Yeah, it’s much smaller, but I got it on the cheap thanks to the jobs I worked…” Just like that, the woman’s mouth turned back into a frown. “Almost everything Chanel and Eladio had was destroyed in the attack. This house only has room for me and Gracie...and she’s all I have left.”

For once, Kassia didn’t know what to say. She was sure it hurt Edelmira’s heart to leave what was left of her old house and her family behind, even if most of their memories in that house weren’t the best. She had heard stories of how Edelmira’s husband was cruel and abusive, and it took her years to finally muster up the courage to not only kick him out, but get him arrested for everything he did. Still, even with the lingering sadness in Edelmira’s eyes, she still looked much happier here than she ever did when she was married to him. She didn’t look like a frightened Stantler caught in headlights anymore.

“Alright, I think that’s enough about me. I’ve been meaning to ask, how are your girls doing?” Edelmira asked curiously, folding her hands together. “Does Amara still have that Totodile she got from Professor Elm?” Her frown turned right back into a smile. “Goodness, I remember she used to dote on that little gator all the time. She treated it like it was her baby.”

Kassia’s hands balled into fists. Should she tell Edelmira the truth? Or did she already know? It didn’t sound like she knew. A part of her wanted to tell Edelmira everything about what’s been happening with Amara. The urge to speak of everything Amara did was strong. Maybe she could help convince Amara to turn herself in, come back home, or stop everything she’s been doing. On the other hand, another part of her advised against it. Did she really need to know that stuff? Besides, Edelmira didn’t need to be used as some prop to bring Amara back home. She had her own problems to deal with. What good would telling her do? Still, her daughter was Amara’s best friend, and Chanel’s death kickstarted everything.

“They’re...doing well,” Kassia sputtered sheepishly. The lie cut through her heart like a Scyther’s blades were slicing it to ribbons. “Julia got her own Pokemon, too.”

Just like that, Edelmira’s whole being lit up. “Really? That’s wonderful!”

She went on to tell Edelmira about Julia becoming an official Pokemon trainer and having left on her journey back in April. Edelmira’s smile stretched further the more she heard. “My goodness! That’s so great! I remember she used to be so shy! You must be so proud!”

“I am.”

But it was Edelmira’s turn to be concerned this time. She could see Kassia’s eyebrows furrow and her smile turn into a frown. That wasn’t like her. Shouldn’t she be happy that her daughter was traveling the world? “What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

Kassia finally took a sip of her coffee. It was a little lukewarm. With it being untouched for so long, the liquid had cooled significantly, so it wasn’t warm or searing hot. When she finished, she finally answered. “Well...I’ve been feeling a little conflicted as of late.”

“How so? Want to talk about it?”

“It’s Julia...we got into a bit of an argument over the phone, and she’s been mad at me since then,” Kassia explained, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been calling her, but she hasn’t answered her PokeGear the entire time. I know she’s ignoring me.”

“Really?” Edelmira’s mouth fell agape. Julia and her mother getting into an argument? That sure wasn’t like them. From what Edelmira had seen, the two of them always got along very well. Often times, Julia never left her mother’s side and always did what she said. “What exactly happened?”

It took several minutes for Kassia to explain everything, from finding out Julia caught a red Gyarados to the phone conversation they had. Edelmira listened without a word, but this was all still so hard to believe. Parts of it did make sense, though. “Oh my. I can see why you’d be concerned.”

“Believe me, I was so sure it would be a disaster,” Kassia explained further. “She’d never be able to properly handle a Gyarados at her level, much less one with as many psychological problems as that one. I told her to release it, but instead she put it into a mental health facility for Pokemon. She said just releasing her wouldn’t solve anything.”

Edelmira rested her chin on her hands at this point. “Sounds to me like she really cared about the red Gyarados.”

“She does. She cares for all Pokemon...to a fault, even,” Kassia’s voice started to tremble. “I admit, I got mad at her. I just wanted her to release it and forget about it...but she told me all I ever do is get mad whenever something doesn’t go my way…” Tears began to flow this time. “But you want to know what the worst thing is? She’s right!”

A hand flew to Edelmira’s mouth. Kassia made no effort to wipe away the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She just kept on swallowing, even though she wasn’t eating or drinking anything. Edelmira stood up from her chair and walked over to her friend, eyes glassy with worry.

“I was the one who taught her that Pokemon need to be treated with respect and that it’s important to understand them…” Kassia choked out, taking in a big sniff. “I tried to teach my daughters to be kind, patient, and understanding of everything and everyone. My parents always instilled those values into me, right from the very beginning...but for the past few months, I’ve been so frustrated and stressed out with everything that’s been going on! Everything seems to make me snap now, and I’ve been taking it all out on the both of them, and they don’t...deserve that…”

Without a word, Edelmira wrapped her arms around Kassia and gently pulled her close.

“I taught her to care for Pokemon...and then I tell her to release one because it’s dangerous! She was right to call me out!” Kassia cried, burying her hands in her face. “I should have praised her for having found an alternative and taking the initiative for Geraldine, not yell at her for not releasing her outright!”

Regret completely overwhelmed her now. The phone conversation replayed in her head over and over. Yes, Julia had been right. Sending Geraldine to be rehabilitated was a much better choice than outright releasing her. A smart and mature decision. It just hurt Kassia’s heart even more. Her eleven-year-old daughter, who normally opposed getting rid of any Pokemon they had in their care, even for benevolent reasons, made the hard choice to give a troubled Pokemon to complete strangers and didn’t even make a fuss. In her heart, Kassia was proud. Proud of her youngest daughter for both realizing her limits and having enough sense to take a smart decision. But what did Kassia do? Yell at her for not having released her. She didn’t deserve that. No wonder Julia didn’t answer her calls. Then again, Julia was never one to like being yelled at for any reason to begin with, what with her sensitive hearing and her soft, kind, Pokemon-loving heart.

“I see...I had no idea…”

“And it’s not just Julia, either. Chanel’s death hit Amara really hard. Much harder than I ever could have anticipated. I knew she’d be hurt, but…” Kassia had to take some deep breaths before continuing. “She completely changed into someone I don’t recognize.”

She went on to explain that Amara had grown so sad, all she wanted to do was cry and sit in her room mourning Chanel. At first, Kassia had understood. She lost one of her dear friends in a terrible tragedy. Who wouldn’t be sad at that? But after a long time, Kassia got tired of her incessant sulking and tried to at least get her out of her room, asking her to help out with the Pokemon or do chores around the house. Give her something to do to at least take her mind off things. She knew it wouldn’t fix the problem, but she at least wanted Amara to try to make an attempt to get through life without Chanel. It didn’t work. It only made Amara grow resentful and defiant. She even suggested maybe they could visit a grief counselor, someone Amara could talk to who wasn’t her parents. She didn’t like that idea either. Soon after that, Amara started getting into fights at school, refusing to do her schoolwork, letting her grades drop, going out during the night--especially school nights--doing whatever stuff she shouldn’t be doing, and it all escalated to the abuse of her Pokemon landing her on the blacklist. Any attempts she and Truman made to discipline Amara fell on deaf ears.

The floodgates had burst open, and Kassia couldn’t keep it all in. As much as she wanted to keep Edelmira in the dark about Amara’s transgressions, once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. Everything just came spilling right out. Edelmira’s eyes shrunk the more she heard. How could Amara do all those things? Amara, the only girl she knew who even bothered to give Chanel the time of day, who went out of her way to help her and be friends with her, committing crimes? Abusing her own Pokemon? Defying court orders? Stealing a Pokemon from Professor Elm’s lab? Assaulting people? She didn’t try to let her mind picture something so awful, especially not to her beloved Totodile. The Amara she knew would never lay a hand on that Totodile, the one she and Chanel always loved so much.

“My goodness…”

“I’m sorry I lied to you just now,” Kassia whimpered, only now wiping some tears away. “I know you still have a lot to deal with, and I didn’t want to bother you with my baggage, but...I know I may have contributed to Amara’s personality change. No, I’m sure I did. I really did try to get her help and be there for her, long before she started acting out, but nothing I tried worked. I...I should have done more, or at least done something differently! Now she’s wanted by the police and on the run, and I drove her away!”

Once she finished, Kassia let herself cry into Edelmira’s arms. Now it was all out in the open. Edelmira didn’t say a word. She simply held the woman close and let her cry, while at the same time processing everything she told her about Amara. It still seemed so hard to believe. But this was not the time for questioning anything. Edelmira knew this for sure. She herself was still grieving over her daughter and son. Still, she wasn’t going to let Kassia suffer and bottle her feelings inside. Eventually, Kassia’s sobs died down, and her eyes and face were red and puffy, but she was calm.

“I’m sorry. I only came to see how you were doing, and here I am over-explaining things and venting to you about my problems…” Kassia wiped some more tears away.

“I don’t mind at all,” Edelmira reassured her, gently releasing her from her embrace. “I’m glad you told me. If you feel better talking it all out, I’ll listen,” She sat back down in her chair, taking care not to disturb Cyndaquil.

“I mean...I’m their mother!” Kassia exclaimed, facepalming. “All the things I did but shouldn’t have...and everything I could have done to help them and make things better...it all just frustrates me so much, I could just scream…” At this point, her voice was growing hoarse. “I tried so hard to understand them...and I still can’t even do that for them!”

Edelmira simply put one hand on Kassia’s free one, silently encouraging her to go on.

“I’m so ashamed...ashamed of myself and everything...I feel like I keep causing problems for myself and my kids, and...in a way, they’re right. I do throw tantrums when I don’t get my way, and I hate that about myself...I should have tried to help them in more appropriate ways…”

“You’ve been going through a tough time. You, Truman, and your kids.”

All she got in response to that was a sniff.

Even so, Edelmira smiled. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. Of all this, I mean. I never would have imagined you, Truman, and the girls were going through all of this. But...you can get through this. I know you can. If there’s anything I can do to help out, anything at all, I’m more than happy to listen or lend a hand, and don’t think you’re bothering me with your problems because I’m going through a lot myself.”

Kassia simply nodded, thankful that Edelmira was so considerate. She wondered if she even deserved someone as nice as her as a friend. “It’s just...I don’t know what to do anymore…” She murmured. “It seems like everything is falling apart all around me, and Amara’s out there somewhere, probably cold or starving or...something, and police all over Johto are trying to catch her...she needs someone to be there for her, and I feel so bad I can’t do...anything! I mean, I do want her to be held accountable for what she’s done. I really do, but…”

She let that sentence drift away, and after that, there was another bout of silence. Edelmira simply stared down at her coffee, unsure of what to say this time. Kassia held the cup to her mouth and took another sip. Cold liquid swished around in her mouth, and Kassia’s face scrunched into a grimace. Cold coffee was not her favorite type of coffee. It tasted like liquid dirt and didn’t give her any kind of energy boost.

Finally, Edelmira spoke again. “I’m sure you’ve done all you can. But...yes, it does suck when you try to do all you can and it still doesn’t feel like enough,” She told her, voice calm and collected. “Or that you’re even getting through to her. It can take a long time for someone to truly get past a loved one’s death. I’m still struggling with it myself. I know there isn’t much I can do to help in that department, as I had no idea Amara’s grieving was...at that level.”

“It’s alright. Just you being here is a big help.”

“But I do have one thing to say. Don’t give up on Amara. She has committed crimes, yes, and I do feel she needs to take responsibility for them. However, she’s still your daughter, and she may need someone to be there for her and support her through thick and thin. You, Julia, Truman, and whoever else are her only support system.”

Sunlight coming through the windows lit the room. Cyndaquil uncurled and stretched his body before letting out a yawn that sounded more like a squeal. Kassia looked down at her hands. Edelmira was right. No matter what, Amara was still her daughter. Oh, she was definitely going to make sure Amara took responsibility for all that she’s done, even if there wasn’t much she could do right now. No good mother would just let their children go around committing crimes. Still, Amara needed someone who would still be on her side and pick her up when she’s down. The same for Julia as well. Kassia wiped more tears away. This time, she wasn’t going to let her temper get the better of her.

Her cell phone rang to life right at that moment. “Cynda!” Cyndaquil jumped a little on the table when he heard the loud, screechy ringing sound.

“Oh! That must be Truman,” Kassia pulled her phone out of her purse...and the set of numbers on the screen wasn’t one she recognized. There was no name.

“Who could that be?” Edelmira asked, leaning in to get a better look. “Maybe someone letting you know they found Amara?”

“Only one way to find out,” As much as Kassia didn’t like answering the phone without knowing who was calling, she pressed the green button. “Hello?”

Edelmira pushed her coffee to the side.

“Yes, this is Kassia Parisa. Who is this? Yes. Yes,” Suddenly, she sprang out from her chair. “What?! You have her?!”

Cyndaquil fell on the chair, surprised by Kassia’s yelling.

“Hold on a second!” Kassia rummaged through her purse and pulled out a pen and paper. “What’s the address?” Immediately, she took the pen and scribbled something down so fast that Edelmira couldn’t keep up. “Alright. Got it. Thank you so much! I’ll get there as soon as I can!”

“What’s going on?”

Kassia threw her purse on her shoulder. “Amara’s been arrested!”

“Huh? What--?”

“Some police officers on Route 44 took her to their police station!” Kassia exclaimed, nearly out the door. “Thank you, Edelmira! I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I need to let my husband and Julia know about this!” Kassia sprinted out the door, slamming it behind her as she dashed to her car.

Amara was caught. Amara was safe. There was a chance this could all finally come to an end.

***

A/N: With that, the Goldenrod Radio Tower arc is over! Yeah, I made it only two chapters long, partly because I didn’t want it to drag on for too long, and partly because I wasn’t sure how I could really expand on it. Oh well. I’m glad it’s done and over with now. I can finally work on other chapters with ease! The next chapter will be a light-hearted filler one, so you guys can sit back and relax. Or will you?
 
Chapter 45: Three Trainers and a Spoiled Brat

Julia sat on the grass, her big sketchbook sitting in between her legs, as she finished adding the flames on a Ponyta drawing she was working on. The lead on her mechanical pencil shrunk as she added more details to the Ponyta’s mane. She wished she had some colored pencils with her so she could add some color to everything, but her parents advised against bringing them. She didn’t need colored pencils on a journey all over Johto, they told her. Plus, her money was to be spent on necessities, nothing more. Oh well. Julia shrugged and continued drawing, even as her PokeGear kept ringing.

Every half hour, her PokeGear would spring to life, making that lively ringing sound. Hearing it once was one thing, but hearing it over and over again was really starting to get aggravating. Julia held the PokeGear in her hand and scowled at it, recognizing the number. Her mother’s. She simply stuffed the ringing PokeGear in her bag and went back to drawing. She was in absolutely no mood to talk to her mother right now, and hadn’t wanted to do so since she gave Geraldine away. But the second she tried to draw the Ponyta’s eyes, the lead on her pencil suddenly snapped.

“Darn!” Julia groaned, holding the pencil close to get a better look. “It made me mess up its eyes!”

She was so focused on her drawing that she didn’t notice Caiseal approaching her from behind, accompanied by Saoirse and Ravenclaw. Noticing the sketchpad in her lap, he leaned closer to get a better look, and his eyes shrunk in awe.

“Wow. You seriously drew that?” He asked.

“Yeah I did,” Julia replied.

“Man, I didn’t know you could draw, much less that good,” Caiseal sat down next to her, with Ravenclaw settling on his left shoulder soon after. “I suck at it. I can only draw stupid stick figures.”

“Yeah, I like it,” Julia pressed the eraser end of her pencil and made some more lead pop out, immediately returning to drawing the Ponyta’s eyes. “I haven’t done it in a while, though.”

Now that Caiseal was sitting down, he managed to get a better look at her drawing. It was a lone Ponyta running through what appeared to be a grassy meadow. At first, he assumed it was Twilight, but upon further inspection, the Ponyta she drew didn’t have a prosthetic leg. Still, the drawing was almost complete, and he could tell the Ponyta in her drawing looked happy and excited, running through the meadow freely, its fiery mane and tail flowing in the wind.

“It’s not Twilight, in case you’re wondering. I’m not good at drawing prosthetic legs,” Julia explained, filling in the Ponyta’s eyes.

“That’s what I figured,” Caiseal said.

“Hey. Blackthorn City has a gym, right? Who was the gym leader again?”

“Clair. Clair van Drak,” He explained. “She uses dragon type Pokemon, but I know she often keeps a Gyarados on her team as well,” He had read about that in a book, though since it was so long ago, he wasn’t sure if she would still have a Gyarados on her team. But for all he knew, he might be wrong, so he shrugged and continued on. “Dragon types are weak against themselves, surprisingly. But ice types and fairy types are strong against them, too. If you ever plan on battling her, Tokiko might be the best Pokemon you can use.”

Julia kept working on her drawing as she conversed with her friend. “That’s what I thought, too. I’d use Saoirse as well, but she doesn’t know any fairy-type attacks, Ice Fang can only go so far, and she doesn’t really like battling,” She looked down at her pink friend, who simply laid down on the grass, soaking up the sun. “No offense, Saoirse.”

“Snubbull,” Saoirse replied, and Julia knew she was saying, “None taken.”

“Doesn’t Aqua know Play Rough?” Caiseal asked. “Maybe you can call your parents and have them send her over.”

It was then that he saw Julia’s expression darken a bit. Her hand stopped drawing, and she pressed her lips together tightly. Right then, her phone blared to life again. One ring. Two rings. After the third, Caiseal pointed to her backpack.

“Aren’t you gonna answer it?”

“Murkrow?”

“No,” was Julia’s swift, terse reply. “I know it’s Mom, and I don’t want to talk to her.”

Caiseal was about to ask why, but the Geraldine incident flashed through his mind. Particularly, the phone conversation Julia and her mother had back in Mahogany Town. He happened to hear everything, which wasn’t a surprise, since the two of them were yelling quite loudly. Was that why? Granted, he had to admit her mother’s concerns were valid, as Geraldine did almost destroy part of Mahogany Town, even if it was unintentional, and Julia could barely do a thing to stop her. But he knew Julia never did anything without good reason, so he knew he couldn’t just dismiss it as her being stubborn.

“Is this about Geraldine?” Caiseal finally asked.

Julia sighed before answering his question. “I get it. I know she was right about Geraldine being too much for me to handle. Her nearly destroying Mahogany Town and my being unable to stop her proved as such,” She began. He could tell from the way her voice was terse and somewhat snappy that she was trying to keep herself composed. “I should have listened to her. But...I didn’t want to give up on Geraldine.”

She went on to explain that after she gave Geraldine over to Lance, her mother called her the next morning and was livid to find that Julia didn’t release Geraldine outright. Even after Julia explained why, her mother was still angry and yelled at her the entire time. But what made Julia especially angry was that her mother was going against everything she had ever taught her. It was her mother who always taught her to treat Pokemon with respect and make efforts to understand them, especially if they’re troubled or have problems, and to never give up on them. But all throughout, she kept talking about Geraldine like she was some heartless, murderous monster, and acted like Julia finding an alternative to releasing her was tantamount to setting an entire neighborhood on fire.

“I’m sorry. I know this all sounds really petty, but...I just can’t let this slide!” Julia continued, her voice rising. “It’s so hypocritical of her to say that, and she has the nerve to claim I’m being a brat and having an attitude for calling her on it!” At this point, any attempts to hide her lingering anger failed. She slammed her fist on some grass, and she could feel her hand throb from the impact.

The notion that her mother just casually went against everything she ever taught Julia her entire life absolutely disgusted her.

“She probably didn’t mean it to come off that way, but...she was definitely implying it whether she knew it or not,” Julia fumed. All the anger that came bubbling right out rendered her unable to draw. For her, emotions had a way of consuming her so much that they made her unable to do anything except let them all out once the floodgates opened. “Like, for example...would you like it if I told you to release Stacey because there was a teeny tiny chance that she may or may not turn out to be vicious and chop your head off with her big pincers?”

All throughout, Caiseal listened in silence, which continued as he pondered Julia’s question. While it was true that Pinsir could definitely be dangerous, especially since they’re known to completely crush their prey with their big pincers, often outright tearing them in half in most cases. One definitely needed to be cautious on that front. However, for as long as he’s had her, Stacey had been nothing but a friendly, amiable, and laid-back Pokemon who never attacked anyone. She got along very well with Heracles, from what Caiseal had seen, and was always gentle with the smaller Pokemon, even letting them climb on her horns sometimes as long as they were careful not to cut themselves on her smaller horns.

“Of course I wouldn’t,” Caiseal finally found his answer. Actually, he knew his answer all along. “I mean, it’d be one thing if Stacey really was aggressive and violent, but she isn’t, and I love her. All my other Pokemon, too.”

“Murkrow!” Ravenclaw squawked in agreement.

“Snubbull,” Saoirse did the same, only her reply was more a relaxed huff.

“I mean, who am I to tell you which Pokemon you should and shouldn’t catch or try to control your life?” Julia continued.

Caiseal stretched his legs out. “I do agree with you,” He told her, at which time Julia’s PokeGear stopped ringing. “But I don’t think ignoring your mom all the time is the best way to go about it. For all we know, maybe she wants to apologize and is calling you so she can do so. I could be wrong, though. Better yet, you can tell her everything you told me, and let her know how her yelling at you about it made you feel,” He suggested.

“Believe me, I’d like to. But she’s really stubborn. More stubborn than a Golem sleeping in the middle of a road for a thousand years.”

The blonde boy couldn’t help but chuckle at the analogy. Plus, the image of a Golem sitting right in the middle of a busy road, blocking all traffic was rather funny to picture in his head.

“Alright then. I probably shouldn’t force you to do something you don’t want to,” Caiseal said. Although he did wish Julia would at least answer her calls--the incessant ringing was starting to make his own ears ring--he didn’t want to accidentally push her buttons or make her angry. He figured she’d call her mother when she felt she was ready. “Anyway...how’s--?”

“WHAT?!” Out of nowhere, a shrieking Perrine cut through the quiet atmosphere, making both Caiseal and Julia suck in sharp breaths. What was that all about? They both turned around to find Perrine sitting on the grass, with her PokeGear held up to her ear, blue eyes wide as saucers. But she looked oddly frantic, like she heard that someone had died. “Dad was held hostage in the radio tower and you’re only telling me this NOW?!”

Radio tower? Hostage? That didn’t sound good. Was her father alright? Julia and Caiseal stood up and ran over to their friend, wondering what was up. They could hear Perrine’s mother’s scratchy voice on the other line, as the PokeGear’s volume was surprisingly high, and it wasn’t on speaker mode.

“Sorry, Perrine. Your father didn’t want you to worry, so he told me not to inform you until everything was resolved. He didn’t want you to just drop everything and put your journey on hold just for him. Besides, there was the chance that you’d get hurt as well, and he didn’t want to put you in any danger,” She had explained.

“But Mom! Dad could have died!! I would have gladly hopped a plane to Goldenrod and made sure you guys were okay! You should have told me!!” Perrine shouted, her frantic voice rising, both sad and angry at the same time. “I’d never be able to forgive myself if...something happened to him…!” Julia could see her friend trying hard to blink back tears.

Julia reached a hand out. Even though she knew her father was alright--everything Perrine’s mother said implied that he was--she still couldn’t hold back the urge to put a reassuring hand on Perrine’s shoulder. But she stopped and pulled her hand back at the last second, hesitantly looking down at the grass. ‘Don’t try to reassure her,’ The voice in her head told her. ‘You’ll only end up making her angrier,’ Past experiences had told her that any attempt she tried to make at consoling or reassuring someone usually ended with someone yelling at her or telling her to go away, even when they knew she was only trying to help. Caiseal raised an eyebrow when he saw Julia pull her hand back.

“You’re right, Perrine. I should have. I was worried sick about him, too,” Her mother lamented softly. Perrine could tell she was remorseful from the way her voice trembled.

“Is he okay?”

“Yes, he is, dear. Don’t worry,” Her mother reassured, calm as can be.

Perrine exhaled a soft sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” A smile returned to her face. “I had no idea something like that actually happened.”

Much to her friends’ relief, their conversation turned pleasant right afterward. Caiseal and Julia simply stayed silent as Perrine finished talking to her mother. “I have to go now. We’re just out of Mahogany Town and we still have a long trek ahead of us. But I’ll let you know when we get to the next Pokemon Center. Tell Dad I said hi and that I’m glad he’s safe, okay?”

“You bet I will. Remember to eat healthy foods, do your laundry, and take care of yourself. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom! Bye!”

With that, Perrine stuffed her PokeGear back into her pocket. This time, Julia and Caiseal’s curiosity got the better of them. “What was that about? What happened at the radio tower?”

“Yeah. It sounded serious!” Caiseal exclaimed.

Perrine explained everything her mother told her. She expected them to be completely surprised, and they were, rightfully so. “Whoa! No foolin’?” Caiseal could hardly believe it. “Team Rocket actually tried to take over the whole tower, and they seriously killed people in the process?”

“Yeah they did.”

Julia looked down at her folded hands. “Those poor people…” She murmured sadly. Her heart ached for those who died in the attempted takeover. Nobody deserves to go out like that. Now she really hated Team Rocket. How could they do something so horrible to innocent people, and inflict terrible pain on their friends and families by extension? She definitely felt Perrine had every right to be shocked and angry. Her father had been held hostage, and was probably close to death had the police not managed to apprehend TR. But then she wondered...what would she herself have done if her family was in that kind of situation? Her mom, her dad, Amara, her relatives, all of the Pokemon friends she made…

“Did they arrest Team Rocket?” Caiseal asked.

“That’s what Mom said,” Perrine answered. “But apparently some of them escaped, like this one guy...Archer I think she said his name was. I hear Pokemon Hunter J had some involvement in it, too.”

Hunter J...they knew that name all too well. Julia could still see the Olivine City incident in her mind as clearly as it had happened yesterday. In some way, she could still feel the burn on her elbow from when J placed a lit cigarette on her skin. The awful, burning, searing pain that shot through her entire body...she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to forget that sensation for as long as she lived, much less the screaming she did when it happened. God, that noise she made...it even hurt her own ears. But she saw Perrine hold her head down, glassy eyes staring at her hands, just like Julia was doing now.

“Honestly, I’m just happy Dad’s okay,” It was easy for the kids to hear her voice tremble. “Things could have gone so much worse…”

She couldn’t resist this time. Julia wrapped her arms around Perrine and pulled her close, trapping her in a big, warm hug. Caiseal simply smiled and put a friendly hand on her shoulder. Their gestures were warmer than any thick winter coat her parents could ever buy for her. Tears trickled down Perrine’s cheeks and she smiled as she hug Julia back with one hand, placing her other hand on Caiseal’s.

“Thanks guys. You’re the best.”

“Don’t forget your Pokemon, too!” Julia pointed out, letting her go.

As of right now, all of the trainers’ Pokemon were out of their PokeBalls, playing, frolicking, relaxing, or doing whatever else. Mushi and Baloo were running around chasing each other, probably in a game of tag, and Mushi could barely keep up with the balloon Pokemon. Florian laid down in one part of the meadow, content and happy as sunlight warmed his green skin. Kitsune and Twilight were firing flames into the sky. Julia could tell Kitsune was teaching Twilight some new fire attacks. Fuwari was floating about in the sky, singing a little tune to herself, happy as can be. Chirin sat on the grass, having gathered a big pile of yellow autumn leaves, no other colors. Perrine smiled bigger. Her Pokemon were all her precious friends. Where would she be without them?

“So, how far is the next Pokemon Center from here?” Caiseal asked.

Perrine pulled a book out from her backpack. “I’ll check,” She flipped through the pages and found something right away. “Alright, there’s one a little further down the road. It’ll take us about...maybe an hour or so to get there from here on foot. But it’s only ten o’clock right now, so we don’t need to rush.”

“I agree,” Julia crossed her legs. “But we do want to get there before it gets dark. How about we leave at about noon? That’ll get us there at about one, and we can use that time to prepare.”

Caiseal stood up. “Good idea. Let’s go with that. Agreed?”

“Agreed!” Both girls cried out in unison.

After that, the kids dispersed and decided to have some fun before having lunch and moving on. Julia went back to her spot from before and returned to her drawing, figuring Perrine needed some time for herself in regards to that radio tower incident. Not only that, her cold from before was completely gone, and for the first time in a long while, she actually felt great. No more snot running down her nose, no stuffy noses, no being even more sensitive to everything around her than usual, no staying inside a tent for several days straight, no more headaches...it felt good to be back outside again. The cool autumn breeze soothed her as she finally finished the Ponyta’s eyes. The drawing was finished! Then she turned the page and immediately went to work on another one. Saoirse remained by her side and watched as she started on a new drawing.

It was at this time that Hikaru and Rino were skulking the outskirts of some nearby woods. With their ears up high and eyes wide open, they were on the hunt for some tasty berries. They could smell the cool, slightly dry scent of Oran berries, and since they were still a long way from the Pokemon Center, they figured they could gather some in case anyone got hurt. But where could they be? Hikaru kept her nose to the ground, following the scent, walking carefully with each, stealthy step. Eventually, she found herself looking up at a big tree, with blue dots all over it. Upon closer inspection, the blue dots were Oran berries.

“Riiiino!” Rino was bigger and taller than Hikaru, so he could see them more clearly.

“Pika pika!” Hikaru cheered, immediately running up the tree to get some. She found some right away, and whacked them with her tail, knocking them right off their branches. They rained down from the tree, and Rino was quick to catch them with his horn, taking care not to cut through them. When they fell down on his head, he manipulated his body so they could gather between his ears. They were big enough, and he could use them as a means to carry the Oran berries.

“Ni! Ni! Ni! Ni!” Rino was quick to move all around the tree, catching all he could carry. But more berries hit the ground, so he couldn’t quite get them all. Soon, Hikaru hopped down from the tree, a small bundle of berries cradled in her arms.

“Pika pikachu!” Hikaru chirruped happily, showing Rino her treasure trove. Rino’s collection obviously outnumbered hers, but that was alright. There was plenty to go around. They couldn’t wait to take them back and show everybody.

Suddenly, one of Hikaru’s ears perked up. “Pi?” She looked toward a set of bushes nearby. Rino did the same, wondering what was wrong.

“Nido?”

The leaves on the bushes were shaking and rustling. Immediately, Hikaru got down on all fours, standing in front of her Oran berry collection and adopting a defensive stance. Was there a wild Pokemon hiding behind those bushes? Rino held his horn out, ready to attack, just in case. One couldn’t afford to be too cautious when out in the wilderness. Anything could happen. The rustling got louder, and suddenly…

Something pink and brown popped right out. Before Hikaru could react, something wrapped around her, squeezing her tight.

“Piiiiiiiii!!”

Hikaru’s screech echoed all over the meadow. Julia, Perrine, and Caiseal all whipped their heads up, surprised by the sudden noise. What was that about? Julia was the first to hop straight to her feet, hearing the distress in her friend’s voice. “Hikaru!” She dropped her drawing materials and sprinted across the grass, worry suddenly sprouting in her heart faster than she could run. Something bad must have happened to Hikaru! Seeing her run like the wind, Perrine and Caiseal followed her. Baloo and Ravenclaw, also having heard the loud screech, gave chase.

It didn’t take long for them to find Hikaru. But they immediately stopped right in their tracks when they saw what...or who, Hikaru had encountered.

“Wowie! It’s a Pikachu! I found a Pikachu!!”

“Piiikaaaaa!” (“Let me go already!”)

Instead of a ferocious wild Pokemon or a potential Pokenapper, what they found was a young girl, hugging Hikaru so tight that the mouse Pokemon was struggling to break from her grasp. Rino could only stand and watch awkwardly, wondering where this kid came from. The girl in question looked to be about six or seven years old, with brown skin and long, black hair tied into poofy, spiky pigtails with red ribbons. She was wearing a short sleeved, dark pink shirt with a glittery flower on it, a big, poofy, pink skirt that looked more like a ballerina tutu, matching pink shoes that also had glittery flowers on them, and tall red socks. Hanging off her back was a bright purple backpack with a big, glittering butterfly on it. Julia and the others could only exchange confused glances. What in the world was going on? But more than that, where did this girl come from?

Of course, Hikaru was obviously in distress, using her small hands to try and pry herself out of the little girl’s tight grip. But the girl kept her arms wrapped around Hikaru, nuzzling her with her cheek. “You’re gonna be my bestest friend forever!” The girl rejoiced, continuing to almost choke Hikaru to death with her well-intentioned hug.

Julia knew she needed to take action, so she made the first move. “Ummm...excuse me!”

The girl turned in her direction. A shiver ran up her spine. ‘Oh Arceus! She’s looking right at me!’ She thought fearfully, but knew she had to get Hikaru out of her arms, so she pushed her lingering fear deep inside. “That’s actually my Pikachu you have there. Her name’s Hikaru,” She told her in the most polite, friendly voice she could muster. “May I have her back, please?”

Unfortunately for her, the girl stuck her lip out and held Hikaru tighter. “No! I found her so she’s mine!” She cried petulantly. “Finders keepers, losers weepers!”

“Pikachuuuu!” Hikaru protested, pushing her hands on the girl’s arms with all her strength. Again, she wasn’t budging.

Then Julia remembered. She had Hikaru’s PokeBall! She took it out, called Hikaru back, and the girl could only watch in shock as the Pikachu turned into red light and went into the PokeBall. “Sorry. She really is mine. This proves it,” Julia told her.

“Awwww! No fair!” The little girl whined, stamping her foot on the grass. Not wanting to be her next target, Rino scurried behind his trainer right away.

“What’s a little kid doing all the way out here anyway?” Perrine whispered to Caiseal.

“I have no idea. Maybe she’s lost?” Caiseal suggested.

“That seems likely,” Julia replied. “I wonder where she came from.”

“Let’s ask her,” Perrine added.

Julia’s eyebrows furrowed. “Would you mind doing it?” She asked Perrine. “I’m not good with kids who are younger than me.”

Caiseal raised his hand. “I’ll do the talking,” After that, he approached the young girl with a smile. “Hey there, miss. What’s your name?”

The little girl raised an eyebrow, sizing him up. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Caiseal, and those are my friends, Perrine and Julia,” He explained in a calm, welcoming voice. Julia and Perrine simply waved at her in silence. But Julia still hid behind Perrine, not wanting to be in the little girl’s sight.

Immediately, the little girl’s face brightened right up. “Oh! Are you guys Pokemon trainers?!”

“Yes we are.”

“Cool! I’m Abby Webster, and I’m six years old!” The little girl, Abby, finally introduced herself in a loud, squeaky voice that definitely matched her age. A hand flew to Julia’s right ear in an attempt to block it out. “I’m a Pokemon trainer, too!”

Again, the older kids looked at each other, completely perplexed. “I’ll be right back,” Caiseal told her before running to the group. Something had to be done about this little kid, and now was the time to have a discussion about it.

“She can’t be a Pokemon trainer,” Julia told them. “It’s illegal for someone under age ten to travel on their own. The only way anyone under ten can travel is if they’re supervised, by an adult or a trainer who’s older than them,” She explained further. She had read about this in a book, and knew every rule there was to being a proper trainer.

Perrine nodded in agreement. “That’s true. I think maybe she’s lost. Her parents are probably worried sick.”

“You might be right,” Caiseal said, crossing his arms. “I can’t think of any explanation as to how a kid her age got here of all places. Besides, the Pokemon Center’s about an hour’s walk away from here. Maybe we can take her there and see if they can find her parents.”

Julia raised both eyebrows. Why was he suggesting that? An hour’s walk was still far away, and the last thing she wanted was to be stuck with some kid she didn’t know, much less one who tried to claim Hikaru as her own. “Can’t we just call the police right here and have them come get her?” Julia asked, eyes wide with trepidation.

“Route 44 is a pretty big area,” Caiseal reminded her. “And we don’t know our exact location, so how will we be able to explain to the police where we are? I think the best thing to do is take her to the Pokemon Center we’re heading to and then call them from there, that way they can at least know where to look.”

Good points. Julia winced. She was going to be stuck with this little kid for possibly over a whole hour? Already, Julia could see nothing but misery and doom in her future, and the thought of spending any amount of time with this kid made her tense up and flap her hands up and down at her sides. Abby literally tried to claim Hikaru was hers solely because she found her wandering around! If that wasn’t a sign of potential bratty behavior, she wasn’t sure what was. But she had to admit, Caiseal made good points. As far as she knew, Route 44 was really big, and since the area they were in was a big meadow, there weren’t any landmarks they could use to explain specifically where they were, like a building, some large tree, or a funny-looking rock.

Conceding defeat, Julia let out a great big sigh. “Alright. We’d best take her there ourselves. I still don’t like this idea, though. Who knows what she might do?”

“If she does anything, I’ll handle it,” Caiseal reassured the girls.

Perrine raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you some kind of kid expert or something?” She asked with a touch of sarcasm. “Last I checked, you’re not a dad.”

“I do have a little sister,” Caiseal explained. “Sometimes I had to stop her from doing stupid things myself, so you guys can leave Abby to me.”

Julia’s head perked up. ‘Wow. I didn’t know Caiseal had a sister. Then again, I never did ask,’ She thought to herself, surprised by this new revelation. He said little sister, so he was an older sibling, in contrast to both girls. Perrine was an only child, and Julia was the youngest in her family. Plus, the more she thought about it, it did make sense that she wouldn’t know. Caiseal always had been touchy about the subject of his family.

“Hey!” Suddenly, Abby took the liberty of throwing herself into their group. “What’cha talkin’ about?” She asked, jumping up and down like a Spoink, completely oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself. It didn’t help that she practically pushed her way into the group, standing mere centimeters away from Julia. Way too close. Julia was quick to back away two steps to get a safe distance away from her.

“Okay, Abby,” Caiseal kneeled down to her level. “We’re on our way to a Pokemon Center, and it’s not quite safe for you to be out here all by yourself. Would you like to join us?”

Abby’s dark eyes sparkled with delight, and she jumped up and down once again. “Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go!”

Just like that, three trainers became four. Well, to be more specific, three trainers and a tagalong kid.

Unfortunately for them, Julia wound up being right about this girl. After only twenty minutes on the road, Abby started loudly complaining about anything she could think of, like walking for too long or the walk being boring. Julia kept her hands on her ears the entire time, but not even that could muffle the sound of her screechy whining. It was only a matter of time before something, anything, could go wrong. She could just feel it in her whole being. But more than that, she wished Abby would stop whining already and be quiet.

“This is sooooo booooooring!” Abby whined, sitting right down on the grass, refusing to move after twenty minutes. “I’m tired!”

“Sorry kid, but we have to keep going,” Caiseal told her matter-of-factly, seeing the growing distress on Julia’s face. “I’m sure you can keep walking for just a little longer, right?”

Abby didn’t budge. “No! I don’t wanna!”

Caiseal narrowed his eyes at her before kneeling to her level. “Alright then, I’ll make you a deal. We’ll walk for ten more minutes and then we can take a break. How’s that?” He suggested, keeping his voice calm and collected. Julia had to admit, Caiseal was good. Not just at being able to ignore Abby’s whining, but for keeping himself composed even as she refused to do what she was asked. How in the world did he have that kind of patience, and where did it come from? She wished she had his patience.

Too bad that didn’t work either. Little Abby stuck her tongue out at him, blowing a raspberry right in front of his face. Good thing he somehow saw that coming, and backed right off. “No! I wanna take a break now!” Abby screeched, bounding back to her feet and stamping her legs into the grass.

‘Oh great. Why am I not surprised?’ Julia thought bitterly, squeezing her hands tighter on her ears. This was the exact reason why she wanted to just call the police and have them pick Abby up there right away. At least by doing that, they’d take her to the station and it’d be their job to give her back to her parents, not her’s, Perrine’s, or Caiseal’s. By this point, Abby was making high pitched squealing noises, so high pitched that they made Julia’s ears explode on the inside. Julia found herself on her knees, curling into a fetal position, hands still clamped over her ears.

A white light shot out from one of her PokeBalls, materializing into Hikaru. “Pika?” Hikaru gently put her paw on her trainer’s arm, looking up at her with concern.

“Sorry...Hikaru. I can’t stand...kids crying…” Julia croaked. Abby’s screeching and whining stripped her of her voice, and she was barely able to speak. Hikaru had long ears, so she could hear every word just fine. A Pikachu’s hearing was better than a human’s.

“Jule?” It was Perrine’s turn to notice Julia’s distress, and she lowered herself to her level, also looking concerned. “You alright?”

On the other hand, Caiseal wasn’t having any of it. He simply crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the petulant girl. “If you’re gonna keep screaming like that, then we’re not gonna have a break at all, so we’ll just keep walking!” Caiseal bellowed, finally putting his foot down. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Perrine and Hikaru trying to console their friend. If this kid didn’t stop screaming, they weren’t going to get anywhere, and he could see Julia curling deeper and deeper into herself. Something had to be done.

“Your choice, Abby. We walk for ten minutes then have a break, or we keep walking with no breaks,” Caiseal’s voice rose and turned stone hard. “What’s it gonna be?”

Finally, Abby stopped. “Okaaaaaay…” She puffed her cheeks out and began stomping right past him. She paid no heed to the two older girls. But for Julia, that was perfectly fine. With Abby’s tantrum finally quelled--for now, at least--Julia stood back up and they went back to walking. Still, Julia didn’t remove her hands from her ears, even though Abby stopped screaming. This was only temporary, and she could tell Abby was only complying with intent to start back up later on. Who knows when she’d suddenly throw another tantrum? She wished she was an Abra, so she could teleport far, far away from this kid. Maybe teleport her to a police station and just leave her there.

It didn’t help that even during their ten minute walk afterward, Abby just kept on talking, talking, and talking about everything. That in itself wasn’t bad. Julia had often went on and on about things as well, especially her own interests. At least, to anyone who listened or wanted to know about them. If they didn’t, she’d stop and move on to something else. Easy as that. Abby, however, kept talking about anything she could think of, and her voice rose several octaves in doing so, making her louder than she was before. She wasn’t screaming like just now, but Abby was still loud enough that her talking hurt Julia’s ears again. She was practically yelling rather than just talking.

“Hey! What kinda Pokemon do you have? Can I see them?”

“How many badges do you got? Got all eight yet?”

“Are you super strong? Stronger than the champion?”

“I wanna see your Pokemon right now! I wanna see them!”

Julia grumbled under her breath, her hands barely doing much to protect her sensitive ears. ‘Seriously, kid! Do you have NO concept of an indoor voice?!’ She screamed in her head. Not even Caiseal gently telling her to use an indoor voice worked, as Abby just kept on talking really loud. She’d tell her herself, but it didn’t look like Abby was the kind of child who’d do as she was told. Not without a fight, that is. The last thing Julia needed was a big brouhaha and yet another tantrum, so she kept quiet. But dear Arceus, did she want to explode!

It was here that Perrine caught up to her, again, looking worried. “Seriously, are you okay?” Perrine asked. “Her yelling is hurting your ears that bad, huh?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe…” Julia hissed. “It feels like my eardrums are being stabbed over and over again with knives, spears, swords, or any sharp object that exists in this universe!”

“Chuuu…” Even Hikaru couldn’t help but agree, pulling one of her long ears down with one paw.

Perrine flashed a sympathetic smile in her direction. “We’ll get to that Pokemon Center soon. If Abby gives you or anyone else a hard time, don’t hesitate to let us know,” Perrine told her reassuringly. “You know we’re always here for you.”

Julia flashed a weak smile. “Thanks. I’m sorry about all this. I must be so petty and pathetic. I can’t even handle a little kid.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

The ten minute walk seemed to drag on forever. Eventually, they sat down in another clearing for a fifteen minute break this time. But even as she sat down and watched the tree branches swaying in the cold autumn winds, she could feel her stomach twist in a million different places. Not even having Hikaru around was enough to make this bad feeling go away. That feeling of constant dread, the fear that Abby was going to do something, like pull some stupid prank or throw yet another tantrum weighed heavy on her mind, constantly banging around in her brain like a Beedrill ramming against a glass window. She tried to remind herself that not all kids younger than seven were bratty, destructive, and constantly needing attention. But somehow, one way or another, she always seemed to wind up running into the bratty ones. Julia had to wonder if she was some kind of bratty child magnet or something.

Finally, she didn’t hear Abby’s voice anymore. Julia could finally focus on important matters without Abby’s squeaky voice taking up so much space in her brain. She pulled out some bowls and began pouring Pokemon food in them. But when she looked up after pouring food in a fourth bowl, she saw Abby standing right behind Hikaru, with her hand outstretched and ready to grab Hikaru’s tail. Wait...she was going to grab Hikaru’s tail?! Abby smiling as she put both hands on Hikaru’s tail pulled her back to reality. The bag of Pokemon food fell out of her hands as she bounded toward the girl, horrified at what would happen afterward.

“Don’t pull her tail--!!”

It was too late. Abby yanked Hikaru’s tail with both hands. Unsurprisingly, Hikaru let out a pained screech. Sparks came flying off of her body as soon as Julia pulled the girl off. “Chuuuuuu!!” Julia whirled around with Abby in her arms, avoiding the streaks of lightning striking the ground around them. How she managed to escape a Thunderbolt attack, Julia had no idea. But was Hikaru alright? Julia dropped Abby and ran over to the frazzled mouse. Hikaru’s back was arched upward, and her tail was standing straight up.

“Hikaru! Are you okay?” Julia questioned, her green eyes brimming with worry. It didn’t take long for Hikaru’s body to relax.

“Pika…” Hikaru sat down before taking her tail in her paws, massaging it.

“What happened?!” Both Caiseal and Perrine ran to the scene. On the other hand, Abby kept staring at them in wide-eyed confusion.

Julia wasted no time glaring at the tiny culprit in question. She pointed at the confused child and shouted, “Abby here pulled on Hikaru’s tail!” Then she turned her attention to speaking to Abby face-to-face. “You shouldn’t have done that! Pikachu don’t like it when people pull on their tails! That’s like pulling someone’s hair!”

Abby’s cheeks puffed out as she struggled to respond. It took a moment, but she spat out, “No I didn’t!”

“Don’t you dare lie! I saw you!” Julia barked. First Abby pulled on Hikaru’s tail and now she had the audacity to lie about it, and right to her face? Obviously, someone needed to discipline this kid. “How would you like it if I suddenly pulled your hair, huh?! You wouldn’t like that, now would you!”

“I-I-I-I was just playing! I just wanted to play with Pikachu!” Abby cried, balling her little hands into fists, like she was trying really hard to come up with something to say to them.

At this point, Julia had no sympathy for her. She pushed the child over to Hikaru, keeping her hands on Abby’s little shoulders, tight as vice grips. No way was she going to let her get away with almost hurting Hikaru really badly. Suddenly, memories of watching her mother scold Amara flashed through her mind, along with everything else that came with them. The intense, oppressive feeling in the air. The way her mother waved her finger around in exaggerated motions. Amara either looking away from her, giving her a dirty look, or arguing back at her. It took no time at all for Julia to find herself in her mother’s position.

“You apologize to Hikaru right now!”

“No! I don’t wanna!” Abby yelled back.

“You don’t have a choice! Now tell Hikaru you’re sorry!”

“I don’t gotta say sorry!”

“Uh, yeah you do! You pulled on her tail, and that’s bad!”

“No it isn’t!”

“Yes it is!”

All three trainers were surprised at how stubborn Abby was being. Caiseal and Perrine could only exchange confused glances. What was it going to take to get her to admit she did something wrong? Not only that, they could hear Julia’s voice shaking, and her face was scrunched up in rage. They couldn’t blame her. If someone tried to hurt their Pokemon and disrespect their boundaries, intentional or not, they’d be mad, too. Abby wasn’t making things easier by refusing to cooperate, shouting and stamping her feet. Not wanting to watch this go on, Perrine stepped up, walking over to Abby with an austere expression.

“Abby. You have to say you’re sorry,” Perrine ordered in a strict, no-nonsense manner, similar to how she saw her own father display when she herself was being scolded. “If you don’t, we won’t let you play with our other Pokemon,” She didn’t have time to think of better reasons to make Abby cooperate, and it pained her to even mention the notion of Abby playing with the other Pokemon. If Abby thought it was okay to pull on Hikaru’s tail, even though Pikachu absolutely hate having their tails pulled, who was to say she wouldn’t do something similar to the other Pokemon? But Abby did need to be punished, so Perrine couldn’t spare another minute on thinking too much.

Eventually, Abby crossed her arms and mumbled, “Sorry for pullin’ your tail. Stupid Pikachu.”

Julia shot another angry glare in her direction. That apology sounded so fake! The fact that she called Hikaru stupid only cemented how completely unrepentant Abby was about the whole thing. Plus, Abby simply crossed her arms and stomped away from them the second she apologized. She plopped down on another patch of grass just two feet away from them.

“Good job, Abby!” Perrine complimented.

Abby didn’t respond.

Julia took Hikaru into her arms, holding her close. “Sorry I didn’t stop her sooner, Hikaru. I bet it must have hurt.”

“Pikachu!” Hikaru agreed, still massaging her tail.

“Alright,” Caiseal began rummaging through his backpack. “Who’s hungry? I have some stuff we can eat.”

Said stuff mostly consisted of leftovers from earlier, and a few candy bars. They didn’t want to spend too much time cooking everything, what with having already done so earlier, and they needed to get to that Pokemon Center soon. The less time wasted, the better. Julia returned to pouring Pokemon food in the bowls she set out, and this time she filled them all up. She also had some food of her own, so she sat down next to her Pokemon and took a bite out of a peanut butter sandwich she had prepared earlier in the day. Only peanut butter. No jelly. Jelly tasted weird, it made her feel like she was eating little amoebas, and it was always so slimy and sticky.

“Here, Abby. You can eat this,” She heard Caiseal say about ten feet away from her.

“Ooooh! Candy!”

Julia kept focusing on eating her sandwich, but Abby’s voice cut through her ears again. Not only that, she didn’t hear Abby say thank you to Caiseal. As much as she wanted to point this out, she was sure if she did that, Abby would throw a tantrum. She didn’t want that to happen, so she just went back to eating her sandwich. As she ate the last of it, the melodious ringing of her PokeGear rang to life again. Julia simply glared at it, ignoring the ringing as she rummaged through her bag to eat something else. Last time she checked, she had a packet of fruit gummies she could eat. Was that still in there…?

Her fingers grabbed a pack of fruit gummies, but as she pulled them out, she looked up and saw Abby standing in front of her. The little girl had extended her arm out, holding a fully opened chocolate bar in front of Julia’s face. Julia backed up a little bit, feeling that Abby and the chocolate bar were a little too close. But she immediately turned rigid. What was Abby doing here, and why was she looking at her? Julia wanted to run like the wind. But she knew she couldn’t, and she was basically trapped.

“Umm...hi?”

“You want this?” Abby asked, her voice low and calm for once.

Julia looked down at the chocolate bar, then at Abby, then at the chocolate bar again. “Are you...giving this to me?”

Abby nodded vigorously, shaking her head up and down really fast. Julia’s mouth fell agape. Was she seeing things? Here was this little kid who nearly got herself hurt and hurt Hikaru and gave them grief about it, and now she was sharing her candy bar? Julia was sure her mind was playing tricks on her. One part of her wondered if this was some kind of trick. Maybe Abby was trying to trick her into thinking she was being given candy, but when she’d eat it, Abby would probably throw a tantrum and claim Julia stole it from her. It happened. She had seen it happen a lot to her favorite characters on various TV shows, only the bratty kids would get away with it and the one being tricked would always be unfairly blamed. She always hated that, and no way did she want to go through something as awful as that. On the other hand, another part of her suggested that maybe Abby did learn her lesson and this was her way of making amends. Children aren’t perfect little angels, but they’re not malicious little devils either, her conscious reasoned. Give Abby a chance. Maybe she wants to actually apologize.

She wanted to believe that part of her mind so badly. But she knew she couldn’t let her guard down. At the same time, she knew it’d be rude to reject her offer outright. With that in mind, Julia simply smiled and accepted the candy bar. “Thank you very much, Abby. This is very nice of you,” She snapped the candy bar into two, and she could feel some of the chocolate melting onto her fingers. “But I don’t want you to not have any for yourself, so here. You can have half back,” She handed the bigger half to Abby. “Caiseal gave it to you, so you should have some, too.”

Oddly enough, Abby didn’t say a word. The little girl took the big piece into her hand. Satisfied, Julia ate her whole piece, relishing in the chocolate melting inside her mouth. Maybe Abby wasn’t so bad after all.

Unfortunately, that thought lasted all but seconds before high pitched screaming assaulted her ears. They practically exploded, even as Julia’s hands swept in to cover them. But it wasn’t enough. The screaming cut through her ear drums like spears cutting through hide. When Julia opened her eyes, Abby was lying on the grass, screaming at the top of her lungs, flailing her little arms and legs up and down. Julia took three steps back, completely taken aback by the sudden change. Actually, she had expected this somewhat, but still flinched the second it started.

“What the--?!” Julia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Why was Abby throwing a tantrum? Just seconds ago, she gave Julia a piece of her candy bar. This didn’t make any sense at all!

“Hey! What’s going on?” Caiseal exclaimed as he and Perrine ran up to them. “What happened?”

“That big girl took my candy and ate all of it!!” Abby screeched, still kicking her legs and flailing her arms. “She’s a big fat meanie!!”

Blood rushed to her face, turning it red hot with anger. Julia clenched her teeth. So Abby DID intend to give Julia candy and pretended she stole it! She wished she had listened to the part of her brain that saw this coming.

“No I didn’t! I swear, I didn’t take it!! I never steal!” Julia pleaded, her voice almost bordering on hysterical. Her eyes blurred with incoming tears. Surely, they knew she would never steal candy from a little kid, right? They knew her better than that, and they knew her for much longer than this screaming kid did!

‘Don’t count on it, Julia,’ A voice in her head sneered. ‘They’re obviously gonna believe Abby’s story. People always believe little screaming kids. Stop deluding yourself into thinking they’d actually believe someone like you. It’s your own fault for being stupid and falling for her scheme. You really should know better by now,’ The voice was dripping with condescension and scorn, and it made Julia’s blood boil further. But what could she do against a screaming six-year-old girl? This was too much. Nothing made any sense anymore. She squeezed her eyes shut, in a futile attempt to block everything out. But nothing she did would ever push away how humiliated she felt in that moment.

Was this how it was going to be forever?

“Oldest trick in the book, kid.”

Julia’s eyes opened again. What? Perrine’s voice...She looked up, seeing Caiseal and Perrine standing over Abby, arms crossed and looking none to happy. Not only that, Abby had stopped screaming at this point. She sat up and looked at them, confused.

“We’re not falling for it, y’know,” Perrine chided. “I can see the chocolate all over your face.”

She was right. Abby did have a huge chocolate stain on the left corner of her mouth. Julia used what little energy she had left to get a look. The stain was much darker than Abby’s skin. Then she remembered: it was dark chocolate, not regular chocolate. She could see the color difference plain as day. If it were any lighter, she might not have been able to tell the difference. Even more than that...Caiseal and Perrine didn’t believe Abby’s story!

“You should be ashamed of yourself!” Caiseal wasted no time scolding Abby, showing no mercy. “Why would you do that to our friend?! Is this because she got mad at you for pulling Hikaru’s tail? You’ve got some nerve!”

Abby kept flailing her arms. “She’s mean, and it’s her fault for being stupid!”

Julia couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. How exactly was scolding someone for not respecting a Pokemon’s personal boundaries mean? One would think a six-year-old would know better than to just yank on a Pikachu’s tail, and not just to avoid getting electrocuted. Doing so was a violation of a Pokemon’s boundaries. Plus, she really wasn’t helping herself by trying to put the blame all on Julia.

“Uh, no. I don’t know what made you think doing that to her was okay, but it isn’t, and she’s not stupid,” Perrine scolded her in the same no-nonsense, authoritative voice Caiseal was using. “Do you have a phone number or something?” She was quick to pull her PokeGear out. “Because I wanna call your parents and have them take you home!”

In that instant, Abby started screaming again. “NO!! I don’t wanna go home!! It’s boring!!”

Finally, Julia had feeling in her legs again. Before she could even think, she found herself sprinting away from the scene. Away from everything. Away from Abby. Away from all the screaming, the noise, the brattiness. Everything was too much.

***

“That little brat!” She found a big tree nearby and hid behind it. She could still hear Abby’s screaming, but it was far enough that it didn’t hurt her ears anymore. Even so, her eardrums continued to throb. Too many thoughts swirled around in her mind, competing with one another. Where were Abby’s parents? Why haven’t they come for her right now? Why was Abby being so stubborn, and why did she pull that insipid prank on Julia like that? What in Arceus’s name made her think that was okay? All Julia did was try to discipline her for pulling Hikaru’s tail. That was what her mother did when Julia and Amara did bad things. What was so bad about that? “Ugh...this is so stupid…”

Julia wished this day would just be done and over with. Actually, it’d have been better if it had never happened at all. If they hadn’t found Abby, they’d have arrived at the next Pokemon Center long before now. No, if they had left her there, who knows what could have happened. A six-year-old girl couldn’t possibly survive in a place like this all on her own. That was impossible. It’d be cruel to just leave her out in the wilderness, she reminded herself. Still, did she really have to be so rude and bratty?

“Pika!” “Chokki!” “Espeon!” “Snubbull!”

Thankfully, more familiar, welcoming voices pulled her out of her mind. All of her Pokemon stood in front of her, all looking at her with worried expressions. Even Twilight, who was normally always moody and brooding, whose eyes were always gleaming with a desire to battle, looked concerned. Were they here to console her? Julia sniffed. Of course they were. Why would they follow her all this way if they weren’t? A smile finally spread across her face as she pulled Saoirse and Hikaru onto her lap.

“Hey guys. Sorry I ran off like that,” Julia told them. Twilight sat down, putting herself at her trainer’s level, since she sat on the grass. “I just...couldn’t stand it anymore. All her screaming and whining...and that stupid stunt she pulled on me…”

“Snubbull snubbull!” (“She shouldn’t have done that!”)

“Nido niiii?” (“Is there anything we can do to help?”)

Twilight let out a huff before neighing. “Neeeeeigh!” (“Can I roast that little brat?”)

Knowing what the fire horse was implying, Julia shouted, “Absolutely not!” She had to wonder why Twilight would even think that was a good solution. Or maybe she was just speaking in jest. Still, all of her Pokemon huddled around her protectively. Her entire being turned warm with gratitude. She held Hikaru and Saoirse in her arms, pulling them into a gentle hug. “Thanks guys. You’re all the best Pokemon a trainer could ever ask for.”

“Chokki!”

“Snub snubbull.”

“Julia!” It didn’t take long for Caiseal to catch up to her. Once he stopped to catch his breath, he knelt down next to her. “I’m so sorry about earlier. I should have seen this coming.”

Julia’s eyes widened. Caiseal was actually blaming himself for what Abby did? That wasn’t right at all. She waved her hand dismissively at him. “It’s okay! You shouldn’t blame yourself. Abby’s the one who did it, so she’s the one who should be sorry. Plus, I probably should have done something myself.”

“I know…” Caiseal looked down at his boots. As much as he appreciated her kindness, he still couldn’t help but feel bad about what happened. “But I do have some good news. The Pokemon Center’s nearby now, so we can probably get there before dark.”

“I wish we could get there now,” She wasn’t sure how much more she could put up with Abby. But knowing sitting here wasn’t going to get them anywhere, she decided to return to the group. Maybe once they got to the Pokemon Center, they could spend the night and then plan out what to do next.

Unfortunately, when they met back up with Perrine, both she and Abby were spitting mad. A book was on the ground, face down, with the edges of the cover bent and damaged. Several ripped pages were scattered across the grass, many of which had been shredded into little pieces. Julia picked the book up, holding it in her hands. Half of its pages were completely gone, making the book feel lighter in her hands than it should be. Perrine was absolutely the picture perfect image of anger, erupting like a volcano spewing lava all over the place. Julia facepalmed. What did Abby do this time?

“The heck?” Caiseal asked.

“You ripped up my Jammin’ Ninja book!!” Perrine was yelling so loud, her voice was already growing hoarse, and it didn’t sound as though her it belonged to her. “You completely destroyed it!! Didn’t anyone tell you not to mess with other people’s things?!”

Caiseal and Julia exchanged shocked expressions. Abby ripped up one of her precious Jammin’ Ninja books? Julia was glad she managed to bring her bag with her when she ran off. Still, Perrine absolutely loved those books. How could Abby do that?

Of course, Abby was completely unrepentant. She simply stuck her tongue out before yelling, “It’s your fault, you big fat meanie! You should have given it to me!”

Julia decided to just gather all the ripped pages and stash them into the book for safekeeping, even though it wouldn’t fix it. After that, Caiseal simply took Abby by the hand and the four of them continued to walk through Route 44. All three of the older kids were wishing that this Pokemon Center would just appear already. All throughout, Abby did herself no favors by continuing to stress them out and be a brat to them at every turn. Shouting all the time, calling everyone names, attempting to pull Lucretia’s tail this time (Julia managed to stop her from doing so, thank goodness), trying to rip the rest of Perrine’s poor book, spitting on Julia’s sneakers...at one point, she even flipped Perrine’s skirt, and right in front of Caiseal. “I just wanted to see her undies!” Abby whined. Nobody hesitated to call her out on what was basically sexual harassment, even if she was a child and didn’t know how bad flipping someone’s skirt was.

After what seemed like hours, they finally saw a building come into view. A large, white building with a red roof in the shape of a dome. “Finally!” Julia cheered. “We made it!”

They wasted no time checking in and renting some rooms. By this point, Abby was asleep, and Caiseal had carried her into what would be the girls’ room. “Oh thank goodness! She’s finally asleep!” Julia groaned, falling right onto a bed.

Perrine gently pulled Abby’s backpack off her back. “I kind of feel bad about doing this, but I’m gonna look and see if there’s anything that’ll tell us where she lives, or maybe her contact info,” Perrine said, unzipping the backpack and looking through it. All she found were lots of unused PokeBalls, Marnie dolls, hair accessories, bracelets, and a bag of fruit gummies. Caiseal leaned in to get a closer look. “Seriously? She actually thought she could go on a journey with all this junk?”

“Hey!” Julia suddenly exclaimed. “I see something!” She pulled out a small card, which was bent in half and full of creases from being stuck underneath all of those Marnie dolls.

Abby Webster
987-145-2335
If Found, Please Call This Number


“Ooh! This might be her phone number!” Julia cheered. Finally, they could actually tell someone that Abby was missing. Better yet, this might be her parents’ phone number. “I’ll call them right now!” In the blink of an eye, she pulled out her PokeGear, dialed the number, and waited as the phone rang. After a third time, someone answered.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice asked. It sounded young, but still distinctly an adult’s.

Normally, Julia absolutely hated talking to strangers on the phone. But at this point, she didn’t care. She just wanted someone, anyone, to get Abby out of their lives. “Umm...hi! Is this the Webster residence?”

“Yes. To whom am I speaking?”

“Ummm...do you have a daughter named Abby? Because...I think we found her.”

Just like that, the woman’s voice went from calm to almost bordering on screaming. “Oh my goodness! You found her?!” Julia pulled the phone away from her ear, the woman was so loud. But it was far nicer to listen to than Abby’s screaming. “Oh, thank Arceus! She ran away from home this morning, and we’ve been looking for her all over the place all day! She’s not hurt, is she?” Julia could hear the relief in her voice.

“Nope. She’s fine, and she’s sleeping right now.”

“Ohhhh! Thank you so much for finding her! Where are you right now?”

“We’re at a Pokemon Center on Route 44. I don’t know the exact address, though.”

“Don’t worry. I know which one you’re talking about. We live just three blocks from it,” Abby’s mother explained, more calmly this time. “We’ll meet you there right away! Thank you! Bye!”

Before Julia could say anything more, the call cut off. Still, she was happy to know that Abby was going to be out of their hair soon. She stashed the card back into Abby’s backpack, that way the latter wouldn’t try to claim Julia stole it. Suddenly, soon after that, Abby began to stir. Julia immediately hid behind Perrine, not wanting to be subject to her tricks yet again.

“Boooo!” As soon as she woke up, Abby started whining again. “I’m boooored!”

On the other hand, Caiseal smirked. “Hey Abby. I heard something fun’s happening in the Pokemon Center right now. Do you want to see it?”

Immediately, Abby’s brown eyes lit up. “Really?! Cool! What is it! I wanna see!”

“We’ll show you!”

The girls smirked this time. Oh yes. They knew what Caiseal was up to.

When they got to the lobby, they realized it was practically empty, save for a few people sitting on some of the sofas. Abby kept looking around for whatever it was that Caiseal was talking about, but didn’t see anything. Then, two adults ran through the door, a man and a woman, both wearing glasses and looking quite well dressed, like they were going to church later today. But nothing could mistake the relieved look in their eyes when they saw Abby.

“Abby!” The woman ran over to her daughter and hoisted her in her arms. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe! We’ve been so worried about you!” Abby’s mother was absolutely beaming with joy. Julia could see tears trickling down her face. The taller man--Julia could tell he was Abby’s father--wrapped his arms around both wife and daughter.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Abby’s father crooned. He then took notice of the kids and bent over in a bow. “Are you the kids who found her? I’m her dad, Boris. Thank you so, so, so much for finding her and keeping her safe.”

Perrine waved her hands dismissively. “Oh no. It’s nothing, really--”

“Oww!” Suddenly, Abby’s mother let out a yelp, and Abby herself wriggled out of her arms.

Boris was quick to run over to her. “What happened?”

“Abby just bit me!” The woman put her arm out, showing him the fresh bite marks.

Everyone’s hands flew to their mouths. Abby bit her own mother? Her mother, who was probably sick with worry and had been looking for her all day? She reunites with her daughter, and this is how Abby reacts? Any relief the parents had vanished, and Boris took the girl by her hand. “Abby! What have we told you about biting people? You shouldn’t have done that!”

“I don’t wanna go home!!” Abby screeched, stamping her feet. “You’re evil!! I hate you!!”

Once again, Julia’s palm met her face. Seriously? Abby’s parents had been worried sick about her. One would think a child would be happy with seeing her parents again. But not only did she bite her mother, but actually called them evil and said she hated them? This was just too much.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” Perrine asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Abby’s mother replied.

“I’ll take Abby with me, Amanda,” Boris told her before locking his gaze on his still screaming daughter. “As for you...you are coming home right now, missy, and we are going to have a long talk about your little stunt!” He didn’t relent, even as Abby kept writhing and screaming and struggling to break out of his grip. Amanda exhaled a big sigh as she watched her husband take Abby outside. She turned to the kids and flashed a weak smile at them. Julia could see from the way she almost hunched over that she looked exhausted. Probably from spending so much time searching for Abby.

“I’m sorry about that. I’d like to thank you again for finding Abby for us,” Amanda told them, her small voice trembling a bit. “She snuck out of the house this morning even though we grounded her, and we’ve been searching all over for her. We couldn’t find her anywhere.”

“I can imagine,” Caiseal said. “Well, I’m just glad that card was in her backpack, with your phone number and everything.”

“Wait,” Julia suddenly interrupted them. “You said she was grounded. What for?”

Another sigh from Amanda, only a tired sigh. “Abby’s had some behavioral problems we’ve been trying to rectify...to no avail, admittedly. She hit one of her classmates in school, and last week she found a wallet full of money on the road and didn’t tell us about it. The next day, one of her teachers called us and said she gave a hundred dollars to all of her friends,” She explained. “The wallet had $500 total, and the teacher took it and the money from her as soon as she saw what she was doing. We were called into the school...but before we got there, Abby had kicked the teacher so hard she fell on a stapler and cut her leg.”

Nothing could prevent the ungraceful dropping of all the kids’ jaws when they heard what happened. They saw that Abby was very poorly behaved, and experienced a lot of her childish machinations first-hand, but to actually steal someone’s wallet, give money that wasn’t hers to her friends, and then kick a teacher when punished for it? If that wasn’t bad behavior, they weren’t sure what it was. Suddenly, Julia couldn’t keep it all in anymore.

“Oh, you should have seen all the things she did to us when we were trying to bring her here!” Julia shouted.

“Jule, I don’t think--” Perrine tried to stop her, but there was no stopping Julia now. She was dying to get it all out of her system.

Without any hesitation at all, Julia told Amanda about all the things Abby did to them from when they first found her. As Amanda listened, her eyes kept widening in shock the more she heard. When Julia finished, remorse overcame Amanda and she bowed before them, just like her husband did. “Oh, goodness! I honestly had no idea!” She seemed especially shocked when Julia told them about Abby destroying Perrine’s book out of spite. “I’m truly sorry for all the things she did to you. Trust me, after all that’s happened, Boris and I will make sure she’s properly punished.”

“You better!!” Julia yelled.

“Hey. Enough,” Caiseal put a gentle but firm hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know you’re mad, but I think Mrs. Webster gets it. She feels bad enough about Abby as it is. We don’t need to make her feel worse,” Caiseal advised.

He did have a point. Julia didn’t bring up the issue any further. She was just glad Abby was finally going to be gone forever.

After again thanking them profusely for keeping Abby safe, Amanda left the Pokemon Center. She offered to give Perrine money to replace her new book, but Perrine rejected the offer, saying she had plenty of it, so there was no need. With that, the Websters left, reunited and happy to be back together. But Julia hoped that Abby would be severely punished for all that she did to them. When dinner time came around, they decided to eat in the dining area, since there wasn’t many people in the PMC right then.

“Thank Arceus she’s gone!” Julia groaned, ready to chow down on some steamed broccoli she ordered. “That, my friends, is the reason I don’t want and will never want kids! Ever! Nor do I want to be a teacher!”

“Yeah. Well, she’s gone now, so we finally have peace again,” Perrine agreed before taking a bite out of some Salisbury steak.

“Alright, so let’s plan our next move,” Caiseal began after he finished chewing some salad. “It’s dark out now, so we’d best spend the night here. What do you guys say about leaving at about ten first thing tomorrow morning?”

Both girls nodded in unison. “I’m down with that,” Perrine affirmed.

“Me too. We’re close to Blackthorn City, so--”

Before Julia could finish, her PokeGear rang again. Any happiness she tried to get back was pushed to the side. She yanked it out of her bag and saw who was calling. It was her mother. Again. “Ugh! Fine, fine!” She growled. “I’ll answer it this time!” She pressed a button and held the phone to her ear. “He--”

“Julia!! About time you answered!!” No surprise, Julia’s mother bellowed into the phone, her voice a fearsome combination of both angry and worried. Once again, Julia held the phone away from her ear. “I’ve been trying to call you all day! We need to talk right now!”

She knew where this was going. Why couldn’t she just let it go? “Mom, I already told you I’m sticking with my decision to put Geraldine in a--”

“No! Just listen! It’s Amara! She’s been arrested! The police finally got her!”


***

A/N: Alrighty! I’m back in the groove of things! Hey, Babysitters Club fans! Remember Karen Brewer? That annoying, self-absorbed, obnoxious little brat who always did bad things but never got punished, disciplined, or called out on it, and who always got her way even when she shouldn’t have? Well, Abby is basically her, except she actually DOES get punished! I always hate it when creators of media have bratty kids get away with their antics, ESPECIALLY when the victims of said antics always wind up taking the blame (I’m looking at you, Petite Princess Yucie episode 15! AND Sailor Moon S episode with the English title “Art Appreciation!”)! So consider this my jab at said tropes. Anyway, the next chapter will be an Amara one again, and the one after that...they finally go to the Ice Path and find out about Caiseal’s past! Look forward to it!
 
Wait theres a trope about annoying characters in cartoons not getting punished for being annoying? The more you learn. Sooooo if Amara is the rival character and just got caught by the police does that mean there's no final rival battle? Also I like how the rival and protagonist are siblings. It gives a bit of extra reason for them to know each other. An autistic Pokemon trainer? I think that alone sounds pretty neat but when the person writing knows what they're talking about makes it better. I can easily relate to the loundess issue Julia has. Heck one day in 4th block I was hiding under my jacket because of how loud everyone was talking. It took the Pokemon theme song from Indigo league to get me to stop hiding under my jacket.
 
Well, I wouldn't say it's a trope, per say, but it has happened. A LOT. One big example is the Baby Sitters Club books which star Karen Brewer, one of the absolute most hated characters in said series for that very reason...and yet the authors of all the books made her the main character, shill her to high heaven, and never punish her for bad things she does even when she should.

Sooooo if Amara is the rival character and just got caught by the police does that mean there's no final rival battle?

You'll see.
 
Wait why would anyone making a book make the super annoying character the main character? And without any reprecussions to said character for being annoying.
 
From what I heard, the authoress wanted to make a bright, imaginative kid, but couldn't convey that in her writing very well, so the character in question wound up being super obnoxious and annoying.
 
Then why even write at all? If you dont know how to write in a way then you should either A do your research so as to be able to better understand how to write something like that or B not write at all.
 
Just like you I had the idea that the protagonist and rival would be siblings. Two brothers specifically. Even if they have different last names because of their parents. And the protagonist having a habit of dressing like Ash Ketchum. Not sure if Im allowed to put that link there or not.

moderator edit: removed a link to another story
 
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Hello! Just a quick reminder to be civil. Around here, we never want to encourage people to stop writing. It's a fun hobby for everyone, regardless of how they choose to approach it or what subject matter they write about! We all learn at our own pace.

Also, please don't advertise your story in other people's threads. There are other places to do so, such as your forum signature.
 
K. Like I said I really didnt know if it was Ok to put that link there. Thanks for telling me. I think it's obvious that Im still getting used to this place. At least the moderators are better then the miiverse admins. That's already a sign that this place is better.
 
Chapter 46: Amara’s Not-So-Great Escape

Today was not going well. At all.

Amara barely slept through the night. She was just too restless to do so. By morning, there were ugly bags under her eyes, and if she saw them, she would have been aghast at how they made her look. She couldn’t believe this. She just couldn’t believe what happened. After so many months journeying through Johto and escaping the police, now here she was, stuck in an interrogation room in a police station. Not only that, the officers who brought her here had taken her PokeBalls away. As much as she wanted to get away, now she had no way of doing so. Here she was, stuck in a small room with only chairs, a table, and a big purple blanket that one of the officers wrapped around her, probably out of some lame attempt at kindness. At this point, Amara was mad. Mad from lack of sleep. Mad from getting caught. But worst of all, mad at the possibility that she was going to be sent back to New Bark Town and having to be held responsible for all that had happened.

Just when she was so close to getting her last badge!

“Uuuuugh!!” Amara slammed a fist onto the table, making the legs clatter against the steel floor. It made a big rattling sound that would surprise anyone. But Amara had heard this noise multiple times in her life, so she had long gotten used to it by now. “This is bullcraaaaaap!!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, her screams bouncing off the steel walls. It felt good to let it all out. But there was much more anger waiting to burst out from her body, and Amara wasn’t sure how much more of it she could keep in. Where exactly was all of this anger coming from? She couldn’t help but wonder.

Of course, that thought only lasted for a few seconds. The doorknob clicked, and the two police officers from last night entered the room. Amara scowled at them as they sat down across from her. The blonde officer had the same cell phone in his hand from last night, and the dark haired officer stared straight into Amara. She just met them, and already she hated them with every fiber of her being. How dare they drag her into this prison!

“Good morning, Amara,” The dark haired officer greeted her with a smile. “I’m Officer Roger Lopez, and blondie here is Officer Maurice Cole,” The policemen introduced themselves.

Of course, their friendly introductions did nothing to appease Amara’s anger. “Screw you!” She hissed. To think they had the nerve to just introduce themselves to her like this was some friendly conversation. Like she was stupid enough to fall for that.

The blonde haired officer, Maurice, looked through his phone again. “For a runaway, you have quite a few felonies under your belt,” Maurice told her. “Theft, assault, Pokemon abuse, using Pokemon to attack innocents, evading arrest, failing to comply with court mandated therapy and rehab, violating the terms of your blacklist sentence…” He put his phone down and looked straight at Amara. “I don’t know how you’ve gotten away with all this until now, but you’re in a pretty big heap of trouble.”

Amara glared at him even harder. He looked so smug when he read all of her crimes from whatever it was on his phone. What right did he have to look so high and mighty just because he was with the law? If she wasn’t so tired right now, she’d have ripped his face off if she wanted to.

“Would you mind telling us how this all happened?” Roger asked.

“I don’t need to tell you idiots anything!” Amara spat, her blue eyes red with rage, and not just from sleep deprivation.

Roger sighed. “Well, it doesn’t really matter much. We already called your parents, and they’re on their way to pick you up right now,” He explained cooly, keeping his gaze on Amara, locking her in place. “So they can tell us themselves.”

Her parents? Granted, Amara knew they would call them. It was pretty much standard procedure for if lost kids were found. Not only that, they had ways of finding them even if she didn’t tell them their phone numbers. Police always had ways of finding what they wanted. That was their job. But they were already on their way? Right now? Any attempts she made to keep herself in check were futile now. She stood up from the table, eyes blazing, and screamed, “I am NOT going back home and that’s final!!” She slammed her hands on the table as she flew to her feet, enraged. It didn’t do much to ameliorate her anger, but boy, did it feel good. “You can’t make me go back there! I’d rather jump off a cliff right now than have them anywhere near me!!”

Maurice glanced at his phone before turning back to Amara, folding his hands. “Sorry, but that’s out of our hands. You’re technically under Violet City’s jurisdiction, so even if we wanted to keep you here, we’re not allowed to,” He explained, frowning. Amara knew that look all too well. It was that I’m-an-adult-so-you-have-no-say-in-anything look she hated so much. “So you’re going back home whether you like it or not. Either we send you home ourselves, or your parents pick you up. Since we heard your mother’s on her way, the latter’s pretty much set.”

To think Amara thought being grounded and having her Ipod and phone taken away was the worst thing ever. At this point, she wished she could smack those smug officers so hard in their mouths they’d lose several teeth. But she knew doing that would only make things worse for herself. Yeah, things had already gotten worse, so how much worse could things get? With a defeated sigh, her shoulders sank, and she scuffed her shoe on the floor.

She barely noticed Roger looking at her. “While we’re here, is there anything you’d like to discuss with us?” Roger asked, pulling out a small notepad and a pen. “You can talk to us about anything. We’ll listen.”

She shot another angry glare in their direction. “You seriously think I’d want to talk to you morons? Are you kidding me?! I’m not a little kid, y’know, and this isn’t therapy!”

She found herself flashing back to that little room she was forced to visit whenever her mother took her to that therapist’s office. She hated being there, being stuck in that stupid room, with that stupid woman asking her stupid questions about stuff Amara really didn’t want to talk about. She especially hated all those watercolor paintings of Pokemon that hung on the walls, looking so happy and jovial, frolicking in meadows and forests. She was sure those pictures were mocking her, telling her she had no right to be happy like they were. Goosebumps lined her arms, and she had been wearing sleeves. Then again, it was autumn, so of course it would be cold.

Wait...cold? A shiver ran down her spine. It felt like ice ran through her. What was that? She looked up at the police officers, both of whom were shivering, wrapping their arms around themselves. She raised an eyebrow in their direction. Were they feeling it, too?

“Uhh...is it just me, or did it just get colder in here all of a sudden?” Maurice asked, rubbing himself down with his arms. “I’m freezing! Is autumn supposed to be this cold?”

“No, not really!” Roger exclaimed. He had it the worst. His sleeves were short, and Amara could see that he had more goosebumps lining his arms than she did. “It feels like it’s ten degrees in here!”

Nobody was prepared for what would happen next. Suddenly, the two officers’ eyes began glowing in eerie red lights. Not only that, they kept moaning and groaning, unable to speak, unable to move. Amara shot up from her chair, heart thundering in her chest. What was happening to them? Was she next? She didn’t have any of her Pokemon with her, so she had no way to defend herself. She didn’t want to die here. Not when she was so close to fulfilling her dream! Then, their eyes stopped glowing, and they fell to the floor, unconscious. Amara looked over the table. Maurice started snoring, and she could see both of their chests rise and fall.

Relief settled into her being. Good, they weren’t dead. Still, this made no sense. “What in the world just happened? Am I dreaming?” She knew she wasn’t dreaming, but couldn’t help but ask. Of course, since the policemen were sleeping, they obviously couldn’t answer.

Then she turned around, and saw red eyes and sharp teeth looking right at her.

“Gengaaahhh!”

Amara found her voice again, only it came out as a high pitched scream. “Yeeek!” She stumbled two steps back, finding herself backing into the steel table. “Ow!” The edge of said table pushed on her back, sending a jolt of pain through her.

“Crap! Freaking Gengar!” Amara shouted, using one of her hands to massage the part of her back that throbbed in pain. It did nothing to alleviate the pain, nor slow down her still thundering heart. “Give me a freaking heart attack, why don’t you?!”

Gengar could only laugh. Once Amara calmed down, she got a better look now that she wasn’t two centimeters away from his face. Gengar’s head poked out from the wall. A steel wall with no windows, yet Gengar was somehow able to put his head in there.

“Wait...how are you…?” Amara asked, her voice shaking.

Gengar smirked before pulling his hand out and taking Amara’s arm. Suddenly, Amara found herself being pulled through the wall. Through the wall, not even hitting her face on said wall. Amara screeched once again when she saw that her body was no longer visible to her eyes. She was completely see-through! Then, before she could take more time to process this information, she found herself outside the police station and floating in the air with Gengar by her side. Was Gengar using his powers on her or something? That had to be the most plausible explanation. There was no way she was somehow flying in the air on her own, and he was responsible for making her see-through.

“Yeeeek! Put me down put me down put me down and make me back to normaaaaaal!!” Amara squealed like a little kid, writhing and pleading like her life was on the line. Being off her feet made her feel as though she was going to fall and get killed any second. Then, her feet touched the ground. Peeling her eyes open, she got a good look at herself. Her hands had appeared again! Amara looked all around herself. Her legs, body, clothes, and everything else was back to normal.

“Gengaaah!” Gengar waved his arms up and down at her before giggling to himself, putting his hands on his hips--assuming he had any--looking very proud.

Everything came into her brain all at once. Trees. Grass. A dirt road. No longer was she in that interrogation room. Wait a minute...that meant she wasn’t in the police station anymore, and if she wasn’t there...that meant she had escaped. As happy as she was about finally being out of that room, a whole new set of problems popped up in her head.

“You idiot!!” And she had Gengar to blame for that. “Do you have any idea what you just did?!” Amara shouted. “If people find out I basically escaped from a police station, that’ll make them want to arrest me even more, and I’ll be in way more trouble than I already am!! They’re gonna think I did it on purpose, and I’ll probably be in jail forever!!”

“Gengah gengah gengah!” Gengar argued back. It was then that she noticed the bag in his other hand. It was her bag! Amara grabbed it and opened it right up. All of her PokeBalls were still inside, including Gengar’s. Her badges were still in there as well.

Then she remembered. Gengar had disappeared when she got arrested. Did he maybe plot to break her out of there all night, and waited for the chance to do so? The policemen falling asleep flashed through her mind. Gengar must have used Hypnosis on them, and possibly whoever else was in there, that way nobody would notice her getting out. He probably took the badges and PokeBalls from whoever was holding onto them as well. Amara held the bag to her chest, squeezing it tight.

“Did you really...do all of that for me?” Amara asked, her voice trembling. “I’ve been nothing but cruel to you...I’ve done nothing to deserve this!” She couldn’t understand. Gengar had every reason to just leave her and go about his merry way. She even gave him the chance to leave. Why didn’t he take it? He went out of his way to get her out of there, even though he wouldn’t gain anything from it. Then again, what point was there in getting an answer? Even if Gengar did tell her, she wouldn’t understand a word he said. Julia was the one who was good at that, even though Amara couldn’t fathom it for the life of her.

Instead of answering, Gengar simply pointed to Amara with one finger, and then to himself. Then he pointed to the badges inside the bag. Amara smiled. Now she knew what he was saying. Her dream was his dream, no matter what.

“Gengah gengah,” He gestured toward the road.

“You’re right,” Amara agreed. “We’d best get moving, or they’ll notice we’re gone.”

With that, Amara ran as far as she could from the station with Gengar by her side. She knew this was only going to put her in more trouble. Evading arrest was one thing, but breaking out of a police station was likely to have even more repercussions than everything else she had done so far. But she was out. She could still fulfill her dream. Her and Chanel’s dream. Any anger she had toward Gengar vanished now that he had provided her this chance to do what she’s always wanted.

Besides, journeying through Johto did have its perks, and it was better than putting up with her parents and sister.

***

“What?” All words escaped Julia in that moment. Her mind kept replaying her mother’s announcement. Amara was arrested? Amara? Arrested? After all this time, she had finally been caught? Nothing had prepared her for this. Nothing at all. Caiseal and Perrine could see the pale, shocked look on her face and knew that whatever her mother told her must have been serious. “For real?”

“Yes. I got a call from a police station just near the Ice Path,” Her mother explained further. “From what they’ve told me, she’s safe and sound, though she refuses to cooperate. I’m on my way there now, but I’m stuck in traffic at the moment. Of course there just had to be an accident on this road!” Her mother grumbled, her voice rising upon mentioning the reason for said traffic jam. Julia shuddered. Her mother always grumbled whenever she was either stuck in traffic or having to deal with a really bad driver. She had even seen her curse out some particularly bad drivers, namely for pulling out in front of her or going really slow.

“I...I had...no idea…” She didn’t know what to say except for that. What was there to say? More than that, she didn’t know how to feel about this. Happy? Sad? Angry? On one hand, her sister could finally be held responsible for her crimes and face the consequences. When she left on her journey, Julia would have leaped for joy at Amara having been arrested. On the other hand, Amara leaving was the very reason Julia left on her journey in the first place. She wanted to be the one to put her in her place and bring her back home, or to the nearest jail, kicking and screaming. On yet another hand, the idea of Amara going to jail...Amara dressed in an orange jumpsuit, her wrists bound by handcuffs, surrounded by strangers who were possibly mean and dangerous, spending her days in misery...that wasn’t the kind of life Amara wanted to live, and Julia didn’t want her to live that kind of life either.

“Can I ask where you are right now?”

“I...I’m in a Pokemon Center on Route 44.”

“Oh! So you’re actually close, then!” Kassia exclaimed. “Maybe you and your friends can go down and check on her, since you’re closer to it than I am. If she’s still there, stay and wait until I get there.”

Julia nodded dully. “Sure. I...I have to go. I’ll--”

Kassia cut her off. “Wait, Julia. Please. Just wait a moment,” Her voice softened significantly, turning into a low, wistful lull. “Can I just...talk to you? I know you don’t want to talk to me after what happened, and...I understand why you’ve been ignoring my calls. I just...wanted to say I’m sorry.”

What? Julia held her PokeGear closer to her ear. This was rare. Her mother rarely apologized for anything, even when she did something she shouldn’t have.

Her mother sighed. “I...I should never have screamed at you the way I did...in regards to how you handled...Geraldine.”

Geraldine? Julia’s mouth fell agape. Her mother actually referred to Geraldine by name! She didn’t refer to her as Gyarados or an it! That spoke volumes about how much she actually meant it.

“Granted, I don’t think you should have caught her in the first place, as you’re still too inexperienced to handle a Gyarados. But...in regards to how you addressed her problems...I’m actually very proud of you. I should have been proud of you from the start.”

At this point, Julia didn’t say a word. She just fell silent and let her mother talk. Caiseal and Perrine just awkwardly ate more of their dinner, figuring it’d be better to eat it now than let it get cold. Hikaru just kept staring up at Julia, her large eyes gleaming with curiosity, wondering what the conversation was about. It didn’t take long for Julia to follow her friends’ lead and began eating, that way she could think while listening to her mother on the phone. It would pass the time and give her body something to do.

“I’ve been so caught up with work and trying to find Amara and everything else...I wound up getting frustrated and took it all out on you,” Her mother confessed. “You didn’t deserve that. I also thought about what you said. That all Pokemon are important and that we need to understand them. You’re right. I’ve taught you that, and my parents taught me to respect Pokemon.”

It didn’t take long for Julia to get her voice back. “Look, Mom. I get where you’re coming from. I did do something stupid and wound up paying the price for it. I get that. I have no problem with being held responsible for my actions. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and yelled at you on the phone when I first caught her," Guilt mounted within her. The memory of slamming the phone on her mother was vivid in her mind. She hated that she resorted to treating her mother that way, especially when all she was trying to do was encourage Julia to make the right decision and be responsible. The guilt hurt, like knives were going through her heart. Her mother didn't deserve to be yelled at. She didn't need any more of that.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to stand for not telling her mother how she truly felt. "But what makes me mad is that you told me that Pokemon deserve love and respect no matter what. All Pokemon are important, but you went against all that and told me to just get rid of her like she was a piece of garbage who didn’t deserve help!”

There. She said it. She finally called her mother out on her hypocrisy. Julia was sure her mother would say she was being a brat or having an attitude for not listening to her, when all Julia was trying to do was put her foot down and tell her how she felt. That was how stubborn she could be. For all she knew, she might start yelling at her again like before, and that was the last thing she wanted. Oddly enough, the phone was silent, save for a sniff on her mother’s end.

“I didn’t want to give up on her,” Julia continued on. “I’ve seen what Team Rocket did to her. I watched her wake up from terrible nightmares. When she hurts, I hurt. I’ve already accepted that I can’t help her by myself, so I handed her to that facility in Blackthorn. Like I told you before, releasing her wasn’t going to make her problems go away.”

Her mother’s breath hitched for just a moment. “...I didn’t even think of that. I had completely forgotten about that place. Had I remembered, I might have suggested you send her there from the very start…” Julia could hear her mother’s voice tremble, like she was about to cry. She hoped she wouldn’t cry. It’d just end up making her cry, too. “You’ve really grown up, Julia. You really have. Do you remember that Xatu we brought to our house? I don’t think it was that long ago, was it?”

Julia nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I was almost ten.”

Kassia’s voice perked back up again, though not by much. “Oh, you loved that Xatu so much. I still have that picture of you dressing him up in all of those fake bead necklaces you made for him. When he got so sick that we couldn’t keep him anymore, we had to give him up, and you just started bawling. You kept begging me to let him stay. You even tried to take Xatu away from Mrs. Potter, you were so distraught. Even after she left with him, you cried and cried for days.”

She did remember. Kassia had been asked by a friend to help a Pokemon she had found dying by the side of the road. After getting its wounds patched up, Kassia brought Xatu home, and Julia, only nine years old back then, thought he was the best thing ever. She spent every minute, every day with that Xatu except for when she was at school. Julia used to bring him to her room and read books to him, feed him, brush his wings, watch movies with him in the living room, all of those things. Xatu was basically her best friend, even though he wasn’t technically her Pokemon. He was very sick with a multitude of complex ailments she didn’t know about, and was often very slow in his movements. He was so weak, he was unable to use his powers or any attacks. But Julia loved him anyway.

“Years ago, I don’t think you would have wanted to send Geraldine anywhere, no matter what,” Kassia said. “But you sent her to a facility and put her needs first. A good Pokemon trainer always puts their Pokemon and their welfare first, even if it means giving them up and being unable to help them yourself. I really am proud of you, Julia.”

“...Thanks? I think?” Julia had no idea what to say to that. “I...have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alright. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom. Bye.”

With that, the call ended, and Julia shoved her PokeGear back into her bag. “What was that all about?” Perrine asked. “Did something happen?”

“It sounded like something serious,” Caiseal added.

“I’ll tell you guys after dinner,” Julia told them before returning to her meal. Perrine and Caiseal decided to finish their food as well.

Once they finished eating, everyone gathered in the girls’ room, and Julia told them everything. Both Perrine and Caiseal found themselves completely taken aback by the reveal, eyes wide like saucers and jaws close to falling to the floor. “No way! Your sister finally got arrested?!” Perrine shouted so loud, a hand flew to Julia’s ear. The second she saw this, she put a hand over her mouth, cheeks pink with embarrassment. “Oops. Sorry. Didn’t mean to shout.”

Julia shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s alright. I’m still kinda surprised myself.”

Caiseal crossed his arms. “So she’s in a police station a little ways from here, right?” He asked. “Lemme check,” He pulled his PokeGear out, opened it, and pulled up the map card. Zooming in on Route 44, he focused on their location then looked for the police station. Surprisingly, it was very close by. “Alright, found it! Wow, it’s not even five minutes from here on foot!”

Julia leaned in to get a closer look. He was right. As far as she could tell, it was the only police station within their vicinity outside Blackthorn City. If Amara was there, maybe Julia could walk there and finally get some answers from her. The cogs were turning in her head, and she was helpless to stop them. Amara was just five minutes away, maybe less than that.

“Caiseal! Perrine! Can we go there right now?” Julia suddenly exclaimed, her voice going up an octave. “Please please please?”

“Of course we will,” Perrine replied, smoothing out her skirt. “I don’t see why we can’t. It’s not even 5:30 right now, and the Pokemon Center doesn’t officially close until about 11:30.”

Immediately, Julia sprung off from her bed. “Cool! Let’s go!!” She shouted before sprinting out the door faster than a Tauros stampede. Perrine, Caiseal, and even Hikaru could only sit there in complete confusion.

“Wow. When she sets her mind on something, she sure locks onto it,” Perrine noted.

Hikaru’s ears stood up, facing the ceiling. “Pikachu…”

“Yeah, let’s go right now,” Caiseal said.

Thankfully, Julia didn’t get too far. The three of them managed to catch up to her, though only because Julia stopped to look at her PokeGear map to check if she was on the right path. Sure enough, after five minutes of walking, they saw a police station come within their view. There was no parking lot, so they saw a few cop cars parked on both sides of the building. They saw two police officers standing near the entrance, talking amongst themselves. Julia immediately approached them.

“Excuse me, officers?” Julia was quick to get their attention. “I heard my sister Amara Parisa is here. Can I see her, please?” She asked in the most polite tone and voice she could manage, knowing that approach would be best.

Oddly enough, the officers exchanged despondent glances at each other. Julia tilted her head a bit as she noticed their glum looks. Why did they look so sad?

“You said you’re her sister?” The blonde officer asked.

“Yeah, I am. I heard you guys arrested her and are keeping her here,” Julia reminded them. “Is she here?” She bounced on the balls of her feet, eagerly awaiting the chance to see if what her mother said was true.

The officer averted her gaze, ruefully looking towards the entrance. “Sorry, miss. We did originally have her in our custody, but she’s escaped somehow.”

Escaped? That couldn’t be possible! It just couldn’t! Julia’s eyes suddenly shrunk at the revelation. “Escaped?!” Julia was almost screaming at this point. “How?! Why?! What happened?!”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” The blonde officer explained, looking just as confused as everyone else. “We had her here last night and this morning, but...something weird happened, and we fell asleep. When we woke up, she was gone. I know this sounds hard to believe. I’m still having a hard time believing it myself--”

“OH, COME ON!!” Julia screamed to the heavens, releasing all of her newly cultivated anger. She didn’t care if the police officers or her friends were right next to her, even covering their ears. Amara was here, and now she somehow escaped? It shouldn’t be possible! Amara was only thirteen. There was no possible way she could just break out of a police station, not like how experienced criminals manage to do it with all their tricks, especially with a bunch of police officers nearby. As unbelievable as the story was though, Julia could tell they weren’t lying. If Amara really was here, the officers would have brought Julia inside to see her right away. That was what they always did on all of the cop shows she watched. Plus, the police would get in big trouble if they lied about something like that.

Suddenly, another officer burst out from inside the station. “Hey guys! One of our security cameras caught something!” He cried.

Security camera? Julia immediately perked back up again. Did it maybe record Amara escaping? Everyone ran into the station, kids included, and went into one of the video rooms. The officer who told them about the camera fiddled with some of the controls before displaying footage on one monitor. It showed the outside of the station, and a Gengar materialized into view. It looked both ways before phasing through the wall. Then, Julia could make out some shadows flying out of the wall and into the dirt. One shadow was taller and longer than the other, looking like the silhouette of a girl.

“No way!” Julia exclaimed. “That must have been Amara’s Gengar! It helped her escape!”

All three officers looked at each other, confused. “That’s weird,” The blonde haired officer, whose name tag read Maurice Cole, pointed out. “We checked all of her PokeBalls and none of them had a Gengar.”

“Maybe it escaped before we arrested her,” The officer who told them about the camera explained.

Well, there was proof that Amara at least was here. Julia figured that Gengar must have made itself and Amara intangible, that way he could pull Amara out without anyone noticing. In regards to their comment about falling asleep for no reason, Julia deduced that maybe Gengar used Hypnosis on them, that way they wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught in the act. There was no other explanation.

“Sorry, kids,” The dark haired officer said. “We’ve called some of the neighboring precincts and they’re going to be on the lookout for her. As soon as they find anything, you or your parents will be informed right away.”

“It’s alright. Thanks anyway,” Julia said before leaving. Caiseal and Perrine followed suit, and they went right back to the Pokemon Center.

So much for seeing Amara being held responsible for her crimes. Now Amara was still on the run, probably still hurting her Pokemon or using them to hurt others. To think Amara would be so dastardly as to have Gengar help her escape! The Amara she knew never resorted to that kind of trickery. Of course, now that evading arrest was added to her growing list of felonies, the next time she got arrested, she would be in bigger trouble than before. She did give her mother a call this time, telling her what happened. To nobody’s surprise, Kassia yelled up a storm. Julia saw this coming and kept the phone away from her ear. At that point, Kassia simply told Julia to not wait for her and continue her journey. When the phone conversation ended, Julia took a shower, gave herself time to relax, blow dried her hair with the PMC’s blow dryer, and got herself and the Pokemon ready for bed.

***

Oddly enough, Julia slept through the entire night like a rock. She got up at seven in the morning, which was pretty normal, but usually she’d toss and turn in her bed all the time. She figured maybe having to deal with Abby and the news from yesterday made her more tired than she thought. Then again, anyone would be tired if they had to deal with her. Today was the day they’d get back on the road, and they needed to make some preparations before leaving. Julia bought herself breakfast, gave some to her Pokemon, and at 8:30 AM, she made a call on the video phone.

To her surprise, someone answered. Her father’s large glasses and goofy face materialized onto the little screen, beaming as he saw Julia. “Hey there, slick! Good morning!” Truman greeted her with a wide, merry smile.

“Hi, Dad. You’re up early,” Julia pointed out. “You’re usually never up this early.”

“Yesterday was my day off, so I got to go to bed early, and now I’m up and at ‘em!” Truman explained cheerfully.

“Oh. Right. I forgot.”

“How’s your adventure going?”

“Good, for the most part. Did Mom tell you about Amara?”

Truman’s eyebrows furrowed, and his smile became a little more sorrowful. “Yeah, I heard about what happened,” His cheerfulness from earlier simmered down. “But we’re still looking, so we won’t give up just yet. The same goes for you, too.”

Julia flashed a small smile. “Yeah. Thanks. Umm...I was wondering…” She continued. “I wanted to switch some of my Pokemon over to you. Is that okay?”

Her father’s happy smile returned. “Of course it is! Who do you want?”

“Tsubasa and Blossom.”

“Ah, Tsubasa…” Truman scratched his stubble with one hand. “She’s behaving a lot better now, but she still tends to pick fights with other Pokemon.”

“Who’s surprised?” Julia couldn’t resist the urge to giggle a little bit. She could totally picture Tsubasa challenging every single Pokemon she met to battles, trying hard to prove she was the strongest Pidgeotto around. “I’ll send Lucretia and Rino over. I think Rino’s missing spending time with Rina.”

With that in mind, Julia pulled their PokeBalls out and put them into the transporter one by one. It took seconds for Blossom and Tsubasa’s PokeBalls to appear, and she took them into her hands. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Truman said, crossing his arms, lips upturned in a smile. Immediately, it softened into a slightly more somber smile. “Listen, I know your mother’s been hounding you about the whole...Geraldine thing,” For a moment, he let the sentence drift off before continuing on. Julia could tell he sounded unsure about how to go about it. “I just want you to know, I didn’t like that she yelled at you about it the way she did. I talked to her about it some time ago, so she understands now.”

“I know, Dad. I talked to her yesterday.”

“At the same time, however, I do agree with her in that I don’t think you’re ready to handle a Pokemon like Gyarados just yet,” Truman explained in a more matter-of-fact manner. For what it was worth, Julia did appreciate that he was being calm and civil about this. People yelling just made everything explode in her ears, making it way too hard for her to extract anything from it. “But I’m very happy with the decision you made with Geraldine in the end,” His smile returned. “I did some research on the facility, and from what I’ve read, they’re very good at their job. I’m sure Geraldine will receive the best care it can offer. It may take a long time for her to truly be rehabilitated, but the second she’s cleared, we’ll make sure she gets back to you. Promise?”

Warmth suddenly enveloped her whole being, and her jaw dropped. She was so sure her father would disapprove of her having ever caught Geraldine at all, just like her mother did. It was like the balloon of doubt she had inflated in her heart was popped by a needle. A very happy, positive needle. A needle that glowed with light, telling her that not everything winds up ending badly. He understood! Her father understood!

“...Yeah.”

“Not only that, you’re still her trainer legally, so you still have legal ownership over her,” Truman explained further. “The facility would get in big trouble if they did anything to Geraldine without your consent.”

Julia could feel her shoulders relax. That was some consolation. She had heard it from Lance before, and he definitely sounded sure, but she didn’t believe him at the time. In some way, she still didn’t quite believe it, even when her father just told her. She wanted to see the facility for herself and see if Geraldine is truly going to do well. But this wasn’t the time to mention that.

“Yeah. Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome. I wish I could talk to you for a little longer, but I have to be in work early today, so I have to get ready right now,” Truman replied ruefully. “Take care! I love you!”

“Love you too, Dad.”

The monitor turned pitch black, and her father’s face disappeared in a flash.

No sooner did she turn it off, Caiseal walked into the room, his mouth wide open in a yawn. Covering it with his hand didn’t help, but at this point, he didn’t care too much. “Moooorning…”

Ravenclaw sat perched on his left shoulder, also letting out a big yawn. Unlike Caiseal, she made no attempt to cover her beak with her wings as she yawned. “Kroooooow.”

“Hi Cash,” Julia greeted him.

“Huh?” Caiseal turned in Julia’s direction, taking a moment to process her presence. “Oh. Morning. Was that you talking just now?”

“Yeah. I was talking to my dad. I asked him to send Blossom and Tsubasa over for me.”

Caiseal used one of his fists to wipe some sleep from his left eye. “Oh yeah. You did mention wanting to do that last night,” As the memory of their brief conversation last night flashed through his mind, Julia’s mention of Blossom suddenly made him stop rubbing his eyes. He still had Viole on his team. Julia recently got Blossom back. Caiseal had his Leaf Stone, and Julia still had her Sun Stone. Now that their Glooms were back on their teams… “Oh! I just remembered!” He suddenly exclaimed, his voice so loud that it made Ravenclaw squawk in surprise.

“What is it?”

It didn’t take long for Caiseal to pull his Leaf Stone out. “Think it’s time we ask our Gloom if they want to evolve?” He asked.

Julia remembered. “Ohhhh! I totally forgot!” She pulled Blossom’s PokeBall back out. “I say let’s do it!”

Both Caiseal and Julia released their Gloom from their PokeBalls. Viole opened his gooey, nectar-filled mouth in a yawn, just like everyone else before him. On the other hand, Blossom simply used one of her stubby arms to adjust one of the orange leaves on her head.

“Gloom gloom?” Blossom tilted her head to one side, wondering what was going on. Viole simply looked up at his trainer, more alert this time, even though his eyes were permanently closed.

“Hey there, Blossom!” Julia kneeled down to her Gloom’s level, stroking the flower on her head with one hand. “Great to see you again! Sorry about leaving you at the house for so long.”

“Glooooom!” Blossom shook her head, not minding at all. She flashed a nervous smile, happy to be with her trainer again.

“There is something I want to ask you, though. Both you and Viole,” Julia told them before rummaging through her bag to pull out her Sun Stone. Caiseal glanced at it from where he stood. The Sun Stone looked just as shiny and orange as before. It seemed so long ago that Julia won it at the Bug Catching Contest. To be fair, it actually was long ago, but he hadn’t seen said stone in so long, he had almost forgotten she still had it. “Would either of you like to evolve? We have stones for you if you want to evolve right now.”

“Gloom!” Both Blossom and Viole exchanged quizzical glances at each other. Then they looked down at the stones, then at each other.

“You guys have done a lot for us since we started our journeys together,” Caiseal began, kneeling down a bit to get at their level, putting his hands on his knees as he did so. “We couldn’t have made it this far without your friendship and support.”

Viole’s cheeks turned pink in an instant, and he averted Caiseal’s gaze, fidgeting. On the other hand, Blossom simply grinned and let out a low, pleased coo. “Glooooom.”

Julia smiled. She could see the joy on her plant friend’s face plain as day. It helped that making eye contact with Gloom didn’t make her feel so exposed, nor did it make her skin itch or her insides do backflips. Gloom hardly ever opened their eyes, so looking at them was easy and painless. “So to thank you, we thought we’d give you a chance to evolve if you wanted to,” Julia continued on. “You can evolve into either a Vileplume or a Bellossom if you want. We want this to be your decision, so if you want to, go for it.”

Suddenly, Caiseal exclaimed, “Wait a sec, Jule. You’re still scared of poison-types, right? If Blossom chooses to evolve into a Vileplume, will you still be able to...?” He let the sentence drift away, unable to come up with a way to end it without offending Blossom.

Julia knew what he was referring to, so she simply smiled in his direction. “I admit, I am still scared of poison-types, even with Blossom, Rina, and Rino being my friends. I don’t deny that I need to work on that,” She told him matter-of-factly. He did make a valid point, and Julia knew he’d probably ask that question some time. “But no matter what Blossom chooses to evolve into, she’ll always be my friend. I’m not gonna toss her away if she evolves into a Pokemon I’m scared of. That’d be cruel.”

Both flower Pokemon smiled upon hearing this. Blossom in particular couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. Even Caiseal couldn’t help but find himself impressed, though he knew that Julia wasn’t the kind of person who would just discard her Pokemon like trash. If she did, he wouldn’t bother hanging out with her. Viole and Blossom exchanged some words before nodding in unison. They made their decision. Caiseal and Julia waited, both being curious bundles of anticipation. Would they evolve, or wouldn’t they?

Viole picked up the Leaf Stone, and Blossom took the Sun Stone into her stubby hands. The instant they made contact, their bodies glowed in white light. Julia squeezed her eyes shut, protecting them from the blinding glow in front of her, though she could still see green spots dancing in the darkness. Both Glooms’ bodies began to change shape, with one getting bigger, the other growing smaller. It didn’t take long for the evolution process to cease, and the white light that illuminated the Pokemon Center disappeared.

At this point, the two Gloom evolved into two different Pokemon. Viole’s body was still the same, with deep blue skin and stubby arms and legs. But his eyes were open, just little red dots, and his head was crowned with a large, red flower in full bloom, petals donning a constellation of white dots forming no particular pattern. Not only that, the flower was so big, Viole stood just below Caiseal’s chin in terms of height.

“Vileplume!” Viole announced with a cheer.

In contrast, Blossom had a different look. She was small and dainty, about Saoirse’s size at most. Her body was light green, thinner than Viole’s, and two red flowers sprouted out from her head. A skirt of green and yellow leaves circled around the lower half of her body, and Blossom gave an elegant twirl as she finished her evolution, her blue eyes shining with delight.

“Bella!” Blossom squeaked happily, arms akimbo, her voice much higher pitched than when she was a Gloom.

“Awesome! You evolved!” Julia scooped the flower Pokemon in her arms and gave her a hug. “You look great!”

“Bell!” Blossom nodded in agreement, explaining that she had wanted to be a Bellossom from the beginning. Viole had said the same thing about being a Vileplume, so it was clear to Julia that they didn’t regret their decisions one bit.

“I think your new evolution suits you quite well!” Julia cajoled.

Caiseal stroke one of the big petals on Viole’s head, a proud smile spread across his face. “You look amazing, Viole. I bet you’re way stronger, too.”

“Vilepluuuuume,” Viole looked up at his trainer, his red eyes gleaming with joy.

After another short while, Perrine was finally awake. Of course, the kids didn’t waste time showing her Blossom and Viole. As soon as she laid eyes on them, her jaw dropped. “Wow! When did they evolve?” Perrine yelped, barely holding a hand over her mouth to muffle her voice going up an octave.

“Just a few minutes ago,” Caiseal told her. “Anyway, what do you say we eat and then be on our way? Blackthorn City’s closer now, so if we leave now, we can get there before it gets dark.”

The two girls nodded in agreement. “Sure. I’m down with that,” Perrine affirmed. “I’ll find us some seats. I hear this PMC has great pancakes!”

Blackthorn City. The place where they would get their final badges. If they won against the gym leader, they could go to the Pokemon League. But as they gathered around and ate their breakfast, Caiseal could feel a strange, hazy feeling wash over him. Something unpleasant and suffocating, and he could feel his chest rising and falling, even as he just sat down. He recognized the feeling immediately. Caiseal focused on eating his breakfast silently, but it did nothing to ameliorate the swirling emotions in his heart, gnawing at him like a Houndoom wanting to eat its prey whole.

Nollaig. She was there. Suddenly, Caiseal could see snow. It was no longer autumn, but winter. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, his fingers burning from the frigid winter air. Two women standing in front of his old house screaming at each other, waving their arms in brisk, exaggerated motions. Red and blue police lights bouncing off the walls. A warm blanket being wrapped around him, and a police officer escorting him into a nearby car, even as he wailed and cried to the heavens above. Caiseal could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Would he be able to go back there? Back to what was once his home, and through the Ice Path, no less?

Ice. Nothing but ice. Icicles hanging from every ceiling. A big one breaking off, falling right toward him.

Caiseal shook his head, forcing himself back to reality. No. He couldn’t be weak now. Not when he had come so far on his journey. ‘I can’t be such a coward. My friends are here with me,’ Caiseal reminded himself as he took a bite out of some garlic bread. ‘If they’re with me, then I’ll be fine. I can’t hide from my hometown forever, even if Nollaig is there. I’m gonna have to face my fears sometime.’

He hoped he’d be able to actually face them.

***

A/N: Alrighty! Another chapter done! Next up is one I’ve been dying to write since I started this story: Caiseal’s past! I can’t wait to finally write it now that I’ve finally come to this point! It’ll be a doozy, so look forward to it! I’ve kept you guys waiting long enough. Also, yesterday was my dad’s birthday. Happy (late) St. Patrick’s Day and birthday, Dad!

Also, in case you guys didn’t notice, I made some changes to some of the Pokemon’s abilities in the party section down below. Apparently, the Weedle line doesn’t know Poison Point (I don’t know where I got that idea), and Gengar doesn’t know Levitate anymore as of Gen 7, so I made the adjustments. Don’t know how I’m going to go about the previous chapters, though. Oooooh boy.

***

Julia’s Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle

Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Quick Attack, Twister, Air Slash, and Feather Dance

Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Ancient Power

Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face

Blossom (Bellossom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Petal Blizzard, and Acid

Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp

Perrine’s Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Hyper Voice, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam

Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain

Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

Caiseal’s Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash

Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen

Viole (Vileplume, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent

Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost

Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure

Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam

Amara’s Party:
Feraligatr (Male, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Torrent
Attacks: Hydro Pump, Crunch, Ice Fang, and Superpower

Beedrill (Male, Hasty Nature)
Ability: Swarm
Attacks: Rage, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, and Double Team

Fearow (Male, Timid Nature)
Ability: Sniper
Attacks: Roost, Pursuit, Aerial Ace, and Drill Run

Gengar (Male, Impish Nature)
Ability: Cursed Body
Attacks: Thunder Punch, Hypnosis, Shadow Claw, and Dark Pulse

Shuckle (Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Power Trick, Rock Slide, Struggle Bug, and Withdraw
 
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Huh. So Gengar helped Amara escaped. That does sound like a logical thing that can happen so I give you a thumbs up for that. And of course that means the final rival battle is still possible. I wonder. Will Julia give the note to Amara before or after the rival battle?
 
We can't deal with disabled kids with brute force, hatred, or discrimination, only understanding, patience, kindness, open-mindedness, and a willingness to cooperate with the parties involved. Using unlawful and unethical methods to treat disabled kids is bad, and it needs to stop. It's no better than bullying.

That's true. Now what I wonder is why that happens. Why would teachers use excessive force on one of their students?
 
Chapter 47: Caiseal’s Sorrow

It was a beautiful day on the road to Blackthorn City. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and the path before them was lined with perfect rows of trees on each side. However, not even the sun making its attempts to warm their skin was enough to protect them from the dropping temperatures. That being said, it was only October, so the weather was starting to get colder anyway.

“Brrrr!” Frigid cold shot through Julia’s entire body, and she shivered even as she buried half her face into the collar of her large purple coat. “Even with these heavy jackets, it’s still cold!” Julia groaned, stuffing her chafing hands into her pockets. Immediately, she could feel the warm fabric against her skin, and although it was helping somewhat, she knew she couldn’t keep them in there forever. Doing that would just make her hands feel dry and cracked, and the cold was doing a good enough job of that already with the rest of her body.

“I know, right?” Caiseal agreed, scratching his wrist with one hand. “Then again, we’re getting close to the mountains, and it gets a lot colder around this area, even during the fall.”

Perrine stopped to adjust her shoes. “You gotta admit, we’re lucky the Pokemon Center let us borrow these jackets and ear muffs,” She told them, attempting to see the positive side of things. “Considering how we need to get to Blackthorn to begin with, these are a big help.”

Caiseal furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth. Indeed, they did need some winter clothes in light of where they were going. The Pokemon Center they departed from offered free winter clothing to traveling trainers if they wanted to go through the Ice Path, on the condition that they give them to the PMC in Blackthorn City afterward. The Ice Path...his stomach began to tighten, and his legs felt like lead. They were getting closer to that place. A place where he didn’t want to go ever again. Anywhere but there. But he reminded himself that this was not the time to be scared. His friends were here. The last thing they needed was for Caiseal to be a liability. No, he wasn’t going to be a liability.

Then a revelation popped into his head faster than a Pokemon using Agility. He remembered! “You know, the Ice Path isn’t the only way to get to Blackthorn City!” Caiseal suddenly exclaimed.

The girls stopped in their tracks, turning to face him. “Is there?” Julia asked.

“Since when?” Perrine asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caiseal dug through his bag and pulled out a travel book he had picked up from the PMC hours before. He flipped through some pages before stopping at one and pointing to the map inside. “See here?” Julia and Perrine leaned in to get a closer look. “Here’s the Ice Path, but here’s a road that goes around it,” Caiseal explained, pointing to a side road that was closer to them than their actual destination. The strip of road led to right around the cave in question, and going right into Blackthorn City. “I went down this way once, and it’s much safer and more convenient than going into the Ice Path. It does take a little longer to get to Blackthorn this way, but it’s so worth it!”

“Ooooh. I had no idea,” Perrine marveled at this new information. Caiseal did make a good point. This side road completely changed everything. “If we go down that road, we can make it to Blackthorn without going through the Ice Path!”

“That makes sense!” Julia agreed, already liking the idea. Anything was better than going through a cave frozen in ice, and if it was too cold, she wasn’t sure if she could even move at all, much less go through a cave. Then again, having Twilight would help with that. Even so, having an alternative was already proving to be an intense relief.

That is, until she read about said road in question. She had taken the book from Caiseal’s hands to read more into it herself, and her green eyes came across the kind of Pokemon that lived on that road. Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill, Ekans, Arbok, and Spinarak. All poison-types. As her brain processed this new information, any relief she had was kicked to the curb, and her hands began to shake, making the book in her hands shake right along with her. Her heart started thumping in her ears as she imagined all the horrible things that could happen if she went down that road. A Beedrill horde chasing after them. Wild Ekans and Arbok attempting to bite them or eat them alive if the kids so much as stepped on their territory. The thought of it all made a weird, horrible feeling swoop down into her stomach, and she could feel her skin itching all over.

She didn’t even notice Caiseal gently taking the book from her hands. “This’ll be perfect! I say we go this way,” Caiseal announced, oblivious to the fear etched all over Julia’s face. “Besides, we--”

“Uhh, Caiseal?” Julia finally found her voice. It was barely above a timid squeak, but she could feel her friends staring into her. Their eyes locking onto her burned her from the inside out. “It says the road has a lot of poison-type Pokemon living near it,” She explained, pointing to the paragraph in question. “It’s possible they might attack us if we trespass onto their territory,” She tried to keep herself as calm and composed as possible, hoping that would convince him. She hoped she didn’t sound whiny when she made her request.

Unfortunately for Julia, Caiseal simply waved his hand dismissively, brushing off her concerns. “It’ll be fine. I’ve been down this way before, and none of the Pokemon attacked me,” He explained in a matter-of-fact way. “If you don’t mess with them, they don’t mess with you, so it’s not dangerous.”

Fear suddenly began to morph into anger. Caiseal actually thought going down a road infested with dangerous poison-type Pokemon, who could easily kill them, was safer than going into an icy cave? He knew about her fear of poison types and never made her feel stupid about it. He never even used it against her, nor did he ever make her do anything she didn’t want to do when it came to poison-types. Why was he suddenly going against that? This wasn’t like him. Rebellion mounted within her. Now she felt cornered, desperate, even. Sure, going into the Ice Path had its own share of danger, but compared to potentially getting herself killed by vicious poison Pokemon, she’d gladly endure below zero cold temperatures any day.

“I say we go into the Ice Path!” Julia suddenly announced before she could stop herself. Both Perrine and Caiseal’s jaws dropped. “I-I-I-I bet it’s way safer! There’s no poison-type Pokemon in there!” She hated the fearful stammer her voice was adopting, but she could already feel herself trembling. Nothing she tried could stop it.

Caiseal shot a glare in her direction. Julia winced. His hazel eyes burned right into her, and it hurt, even as he marched right over to her. Even Perrine could see the very sudden change in him, and she wasn’t liking what she saw.

“Listen, Jule!” He pointed his finger right at her, like a teacher singling out a naughty child in class. “I’ve been down this road, and it is not dangerous! You shouldn’t believe everything you read in books!”

“You’re saying the Ice Path is more dangerous than a road full of poison-type Pokemon?!”

“Are you kidding?! It’s practically a death trap in there!” At this point, Caiseal was shouting. Not even covering her ears could muffle the noise. But there was no way she was going to let him walk all over her. She was done being silent for the sake of being polite.

“A road full of vicious poison-type Pokemon who could easily kill us is a death trap in and of itself!”

“Only if you mess with them first! We are NOT going into that darn Ice Path and that’s final!”

“Why are you even getting all upset about this?! Is the Ice Path really that bad?”

“Why don’t you go in there and see?! You go in there and almost get killed by a big falling icicle, or turned into a living popsicle by a bunch of Swinub, or cut into ribbons by a Sneasel horde?!”

“We have plenty of fire-type Pokemon, so for all we know, we can handle the Ice Path no problem!”

“You guys!” Perrine finally stepped in between them, holding her hands out. “Calm down. There’s no need to fight about this.”

An idea flashed into Julia’s head. “She’s right! We DON’T need to fight about this!” Julia exclaimed, raising her hand in the air. “I say we settle this with rock-paper-scissors!”

Caiseal smirked, liking the proposition. “Challenge accepted!”

They both got out of Perrine’s way and held their hands out. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” They shook their hands thrice, making full fists. They tried it again. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” This time, both of their hands were wide open, flat as paper. They shook their hands a third time. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” Julia’s hand was a fist, and Caiseal’s was open and flat.

“Haha!” Caiseal put his hand on top of Julia’s fist. “Paper covers rock! I win!!” He jumped into the air jubilantly, throwing his arms outward. “We’re going to the side road! Woohoo!” Without waiting for them to catch up, Caiseal made a mad dash for the dirt road like he couldn’t get there fast enough.

Julia could only stand frozen in place, fist in front of her, completely defeated. They really were going to walk down that road full of poison-type Pokemon! “Awwww man…” She hung her head down dejectedly, putting one foot in front of the other as she made her way down the dirt road. She hoped that they could get to Blackthorn City without getting hurt, as part of her did gracefully accept defeat, but her entire being was still screaming to get the heck off this path.

“It’s okay, Jule,” Perrine tried to reassure her, putting on a smile as she walked alongside her. “We can get through this. We’re here for you, and our Pokemon can help us out if we’re in a jam.”

“I know…” Julia murmured, trying to remind herself that there were still some positives in this situation. “But I don’t get what Caiseal’s deal is. Does he really hate the Ice Path or something?”

Perrine held a hand to her chin. “Beats me. He was pretty adamant about not going in there,” She said, noting Caiseal’s insistence on going down that one side road. “Maybe he had a really bad experience in there or something.”

That seemed reasonable. Julia didn’t want to go anywhere near Violet City because of what Ms. Amoretto did to her way back when. She had thought about asking why Caiseal was so cagey about it, but he never wanted to talk about anything involving his past. It was wrong to pry, and Julia did want to respect his wishes, so she gave him his space. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then he didn’t, and she had no right to force it out of him. Still, the desire to know why Caiseal had some kind of intense hatred for the Ice Path kept gnawing at her brain, like an Arbok wanting to swallow its prey whole.

“Whatever the case,” Perrine continued. “He’ll tell us when he’s ready. I wouldn’t try to push the issue.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Julia agreed, mentally telling herself that maybe this side road won’t be so bad. She still had her Pokemon, and if any wild ones attacked, she’d either make a run for it or her friends would help. This was not the time to be picky.

It didn’t take long for the girls to see Caiseal close by. But instead of walking, he simply stood in the middle of the road, still as a statue. The girls caught up to him, noticing that he stopped. But when Perrine turned to ask him a question, she found herself taken aback. Caiseal was white as a ghost, eyes wide with absolute terror, and his mouth had fallen open. Any enthusiasm and confidence he had was completely gone, like it had been knocked right out of him. Usually, the only times he looked like that was when he woke up from his terrible nightmares.

“Cash?” Now Julia was worried. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Caiseal didn’t say a word. Perrine looked toward the road, but instead she was face to face with several white and orange barricades, one of which had a big white sign on it that said ROAD CLOSED in big, black letters. The girls’ jaws dropped once more. The side road was closed? Since when? What happened? Julia peeked over the barricade. She could see several large trees laying on the road, having fallen right off. Several branches and leaves scattered all over the path, and many of the trunks had claw marks and teeth marks in them. Some of them looked so deep, she could dip her whole finger into them. Some of the trees that fell down didn’t even break off. Gnarled roots curled out from the bottom of most of the trees, many of which looked like they had been ripped right out from the ground, whole and intact.

“Oh wow,” Julia exclaimed. “What the heck happened here?”

Suddenly, an Officer Jenny came bounding toward them, police baton in hand. “Excuse me, kids!” She cried out. “I’m sorry, but this path is off limits for the time being.”

“How come?” Perrine asked.

Officer Jenny adjusted her hat before explaining. “We’ve gotten reports that several members of Team Rocket have been making mischief around here, and the wild Pokemon here have been extremely upset,” She explained matter-of-factly. The kids could see the destruction laid out right before them. Upset was a gross understatement. “Some of my fellow officers have apprehended a few of them, but others are still at large. We’re still investigating as of right now, and the Pokemon have gotten to the point where they’ll attack any human, docile or hostile, so this path is closed for your own safety.”

So that was it. The kids could only sigh. Of course Team Rocket would be responsible. Julia couldn’t help but feel bad for the Pokemon living in this area. They had every right to be mad. Nobody would like it if random strangers started attacking them or their homes, and of course they’d fight back. If someone broke into Julia’s home and attacked her and her family, she’d want to fight back, too. She silently hoped their situation would improve. She wanted to help out in some way, but she could tell Officer Jenny looked quite serious about this whole thing. Did she really need a bunch of kids throwing themselves into danger?

“I apologize for the inconvenience,” Officer Jenny told them, her tone having softened. “You kids aren’t the first trainers I had to warn about this, and at this point, the Ice Path is your only option.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Perrine asked.

Officer Jenny glanced toward the barricades. “Last night.”

She was right about one thing. The kids had very little options. None of them could climb the mountain without proper equipment, not that they could even hope to climb the mountain to begin with. They didn’t have any flying-type Pokemon who could fly over said mountain, let alone one that was big enough to carry all three of them at once. If the Ice Path was the only choice, then they might as well take it.

“Alright. Thanks anyway,” Conceding defeat, Julia gave a slight bow, thanking her for taking the time to explain things to them. “We’re sorry to bother you.”

With that, the kids turned right around. The rock-paper-scissors game she played against Caiseal didn’t seem to matter now. They were going to the Ice Path whether they liked it or not. Normally, Julia would be happy about sudden twists like this. But she couldn’t bring herself to smile. Instead, her whole being was wracked with worry, mostly for Caiseal. He seemed to drag his feet with every step he walked, and she didn’t need to look at him to know that the fearful expression on his face didn’t change one bit. Obviously something must have happened to him in there. Whatever it was, it must have been extremely traumatic.

“...Sorry about that, Caiseal,” Julia stammered, trying to make some conversation. Caiseal’s silence was starting to make the air around her feel tense. Almost suffocating. “I guess we can’t go down that side road. Hehe.”

“It’s fine,” Caiseal finally choked out in a low voice. “How were we supposed to know that would happen? It’s not like we can see the future or anything.”

“Yeah. True,” Julia agreed sheepishly. She could hear subtle contempt in his voice when he finally answered. Was it toward the Ice Path? Probably so, she assumed.

No words were exchanged during this time. Julia could feel the temperature in the air dropping with every step they walked. Her hands were starting to get dry and itchy, more so than earlier. Her jeans started to itch against her legs. Rubbing them together didn’t help much. At least she had a pair of fluffy, white earmuffs on, which was good protection for her ears. Not long after, the entrance of a cave came into view. In the light, Julia could make out the icy floor, and large, frozen rocks greeted them, sunlight glinting off the ice’s surface, like a little show was being put on for them.

“Wow…” Julia was in awe. Icicles of different shapes and sizes hung from the ceiling, and they seemed to go on forever. Some were as small as her pinkie fingers, others were as big as she, maybe even bigger. Frozen crystals sprung out from some of the crevices in the cave walls. “It’s so pretty in here! I’ve never seen a cave made out of nothing but ice before!”

Caiseal wrapped his arms tight around himself, shivering. “Yeah, pretty,” He hissed under his breath. “Freakin’ death trap…”

By this time, Perrine had already walked a little deeper into the cave, holding her PokeGear out and taking some photos. Her PokeGear was a newer model than Julia’s, so hers had the camera function. “Oh man. I am so sending these pics to Mom and Dad when we get out of here. They’re gonna be so jealous!”

Indeed, the Ice Path was a sight to behold. The floor beneath them was nothing but solid ice, with a few cracks on the surface here and there, probably from exposure to the heat from outside. A river of icicles ran across the ceiling, shimmering like beautiful chandeliers. There were even icicles that made contact with the cave floor, merging with the frozen ground, as big and as tall as the kids, forming frigid stalactites. Large boulders took up most of the walls, their frozen surfaces sparkling under the sunlight. Perrine could make out a few holes and smaller caves going further in, probably being used by some of the native Pokemon.

On the other hand, Caiseal completely ignored the Ice Path’s beauty, wanting nothing more than to just get out. Just being here was making his stomach tie into a knot. He kept his arms wrapped tight around himself, but his legs continued to feel heavy with every step he walked, like someone put lead inside them. Not even the winter clothes he put on were enough to push the cold away.

“Oh look! Over there!” Julia’s shout pulled Caiseal out of his mind. The kids turned to their left, seeing something moving in front of one icy stalagmite.

That something turned out to be a Pokemon. A very small one, about the size of their heads, covered in dense, shaggy brown fur with darker brown stripes going across its back. The little Pokemon used it's pink, pig-like snout to sniff at the bottom of the stalagmite, like it was searching for something. “Swinub swinub…” The furry Pokemon muttered to itself, oblivious to the three humans looking at it.

“Awwwww! It’s a cute little Swinub!” Julia squealed, her hands flying to her cheeks. “Look at it! It’s sooooo adorable!” Her heart was close to beating out of her chest. Goodness, was that Pokemon cute!

Perrine pulled her PokeDex out to get some information on it.

Swinub, the pig Pokemon. Swinub have an extremely developed sense of smell, so they are capable of picking up any kind of scent, even several feet underground or far away from their location. They can even smell things under frozen ground. Once they pick up a smell, they run right toward the source without hesitation, especially if the aroma is particularly enticing. Swinub rub their snouts on the ground to find food, and they have been known to discover hot springs in the process of doing so. Their favorite food is a special type of mushroom that is said to grow underneath dried grass. Swinub are commonly found in cold places such as icy caves, mountainous regions, and frozen tundra.”

Seconds later, a blue male sign popped up on the PokeDex’s screen next to the Swinub’s image.

Julia wasted no time pulling a PokeBall out from her pocket. “I’m gonna catch it! I always wanted a Swinub!” She exclaimed.

Just then, the Swinub turned around, finally taking in the presence of the three humans looking at it. “Swinub?”

“Twilight, go--!!”

Before she could even let Twilight out, Swinub suddenly let out a stream of sparkling powder in her direction. The second the powder made contact with her exposed skin, her whole body turned rigid. She didn’t get frozen in actual ice, but the cold completely cut through every single skin cell, nerve, and vein in her body. The air around her dropped to a temperature she couldn’t handle. Julia screeched before running away from the powdery substance Swinub shot out, hiding right behind Perrine and dropping to a fetal position, shivering rigidly.

“Cooooooooold!!”

Just like that, Swinub’s attack ceased, and the pig Pokemon hopped out of sight.

“Dude. You got beat by a Powder Snow attack,” Caiseal noted sarcastically. “And you didn’t even get the chance to do anything.”

“I know…” Julia agreed ruefully. She wished she wasn’t so hypersensitive to everything around her, especially a Pokemon’s really cold attacks. Not to mention that Swinub was really quick to attack, noticing her presence right away. It probably smelled her scent. Whatever the case, any answers she could come up with didn’t push away the humiliation of being outsmarted by a cute Pokemon.

Thankfully, Perrine was quick to find the bright side in this situation. “Don’t worry. There’s lots more Swinub in here. Maybe you can try catching another one.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Julia agreed, making a mental note to send Twilight out before doing anything else. Caiseal simply buried himself in his jacket collar as the kids walked further down the path.

As peaceful as this place was, Julia couldn’t help but feel a little tense. She looked to her right and saw Caiseal ambling next to her, his arms wrapped tightly around himself like a shield. He kept wincing like he was in pain. Was he okay? Julia could tell that he wasn’t. Actually, he’d been like this the entire time they’ve been in here. She could feel his irritation plain as day. Maybe Perrine was right. Maybe something bad happened to him in here and he’s developed an intense hatred for the Ice Path as a result. She wanted to ask, but he’d always been cagey about his past, and she didn’t want to pry. Caiseal’s past wasn’t any of her business. Even so, he certainly looked like he needed some cheering up. What could she do?

“Umm...hey, Caiseal!” Julia said. “You mentioned before that you have a little sister. What’s she like?” She asked, figuring this would be a good way to start.

Slowly, Caiseal unwrapped his arms and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I do. Her name’s Violet.”

“Ooh. That’s a pretty name.”

“It is. She’s a good kid,” Caiseal mused, his voice quiet. Julia could still hear the subtle irritation in his voice. “I bet you’d like her. She loves Pokemon. She wants to be a trainer, too. We did pretty much everything together. If I was doing something, she’d want to do it, too. She is kind of a girly girl, though. Always wanting to dress in sparkly clothes, wear cute hair clips, and collect lots and lots of dolls,” For the first time since they entered the Ice Path, a proud smile spread across his face. “Goodness, she’s got so many Johto Girl dolls, you’d think her room was a whole museum of them, and they’re pretty darn expensive.”

“Oh, I know what you’re talking about! I knew a girl who collected them, too! But last I checked, she only had three or four that I know of. But how’d Violet get so many? You said they’re expensive, right?”

Caiseal nodded. “My mom always bought them for her. If Violet wanted something, my mom always got it for her no matter what, even if it was super expensive,” Suddenly, his smile turned right back into a frown. He looked down at his boots with a grim look on his face. “...She always got everything she wanted...Nollaig never gave me the time of day…”

Although his voice was small, barely a whisper, Julia could hear it in the stillness. Nollaig? What was that? Or...who was that? Was that his mother’s name? More than that, she could make out everything else. Did his mother prefer Violet over him? She had heard stories of parents who neglected one child and deliberately favored another, but she thought those were just stories. Was that why Caiseal’s been so sour about his past? If that was the case, then Julia couldn’t blame him for being angry about it. Any kid would be mad if their parents ignored them in favor of their sibling. But...was that really all there was to it? Her desire to know more was growing.

“More Swinub! See?” Perrine’s announcement pulled both Caiseal and Julia out of their reveries.

The kids looked toward one big ice crystal on their left. Three Swinub were frolicking around said crystal, happily cheering and throwing their snouts into the air. One of the Swinub stopped to sniff at the ground some more. Julia’s heart melted at the sight, and her cheeks turned pink, not just from the cold. Why did Swinub have to be so cute?

“Nnnnngh!” Julia’s hands started flapping up and down, as she was unable to contain her overflowing love for those cute little furry Pokemon. “I MUST catch one!” She exclaimed, rummaging through her pocket to get a PokeBall out. “Come on out, Twilight!”

A white light shot out of the PokeBall before materializing into Twilight. The fire horse Pokemon let out a disgruntled huff as she examined her surroundings.

“Hey there, Twi!” Julia stroke her equine friend’s neck gently. “Sorry you had to stay in the PokeBall for so long.”

Twilight simply stared up at a big icicle hanging from the wall, not minding too much.

“Would you mind doing me a favor? See those Swinub over there?” Julia asked, pointing to the Swinub in question. “I want to catch one of them, so would you like to help me out?”

Twilight stole a quick glance at the pig Pokemon...only to hold her head up and away from Julia and the Swinub. The only response Julia got from her was a quick huff.

“What?! Why not?!”

“Nnnngh,” Twilight snorted.

Caiseal and Perrine could tell from the flabbergasted look on Julia’s face that whatever Twilight was saying to her was not good. “Aw, come on!” Julia bellowed.

“So...what’d she say?” Perrine asked, half-curious and half-unsure.

“Twilight’s all like, ‘I don’t fight weaklings. You really expect me to waste my time and energy on little runts? Give me a battle that’s actually challenging!’” Julia explained. Of course, she knew that Swinub were ground and ice types, with their more dominant type being ice, so fire type attacks could beat them easily, even with Twilight’s weakness to ground. The Swinub didn’t look very strong, and they were still minding their own business. Even so, Julia had always known Twilight to try and attack anything that looked at her wrong. Since when was Twilight suddenly picky about her battles?

“I guess Twilight prefers battling strong Pokemon,” Caiseal mused, crossing his arms. “Eh, I can see why.”

Considering Twilight’s legendary stubborn nature, Julia figured pushing the issue wasn’t worth it. “Alright. I understand, girl,” Julia gently patted her equine friend’s back before pulling out another PokeBall. “Hikaru’s not an option since she’s weak to ground, so...how about--”

“Swi?!” Suddenly, all three Swinub stood on their hind legs, looking all around themselves. The kids could see some of their fur standing straight up. “Nuuuuuub!!” Then, without warning, the Swinub trio scurried away, running deeper into the cave.

“Hm?” Julia raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What was that all about?”

Whatever it was that scared them off, Twilight picked up on it, too. Her ears perked right up, catching a faint sound that was steadily growing louder. The scraping of claws and feet against the ice. Moving bodies rushing over the frigid air. Suddenly, Twilight stood on her back legs, front hooves in the air, bellowing a harsh whinny. Since Julia was right next to her, the sound was far too loud for her ears to handle, and her hands flew to protect them right away.

“Twilight?! Wha--?!”

“Look!” Perrine exclaimed.

It didn’t take long for the reason the Swinub ran away to appear. A group of Sneasel appeared from the ice-studded crystals, ceiling, and walls. There were about nine or ten total, all of them circling around the kids and the fire horse, their sharp eyes sizing them up, claws sharp and ready for slicing them to ribbons. The kids huddled closer to each other for extra security. They were cornered!

“The heck?! What’s with all these Sneasel?!” Perrine yelped. One Sneasel held its claw right toward them, hissing at its compatriots.

Julia could hear everything they said. It did nothing to ameliorate the fear that threatened to consume her. “They say we’ve trespassed onto their hunting grounds, and they’re gonna have us for dinner!” Julia wailed.

The only one who wasn’t afraid in this situation was Twilight. Instead of cowering, the fire horse bellowed once more, stomping her hooves onto the ice right in front of them. “Neeeeeeigh!” (“Now this is more like it! You wanna fight me?! Take me on, then!! I’ll burn you alive!!”)

The group of Sneasel flashed sinister smirks in the horse’s direction. So the horse was challenging them. This was going to be fun. With harsh cries, the Sneasel all pounced, ready to completely rip the kids to pieces. Of course, Twilight beat them to the punch, unleashing a stream of flames in their direction. Two of the Sneasel weren’t fast enough to get away, and as soon as the flames made contact, they fell to the ice, unable to move any further. The other Sneasel managed to avoid the flames, only they were too surprised to compose themselves quick enough. A few others still charged at Twilight, but the horse fought back, knocking them away with her hooves without losing a beat. She even found time to fire a few Ember attacks at some other Sneasel who attempted a sneak attack.

“Alright!” Perrine pulled a PokeBall out. “I’m not gonna sit around and be scared! Go, Kit!” Following Twilight’s example, Perrine sent Kitsune out, knowing she’d be able to stand a chance against these Sneasel.

“Nine!”

“Use Flamethrower!”

As ordered, Kitsune unleashed a stream of blazing fire that cut right through the frigid air of the Ice Path. Unlike with Twilight, the Sneasel were faster and managed to evade the raging flames. Unsurprisingly, the strength of the heat melted any ice that the flames made contact with. Julia could only watch as her friends fought against the little army of Sneasel. Courage began to rise within her. Perrine was right. This wasn’t the time to be sitting around, scared and allowing themselves to be their prey. Twilight already knew this and fought them right away. Not only that, this was her chance to see if she and Twilight could work together as partners.

She clenched her fist before shouting, “Twilight! Use Double Kick and hold them off!”

“Neeeeeeigh!” (“No need to tell me twice!”) Twilight brayed before swiftly knocking one Sneasel to its feet with her hoof, hard as diamond. The poor Sneasel stood no chance against the hotblooded fire horse as it flew to the wall before slumping to the ground. Even as other Sneasel charged at them, the fire Pokemon duo held them off as best they could, whether by kicking them around or firing flames at them. But these Sneasel just wouldn’t give in. One of them managed to climb onto Twilight and scratch her body with its claws. Sharp, searing pain ran through the wound, but Twilight paid it no heed. She barely felt it. The horse galloped and leaped all over the ice, braying and whinnying in an attempt to force the Sneasel off her rear. Kitsune was quick to headbutt the sharp claw Pokemon, pushing it right off her back.

“Guess we better turn up the heat!” Perrine commanded. “Use Flame Burst!”

“Niiiiine!” At the right moment, Kitsune spat out a small, flaming sphere, shooting it right at three Sneasel in particular. As soon as the flame made contact with them, it exploded, shooting embers of all sizes in every direction. The girls were quick to back away, managing to avoid the explosion of flames coming their way.

“Man, these Sneasel are tough!” Perrine noted as some of the other Sneasel charged at Kitsune. “They just refuse to let up!”

“You’re right. Hey Caiseal, how about--?” Julia turned to convince Caiseal to join the fray...only to completely stop the second she saw him.

Caiseal’s eyes were wide, like saucers, the very picture of absolute terror. His mouth had fallen open, and he was as white as a ghost. A hand clutched his chest tightly, so tight that he balled some of the coat’s fabric into a misshapen sphere. Never before had Julia seen such naked, unadulterated terror in Caiseal’s eyes, or his very being for that matter. Julia could see his legs wobbling, and he kept shaking his head, like the very idea of attempting to fight off those Sneasel was practically a death sentence.

“Cash? Cash, what’s wrong?” Now she was getting worried. What was it about this place that traumatized him so much that it made him like this? “We won’t let those Sneasel beat us!” She told him reassuringly. “Can you send Apollo or Mallow out? They’re strong against them!”

As if having heard her, two white lights sprung out from Caiseal’s pockets, materializing into Apollo and Mallow. The bone keeper Pokemon was quick to whack two of the Sneasel with his trusty bone, even if some of them did use their claws to block the attack. On the other hand, Apollo surrounded himself with fire, charging right at the Sneasel, who hopped in all different directions to evade the onslaught. As a result, Apollo wound up ramming into one ice-covered wall, sending chunks of frozen rock sliding all over the place.

“Thanks, guys!” Julia cried out. Even though the Sneasel were extremely persistent, the tables were starting to turn, and the kids had the advantage. She made sure to stay close to Caiseal, that way he wouldn’t be alone and exposed during this whole brouhaha. No way was she going to let those Sneasel get their hands on him, especially when he looked as though his whole life was frightened right out of him.

One Sneasel pounced right onto Kitsune, dredging its claws into her fur. “Niiiiiine!” Kitsune yowled, falling to the ground from the force of the pounce.

It didn’t take long for Twilight to fire Ember at it, forcing it off of Kitsune. Mallow was quick to come to Kitsune’s aid and help her up. But it was easy to see a patch of fresh blood forming on the fur around Kitsune’s neck.

“Kit!” Perrine’s hands almost flew to her mouth. Those Sneasel actually managed to hurt her friend to the point of drawing blood. She rummaged through her pockets to pull a PokeBall out, but Kitsune had managed to push another Sneasel out of the way. It helped that Twilight was right in front of her, acting as a barrier, keeping the Sneasel away from her.

“Neeeeeigh!” (“You want some more?! Come and get me, you wimps!!”) Twilight bellowed, daring them to try and lay one claw on her friend.

“Come on, Twilight! Don’t egg them on!” Julia groaned. As much as she liked Twilight’s enthusiasm and eagerness to fight the Sneasel, she was sure mocking them wasn’t going to improve their situation.

Sure enough, it only got worse.

All of the Sneasel regrouped, standing back up despite their injuries slowing their movements. Many of the Sneasel were still covered in burns, with some clutching their wounded body parts with their hands. Others were reduced to limping rather than their usual swift moments. Then, the group of Sneasel shot death glares at the kids before letting out a high pitched, piercing shriek in unison.

“Sneeeeeeeee!!”

“Ugh!” Julia recoiled, her hands flying to her ears. But even then, she could still hear the awful noise, and it was making her eardrums throb like a quivering heartbeat. Mallow, Apollo, and Twilight stood together, readying themselves for whatever the Sneasel were planning. Exactly what they were doing, they had no idea. Then, a dark cloud suddenly materialized above them, resembling a rain cloud. Perrine and Kitsune took two steps back, their eyes wide with a combination of curiosity and fear. Just what was that, and what were the Sneasel doing? The cloud expanded in size until it was bigger than both the group of Sneasel and the two kids.

Then, in no time at all, a wall of snow came crashing down. Nobody could react. Julia suddenly saw, felt, and tasted white and cold. Her feet no longer touched the floor, and it hurt to breathe. She was moving fast, and her arms couldn’t move, unable to reach anything.

“JULE!! CASH!!” Perrine’s pained, horrified voice was little more than a faint echo at this point. The roar of rushing snow blocked out everything else. Julia felt nothing but hard rock all around her. Everything went black.

***

The first thing she felt when she finally came to was ice on her hands. She opened her eyes, seeing a floor of ice underneath her. Her palms were wet, probably from her body heat making contact with the ice. She looked up, blinking. Was she alive? She curled her fingers inward, forming a fist. She was alive! But relief didn’t come just yet. Where was everyone? She pulled herself up, looking around to take in her new surroundings.

“Caiseal? Perrine? Twilight?” Where were they? She looked behind her. Sure enough, Caiseal, Twilight, Apollo, and Mallow were right behind her, unconscious, with half of their bodies covered with a big pile of snow. Perrine was nowhere in sight. As she approached the still unconscious Caiseal, she could see his chest rising and falling. Relief washed over her. He was alive!

“Caiseal!” Julia wrapped her arms underneath his armpits and heaved, pulling him out of the snow. Surprisingly enough, Caiseal slid right out easily. Julia assumed that was because Twilight and Apollo were around, and their heat helped melt the snow somewhat, being fire-types and all. She could tell they were alive as well. Twilight was beginning to stir, and Apollo’s ears twitched a little. Slowly, Julia laid Caiseal back down. “Caiseal, wake up!” Then she shook his shoulders, not too hard, but hard enough that it’d wake him up for sure.

“Wake up!” Julia pleaded once more.

“Nnngh...wha?” Finally, Caiseal’s eyes sprung open, hazy, almost glazed over from confusion. He sat right up with a yelp, and Julia backed off a little to give him some space. “What the...the heck happened?!” Caiseal exclaimed, his throat hoarse, almost dry.

Julia looked over at the wall of snow. “Those Sneasel unleashed a really strong attack on us…” She told him calmly. Just studying the situation, she could tell this wasn’t the time to be scared or frightened. If she was scared, Caiseal would be too, even though he was already scared out of his mind long before this. It was time to take the initiative. “I think we got separated from Perrine. I don’t see her anywhere.”

Just then, Twilight let out a loud bellow, and the flames on her mane burned bright and hot, melting the snow on her back in an instant. Afterward, the horse got back on her feet and shot an angry, almost deadly glare at the wall of snow. Julia practically felt the anger emanating from her, like heat from an open flame.

Those freakin’ Sneasel…!!” Twilight brayed. “They’re goin’ DOWN!!” The horse’s trainer could also hear the rage in her voice clear as day. With the way the Twilight glared at the snow, eyes burning red hot, Julia was sure she wanted to straight up murder those Sneasel.

At this point, Julia didn’t even have it in her to scold Twilight for her...skewed priorities, even though she did agree that those Sneasel needed to be taught a lesson. Thankfully, Mallow and Apollo woke up soon after, and managed to pull themselves out of the snow. They were both quick to run right over to Caiseal, gazing at him with concerned, worried expressions. Apollo even helped Caiseal stand back on his feet, with the latter putting his hand on the former’s left shoulder to help himself up.

“I wonder what that attack was?” Julia had to admit, she had never seen that kind of attack before, especially not from a Sneasel. In seconds, snow had rained down from a cloud they created just by screeching, and she and Caiseal had gotten swept away.

“Hraaaaaah,” Apollo let out a low growl, and Julia was quick to translate. “It was Avalanche. That was the attack they used on us earlier,” He had explained.

Mallow nodded in agreement. “Marowak marowak,” (“Yes. I’ve seen that attack before. But I’ve never seen a Sneasel use it before.”) The bone keeper Pokemon held a hand to his chin, pondering. During his journey with Caiseal, Mallow had battled many ice type Pokemon that knew Avalanche, and had experienced said attack first hand. This wasn’t the first time Mallow had been swallowed up by a wall of snow. Of course, having been hit by walls of snow multiple times didn’t mean he had gotten used to it enough to know when to expect it.

This was bad. Julia could feel it in her bones. They were trapped in an icy cave. Having Apollo and Twilight here did help, and their attacks would be very useful, but she knew she couldn’t just have them shoot fire at everything willy-nilly. Wild Pokemon could likely attack them again, and that was the last thing Julia wanted right now. Any thoughts of wanting to catch a cute little Swinub were kicked to the curb, and all of her thoughts were focused on getting out of the cave.

“Wait!” Suddenly, a realization hit her like a Thunderbolt attack. Her PokeGear! She could call Perrine and see if she was okay! Julia rummaged through her pocket, pulling her PokeGear right out. Unfortunately, the little green screen showed no bars. “Ugh! Of course there’d be no reception!” She yelled, scolding herself for forgetting that cell phones didn’t work in caves. If there was no reception at all, then it was impossible to make any kind of call. It was worth a try. But she reminded herself that this was not the time to complain or moan.

Shaking her head, she looked towards the Pokemon and Caiseal. “Alright. We’re separated from Perrine and deep into the Ice Path, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to get out of here,” Julia told everyone, keeping herself calm. Her insides were doing backflips, and parts of her wanted to scream and just run out of here. But she squished them down and kept her focus. “If we all work together and try to use our best judgment, we should be able to get out of here safely. Our chances of--”

“Marowak!” Unfortunately for her, she didn’t get the chance to finish her speech. Mallow sprinted toward Caiseal, who was leaning against a frozen cave wall, a hand clutching his chest tight to the point that his knuckle was white. His hazel eyes were small, but completely wracked with terror, and his breathing was fast, breaths short and labored. His chest heaved up and down, up and down, and Julia could practically feel the naked fear and terror just from being near him.

“Caiseal!” She was quick to join Mallow. What in the world happened? This had never happened before. “Caiseal! What’s wrong?!” She shook his shoulders, but his harsh breathing continued. It was like he had changed into someone she didn’t recognize. “What’s going on?!”

Suddenly, Mallow gently pulled Julia back, nodding in Apollo’s direction. In response, Apollo nodded, knowing what needed to be done. He gently helped Caiseal sit on a block of ice, then pushed his head down so it was between his own legs. Apollo was calm throughout the entire process, keeping his warm hands on Caiseal’s head. Julia could make out what he was saying in the confusion. “Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Breathe,” Apollo told his panicking trainer.

It didn’t take long for Julia to figure out what was happening. Mallow was quick to confirm it for her, saying, “Marowak marowak,” (“He’s having a panic attack.”)

A panic attack...She had heard of them a few times before, but only vaguely, and she had never seen one before. So that was what happened. “Did...did the avalanche just now…?” She asked, wondering if that caused it. Mallow nodded, confirming her suspicion. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She had no idea just being somewhere could make someone be so scared that they’d react like that. The fact that his Pokemon knew what to do and were actively trying to help him through it told her that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Whatever Caiseal went through, it had to have been extremely traumatic. Eventually, Caiseal’s heavy breathing subsided, and his breaths were slower, deeper, less frantic. Apollo smiled, letting out a soft grow as his trainer looked him in the eye.

“Apollo...thanks, bud,” Caiseal croaked.

Julia was quick to run to his side. “Are you okay? You really scared me just now.”

“Sorry. I...I’m better now. Not totally, but…” Caiseal stood up from the ice block he sat on, taking hold of Apollo as he did so.

Guilt started to creep into Julia. She had insisted on their going into the Ice Path, and she never even knew that Caiseal hated it so much that just being here would make him feel like he was dying. ‘How could I be so insensitive and careless?! I shouldn’t have done this to him! This is my fault!!’ She scolded herself for not having seen this sooner. But getting out was their number one priority, and so was Caiseal’s well-being. Finding Perrine was third on the list, but still high up there. The sooner they got out of here, the better everyone would be.

“Do you think you can walk?” Julia asked, her green eyes wet with concern.

“Sure I can.”

He didn’t sound sure, and she knew it in her heart that he wasn’t okay. They decided to just go down their current path and see where it led them. All throughout the walk, Julia could see Caiseal locked in some kind of daze, simply staring at everything listlessly. His pace was sluggish and slow, and he wobbled when he walked, looking quite unsteady on his feet. Not only that, his face was starting to turn a sickly green color. Was he sick? Was he even still in reality? Obviously, there was no point in asking him if he was okay. He wasn’t, and everyone knew it. His Pokemon knew it. Why else had they broken out of their PokeBalls to fend off those Sneasel when Caiseal was incapacitated with abject fear?

“Caiseal?”

“Hm?”

“Do you...need something to drink?” The urge to do something, anything to help him out, kept itching at her entire being. “I still have some water bottles with me. You can have one.”

Caiseal simply shook his head listlessly, not even looking at her when he did so. But it was a good enough response. “You’re probably tired. Maybe we can find a place to sit down and take a short break,” She suggested.

“Marowak!” “Grah!” Both Apollo and Mallow agreed, motioning for Caiseal to take it easy.

Once again, Caiseal shook his head, only slower this time.

Julia clenched her teeth, frustrated. Why was Caiseal refusing to just take it easy? She could clearly see that just being here was making him feel like garbage. Did Caiseal feel like he needed to endure this at the cost of his health and welfare, or was he extremely desperate to just get out of here? Julia wished she could read his mind, that way she could learn why he was refusing their suggestions to take a break. But humans couldn’t read minds, and she hated that. She hated feeling so helpless and having absolutely no idea how to make him feel better.

Before she could think about this a bit more, a huff from Twilight took her attention away from Caiseal. She turned around, seeing Twilight in a battle position. Her ears were standing up, and her mane was burning quite hot. She could see the air around Twilight rippling like waves.

“What’s wrong, Twi?”

“Neeeeeigh!” (“There’s a Pokemon coming this way!”) Twilight whinnied, ready for battle.

Her trainer clenched her hand into a fist. Was it one of the Sneasel from before, or the whole group of them? Like Twilight next to her, Julia readied herself for a harrowing battle.

...Only to find that the Pokemon in question just walked right out in front of them, and it wasn’t a Sneasel at all.

“Huh?”

“Smooch?” Trotting out from a branching path was a small Pokemon that almost looked human if Julia didn’t know any better. Blonde hair reaching down to its shoulders, a round, cute, purplish pink face, a cream colored torso, a plushy set of lips, and green eyes like wet forget-me-nots. The Pokemon scratched a tuft of its hair, tilting its head to one side, examining the human and horse standing before it.

Twilight huffed. “Hmph! Another weakling. Why am I even surprised?”

On the other hand, Julia absolutely melted just from the sight of the Pokemon alone. “Oh my gosh, a Smoochum!! It’s soooooo cuuuuuuute!!” She squealed like a fangirl, pulling her PokeDex about to examine it, even though she knew the Pokemon already.

Smoochum, the kiss Pokemon. Their lips are very sensitive, and Smoochum often use them to investigate foreign objects. Because the nerve endings in their lips are extremely developed, Smoochum are able to always remember how the things they kiss feel, so they have a good idea of what they like and don’t like. Smoochum like to keep their lips moist by drinking tree sap daily. Smoochum are very popular among humans for their sweet nature and endearing personalities, especially girls. Smoochum are very particular about their appearance, and sometimes they look for objects that show their reflection to make sure their faces don’t get dirty. Smoochum are always female, and when they evolve into Jynx, they reproduce asexually upon meeting certain criteria.”

“Smoochum!” The Smoochum squeaked, walking closer to Julia and Twilight. Uninterested in the little half-pint, Twilight let out an ambivalent whinny and averted her gaze. Julia simply kneeled down to Smoochum’s level, beaming.

“Hi there, little Smoochum!” Julia greeted it in an uncharacteristically high pitched, squeaky voice. She couldn’t help it. Just looking at the adorable little Pokemon made her entire being melt and turn warm and fuzzy. But the Smoochum was more focused on Mallow than anyone else.

“Wak?” Mallow could only raise a quizzical eyebrow, feeling the Smoochum’s gaze lock onto him.

Suddenly, the Smoochum ran right up to him, fluttering her eyelashes in his direction and nuzzling him. “Smoooooch…!”

But Julia knew exactly what the Smoochum was saying. “Will you go out with me? I’d love to go somewhere nice with you!”

Mallow showed no reaction except for a slightly disgusted look. Using his bone, he gently pushed Smoochum away and told her, in no uncertain terms, “Marowak marowak.” (“Not gonna happen. You’re too young, and you’re not my type.”)

“SMOOCHUM!?” The kiss Pokemon squawked, completely flabbergasted by Mallow’s blunt rejection. Heartbroken, Smoochum walked about a few feet away and cried a river of tears. “Smooooooch!!”

So...Smoochum has a crush on Mallow and was following us around?’ Julia thought. It was the only plausible explanation she could come up with. Even so, the fact that this was happening right out of nowhere still threw her for a loop. Everything else did a good enough job of throwing her mind out of whack. First they get attacked by a group of Sneasel, separated from Perrine, then Caiseal had a panic attack, and now this. Still, she did feel a little bad for Smoochum. She walked over and kneeled to her level.

“I’m sorry, Smoochum,” Julia told her kindly, taking care not to talk too loud, lest she scare the little one. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who’ll definitely love you.”

“Smooch…”

An idea suddenly popped into her head. This Smoochum lived here. Maybe, with a little convincing, she could have Smoochum show them the way out. It was definitely a big risk. For all they knew, Smoochum could lead them right into a trap. But at this point they didn’t have any other options, and just blasting fire through the entire cave wasn’t going to solve the problem either. They couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. She had to try.

“Little Smoochum? Do you happen to know how we can get out of here?” Julia asked.

Finally, Smoochum stopped crying, staring up at Julia with her big eyes, curious. “Chum?”

“My friends and I are trying to find our way out, but we got lost. You live here, right? Would you happen to know where the exit is?”

After a brief silence, Smoochum squealed and pointed further down one corridor. “Smoochum smoochum!” (“I don’t, but my mommy does! She can help!”)

Julia clasped her hands together. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing. “Thank you so much, Smoochum! By the way, I’m Julia, and these are my friends,” She pointed to the Pokemon and Caiseal behind her. “Twilight, Apollo, Mallow, and Caiseal--”

Suddenly, Caiseal fell on all fours, making strange retching sounds. Everyone whirled right around. What was happening this time? “Caiseal!” Julia was the first to run over to him, followed by a just as worried Mallow. But before they could get close, a stream of vomit poured out from Caiseal’s mouth. Julia’s hands were quick to protect her nose from the thick, pungent smell, and Mallow and Apollo backed away as soon as it happened. Caiseal threw up once more, unable to keep it all in. Some of the puke melted the ice as soon as it made contact.

“Ewwww!” Julia recoiled, clamping her hands over her nose. This made no sense. Why was Caiseal throwing up, and in the Ice Path, no less? But her disgust turned to worry once she heard Caiseal heaving. He must be really sick. Keeping one hand on her nose, she gingerly approached him as Apollo helped him up. “Caiseal? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“Ugh…” At this point, Caiseal’s voice turned hoarse and phlegmy. “I feel like garbage…” That answered her question.

“Chuuuum!” Smoochum had her hands on her nose as well, unable to handle the noisome odor that wafted through the cave. Mallow simply put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, though he wasn’t sure if that would do any good. For now, he just let Caiseal have his space.

“You want some water?” Julia pulled a water bottle out from her pocket. “My mom says you get dehydrated when you throw up, so it’s good to drink some.”

His face green and sickly, Caiseal took the water bottle, but didn’t drink out of it yet. “Thanks...sorry about that.”

Why was he apologizing for something he couldn’t control? Julia waved her hand dismissively. “It’s okay! It’s not like you wanted to puke just now. But let’s just focus on getting out of here. Maybe we’ll find Perrine while we’re at it,” She turned over to Smoochum. “So...you ready to lead the way?”

Smoochum held one of her hands over her head, like she was doing a military pose. “Smoochum!”

With that, Smoochum led the way, and the kids and Pokemon followed from behind. Twilight barely paid them any attention, as she kept her eyes and ears open, waiting for those Sneasel to come back. She was itching to give them a good beatdown after that stunt they pulled. But they all focused on walking through the Ice Path, and not straying from the caverns Smoochum led them through. But all throughout the walk, Julia could tell Caiseal looked worse for wear. His face was still green, even after he drank the water she gave him, his eyes were red and puffy, and he looked more like he was hobbling unsteadily rather than walking. Apollo and Mallow stayed on both sides of him, so he wasn’t in any danger of falling over. Still, Julia became more worried than before. First Caiseal was just cagey about being in the Ice Path, then having a full blown panic attack, and then getting so sick that he threw up?

What exactly did the Ice Path do to him?

Suddenly, she noticed something on one of the walls. It was a white piece of paper with a green arrow on it, leading further into the cave. She could make out some writing underneath the arrow, and it read ‘Follow this path to the exit toward Blackthorn City.’ It took no time at all for her to light up.

“Guys! It looks like we’re heading the right way after all!” Julia announced, her voice bright with cheer. “We’ll be out of here in no time!”

Caiseal could only flash a weak but relieved smile in her direction. Yes, the end of this tunnel was near. After this, he was never, ever, ever going back into the Ice Path ever again. Good thing the Smoochum kept her word and didn’t try to trick them or lure them into a trap. None of the Pokemon sensed any malice in the little one’s heart, so at this point, they were just happy to be one step closer to the end.

“Smoochum!” The kiss Pokemon trotted along the ice without a care in the world.

“How much farther?” Julia asked.

“Smoochum smooch!” (“Not much farther! My home s near here!”)

Then, ice ran through everyone’s veins. Not literally, but they all stopped in their tracks. Twilight was the first to react. She let out a great bellow, standing on her hind legs, throwing her hooves into the air wildly. “Neeeeeeeigh!!” (“Those darn Sneasel are back!!”)

Black shadows pounced out from behind the crystals, forming a circle around the group. Gold eyes leered at them, burning with a desire for revenge. Apollo fell on all floors, the flames on his back flaring as he let out a roar. Julia ran to Caiseal’s side, mostly to protect him than for him to protect her. The Sneasel had returned! She could make out some of the burn marks on their bodies from before.

Julia stood in front of Caiseal, holding an arm out in a protective stance. “Leave us alone!” She yelled in the Sneasels’ direction. “We don’t want to fight! We just want to get out of here!”

Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears. “Sneeeee!” All of the Sneasel leaped towards the kids and their Pokemon, claws out and ready to slice them to ribbons. Mallow was the first to react, leaping into the air to smack two Sneasel out of the way with his bone. Then, Twilight took charge and shot a stream of flames at them. Some of them evaded the attack, but only one Sneasel was hit. Twilight had no sympathy for the sharp claw Pokemon even as it screeched and howled from exposure to the intense flames.

“Raaaah!” Two of the Sneasel managed to sneak up behind Apollo and slash his back with his claws. Julia squeaked in fear as she saw them rip huge chunks of Apollo’s navy blue fur off his back. Good thing Apollo retaliated quickly, covering himself in flames before throwing himself at them, sending them flying into the icy walls.

Julia knew she had to get away from those Sneasel. Everyone did, especially since Caiseal was still unable to do anything. She wrapped an arm around him, holding him close. “You think you can keep walking?”

Wordlessly, Caiseal nodded.

“Everyone!” Julia cried out. “Try and hold them off as much as you can! I’ll take Caiseal somewhere safe!”

She didn’t even get the chance to move as one Sneasel charged straight for them. The sharp claw Pokemon leered at the two kids as it swiped at them. Julia could only hold her leg out in an attempt to hold it off. Unfortunately for her, the Sneasel was just too agile, jumping all over the place and swiftly backing away every time she tried to kick at it. Eventually, she did manage to send her sneaker right into the Sneasel’s midsection, sending it rolling on the ice, unable to breathe. Sneasel curled into a fetal position, clutching its throbbing stomach, unable to suck in any air.

Twilight fired flames at the Sneasel with no hesitation, intent on getting some sweet revenge on those pesky things. Mallow held his bone up like a shield, holding off two Sneasel until they simply jumped over him and swiped at his back. Thankfully, Apollo was there to charge at them with Flame Charge, knocking them into the icy walls with such force that parts of it actually broke into larger shards that slid onto the floor. With Caiseal by her side, Julia glanced all around herself, looking for someplace, any place, she could hide him. There was nothing. No big cracks, no crevices, no cave entrances, no big crystals for him to hide behind...they were wide open.

“Smoooooch!!” A piercing wail made Julia whirl behind her. Smoochum was backed against a cave wall, eyes wide with sheer terror, with three Sneasel in front of her, claws out and ready to attack. Julia sucked in a big breath. Smoochum was in danger! She hadn’t done anything to them. Of course, it was easy to tell the Sneasel would be the type to attack one of the weaker prey. Weak Pokemon were easier to subdue in the wild, and Smoochum was basically helpless.

Unable to stand by and let Smoochum die, Julia could feel adrenaline rushing through her. No way was she going to let them hurt poor Smoochum! Her legs moved on their own, and she found herself charging at the Sneasel, her sneakers sliding across the ice. “Leave her alone!!” Taking advantage of the slippery ice beneath her feet, she intentionally bent down and stuck one leg out, barreling into the trio of Sneasel, sending them sliding across the ice. “Take that!!”

“Chum?” After being paralyzed with fear before, Smoochum could feel her body relax as Julia kicked the Sneasel down the icy corridor.

“Smoochum!” Julia called out. “Run and hide! Quick!”

“Smooch!” Not wanting to take any chances, the kiss Pokemon made a break for it, sprinting down the icy cave as far as her stubby legs could carry her.

Twilight’s braying pulled Julia to her senses, watching as the fire horse pummeled two Sneasel with her hooves with Stomp. Finally, seeing that they were no match, a few of the Sneasel exchanged glances at each other before running away. A few of them had to be forced down the corridor thanks to Apollo barreling into them with Flame Charge yet again. Finally, the Sneasel had disappeared completely.

“Neeeeeeigh!!” (“That’s right!! Run away, you wussies!! Nobody messes with me!!”) Twilight bellowed a victorious whinny, flailing her front hooves into the air like she won a race. Apollo and Mallow slapped their hands together in a jubilant high five.

A sigh of relief escaped Julia’s throat. “Whew! Thank goodness they’re finally gone! Good job, everyone!” Julia exclaimed, hastily recalling Twilight back to her PokeBall, figuring she needed some well deserved rest. “Especially you, Twi. You were great,” She turned towards Caiseal, who still stood in the middle of the icy corridor, his arms wrapped tightly around himself again. “We did it, Cash! We’re safe now!”

Her relief lasted all of five seconds. A subtle crack right above her caused her to look up. A river of big icicles lined the ceiling. One of them had a huge crack going across the base of it. Small pieces of ice fell into her and Caiseal’s hair. Caiseal looked up as well, both children realizing right away that the icicle was going to break completely. The crack extended further, then the icicle began to break off. Apollo and Mallow looked up, their eyes wide with terror.

Finally, the icicle broke off, descending right for them.

Right towards Caiseal.

“CASH!!” Again, her body moved on its own. With a great jump, Julia rammed herself right into Caiseal, pushing him and herself out from underneath the falling icicle. Apollo could only cover his eyes as the icicle crashed onto the floor, shards exploding all around them like glass that had shattered to pieces.

“Marowak!!” Mallow quickly sprinted over to the two children, hoping that they were alright. Julia and Caiseal lay sprawled across the ice, with the former right on top of his trainer, her back facing the ceiling. Mallow let out a sigh of relief. They were alive, and from what he could see, it didn’t look like the icicle touched them in any way. No scratches, cuts, bruises, or gashes on their skin. Realizing that she wasn’t hurt, Julia finally opened her eyes, sat herself up, and turned around.

“Whoa! That thing could have killed us!” Julia exclaimed, removing herself from Caiseal and standing up. Then she brushed some ice off her coat and extended a hand out for Caiseal. “Good thing I heard it cracking when I did, huh?”

In silence, Caiseal grabbed her hand and helped himself up. Both kids could feel their hearts still pounding in their chests, racing a million miles a minute. “Man! You’re right, Caiseal! This place really is dangerous!” Julia said, just glad to be alive in this place.

On the other hand, Caiseal’s hazel eyes were absolutely huge, his irises so small, they looked like small marbles. The icicle falling towards him replayed in his head over and over. This was too much. Too much. Everything seemed to close in on him, threatening to swallow him whole and never let him go. It was exactly the same as back then. Images flashed through his mind. An icicle breaking off the ceiling, falling towards him. A hysterical woman flailing her limbs violently, shouting at him. Red and blue lights illuminating the ghostly winter clouds. Snowflakes aimlessly floating down onto his burning skin. Everything attacked him all at once.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

Not even Julia’s concerned voice could reach him anymore.

Instead, a woman’s violent screams assailed his ears, overwhelming everything else.

YOU’RE ROTTEN TO THE CORE!! YOU’RE A MURDERER!! I HATED YOU EVEN WHEN YOU WERE INSIDE OF ME!!”

He couldn’t stay here. Everything was closing in on him. He needed to get out, and he needed to go NOW.

But he couldn’t escape.

Caiseal screamed. A strange, almost animalistic howl that seemed to echo through the entire Ice Path. The sudden sound made Julia yelp, startling her to the point of making heart thunder harder than before. Mallow and Apollo simply whirled in his direction, their eyes wide with a combination of confusion and concern. Julia’s hands flew to her ears and they stayed there. What in the world was going on? Then, Caiseal made a break for one of the walls, using his fists to pound on the ice, screaming and bellowing like a prisoner trying to escape from jail.

“We gotta get out!!” Caiseal’s voice had risen higher than anything Julia had ever heard, and it, along with his pounding on the icy cave walls, exploded all around and inside of her. But the absolute horror and fear in his very being and everything else was unmistakable. “WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HEEEERE!!”

“Caiseal! What's wrong?!” Both she and Mallow wrapped their arms around Caiseal, attempting to pull away. Caiseal continued to scream, kicking his legs and throwing his arms in all different directions, like getting to the ice was a matter of life and death.

“We’re all gonna die!! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!” Finally, Caiseal pried himself out of their grip and continued to beat on the wall. He didn’t care if his fists were throbbing with pain and cold, turning red like stubs of raw meat. Julia could see, hear, and feel the unadulterated pain practically emanating from him. She was sure he would hurt himself if he continued like this. Not wanting to give up, she wrapped her arms around his stomach once more.

“Stop it, Caiseal! Stop! You’ll hurt yourself!!” Julia pleaded, knowing he wouldn’t listen. But she couldn’t just sit by and do nothing while he was suffering so much. This time, Mallow and Apollo both wrapped their arms around each individual arm, preventing any further beatings on the ice.

He still continued to scream, and he didn’t care that his throat was rapidly growing dry, both from vomiting earlier and wailing so much now. Julia tightened her arms around him, not wanting to lose him to whatever was hurting him so badly. But what could she do? Her hug wasn’t calming him down one bit.

“I know this is what you want, Nollaig!!”

Nollaig? Julia looked up, seeing only Caiseal’s curly blonde locks. What was a Nollaig? Or rather...who was Nollaig?

“You threw me in here so I’d die!! Well, guess what?! You’re finally gonna get your wish and be rid of me forever!!” Caiseal screamed to the ceiling, seeing and hearing nothing around him, not even the pleas of the friends who tried to keep him from hurting himself. Who was he talking to? “Are you happy now, huh?! DOES THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY?!”

Despair had completely taken him over. “Caiseal, stop!! Don’t do this!! What’s going on?!” Julia cried in desperation. This was all wrong. None of this made any sense. Why was Caiseal acting like this? Hearing, seeing, and feeling him like this hurt her all over, like someone had smashed a glass bottle inside of her. This wasn’t like him at all. Her desire to help him overpowered the awful, throbbing pain in her ears.

Gradually, Caiseal’s agonizing screams simmered down to little more than pathetic, wretched sobbing. Apollo and Mallow released his arms from their grip, letting him down gently. Huge waterfalls of tears rushed out from his puffy, reddening hazel eyes, drowning his cheeks in warm water, not intent on stopping anytime soon. Julia closed her eyes. The sight of Caiseal looking so sad, so absolutely broken and full of despair was like a slap in the face. Goodness, she wanted so badly to help him! But how? How could she help him when she had no idea what was going on? Could she even help him at all?

“What’s wrong?” She finally pushed out, the words little more than a meek whimper. “Caiseal?”

“I can’t...I can’t...go on like this…” Caiseal’s normally cheery, boyish, steady voice was now trembling, shaky with abject sorrow. Julia could feel the despair all the way down into her bones. “I nearly died here once...and that’s what Nollaig wanted!”

Julia pressed her lips into a thin line. Obviously, whoever this Nollaig person was, they were the reason Caiseal was like this now. She needed to know what happened, and she needed to know NOW. Caiseal needed someone to be here for him and help him. She, Apollo, and Mallow were here. They could help him right here, right now. But she knew she couldn’t just barrel straight into asking him about his past. She needed to do it gently. It took all but seconds for her to get an idea of how to begin.

“Do you...want to talk about it? About what happened? I’ll listen. We all will. I know there isn’t much we can do to help, but...we’re here for you,” She hoped to Arceus this was right, that she wasn’t being rude or pushy or doing something she shouldn’t.

The walls Caiseal put up finally broke down, leaving nothing left. All this time, he had kept it all inside, figuring the girls didn’t want to hear about his rocky past. It wasn’t any of their business, he told himself. What would they gain from hearing about it? What would he himself get out of it? There was no point in dwelling on the past. But Julia made him feel safe. She withheld judgment and let him express himself. What was the point of hiding it now, especially since he, Perrine, and Julia had been through so much together? They accepted and liked him already. Something told him to finally open up to her. Enough was enough. Finally, he told his story.

All his life, Caiseal never felt wanted in his family. His father was barely around, usually working a lot of the time. His mother...she was around, but for some reason Caiseal was never able to figure out, his mother always treated him like he was a perpetual troublemaker. She usually ignored him 24/7 unless he did something bad, which was pretty much anything from not cleaning his room to helping his sister with her homework. He would even be blamed for things his little sister Violet admitted to doing, which made even less sense. Why would she blame him for things his sister confessed to doing? Neither he nor his sister knew, and even when he asked his mother why, she never gave him an answer.

It wasn’t restricted to just at home, either. Whenever the family would go out, his mother would outright refuse to speak to him or about him in public. She would even refuse to buy him gifts on holidays or his birthday. Violet would draw pictures for him just so he could get something, and his friends and teachers gave him gifts as well. She never even picked him up from school. Caiseal had to learn to walk home from school from kindergarten onward. “You have two legs! You can walk yourself home like a man! If you expect me to carry you around all day, you’re nothing but a big fat baby!” His mother barked at him, like the thought of picking her son up from school was like having to eat a rotten apple.

Nothing changed much over the years. But the more he went to school, the more he noticed that all of his classmates had mothers who loved them. Their mothers hugged them, gave them kisses, took them home from school, complimented them on their accomplishments, gave them birthday gifts, took them to places like the mountain or the park, all those things. Caiseal’s mother never did any of those things with him. Only with Violet. Whenever Caiseal asked her questions at all, his mother would always either snap at him, ignore him, or yell at him, never answering any of his inquiries. It was all so confusing. She was always angry at him, verbally attacking him every chance she got, even when he wasn’t doing anything.

You’re still wetting the bed at that age?! Are you ever going to grow up?! God, why do I have to be the one to deal with you?!”

I’m the only person Violet needs! You’re just gonna be a bad influence on her, I know it! You can’t even be near her without causing some kind of trouble!”

Oh, stop playing the victim, Caiseal! It’s your own fault you broke your leg! I take my eyes off you for one second and you go and pull this stunt! Now I have to waste my hard earned money on hospital bills! I hope you’re happy!”

What is wrong with you?! I go out of my way to put food on the table and a roof over your head, and you straight up break my vase?! I don’t want to hear your excuses! You dumb blockhead! You’re setting a poor example for Violet!”

You seriously want me to come to your school’s festival and watch you run some relay race? Are you kidding me?! I have better things to do than watch you waste my valuable time! Don’t ever talk to me about this crap ever again!”

I’d be much happier if I didn’t have to put up with you every single day of my life! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be outside with you?! Neighbors are always gossiping about me! Now whose fault do you think that is, huh?!”

Julia’s heart sunk as Caiseal described the things his mother said to him. She actually said all of those things? To a child, no less? She had heard stories about children being abused and mistreated by their parents, but learning that Caiseal’s own mother hated him for seemingly no reason...no wonder Caiseal hated talking about his mother. She didn’t even dare to think about what life would be like if her own mother had treated her that way. How could a mother, a person who was supposed to love and care for her children no matter what, possibly find it in her to hate her own child? If she ever saw Caiseal’s mother, she’d punch her so hard in the face, she hoped her teeth would come flying out. As far as she was concerned, a person like that shouldn’t be having kids if she was going to treat him like that.

Caiseal continued on. Even though he did ask his mother why she treated him the way she did, he still never got an answer. Then, out of the blue, when he was nine, his mother put him in the car and drove him all the way out to the Ice Path. It was all the way at the edge of the city, far from their house, and Caiseal had no idea what was going on. To his horror, his mother did the unthinkable: she pushed him down into the Ice Path and left him there, driving away without looking back.

“Whoa! What?!” Julia’s eyes went wide with alarm, standing right up from the block of ice she was sitting on. “Your mother just dumped you in here and straight up abandoned you?! Just like that?!”

Caiseal gave a solemn nod. “Pretty much.”

To say Julia was appalled would be an understatement. What kind of mother would throw her child into a dangerous place like this? But more than that, a wave of guilt washed over her. No wonder Caiseal was so adamant about not wanting to go through the Ice Path, and everything else that led up to his breakdown earlier. To him, the Ice Path held too many terrible memories for him. Julia wished she hadn’t been so persistent about dragging him through here. She felt horrible. What kind of friend would force someone to go through a place that traumatized them? A bad one, and Julia had done exactly what a friend shouldn’t have.

“I...I had no idea…I’m sorry…I never should have been so pushy about this whole thing.”

“It’s alright,” Caiseal reassured, calmer this time. “I never told you about all this, so how could you have known I hate this place with every fiber of my being?” He scratched at his hair, wanting to get the blood in his fingers pumping. By this time, the tears he shed finally stopped. “Then again, I guess part of it is my own fault for not mentioning this a lot sooner. I didn’t want to bother you with my angst.”

“You’re never bothering us!” Julia exclaimed. “Don’t ever think that!”

The down-trodden boy flashed a sad smile before continuing on. “Thanks. The minute I got in there, a big icicle almost fell on me. I could have died, but I got out of the way.”

An icicle almost falling on him...just now, a big icicle almost fell on them both, had Julia not managed to push him out of the way. That must have been what triggered his breakdown before. The pieces came together. So that was what happened. Caiseal must have found himself reliving the same trauma from when he was thrown here all over again. Just like Geraldine when she would be lost in her memories and scream as they played in her head over and over. It all made sense.

“But how did you get out? Did someone rescue you?”

“Actually...a Jynx found me and led me out,” Caiseal explained further.

After almost getting maimed by the icicle, a Jynx happened to appear out of nowhere. It seemed to notice his distress and didn’t attack him. Instead, the Jynx gently showed him the way out. Seeing sunlight again never felt so good before then. But before Caiseal could say thanks, Jynx had already disappeared. However, being outside led to a whole new set of concerns. How was he going to get home? He was so far away from his house. It would take weeks, maybe months to get back home on foot. As far as Caiseal knew at the time, he had no money or any means to contact anyone.

With no other solutions, Caiseal just walked wherever he could. Since he had no money, he couldn’t do anything like order food or stay at an inn or a hotel. Basically, he was rendered homeless. He did attempt to ask people if he could borrow their phones and call for help, but they all rejected him. They either ignored him, pushed him out of the way, or straight up told him to leave for whatever reason. Some of them outright said that they didn’t want some homeless kid getting in the way of their business or getting their things dirty. He had to resort to stealing unfinished food from trash cans and sleeping in cardboard boxes just to get through every day. The more Julia heard, the more appalled she became. She did hear him mention he spent some time on the streets, but never heard the details. She couldn’t help but imagine a sad, scared kid walking the streets, cold, hungry, and wearing nothing but rags, trying desperately to survive in a cruel world that didn’t like anyone who was homeless.

“It went on like that for two months,” Caiseal told her. “I was pretty lost. I had no idea where the police stations were, and asking for directions didn’t work since nobody wanted anything to do with some kid in rags. I was starting to forget my phone number, and I couldn’t call anyone…but then...one day…”

(flashback)

Caiseal shivered as he trudged through the snow, his soaked, water-heavy boots weighing his calloused feet down with every step he took. Snow crunched underneath his boots, with some of it melting into the rips in the seams. Sharp, frigid cold cut through him, his entire body shuddering. His nose was red and itchy, and he was sure he could feel the snot running down his nose turning into ice. His fingers were starting to go numb, and nothing he tried could warm them up. Not even Mallow rubbing them with his own hands worked anymore. Worse than that, Caiseal had no idea where they were. What was this place? Was he even still in Blackthorn? Nothing stood out to him. There were no landmarks he could identify, and the street signs might as well have been leading to another world.

Suddenly, his legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. “Ugh!” His soaked pants and exposed fingers met the snow, exacerbating the still lingering pain in his body. Everything stung.

Cubone!” Mallow ran to his aid, putting both hands on his arm, looking at him with a worried expression. Even he could tell Caiseal wasn’t going to last much longer out here. Humans weren’t like Pokemon. “Cubone cubone!”

Sorry, Mallow…” Caiseal could barely recognize his own voice. It had turned hoarse and dry, almost raspy, mostly from dehydration. Any water they could hope to access was frozen, and he didn’t have any money, so just buying a bottle from a vending machine was impossible. So many things were in his reach, but he didn’t have the means to actually get them. “I couldn’t get you any food today…”

Mallow’s eyes shrunk. Caiseal was more worried about Mallow’s welfare than he was for himself? The Cubone shook his head, dismissing his friend’s concerns. “Cubone!” Mallow was quick to put both hands on his shoulders, holding him up. But he could tell Caiseal was too tired to keep moving. His stomach roared in an undignified manner, begging for food, and the temperature was dropping. Caiseal didn’t look as though he would last for much longer. His clothes were dirtier and more tattered than before, leaving him open to getting frostbite or hypothermia. Mallow couldn’t let this happen.

Ugh…” With a grunt, Caiseal found some extra energy and helped himself back to his feet. His legs wobbled, and he found himself unsteady, but he knew he couldn’t stay here. “I’m so...hungry…” His eyesight blurred. Bodies all around him began to look more like blurry ovals, abstract colors against a white and gray background. Nothing looked real. He ran into something soft, but barely processed it.

A voice was quick to pull him out of his daze, and it wasn’t Mallow’s.

Oh, goodness! Are you alright?” A woman’s voice.

Caiseal looked up, meeting the woman’s wide, shocked gaze. The blurry shape before him turned into a tall woman with deep brown skin, straight black hair arranged in a neat, smooth bob cut with her bangs held back with a light blue hair band. Pink lip gloss glittered along her mouth, glistening like freshly fallen snow underneath the sun’s rays.

Poor boy,” The woman immediately dropped to his level, feeling his frigid face with her hand. “You’re so cold! I’ll bet you’re hungry, too. Here, I think I have a granola bar in my bag I can spare,” She was quick to rummage through her bag, searching for something she could give him.

But the more Caiseal stared at the woman, the more he realized...she was familiar. Her voice, her hairstyle, the shiny lip gloss. It was all starting to make a picture in his head. Wait a minute…

...Mrs. Asher?!” The words just spilled right out, and Caiseal couldn’t stop them.

The woman, Mrs. Asher, turned to face him, her eyes again wide with shock. Her hand was still in her bag, nowhere close to finding the granola bar she promised. “How do you...know my name?”

It’s me! Caiseal! Caiseal Brownstone!” The boy suddenly cried, using both hands to point to himself. Finally, someone he knew and recognized! This was his chance to get back home! Away from the snow, away from the cold, away from tattered clothes, starving on the streets, everything. But did she even recognize him? Would she? “You were my teacher at school!”

He got his answer right away. Mrs. Asher gaped, silent for a few moments before finally finding her voice again. “Now that I look at you…” Mrs. Asher looked closer. Then a hand flew to her chin, her voice rising an octave or two from the horrible revelation. “My word! It really IS you, Caiseal! How in the world did you wind up all the way out here?! What happened to you? You look like you haven’t had clean clothes, a good meal, and a bath in months!”

He had to admit, she was right. Caiseal could only shrug, but inside, relief washed over him.

A warm, comforting hand wrapped around his smaller, red one. “Well, you’re not staying out here a minute longer!” Without any hesitation, she started walking, Caiseal in hand, taking him with her. “I’ll take you to my house. We’re only about ten miles north from southern Blackthorn, so it shouldn’t be too long--”

Wait!” But they were forgetting someone. Caiseal firmly planted his feet into the snow, refusing to budge. “Wait! Can Mallow come with me?”

Mrs. Asher stopped. “Mallow?”

Caiseal pointed to the Cubone standing just a few feet away. “He’s my friend! Please don’t leave him here! Can he come, too?”

Mallow could hear the desperation in his voice. It was impossible to resist going with him. The lonely Pokemon ran right up to them, standing by Caiseal’s side in a reassuring, protective stance. Mrs. Asher couldn’t believe her eyes. Where had this Cubone come from? Had it been with Caiseal this entire time? From what she could tell, Caiseal seemed to like this Pokemon, and it liked him. At this point, there was no room for arguing or questioning anything further. Without a word, she nodded and escorted the two of them to her car. They both sat in the back seat, and Mrs. Asher called her husband on her cell phone, letting him know what happened and that she was on her way home. As soon as he went inside the car, Caiseal wanted to stay in there forever. It was warm! The heat was on at full blast, far better than the wet, slushy snow that always made him feel wet and soggy all the time.

But even better was the hot bath and the warm meal Mrs. Asher made for him when they made it to her house. Warm water! Real food! Clean, fresh clothes! A roof over his head! Before, Caiseal had always taken these things for granted, and normally hated meatloaf, even if it was served with white rice and corn. Now, he wouldn’t trade these things for all the gold and jewelry in the world. The food warmed him right up from the inside, filling his empty stomach, finally satiating the lingering hunger that had plagued him for so long. Caiseal wanted to just melt, drowsy and happy from all of the good things Mrs. Asher and her husband were giving him. It was like he was in heaven.

His teacher took great pains to make sure he was taken care of: lending him some of her husband’s clothes, big as they admittedly were, blow drying his wet, matted hair, and giving him seconds whenever he asked for more to eat. She even took care of some of the cuts and injuries on his hands, feet, and legs, disinfecting them however she could. Not only that, she had some Pokemon food to spare for Mallow. After about three hours, Caiseal and Mallow found themselves sitting in front of a fireplace, watching the big flame dance before them, listening to the crackling noises the wood made from being charred, happy and revitalized. Mrs. Asher sat down next to him, figuring this was a good time to finally talk to him.

You’ve been missing from school for about two months,” Mrs. Asher told him. “Everyone’s been worried sick about you.”

If Caiseal had any energy in his legs, he would have sprung right back on his feet. But at this point, his tired legs were content to stay where they were. Even so, Caiseal’s eyes widened, and he almost fell over, had Mallow not managed to be nearby, stopping him from losing his balance. “Two months?! Seriously?!” He screamed.

Mrs. Asher nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. I filed a missing person’s report when you didn’t show up after four days, and I did stop by your house to check on you, but nobody answered the door. I eventually called the police, but they said there wasn’t much I could do, since I wasn’t family,” She explained calmly. “Thank Arceus I ran into you when I did.”

Thank Arceus, indeed. Caiseal flashed a sheepish smile. Yvette Asher had always been his favorite teacher in school. Kind, friendly, open-minded, enthusiastic, but not excessively so. She made learning fun, and even when Caiseal had trouble with his homework, she always made time to help him out and assist him in solving problems in ways he could understand. She actually cared, not just about him, but all of her students. Unlike his mother, Mrs. Asher made him feel appreciated, like he mattered. He remembered the radiant joy on her face when Caiseal made her a special card out of construction paper for Valentine’s Day. It was just a silly little card with lace glued along the edges, nothing more. He had made it for his mother, but decided against giving it to her, knowing she’d hate it and yell at him for it. He had nothing else to do with it, so he gave it to his teacher, thinking she’d like it a little. But from the way she reacted when she received it, smiling so big that her cheeks hurt, it was like a king had given her a million dollars.

It was one of the happiest days in Caiseal’s young life.

Now, can you tell me what exactly happened?”

Where could he start? There was so much to say, but Caiseal could barely put it all into words. He did manage to tell Mrs. Asher about how his mother suddenly drove him to the Ice Path without word or warning, then left him there and never came back. After that, everything seemed to spill right out of him, how he and Mallow subsisted on the streets, trying to find food and never getting any most days. He had no access to a phone, and had no idea where any police stations were. Anyone he met wanted him to just go away, wanting nothing to do with some kid in rags. The more he talked, the more appalled Mrs. Asher became, her eyes widening and mouth falling more and more with every word she heard. Even Mallow couldn’t believe what he was hearing, having almost fallen over from shock himself when he heard Caiseal mention how he got into the Ice Path. That really happened? To both Mrs. Asher and Mallow, it was a miracle Caiseal managed to survive.

My God...you’ve been through so much!” Mrs. Asher exclaimed, her voice shaking. She took a deep breath shortly after, taking a second to compose herself. “Caiseal. What your mother did to you is not okay. Driving you all the way out to the Ice Path, leaving you there, and never coming back, straight up abandoning you? That’s child endangerment. She put your life in danger. You could have died.”

It hit him like a lightning bolt right then and there. That’s right! Everything did start with his mother throwing him into the Ice Path! But...did she really abandon him? She and Caiseal never did have the best relationship, but would she really be so bad as to abandon him? Could parents really be that cold and cruel? No, it couldn’t be right. His mother wouldn’t do that. Would she? But he couldn’t deny what Mrs. Asher was saying. It was true that his mother was the reason he was on the streets, and he did want answers. Why did she do that to him? Why didn’t she come back for him? Why? Nothing about his mother’s actions made any sense.

Something else worried him as well.

I need to see my sister,” Caiseal finally said, clutching a piece of the warm blanket Mrs. Asher’s husband wrapped around him earlier. “She’s probably worried sick about me. I want to get home and let her know that I’m okay. She probably thinks I ran away or died or something.”

Mrs. Asher’s eyebrows furrowed. “I honestly don’t think that’s a good idea. Considering that your mother did this to you, I highly doubt she’d even let you inside, much less let you see your sister.”

He had expected this response. But it did nothing to suppress his desire to go back home. Unable to accept this answer, Caiseal raised his voice, but only slightly. “But Violet needs me! I want to see her!” He exclaimed. No longer was his voice hoarse and dry like before. Even he was surprised at how quickly it returned just from having a hot meal. “Can’t we at least stop by?”

A firm hand rested on Caiseal’s shoulder. “I understand your concerns. Really, I do. I know you want to go home so badly,” She looked straight into his eyes. Caiseal could see kindness and concern in her bright irises. Something he never saw in his mother’s eyes. But her voice left no room for arguments. “I’m just concerned about whether your home is a good environment for you or not. I’m not stupid. I’ve seen the way your mother treats you and talks about you. None of what she’s been doing to you is okay. For all you know, she might not react favorably to your return.”

It wasn’t like she didn’t have any good points. Caiseal could see grains of truth in her words. In fact, she was right. She had seen the way his mother had treated him. One time, kids and their parents had to meet with their teachers to discuss the child’s progress in their education, with the kids present. Caiseal’s mother did meet Mrs. Asher, but instead of actively trying to engage in a dialogue with her, Caiseal’s mother kept complaining about getting dragged here instead of attending Violet’s music lessons, and kept asking if Caiseal caused trouble. When she didn’t get the answers she wanted, she simply walked out of the classroom, dragging Caiseal along with her, and then yelling at him all throughout the walk to the car. Mrs. Asher could hear everything from down the hall, Caiseal’s mother was so loud. Mrs. Asher had every right to be concerned, and knowing that she cared for him was everything Caiseal ever wanted and never got from his own mother.

That doesn’t matter!” Caiseal clenched his fists. At this point, he didn’t care if his mother would reject him if he went to his house. More than anything, he wanted to see his baby sister again. The only person in the family who ever cared about him. “I still want to let Violet know I’m okay! Please? It’ll just be for a few minutes!”

There was a brief silence. Caiseal could see the pensive look on her face. She pondered deeply. Then, she looked back at Caiseal.

Alright. I’ll take you to your house first thing tomorrow morning,” Mrs. Asher finally answered. “But I’m going with you just in case things get ugly. The second something bad happens, I’m getting you out of there.”

As happy as Caiseal was in that moment, he was going to wish he had never gone back to his house, even just to see Violet.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Caiseal and Mallow slept in a warm, comfy bed, happy and safe, protected from the elements. Caiseal slept like a log, lost in beautiful dreams, deep in the best sleep he ever had. The next morning, Mrs. Asher--her husband referred to her by her first name, which was Yvette--made breakfast for everyone and let Caiseal get ready. True to her word, she drove her student and his Pokemon to Caiseal’s house. As it turned out, it was only about ten minutes from Yvette’s house by car. Caiseal had to wonder how he managed to travel so far on foot and manage to come this close to getting home.

When the car pulled up, Caiseal looked out the window, unable to believe his eyes. His house was the same as it always had been. Finally, he was home! Unable to contain himself any longer, Caiseal burst out of the car, running toward the porch. “Caiseal, wait!” Yvette and Mallow followed him. Caiseal pulled a key out from under a mat, opened the door, and went right inside.

Mom? Violet?” The second Caiseal stepped into his house, a warm feeling washed over him. He was home. After so long, he was back where he belonged. But where was his mom and Violet? “Hello? It’s me, Caiseal!”

We’re sorry to intrude…” Yvette stepped inside soon after, with Mallow catching up to Caiseal.

Then! “Caiseal?!” A young girl’s voice cut through the silence. Footsteps thundered in the next room, and a small girl of about seven or eight years old came sprinting into the living room, stopping upon meeting Caiseal’s eyes. The girl’s blonde ponytail swished with her movements, and her purple eyes shrunk in a combination of both shock and joy. Caiseal was sure he’d melt right then and there. His cup of happiness was overflowing by this point.

Hi, Violet. I’m back.”

BIG BROTHER!!” With a loud, high pitched squeal, Violet threw herself onto her brother, almost making him stumble and fall over. But he was bigger than her, so he managed to keep himself steady. Her thin arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, squeezing him hard, like she didn’t want to let him go ever again. Caiseal couldn’t blame her. He hugged her back just as tight. By God, it felt so good to be with his sister again! Her warmth, her love, the scent of lavender laundry detergent coming from her shirt, her sun-kissed blonde hair...it was just as he remembered. “I thought I’d never see you again!!” Violet cried. “Mom said you ran away and never came back!”

Ran away? Any joy that was in his heart was pushed to the curb. His mother said that he ran away? He clenched his hands into fists. She lied to Violet and told her he ran away? That was the biggest lie he had ever heard! But he couldn’t allow himself to be angry right now. Violet needed him. Keeping his smile on, he simply answered, “I didn’t run away. Man, I have so much to tell you, I don’t even know where to start. Well, I’m back and a-okay,” He tried to sound optimistic, but Yvette could tell it sounded forced. Mallow knew it as well.

Suddenly, Violet released Caiseal from her iron grip, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I gotta tell Mom about this!!”

Wait!” Caiseal knew where this was going. “Wait, Violet! Don’t--” He tried to stop her, but Violet was lost in her excitement and already dashed into the back hall.

Mom!! Mom!! Caiseal’s back! Isn’t this great?!”

Her upbeat, delighted voice bounced off the walls. No sooner did Violet finish yelling Caiseal’s return to the entire house, that a new set of footsteps thundered across the hall. Unlike Violet’s, this set of feet pounded the floors, like the thundering of a Ponyta’s hooves during a stampede. A woman dashed into the living room, strands of her frizzy blonde hair flying all over the place. But what was most striking to both Caiseal and Yvette was her expression in that moment. Normally, mothers who reunite with their missing children would be overcome with joy. Running to them in tearful embraces, hugging them so tight, they would never let them go again. Telling them how happy they were to see them again, how they missed them, how everything would be back to normal, and how much they loved them.

Caiseal’s mother didn’t do any of those things. Instead, she just stared at him, her eyes huge and wide, and her teeth were clenched together, like she was trying hard not to say anything at all. But Caiseal recognized that look all too well.


Her eyes were wide with fear, but glowing with absolute, indignant fury.

She let out a high pitched scream shortly afterward. Everything turned into a blur at this point. Objects flew in Caiseal’s direction, with some hitting him right in the face. A tissue box. Several throw pillows. An empty flower vase that he thankfully evaded. All he could see was his mother’s red face, blazing hot with anger he had never seen before now. He had seen her be angry before, but this was a whole new level that was too much. Everything around him turned into blurry, abstract shapes.

What are you doing?! Don’t--!!”

You monster!! I got rid of you!! Did you come back to kill me?! Or kill Violet?! Why are you here?!”

Monster? Caiseal’s body trembled. None of this made any sense. Why was she calling him a monster? She had never called him that before. His head and heart began to pound. Every sound he heard was like a hammer pounding nails into wood, each pound hurting worse than the last. Everything throbbed. In his head, in his heart, in his body. But one thing did register to him. She admitted she deliberately got rid of him. The scene of her throwing him in the Ice Path and then leaving played through his mind once more. Everything hurt.

She really did abandon him?

Get out of here!! Get out of my house, you murderer!! I know you’re here to kill me and Violet!!” She screamed, having gone far beyond hysterical by this point.

Ma’am! Mrs. Brownstone--Nollaig, please! Calm down! This isn’t--!”

But Caiseal’s mother paid Yvette no heed. Suddenly, his mother rammed right into him, throwing him straight out of the house. Caiseal fell right on his back, frigid snow cutting through his entire being. Cold bit at every layer of his skin, dampening the warm coat Yvette had lent him. So many things were running through his head, even as Mallow ran over and helped him up. Nothing made any sense. His head was swirling in all different directions. What was this? What was going on? She called him a murderer. But he never killed anyone. Did his mother...really hate him that much?

Hello? Yes. I’d like to report a case of child abuse. One of my students is being attacked by his mother right now. She’s absolutely hysterical!”

No. This couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t. Everything inside of him was breaking. Suddenly, his vision was clear. He stood up of his own volition. This wasn’t right! He had to know what was going on, why she was doing all of this, and he needed to know NOW.

Mom! Why did you leave me at the Ice Path?!” Caiseal finally shouted. All he could hear was his mother’s frantic panting, Yvette on the phone calling the police, and Violet crying wildly from inside the house. It was here that he finally got a good look at her. Nollaig’s eyes were blood red, and she bared her teeth like she was a Houndoom ready to eat its prey whole. It was the same anger in her eyes he had always seen directed at him and only him. “Why do you hate me so much?! What did I do that was so bad?!” Caiseal pleaded, his voice shaking.

Nobody was prepared for what Nollaig’s answer would be. Absolutely nobody. Caiseal couldn’t have anticipated this one bit.

I was...pregnant with twins...but one day I wasn’t!” Nollaig choked out, her voice hoarse and dry from all the screaming she did. She sounded broken. Completely, abjectly broken. “The doctor said...that one fetus...consumed the other.”

What? What was she saying? Caiseal blinked several times, hoping everything she said would make sense the second time around. It didn’t. Gradually, his mind broke everything down. A fetus was the name for a baby that was still in their mother’s stomach. Consume was a big word for eat. A baby eating a baby while inside their mother’s stomach? Could that even happen? He fell to his knees, the snow biting at the exposed skin. But at this point, Caiseal couldn’t feel the cold at all. Suddenly, everything made complete sense! His mother always yelling at him for everything, calling him a murderer even though he never killed anyone, what she was saying right now.

You...you hated me...even when I wasn’t born yet?” His voice was small, weak, and pathetic, just like he was now.

It was then that everything finally hit him.

His mother truly did hate him and his very existence.

How could she do this to him?

Everything turned to white noise. Except for his mother screeching in the loudest, most hateful voice she could muster.

YOU’RE ROTTEN TO THE CORE!! YOU’RE A MURDERER!! I HATED YOU EVEN WHEN YOU WERE INSIDE OF ME!! IF YOU’RE CAPABLE OF KILLING YOUR OWN TWIN, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU CAPABLE OF?! YOU’RE A DEMON CHILD SENT BY DARKRAI TO MAKE MY LIFE HELL!! YOU’RE GOING TO GROW UP TO BE A KILLER!! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO YOU!!”

Nollaig! Stop this right now!!”

Caiseal saw nothing. He felt and heard nothing. Everything except his soul and heart being torn to pieces, far beyond any kind of repair. All that unfolded before him was so strange. It was like he had been hit by a freight train and left for dead. But at this point, Caiseal didn’t mind dying. He was sure death would be way better than knowing of this awful truth. Not even Mallow putting a hand on his shoulder in a pitiful attempt at comfort and reassurance could pull him out of the freezing hole Nollaig threw him into. Everything Caiseal knew was a complete and utter lie. He tried to tell himself that none of this was true. This was all just a dream. A horrible nightmare.

But the nightmare was real. He was already awake.

Ghostly red and blue lights lit up the cloudy suburb. Yvette and Nollaig screamed at each other, with the latter doing most of the screaming. Snowflakes floated down from the heavens. They were so gentle...that their ethereal touch was practically merciless.

How can you do this to Caiseal?! He’s your son!! You shouldn’t treat him like that!!”

Oh, like you know anything! You don’t have children, so you couldn’t possibly understand!!”

You’re right. I don’t have kids. But I know that if I were any good mother, I would NEVER abuse my child or blame them for something that isn’t their fault!!”

Get that murderer away from me!! Get him out of my sight!! He’ll hurt my darling Violet!!”

Hey, kid? Hello? Are you alright?”

Abject, unending sorrow gripped Caiseal’s heart like a vice. What was going to happen now? This was so much worse than anything he could have imagined. The sadness had blasted through all the shock and horror and every other emotion that had prevented him from feeling anything else. Tears gushed down his face, stinging his reddening cheeks, warm against the merciless cold. This was awful. Too awful. How could his own mother do this to him, and right in front of Violet? Suddenly, he pounded his fist into the snow. Then pounded it a second time, and another, and another. A rush of anger went right through him, and no matter how much he punched the snow, it would never go away. Unable to take it any longer, all of the sorrow and anger that amassed in the deepest parts of his soul left him in a flood of tears and primal, almost inhuman screams that echoed into the cloudy skies of Blackthorn suburbia. He wanted the sadness to squeeze the life out of him. Death had to be better than this, right?

In that moment, his life was over. Everything was as dark as the pitch black of night, and his screams still lingered.

(end flashback)

“Wait wait wait wait wait! Hold up!” Julia waved her hands back and forth. “Let me get this straight: Your mom hated your very existence and abandoned you all because...as a fetus you supposedly...ate your twin? And because of that, she thinks you’re gonna grow up to be some psycho murderer who kills people for kicks?”

“Basically.”

Julia had never heard a stranger--and sadder--story in her whole entire life. Caiseal had been mistreated by his mother, then abandoned, and when he came back, his mother cast him out with no remorse or guilt, claiming he was some monster out to hurt her and her daughter. What kind of mother would do that to their kid? Her heart completely broke for him. But it was hard to wrap her brain around the concept of a fetus eating its own twin. Was that even possible? That could actually happen? She had seen plenty of medical shows, many of which showed people with all kinds of strange deformities and ailments, like a person whose legs fused together to look like a mermaid’s tail. A man with many extra limbs on various parts of his body. Conjoined twins whose heads were stuck together. Babies who were pregnant with their own twins.

“Ohhh!” Julia tapped her palm with her fist, a revelation striking her like a lightning bolt. “This reminds me of something I saw on TV once! It was talking about babies who were born but turned out to be pregnant with their twins! I think it was called...fetus in fetu! Yeah, that’s it!”

“Huh?” Caiseal looked up at his friend, confused. Why in the world was she talking about that at a time like this? Was this her way of trying to understand and process this new information? He hoped that was the case. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she was being really insensitive right now.

Suddenly, Mallow gently poked Julia in the arm with his bone, taking her mind off of the strange concepts swimming around in her head. Julia looked down at Mallow, wondering why he did that. She could see the serious look on his face. Mallow slowly shook his head.

“Marowak marowak,” (“Please don’t do that. It’s not helping.”) Mallow told her in a low voice.

It didn’t take long for Julia to realize her error. Caiseal told her something very personal, and she was so wrapped up in the whole fetus-eating-its-twin concept and trying to make sense of it that she completely ignored him and his feelings entirely. Julia mentally kicked herself for being so insensitive, even if she didn’t mean to come off that way.

“Oh! Right! I’m sorry, Cash,” Julia stammered. “I shouldn’t have gone on that tangent just now.”

“It’s fine,” Caiseal said. “I thought it was really weird myself. But it turns out it’s an actual thing.”

Some stray tears fell from his eyes. Julia could feel some trickling down her face as well. She had never expected to hear anything like this, ever. How could anyone mistreat their own child, and for something that wasn’t their fault? It wasn’t like Caiseal wanted to absorb his twin. It did explain a lot of things: why Caiseal was so guarded when they first met, his reluctance to talk about his past, how streetsmart he was, the frequent nightmares he would have...gradually, everything made more sense. But it didn’t make the revelation any less heartbreaking. Just looking at Caiseal right now, looking so weak, helpless, and pathetic, words that absolutely did not suit her friend at all, made her feel awful. This was too much. She wished she could heal all of his pain and make him happy! But what could she possibly do? The damage had already been done, and she knew a pain like this would never be healed in a day or two. This was the kind of scar that would last a lifetime, and there would never be a bandage big enough for it.

“I...I had no idea…” Julia wiped her eyes, putting a hand on Twilight to keep herself steady. What could she possibly say to all of this? But she knew she had to say something. The stagnant silence was making her uncomfortable. “Umm...is there...anything I can do to help? I can’t...stand seeing you so sad like this.”

Out of nowhere, Caiseal suddenly stood up from the frozen floor. He whirled towards Julia, staring her down with red eyes, wet with tears, but blazing hot with anger. Julia took in a sharp breath. What was going on? He suddenly got very close, too close, practically invading her personal space, fixing her with a furious stare that burned into her whole being. This didn’t make sense. Why was he angry? Apollo and Mallow exchanged confused glances. This wasn’t like him at all!

“Caiseal? What--?”

“So you want to make me happy, huh?” He spat the word out like it was poison.

What was wrong with that? Julia tried to back away, walking backwards, but Caiseal wouldn’t let her out of his sight. The anger in his eyes...it hurt. It hurt everywhere inside her. She was trapped, and he wasn’t letting her escape.

“What? Are you saying you want to fix me?! Is that it?!”

“What?!” Julia yelped. None of this made any sense. The muscles in Caiseal’s arms tensed, his hands balled into tight fists, and his voice rose with every word he hissed out. “That’s not what I’m saying at all! Where’d you even get that idea?!” Julia shouted back. This wasn’t right. None of it was.

“Marowak!” “Grahh!” At this point, Caiseal didn’t hear his own Pokemon protesting.

Everything about Caiseal overwhelmed and overpowered her at this point. Everything was turned up to the highest volume. Caiseal was way too close, his angry eyes burned into her, he bared his teeth like a hungry Houndoom, and he was screaming now. Julia covered her ears, but it did nothing to muffle his shouting. This wasn’t like him. She wanted it to stop. She wanted him to just quiet down and back off. Why wasn’t he listening?

“What are you gonna do, huh?! You gonna swoop in on your flaming horse and save the day?!” The indignation in Caiseal’s voice bounced off the icy walls, creating explosions in Julia’s ears. “Stop the nightmares?! Turn everything back to the way it was?! Make my twin magically come back from the dead?! Convince my mother that I’m not the heartless, monstrous psycho murderer she’s so convinced I am?!”

The tears flowed on both sides this time. He needed to stop yelling. Stop screaming. This wasn’t helping. Julia wanted to run. Run away. Run from his anger.

“Well, you CAN’T!!” Caiseal roared, all of his rage pouring right out. “NOBODY CAN, AND NOBODY EVER WILL!!”

“STOP YELLING AT ME!!”

Unable to watch any further, Apollo grabbed Caiseal from behind and pulled him into a tight hug. His warm, long arms wrapped around his trainer as he gently backed away at least three feet, giving Julia a chance to finally escape. She didn’t go too far. Only about three or four feet away from where they stood. Apollo fell to his knees, taking Caiseal down with him, squeezing him tight, protecting him like a force field. Julia buried her face in her hands, leaning against a nearby crystalized rock for support.

Apollo let out a low growl as he watched Caiseal take in fast, frantic breaths. “Caiseal...I know you’re hurting. We all do. But don’t take it out on her,” He told him sympathetically. “Breathe. Calm down. Take deep breaths.”

Caiseal’s chest heaved with every breath he inhaled, cold air burning his lungs. Mallow approached him soon after, wrapping one of his hands around his trainer’s and shaking his bone-covered head in disapproval. Eventually, Caiseal came to his senses, especially when he saw the frightened, vulnerable look in Julia’s eyes. Remorse suddenly kicked his anger to the wayside. What had he done? How could he do this to her? All she tried to do was help and be there for him, and he did nothing but take his anger out on her! He had hurt one of the very few people who liked him and accepted him for who he was, who was extremely sensitive to anger and people yelling. More tears flowed forth as he slumped to his knees, shuddering as wretched, remorseful sobs escaped him.

“Oh God...I’m so sorry...I’m sorry Jule...I shouldn’t have…!!” He blubbered, voice shaking, no longer loud and harsh with anger from before.

“Marowak,” (“It’s fine. We know you’re just frustrated and scared.”) Mallow told him reassuringly, rubbing his shoulder.

It was easy to see how sincere he was right now. Julia knew he never meant anything he said just now. Wiping some of her own tears away, she took a minute to calm herself before walking up to Caiseal herself.

“It’s okay, Caiseal,” She whispered. She had to admit, it was strange to see Caiseal so weak, vulnerable, and so utterly, completely sad like this. He had always been brave, optimistic, and confident about everything, especially Pokemon. That was what she always liked about him. He never let anything get him down. In a way, she was jealous of how he was always able to say whatever he wanted and do whatever he wanted without getting reprimanded for it by just about everyone. He was always strong, even when things got really tough. Looking at him now, shuddering with abject sorrow, reliving his awful past...the sight was too much. Stray tears escaped her eyes.

“I’m sorry as well. I never should have been so pushy about coming here,” She admitted. Guilt sprung back inside her, and she couldn’t ignore it even if she wanted to. “If I had known about what you’ve been through, I would have gladly taken that other path you suggested without complaint, even if it was filled with poison type Pokemon. In a way, I hurt you and didn’t even know it.”

Caiseal simply wiped his eyes with his sleeve, not caring about all the tear stains he left on a coat that wasn’t his.

“We don’t have to stay here anymore,” She told him. “We can leave. Go back the way we came. We don’t ever have to come through here ever again if you don’t want to. We can take that other road like you suggested.”

The last place Caiseal wanted to be was here. This was just too much. He wanted nothing more than to run away and never come back. But...they were here now. Getting out of here wasn’t going to be easy, especially not the way back to Mahogany Town. Besides, he was still alive. His friends were here with him. Julia, Perrine, Apollo, Mallow, all of his other Pokemon...they all stood by his side and never wavered in their love for him. They could have easily abandoned him once he told them about what happened to him, and they didn’t. They were going out of their way to help him, even as he was scared to death. Besides, Perrine was still missing. They needed to find her.

No. He didn’t want to run away anymore. He couldn’t let his fear win. Sure, he never wanted to come back here again, but his desire to find Perrine, win his final badge, and get into the Pokemon League overpowered his fear in that moment.

He stood back up. “I appreciate the offer, but...I’ll have to decline. We need to keep going. We’re getting close to Blackthorn City, so there’s no point in trying to go back the way we came,” He explained, calmer and more composed this time. “I’m not going to run away this time.”

Apollo and Mallow smiled. Soon after, Julia stood back up. “I...I admit, I don’t know much about this whole...eating your own twin thing...but!” She clenched her fists and looked straight at Caiseal, her green eyes brimming with conviction. “Your mom’s wrong about you! Everything she said about you isn’t true at all! You’re not a monster or a killer or a demon or a bad person or anything!”

For the first time in a long while, Caiseal found himself speechless.

“I know what you’re like! You’re brave, kind, strong, confident, caring, and you love your Pokemon just like I do!” Julia continued on. “A real monster wouldn’t care for their friends, family, or their Pokemon! A real monster would never risk their life to help people! I still remember back in the Ruins of Alph, you protected Apollo from that one Team Rocket guy’s whip! Would a real monster really do that?”

Warmth surged in his heart. She was right. The memory of that day was still vivid in his mind. Yannick’s whip lashing his back. Julia and Perrine crying out for him to stop. Protecting Apollo with every ounce of strength he had, determined to make sure that man didn’t lay so much as a fingernail on his precious friend. Apollo evolving into a Quilava soon afterward. Apollo himself let out a low, pleased growl, smiling in Caiseal’s direction.

“Besides, just because you ate your twin doesn’t make you evil or a murderer!” Julia exclaimed. “Maybe there was never a twin at all and the doctors got confused the first time! Or...or...or maybe your twin died while still in the womb and became a part of you so you could live in their place! Anything could have happened! Your mom should never have mistreated you the way she did, and what happened wasn’t your fault either! It’s not like you wanted to absorb your twin!” She knew just telling him all of this wasn’t going to fix his problems. But he needed someone who was there for him, to support him in his time of need. She wished she had something better to say, but at this point, what she was telling him now was better than nothing.

Having witnessed the awful event himself, Mallow nodded in agreement. “Marowak marowak marowak,” (“I’m with her on this one. We’re all here for you no matter what.”) He told his trainer.

“You’re our friend, Caiseal!” Julia reaffirmed, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We would never abandon you no matter what, and we never will!”

For the first time since before he entered the Ice Path, Caiseal finally managed to smile. He didn’t need to know what Mallow was saying to know he meant what he said. After all, Mallow, Apollo, and Julia were here now. He was here with his friends. Gradually, the fear in his heart began to dissipate.

“I’m so glad...you guys are here…” He murmured, his hazel eyes looking dazed. But Julia could tell he was happy.

On the other hand, Julia wasn’t. Her tears came falling right out, and once she removed her hand from Caiseal’s shoulder, she succumbed to a fit of passionate wailing. “You’ve been through so many terrible things! You’re mom’s horrible!!”

Caiseal, Apollo, and Mallow exchanged awkward glances. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me, y’know.”

“I can’t help it!! That’s the saddest thing I ever heard!! You deserved better than to be treated like that by your own mother!!” Julia wailed, lamenting all that Caiseal had been through. Her soft little heart broke for him after hearing his tale. She cried for him, for all of the abuse he endured, for all he missed, for what he could have been, for the terrible fate Arceus had given to him…

“Smoochum!”

A squeaky voice cut through the air. It was enough to make Julia stop crying, as she wanted to hear it better. Both she, Caiseal, and the Pokemon turned towards Smoochum, who ran right up to them, smiling brightly. “Smoochum Smoochum!” (“I found Mommy, and she’s gonna help us!”) Smoochum told them, flapping her stubby arms up and down.

Then, just as Smoochum told them that, another Pokemon came into view. Mallow quickly held up his bone in a defensive stance, and Mallow got down on all fours. Coming closer, the Pokemon in question appeared just behind Smoochum. It had the same color hair as Smoochum, only its bangs were part down the middle, and its hair reached all the way down to its lower back. Most of its body consisted of a red, dress-like gown, hiding whatever feet it had, and its arms were white, though its hands and fingers were purple, just like its face. Large, pink lips formed its mouth, and they moved upward as the Pokemon smiled at the two humans.

“Jynx jynx!” The Pokemon greeted them, waving at them with one hand.

Julia beamed. “Wow, a Jynx! I’ve never seen one in person before!”

“So this is your mom?” Caiseal asked Smoochum.

The smaller Pokemon shook its head in agreement. “Chuuum!”

Suddenly, Jynx slid slightly closer to Caiseal, looking at him with large, interested eyes, like she was examining him closely. It was Julia’s turn to glance awkwardly at Mallow and Apollo. What was going on? Did the Jynx know him somehow? Or had she never seen humans before? Jynx flashed a huge grin, wrapping her arms around Caiseal and pulling him into a hug.

“Whoa! What the?!” Caiseal yelped, his eyes wide like a startled Pidgey. Thankfully, the hug didn’t last long, as Jynx immediately released him. But she did keep both hands on his shoulders.

“Jynx jynx jynx!” Jynx warbled, its large eyes gleaming with delight.

But Julia heard every word, remembering what Caiseal had told her earlier. A Jynx had escorted him out of the Ice Path back when he was nine. It was her turn to smile this time. “Cash! Jynx says recognizes you from three years ago! She’s the one who found you and led you out of the cave before!”

Caiseal’s mouth fell agape. This Jynx was the same one who helped him? It couldn’t be! The Ice Path was home to a lot of ice Pokemon. Jynx were common in this place. But it did explain why Jynx hugged him just now. “Do you...remember me?”

Jynx nodded. “Jynx!”

A strange warmth swept over him. Her hands were cold, like ice, but to Caiseal, they may as well have been the kind warmth of a mother’s hands. He remembered Jynx finding him in the path way back then, gently taking him by the hand and pulling him back towards the entrance without a fuss. It never even occurred to her to attack him. Then he stole a glance at Smoochum. Smoochum said this Jynx was her mother. It had been three years since their first encounter…

“So you have a kid now, huh? That’s great,” That was all Caiseal could push out from his throat.

The ice Pokemon grinned bigger. “Jynx jynx!”

“Oh!” Julia clapped her hands once and approached Jynx. “Excuse me, Miss Jynx. We don’t mean you any harm,” She began, keeping her voice calm and composed. “A group of Sneasel attacked us, and we got separated from one of our friends. We’re also trying to find the exit. Would it be okay if you helped us, please?” The gears in Julia’s head were turning. If Jynx managed to help Caiseal way back then, she could possibly help them now.

It took only seconds for Jynx to nod and beckon for them to follow her. “Jynx jynx jynx!”

“Yes!” Caiseal cheered. “Finally, we’re gonna get outta this place!”

“Marowak!”

“Graah!”

With Jynx leading the way, the kids and the Pokemon stayed close, that way they wouldn’t be separated again. Caiseal held a hand to his chest. No longer did he feel his heart pounding violently like before. His heartbeat returned to a steady rhythm. But more than that, he was no longer afraid.

“Julia...Mallow...Apollo...Jynx...everyone...I’m so glad you’re my friends.”

Not only that, he felt lighter than before, like a Hoppip floating on the breeze. Had a weight been lifted off of him? Probably so. He didn’t feel as frustrated or angry as before. A thought entered his mind right then: When they met back up with Perrine and got out of here, he would open up to her and tell her everything.
 
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Wait what? Caiseals biological mother hates him for something he couldn't even control? How does that give any reason to hate him? Why would a mother hate their kid for something that wasn't even the kids fault?
 
Okay! So now that the previous heavy, drama-filled chapter is FINALLY done, how about we relax a bit with a short filler chapter to let it all go down? Also, Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee have been announced! I don’t mind that we can’t battle Pokemon in the wild! Remakes of Pokemon Yellow are my jam, and it looks sooooooo good on the Switch! Now I have a reason to actually buy one! I better start saving! Sorry this wasn’t out earlier. I wanted to post this in June, namely on my birthday, but...life happened. Oh well. Better late than never, right? I did want to write more for this chapter too, but I think I’ll save that for the next one. I don’t want to keep you guys waiting any longer, now do I?

***

Chapter 48: Kindred Spirits

Jynx, the human shape Pokemon and the evolved form of Smoochum,” Julia’s portable electronic encyclopedia displayed information on Jynx on its tiny screen. For once, it’s description of the Pokemon leading them out of the cave was accurate. “Jynx like to walk and sashay rhythmically, shaking their hips as if they’re dancing. Their dance-like motions are so alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips along with it, without realizing they’re doing it. Jynx have distinct cries, all of which have different meanings and uses, which some scientists have concluded is remarkably similar to human language, although what it actually says is still undetermined. Jynx are only female, and are some of the few Pokemon in the world that can reproduce asexually upon meeting certain conditions. In the early days, Jynx’s face used to be black, but due to adapting to new environments and continued exposure to sunlight and chemicals in the air over millions of years, their facial coloring has changed to purple.”

Contrary to the PokeDex’s analysis, Jynx wasn’t sashaying or swinging her hips at all. She seemed to glide across the ice very slowly, as though she were a ghost. In contrast to that, Smoochum stayed by her mother’s side, her stubby legs struggling to keep up, completely lacking in her mother’s grace and elegance. Julia, Caiseal, Mallow, and Apollo followed from behind, with the two Pokemon staying out of their PokeBalls in case any wild Pokemon were to attack again.

“I wonder how long we’ve been in the Ice Path?” Julia asked, brushing some hair out from her face.

“I have no clue,” Caiseal replied, wrapping his arms around himself to fend off the cold. It didn’t work, but it was a good effort. He pulled out his PokeGear to check the time, only to find a blank screen and no bars in the corner. “Ugh. PokeGears still aren’t working,” He hissed, clutching the phone in his hand tightly. Couldn’t the phones at least tell the time? Caiseal cursed whoever made it so that their PokeGears couldn’t do anything without any bars at all.

Julia examined her surroundings, looking side to side. “No sign of Perrine, either. I hope she’s okay.”

“She’ll be fine,” Caiseal said reassuringly. “She’s a tough girl. No way is she gonna let this get her down.”

He did make a good point. Perrine was a good Pokemon trainer who had been on her journey for a while, and her Pokemon were relatively strong. But even the best trainers were prone to getting hurt, even killed, in circumstances such as this. Julia shook her head, forcing the doubt out of her brain. She had to have faith in her friend. For all she knew, Perrine was alive and kicking, looking for them right now.

“Smoochum smoochum smoochuuuum!” Smoochum sang a happy tune to herself as she waddled next to her mother without a care in the world.

Caiseal turned to face Julia. “I just remembered. Sorry you couldn’t catch a Swinub,” He said ruefully. “I know how much you wanted one.”

Ever since they got separated from Perrine, they hadn’t encountered any more Swinub, though that was because they were focused on just trying to get their bearings. That, and Julia had to take charge when Caiseal couldn’t find it in him to do so, what with his past catching up with him just from being in here. Julia stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment, pondering. She did regret not having caught a Swinub, as she always wanted one for a friend. But at this point, she didn’t care about catching a Swinub. Getting out of here and finding Perrine was their number one priority.

“It’s okay!” Julia reassured, her voice bubbly and cheery. “There’s always next time. Besides, the Ice Path isn’t the only place Swinub live. Maybe I can find one someplace else, or I can always come back here when I feel like it.”

A grin spread across Caiseal’s face. He had to admit, it was nice seeing her in good spirits after the fiasco from earlier. Seeing her smile was far better than seeing Nollaig haunting his dreams yet again, even more so now that she knew of his past and didn’t abandon him for it.

Suddenly, Jynx came to a stop, but not without holding her arm in front of her daughter. Seeing the gesture, everyone else stopped walking. Julia looked over Jynx’s shoulder, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

“Is something wrong, Jynx?” Julia asked.

“Jynx jynx,” (“I hear and feel something coming. Stay still.”) Jynx warned them.

Everyone stood in the corridor, frozen in place, mentally preparing themselves for what was to come? Was it a Pokemon about to attack them? Or something else? Julia reached for Twilight’s PokeBall, holding it in her hand just in case. Then, a stream of fire came billowing out from one of the icy walls in front of Jynx, blasting a hole into the other wall. It didn’t take long for the flames to dissipate, and out from the hole came a Ninetales, with gauze hastily wrapped around her neck.

“Niiiiine!” Ninetales looked in the kids’ direction immediately, smiling brightly. “Nine nine!”

The wound on her neck gave it away. Caiseal was the first to speak in spite of his shock. “Kitsune?! Is that you?!”

“Oh, Arceus!” Soon after, a familiar head of wavy orange hair popped into view, and in came Perrine, hobbling out from the hole, face red and flushed from fatigue. “Kill me now! This Ice Path is a freaking nightmaaaaaaare!” Perrine groaned loudly, eyes closed, not having noticed her two friends staring at her.

Shock turned right into relief. Julia absolutely could not hide the smile that obliterated any doubts and worries she had in her heart. Julia made a beeline for Perrine, arms akimbo, squealing with delight. “PERRINE!!” She cried, her voice rising several octaves as she jumped onto her exhausted friend, wrapping her arms around her, holding her tight like she was using Wrap. Perrine’s blue eyes almost bulged out of her face as she fell onto the icy floor, with Julia’s body pinning her down. “You’re okay!! You’re okay!! Thank goodness!!”

“Jule!” The shock didn’t wear off yet, but Perrine took in her friend’s warmth through the sudden tackle-hug. A smile appeared on her face as she wrapped her own arms around her relieved friend. “Boy, am I glad to see you, even if you glomped me harder than a rampaging Tauros!”

The girls were a mass of winter clothes and flailing limbs as they rejoiced in their reunion, with merry, jubilant laughter ringing through the icy corridors. Caiseal could only bend over laughing, holding his stomach as he watched the happy scene unfold before him. Oh, Perrine. Always quick to make a snarky comment even as her friends were relieved to see that she was alright. Any stiffness and rigidity he had worked so hard to build up had finally disappeared, like walls breaking down into smithereens. Soon, Julia and Perrine released each other before standing back up.

“We’ve been so worried about you!” Julia exclaimed, balling her hands into fists.

“I was the one worried about you!” Perrine countered. “I was sure that Avalanche attack killed you guys,” Julia could hear her friend’s voice catch in her throat for a second when she expressed her fear. She could also see that her eyes were red and puffy. Had she been crying? She certainly wasn’t lying when she said she was worried about them. “It didn’t help that those darn Sneasel hurt Kitsune and I had a hard time just trying to patch up her neck,” She was quick to put Kitsune back in her PokeBall, figuring she deserved some much needed rest. “Man, you guys look worse for wear yourself.”

“Don’t we all,” Caiseal quipped. “We’re going to the Pokemon Center as soon as we get out of here, for sure.”

Both Julia and Perrine nodded in agreement.

“Huh?” It was here that Perrine finally noticed the extra company. “What’s with the Jynx?”

Jynx and Smoochum simply stood where they were, watching this strange new person with curious, interested eyes. Smoochum puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms, pouting. She couldn’t believe this new girl only noticed her mother and not her! Miffed by Perrine’s lack of interest in her, Smoochum simply turned away, frowning like she had been denied dessert after dinner.

“It’s okay! They’re friendly!” Julia was quick to clarify, holding her hand out to them. “They found us further down, and they’re actually showing us the exit right now!”

Perrine was immediately hooked by the word exit. Normally, she would be suspicious of a wild Pokemon randomly escorting them through a cave. What if it was leading them into a trap? But at this point, Perrine didn’t care. She, along with Julia and Caiseal, just wanted to get out of this cave right now. Everyone had had enough of it.

“Good, because I’m sick of this place!” Perrine exclaimed.

“Niiiine!” Kitsune trilled, nuzzling against her trainer’s shoulders. Perrine was quick to put her friend back in her PokeBall.

“Thanks, Kit.”

Now that the group was reunited, Jynx led the way once again, and the kids followed. It didn’t take long for them to see a light at the end of the tunnel. The round exit grew bigger and bigger...until, finally, they saw trees. Trees and a vivid, vermillion sky welcoming them back from the underground.

“Yay!” Caiseal cheered, skipping out from the cave, throwing his arms into the air. “We’re out! We made it out!! Hallelujah!!”

“About time!” Perrine bellowed, literally falling flat on the ground with a goofy smile. “Oh, sweet sweet soil, grass, and Earth! How I missed thee!”

Julia pulled her PokeGear out. Five bars appeared at the corner of the screen. They had cell phone service now! Not only that, the clock read 6:36 PM. “Wow!” Julia exclaimed, her green eyes wide with shock. “We’ve been in the Ice Path for six hours straight!”

Everyone’s jaws dropped. Six hours straight? That was a long time to be stuck in a cave. But they were out, so the kids figured dwelling on how long they spent there wasn’t necessary. While the girls cheered and squealed amongst themselves, happy to finally be out of that cave, Caiseal did steal a glance towards Jynx, who was gesturing towards the cave in front of Smoochum, probably telling her it was time to go home. This Jynx went out of her way to help him not once, but twice...and in that moment, he realized something. He never did get around to saying thanks to her way back then. She had disappeared before he had the chance to do so.

Caiseal balled his fists. Now the opportunity to do so had come back. He wasn’t going to let it slip by this time.

“Jynx! Wait!”

The human shape Pokemon turned around, with Smoochum’s hand in her own. “Jynx jynx?” Jynx could only tilt her head to one side, perplexed. Caiseal stood in front of Jynx, looking her straight in the eyes. She hadn’t changed much in the past few years, other than the fact that she had a child. But Jynx could see the changes plain as day. No longer did Caiseal have that scared, wide eyed, frightened look on his face, nor was he the same little boy that wandered aimlessly through the cave, confused and unaware of what had happened.

“Jynx...I never got the chance to thank you for...helping me three years ago,” Surprisingly, the words in his heart just spilled right out. He had no trouble putting his gratitude into words. “So...thanks. For helping me, both back then and now,” He said, bending over in a bow.

Jynx flashed a grateful grin and waved her free hand at him. “Jynx jynx jynx!”

“She says ‘think nothing of it!’” Julia piped in, having overheard their short conversation.

“Smoochum!” Suddenly, Smoochum ran to Julia’s side, wrapping her stubby arms around her leg. “Smoochum smoochum!”

“Whaaaa?” Julia couldn’t believe what she heard. Even Jynx’s jaw dropped at her daughter’s announcement. “You want to come with us?”

Smoochum nodded vigorously, strands of her blonde hair defying gravity as she did so. “Smoochum smoooooch!” (“You saved me, and I wanna be strong, so can I go with you?”) Smoochum warbled, flapping her little arms up and down as she voiced her desires.

Caiseal raised an eyebrow. “Is this because you still have a crush on Mallow?” He asked suspiciously.

Smoochum shook her head before crossing her arms. “Smoochum smoochum chuuuum!”

“She says, ‘No, and I don’t like him anymore. He’s not my type anyway! I’m way too cute for the likes of him!’” Julia translated, which made everyone break into laughter.

That was a sudden turn-around. Mallow could only stare at Smoochum while scratching his head with his bone. “Marowak…” (“Not sure how to react to that…”) He mused to himself. Oh well. As far as he was concerned, she was way too young for him, so he no longer had to worry about that. He still hoped she wouldn’t suddenly change her mind and go after him again.

Julia found herself lost in thought. Obviously, Smoochum wanted to go with her as thanks for saving her from the Sneasel. She didn’t need to look Smoochum in the eyes to see her enthusiasm and gratitude. Plus, Smoochum was cute. She could get along well with Saoirse or Tokiko, since Smoochum was their size. Of course, there was also Jynx to consider. She didn’t want to just up and take Jynx’s daughter away from her. Oddly enough, from what she could see, Jynx’s expression of shock had faded, with her lips now pressed together in a thin line. What was she feeling? Was she confused or deep in thought? Julia couldn’t tell.

“Well,” Julia answered. “Why don’t you ask your mom if it’s okay?”

Within seconds, Smoochum voiced her wish to her mother. All was silent for a brief moment. Then, Jynx’s lips curled up into a pleased, proud grin as she knelt down and stroked Smoochum’s hair with her hand. “Jynx jynx jynx jynx!” (“Of course you can go with them. They’re good kids, I can tell. You do need to do some growing up, so maybe this will be good for you.”)

Smoochum beamed, her eyes sparkling with joy. “Smoochuuuuum!” She ran over to her mother, wrapping her stubby arms around part of her dress in a hug before running back to Julia. The kiss Pokemon looked right up at the flabbergasted trainer with an expectant but joyful look on her face. Julia grinned, pulling out an empty PokeBall.

“Your mom says yes, so...welcome to the team!” Julia announced, gently tapping the PokeBall against Smoochum’s forehead. Closing her eyes, Smoochum allowed herself to transform into red light and be absorbed into the PokeBall. Unlike other times when she caught a Pokemon, the PokeBall in her hand didn’t shake. It clicked off right away, without a single tremor. Julia held the PokeBall to her chest as she turned her gaze back to Jynx.

“Thank you for all your help, Jynx,” Julia told her. “I promise I’ll take good care of your daughter.”

It was Jynx’s turn to smile, her soft, pink lips turning upward. “Jynx jynx!” (“You take care now.”)

Everyone, including Jynx, waved at each other as they parted ways, Jynx back into the Ice Path, and the kids to the nearest Pokemon Center. Their bodies were starving for a hot meal and some much needed rest, and their Pokemon were needing some major TLC.

***

Thankfully, the Pokemon Center wasn’t too far from where the Ice Path was. Smoochum's PokeBall disappeared when they got within range, so Julia wasn't surprised when it happened. The first thing the kids did when they got there was hand all of their Pokemon to Nurse Joy, with Perrine telling her about Kitsune’s neck injury right away. They didn’t feel like sitting around waiting for their dinner, so they just decided to grab some small, quick meals for tonight’s dinner instead of going all out. They didn’t want to be out while their Pokemon were being healed, so they found some tables close by and ate their dinner right near the counter. Caiseal couldn’t help but notice Julia’s rather bare bones choice of dinner.

“Jule. You made yourself a salad, but there’s no tomatoes, onions, or even any dressing,” Caiseal noted aloud, leaning over the table just a bit to get a better look. Julia’s plate consisted of a dollop of mashed potatoes, some carrots that had been cut into smaller bites, and a pile of lettuce in varying shades of green. Was this supposed to be a salad?

“I don’t like tomatoes. Or onions. Or dressing. They all taste really weird. Tomatoes make me feel like I’m eating acid and it stings. A lot,” Julia told him bluntly after she finished one strip of lettuce. She had tried to eat a cherry tomato once, just before she left on her journey. Vegetables were good for her, and she did like some vegetables, with her favorites being carrots and broccoli. But the instant her teeth cut through the tomato’s surface, the juices burned her tongue, making her entire mouth sting, like a million Beedrill were using Poison Sting on her all at once. Never again would she go anywhere near a tomato. “Besides, it’s not technically a salad. My parents say I need to eat more greens, and I like lettuce and cabbage when there’s no icky stuff on it, so why not?”

Perrine pointed her fork at Julia’s plate. “She does make a valid point,” She said. “If it’s just lettuce, it doesn’t count as a salad. But hey, everyone has their preferences,” She added with a brief shrug. “I like mayonnaise on my salad myself.”

Satisfied with the answer, and with having learned something new about Julia today, Caiseal chuckled. “Sure. I get it. Nothing wrong with that.”

As he chewed on a piece of his fried chicken, his mind wandered, the girls’ conversation turning into white noise in the process. He flashed back to when he told Julia about his past. He had expected her to completely abandon him or decide she didn’t want to be his friend anymore. Other kids he knew distanced themselves from him when he told them what happened. Others didn’t know how to react and went about their own lives. Instead, she not only accepted him, she actually cried for him and promised to always be his friend forever. Regret began to creep into his heart, and he wished he hadn’t kept her in the dark about himself for all that time. If she accepted him, then...perhaps Perrine would as well?

Caiseal pursed his lips together. He had kept it from her long enough. It was time that he told her.

“Hey, Perrine. There’s something--”

Unfortunately, Caiseal didn’t get the chance to talk. High pitched squealing and screaming rocked the entire Pokemon Center lobby. Julia winced at the noise, and her hands immediately flew to her ears, but she could still feel her eardrums throbbing from the inside. Even Perrine had to cover one of her ears. Caiseal turned around, facing the source of the noise. A large cluster of girls gathered around one of the TVs hanging from the ceiling, watching in captivated awe as a boy band dressed in black and red performed at a concert on the screen. Many of the girls were dressed in black and red clothing themselves, namely T-shirts and ripped jeans. The trio shot annoyed glances in the crowd’s direction.

“Seriously?!” Julia yelped. “What the heck is going on?!” The three of them had come here to have a quiet, peaceful meal, not deal with a gaggle of people screaming their heads off.

“I’ll go check,” Perrine stood up from the chair and walked over to the crowd. She approached one girl in particular who had red streaks in her long black hair. “Excuse me. What’s all the hubbub about?” She asked politely, taking care not to escalate the situation.

The long haired girl shook her fists excitedly. “Don’t you know?! The Dark Nightwingz are performing here in Blackthorn City right now!” She exclaimed. “See on the TV?” The girl pointed to the TV. One of the members was shown strumming on a guitar. “The concert’s going on at the Blackthorn Music Hall, which is only a few miles from here! The only reason we’re not there ourselves is that tickets have been sold out for the past week, so we’re making do and watching it here.”

All this just for a boy band? Perrine could only stand there stupidly, her mouth slightly agape. She could only vaguely make out the music, which was being slowly drowned out by all the squealing fan girls. Whoever these guys were, they must be pretty popular if kids were screaming over them like this. Perrine turned on her heel and returned to the table.

“So...apparently there’s this boy band that’s playing here right now,” Perrine told them. “And they’re fans.”

“I can tell,” Caiseal deadpanned.

By this time, Julia had already finished her meal, feeling full and satisfied. But she knew Caiseal and Perrine hadn’t finished yet, so she waited until they were done before suggesting they go to their rooms. Still, her eardrums kept throbbing whenever the fangirls clustered around the TV squealed and cried out in delight. Couldn’t they be a bit more considerate of the people around them? Thankfully, Perrine and Caiseal had the same thought. As soon as they finished their dinner, the trio got their Pokemon back from Nurse Joy and left for their assigned rooms like they couldn’t get out of there fast enough. They all gathered in one room in particular, and Julia fell right onto her bed, face down, her face buried in the blankets.

“Seriously, the Ice Path is quieter than in there!” Julia groaned, her voice muffled by the comforter.

“You’re telling me,” Caiseal agreed. Well, there was one positive thing about the Ice Path. He stole a glance at Perrine, watching as she threw off her shoes, letting them fall off her feet. Now was his chance to tell her. “Hey, Perrine?”

“Yeah?”

“Listen…” Caiseal didn’t know where to start. But he knew he couldn’t keep it in any longer. She was his friend. He knew in his heart he could trust her. Why keep her in the dark any longer? “There’s something I want to tell you. About me.”

“Really?” Her curiosity piqued, Perrine looked straight at him, crossing her legs. “What is it?”

“Oh!” Julia interrupted, knowing right away what he was about to talk about. “Hang on a sec!” She pulled out a PokeBall and had Hikaru pop right out.

“Pika?” Hikaru tilted her head to one side. That was random. She had been stuck in that PokeBall all day, so while it was good to finally be out of that thing, she was a bit perplexed by how sudden it was.

Julia smiled. “Hey, Hikaru. I think this is something you might want to hear.”

“You want Hikaru to listen in as well?” Caiseal asked.

“Yep! Your story and hers are really similar!” Julia told him excitedly, holding her orange friend close. “Is that okay?”

“Wait...your story?” It was Perrine’s turn to be confused this time. “What’s she talking about?”

“Chuuu?”

Caiseal nodded in approval. “Sure. I don’t see why not. Anyway…” He folded his hands together, readying himself. “I told Julia something very personal about me in the Ice Path,” He finally began. “So I figure it’s time I told you, too.”

Everyone listened as Caiseal told Perrine everything that he told Julia. His entire backstory, from the mistreatment he endured at the hands of his mother to the awful revelation she thrust upon him. Unlike in the Ice Path, Caiseal was much calmer when he told it to Perrine this time around. Julia could see and feel it in his whole being. He didn’t look completely broken, vulnerable, or pathetic this time either, which Julia chalked up to being out of the Ice Path and having had dinner just now. On the other hand, Perrine was reduced to a blubbering mess by the end. Her face was completely red, drowning in waterfalls of tears as the orange haired girl wrapped her arms around Caiseal, crying onto his shoulder.

“That is seriously the saddest thing I ever heard in my whole entire liiiiiiife!!” Perrine bawled like a baby.

In a way, Caiseal had expected her to be moved to tears. Julia did, so it was likely that she would too. But he didn’t expect brave, strong, confident Perrine to straight up break down and hug him. His face flushed crimson from the sudden close contact, and he gently pushed her off.

“You know I didn’t tell you this just so you’d feel sorry for me, right?” Caiseal retorted, shooting an annoyed look at her.

Regardless of his feelings about this whole thing, Perrine kept on crying, though she did hide her eyes behind her arm, probably in an attempt to stop the onslaught of tears. Thankfully, Julia didn’t break into tears this time. But hearing the story a second time didn’t make it any less sad. On the other hand, Hikaru, who rested on Julia’s lap the entire time, was completely silent. Julia was right, his story was similar to hers. She had found a fellow kindred spirit! No, he was always with them, and she never even knew any of this about him.

“Yeah, I know. But man, no wonder you hated the Ice Path so much,” Perrine exclaimed, after having calmed down a bit. “I’m honestly surprised you even managed to survive on the streets for a whole two months trying to get home all on foot! That must have been horrible!”

Caiseal looked down, averting their gaze. “Well...” He wasn’t quite sure how to put this. But he had to try. “It wasn’t all bad,” He pulled one of his PokeBalls from his pocket. Mallow’s PokeBall. “If I hadn’t been thrown out like that...I would never have met Mallow. He’s the reason I’m even alive today.”

Both girls exchanged confused glances. Caiseal met Mallow while on the streets? “You didn’t mention that part back in the Ice Path,” Julia told him.

“I didn’t?” Caiseal asked, looking just as confused as they were. “You sure?”

“Definitely! You never told us about having met Mallow during that time.”

Their conversation in the Ice Path came back to him in that moment. She was right. He hadn’t mentioned having met Mallow when he told Julia about his past. “Oh yeah. Whoops. I guess I was so frazzled by everything that happened that I forgot to mention that part,” He looked back up at them, his expression tender and soft. “But it’s true. I ran into Mallow on the streets, and we just never left each other’s side after that.”

“Awww!” Julia cooed. “That is so sweet! It’s no wonder you two are so close! You’ve really went through a lot together!”

“Yeah we did.”

“Pikaaaaa…” Even Hikaru couldn’t help but be entranced by this new information, even as she adjusted the bow on her ear.

“See, Hikaru?” Julia asked. “Told you you’d want to hear this. Hey, Caiseal! Guess what? Hikaru was abandoned by her parents, too!”

“Wait, really?” Caiseal’s jaw fell, and stayed open even as Julia told him Hikaru’s story of being abandoned because of her shiny coat. “Oh man. I never knew,” His heart went out to the little mouse sitting before him.

“Hang on. One thing still baffles me,” Perrine interrupted. “How in the world is it possible to...eat your own twin? Last I checked, fetuses don’t develop mouths until way later. How can you suddenly have a twin and then not have one?”

Julia held her index finger up. “I think the correct term might be absorbed,” She clarified. She could tell Perrine was having just as much trouble wrapping her head around the concept as she herself did back in the Ice Path. Julia couldn’t blame her. If someone had told her such a thing could happen months ago, she’d never have believed them.

“Nnngh! This is soooo confusing!” Perrine huffed, rubbing her hair with both hands. “Eh, I’ll look it up first thing tomorrow. We better hit the hay if we want to battle the gym leader tomorrow.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

***

Sleep didn’t come very easily to Caiseal that night, but for once, it wasn’t because of the nightmare. It still flickered in his mind every now and again, but he didn’t find himself waking up breathing really hard and sweating profusely. Caiseal glanced at a nearby clock on the desk. It was about 4:07 AM, and the sky was still a deep, rich navy blue, dotted with stars. He then shot a glance at the door at the other end of his room. Without much else to do, Caiseal walked outside, hoping maybe some fresh air would help him get back to sleep. Before this journey, Caiseal was hardly ever the type to sit down and appreciate nature’s beauty. Now, he gazed at the stream of stars with fondness. How many nights had he spent awake from the nightmare, thinking the world was about to crush him with the weight of his mother’s hatred? It had only been when he was with his Pokemon, away from Blackthorn City, away from the awful memories it held for him that he felt like he was himself.

Right now, Caiseal felt like himself. He was back in his hometown. He was sure that if he came back here, he’d feel angry. Disgusted, even. What was the point of coming back here, other than to see his adopted family? All he ever wanted was to get away from here. Away from Nollaig. Away from everything that he hated. But here he was, back in Blackthorn City, and those feelings never came. Was it because of his friends? His Pokemon? He wasn’t sure, but he smiled at the starry sky. This was good. He didn’t want to spend his life being angry and letting hatred fill his veins. Besides, his adopted family loved him. Maybe that was why he came back, because they loved him, even though he never felt like he had any right to be with them. Did someone like him really deserve to be loved?

Footsteps pulled Caiseal out of his reverie. Turning to his left, he saw Hikaru sitting right next to him, her ears folded back as she looked up at the sky, just like he was doing now.

“Can’t sleep?”

Hikaru shook her head sideways. “Pika.”

“Yeah, me too. It’s real pretty out tonight.”

“Chu,” Hikaru nodded in agreement.

A brief pause. A peaceful, comfortable silence, and neither of them wanted to break it. But Caiseal remembered Julia telling him about Hikaru’s past. Something inside him compelled him to break the silence. “So...your parents tossed you aside and abandoned you, huh?”

“Chuuu,” Caiseal could tell by the pained look on her face that her abandonment was a sore subject for her. He couldn’t blame her. Who would be happy about their parents straight up discarding them like garbage?

“I didn’t expect us to have that in common.”

“Pika.”

It certainly was an odd thing to share with someone else’s Pokemon, and not exactly a nice thing, either. Still, knowing someone else understood his pain was a great consolation.

“It sucks, doesn’t it? We’ve both been treated like crap for stuff that’s out of our control,” Caiseal said, taking care to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t wake the girls next door. “It’s not like you wanted to be shiny, and I certainly didn't want to...absorb my twin. Why do they feel like they have to blame us for that kinda stuff?”

“Pikapii.”

“Adults. They think they’re right about everything, even when they’re completely wrong and deluded. Right?”

Again, Hikaru agreed with a nod. “Pika pika.”

A wistful look came over Caiseal’s eyes. “I wonder how Violet’s doing now? I hope she’s doing well.”

Hikaru didn’t have an answer for that, not that Caiseal expected her to. They just sat there on the tiny patio, Caiseal’s elbows resting on the steel railing. The night air bit at his skin, making him shiver with cold, but he liked how it felt in this moment, so he didn’t mind it so much. It helped that his pajamas had long sleeves and pants, and the air wasn’t as cold as it was in the Ice Path.

“Hey, Hikaru. Julia’s really lucky to have you as a friend,” He told her. “She really loves you a lot.”

“Pikachuuuuu,” Hikaru cooed.

Caiseal smiled at the response. “Scratch that. You’re lucky to have her. Is that what you’re saying?”

Another nod. “Chupi!” The shiny Pikachu took the time to arch her back a bit to stretch herself out, her tail pointing to the sky like a lightning rod in doing so.

So much had happened on his journey, some bad, most of it good. The good parts definitely stood out. Having met Perrine and Julia. Battling the gym leaders and earning badges. Catching all of his beloved Pokemon friends. He wondered how he might have turned out if he hadn’t gone on this journey. If he had never met Perrine or Julia. If he hadn’t met Mallow on the streets that day. Nothing came to mind. Caiseal shook his head. No. He didn’t want to think of a life without his friends. They were the reason he was here today. The reason he became the person he was now. Why would he want to change that? He loved the journey he had taken for himself. All of the adventures he had, the experiences he shared with his friends, all of the wonderful places they saw...he didn’t want to trade any of it for anything else.

He stretched his legs outward. “Pfft! Screw them!” Caiseal spat. “We’re here now, and they’re not gonna get us down.”

A determined look came over Hikaru’s face. She smiled at her trainer’s friend and flashed a thumbs up. “Pikapi!”

Before too long, a yawn escaped Caiseal’s lips. His eyesight blurred as the big yawn made its way out of him. “I guess I better get to sleep then,” He stood up before stealing another glance at the electric mouse. “Sweet dreams, Hikaru.”

“Pikachu.”

He couldn’t understand Pokemon language like Julia could, but he didn’t need to in this moment. He was sure Hikaru was telling him the same thing. Sweet dreams were a rarity for him. But tonight, maybe a good dream or two wouldn’t be so rare now.
 
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