Thread: Antonyms

Sorry for not posting in a while, I am still reading though. It's going good. I was wondering if the whole "pokemon cannot be caught if they are already owned" situation was going to be brought up, so I'm glad that was answered (I never even thought about Debonnaire not technically owning Tai).

I'm looking forward to learning a little more about what's going on/what's gone on, though! Keep going! :)

Originally Posted by Blitzle

Sorry for not posting in a while, I am still reading though. It's going good. I was wondering if the whole "pokemon cannot be caught if they are already owned" situation was going to be brought up, so I'm glad that was answered (I never even thought about Debonnaire not technically owning Tai).

I'm looking forward to learning a little more about what's going on/what's gone on, though! Keep going! :)

I understand; I tend to fall behind a lot too. But anyway, thank you for reading and commenting, and I hope you like what is to come!

Chapter 5

The streets immediately pulsed with spectators, rushing towards the scene and gasping at the sight. Some rushed in to push the rubble off of any human they can find, some called ambulances, and informed them of the gravity of this situation. Amidst the rush and confusion, a young man approached Debonnaire, clearly trying to help her and get her out of harm’s way; after all, she was sitting right beneath the edge of the half-building that remained standing.

“Not me; I’m fine!” she said as he tried to wrap his arms around her. “Go upstairs! A boy named Odysse is in the corridor, he’s hurt!”

The young man nodded and ran towards the stairs, and she noticed the remaining residents running out, each carrying their most prized positions. Jaine was the first to run past her, holding her two children between her arms; they were screaming in fear, crying louder than Debonnaire thought was possible. Carol and Toshie were next, and they ran almost parallel to each other, each looking more distraught than the other.

Carol carried her smallest statue; the Glameow had lost her right ear, and parts of her side were missing, revealing the hollow space inside. Toshie was constantly looking back, almost of the verge of tears. Her apron was littered and smudged with colours, attacking each other as they slowly seeped to drop.

Right after them came the residents of the floor above it, and among them was Odysse, fainted and resting lifelessly on the young man’s body. Debonnaire’s eyes quickly shifted to where Caron’s body was, noticing him being lifted into an ambulance and placed next to Alfred and Stella, and they quickly made off with him. Paramedics were soon on the scene, taking care of those whose injuries were mere scratches and cuts. The young man had rode in a different ambulance with Odysse and Presley, a resident who seemed to have suffered a long cut across her face, and was screaming hysterically.

A pair of paramedics ran towards Debonnaire, and started placing Conley in a stretcher. He had lost consciousness and was bleeding heavily. Debonnaire got up to ride the ambulance with him, and as she hopped in, assisted by the paramedic, her Pokémon jumped in after her.

“It’s fine. Just go,” the paramedic said to the driver after a moment’s glance at the small creatures; they clearly weren’t normally allowed in an ambulance. The car started moving and the sirens wailed as soon as the doors were closed. “Are you a relative of his?”

“N- No, I’m not,” Debonnaire struggled to find her words; the man was aimlessly trying to stop Conley’s bleeding. “I- I’m just.”

The ambulance took a sharp turn, and Debonnaire would have lost her footing had it not been for her shoulder ramming into one wall. The paramedic was clearly used to this, and didn’t falter at the sudden turn. He had stopped speaking to Debonnaire, and kept himself focused on Conley.

The rest of that day brought a very stale memory to Debonnaire’s mind. She was waiting. All the injured had been rushed into operations, and into the care of far more experienced and qualified doctors. And Debonnaire just waited. The less injured were brought in for further examination, and eventually, they all left. And she still waited.

The sun had set, the day had turned into night, and as the clock signified the start of a new cycle, Debonnaire kept on waiting. She had ushered her Pokémon to the Pokémon Center to stay for the night, knowing that it wasn’t far away from where she was, and that Tai will make sure they get there.

When the sky was darkest, the doors slowly opened, and a familiar face walked slowly in. Toshie had changed into a new set of clothes, a long blue dress that complimented her pale complexion, accompanied by short heels. At the end of her hand hanged a familiar backpack, and she sat down next to Debonnaire, taking the girl’s hand.

“How are you?

“I’m fine,” Debonnaire said. “I still haven’t heard anything, though.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Toshie said. “I brought Caron’s bag; I’m sure it has some of his clothes.”

“It might be mostly Odysse’s,” Debonnaire said, taking the bag from Toshie and hugging it close to her chest. “How did you get it anyway?”

“Some hotel nearby offered to house all of us; apparently they had a deal with Conley,” Toshie said. “I wanted to go and get my belongings, but it was too unsafe for anyone to go back into their apartments, so I just had a police officer grab the backpack for me; I saw Caron wear it many times before.”

“How did you get that dress then? And why is your hair so nice?”

“I took a shower in the hotel,” Toshie said, pushing her tongue against her cheek. “And I wanted to see Caron.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you two were close,” Debonnaire said. “I mean…“

“We aren’t close,” Toshie said, this time scratching at her leg; she was clearly nervous. “We saw to each other and exchanged a few words every now and then, and I liked him; he was a nice guy, but…”

“You were too nervous to speak to him?”

“Something along those lines.”

“And this made you realise that life is too short to be spent waiting?”

“Possibly.”

“I don’t know why this makes me happy,” Debonnaire grinned. “It’s one of those moments when you realise fact and fiction isn’t that different after all.”

“No, I guess not,” said Toshie, smiling. “It does sound implausible, almost like I’m only doing it because that’s what I think would be appropriate in this situation, but I really feel like that. I could have died when all my glass portraits were shattered. I was standing in the middle of them, and it’s only when I went to my room to get some more paint that everything shattered.”

“Well, for the record, you’re your greatest portrait right now,” Debonnaire said. “I’m sure Odysse will be fine, and then Caron will be very happy that his brother is alive, and then you will tell him you brought the backpack, and then he’ll see that you care, and you’ll live happily ever after.”

Debonnaire handed the bag back to Toshie, and gave her a smile. The pair sat on the dark blue chairs in silence for the rest of the night, both slowly drifting into deep sleep; blissfully unaware of the situation their friends were in.

∞

“You’re surprisingly unscathed,” Zarya had said to Debonnaire. “One would think such a fall would destroy a person, but I guess that’s just old people; you youngsters are too sturdy for your own good.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Debonnaire said as she continued mopping the floor. “I always thought Nurses had an easy job, just clicking buttons in a machine, and healing Pokémon.”

“That’s what everyone thinks,” Zarya laughed. “But no. We have to clean the Center and make it sanitary for everyone to come in. It’s still not much though; I grew up having to clean my house with my three sisters.”

“Oh, I thought you were an only child.”

“No, I’m just a lonely child,” Zarya laughed again. “I had sisters, all of them were older than myself. And unfortunately, they all passed away a long time ago. I’m the only one remaining.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Debonnaire said. “But at least you knew them. I once overheard someone at the orphanage saying I had a twin brother.”

“Oh, how terrible! Is that why you left?”

“No, I-“

The automatic doors of the Center slid open, allowing a young Trainer in. He took one look around, scanning the area and looking at the two nurses in confusion.

“The Pokémon Center is always open,” said Zarya. “Do you need to have your Pokémon healed?”

“Oh, yes, please!” the boy said, handing his three Poké Balls to Zarya, who took her place behind the counter, and started operating the machine.

“Are you just starting your journey?” Debonnaire asked.

“Ah, yes,” the boy replied. “Had a hard time in Petalburg Woods, though!”

“All done!” Zarya said. “Your Pokémon have been healed.”

“Thank you!” the boy said, collecting his Pokémon from Zarya and running out of the Center.

“We should be thankful he came in,” Zarya said. “Otherwise we’d be talking about feelings and emotions!”

“I guess you’re right…” Debonnaire dragged her mop against the last spot on the floor one more time, leaving a few traces of water that quickly faded away.

Huh? Debonnaire has a twin brother, I'm sure that's of some significance. Other than that, it was a good albeit quite short.

Originally Posted by Tsutarja

Huh? Debonnaire has a twin brother, I'm sure that's of some significance. Other than that, it was a good albeit quite short.

It is a bit short; I originally intended on making it longer, but found it a fit ending to have Debonaire and Toshie unaware of their friends' situation in a cliffhanger of their own.

Chapter 6

Odysse was sitting by his brother’s side.

Caron’s body was motionless, his heartbeats were closely monitored, and his spine was severly damaged. Odysse had been informed that his brother will never walk again, and all the younger sibling could do was feel responsible. Caron shouldn’t have gone back into the apartment; he shouldn’t be the one who was permanently injured.

Odysse’s left arm was wrapped in bandages. The wound he had received had to heal, and all it will leave would be a scar that drew itself from his elbow, while his brother was going to have a much more severe reminder of the incident.

Odysse sunk further into his chair. He was going to cry, and he felt the tears seeping towards his eyes, but he was too proud to cry. He had made it clear to himself that he would never let Caron see him cry, or anyone for that matter; Caron could hear about it. He can’t be weak, not when his reasons weren’t nearly as well founded as his brother’s.

There was a knock on the wooden door, and Odysse’s head shot towards Toshie, who was still in her dress. She had spent the night in the hospital with Debonnaire, and waited until the morning to see Caron. The two had spoken to each other, but Caron was too weak to stay awake for much longer, and now the morning sun progressed the day, and stood in the middle of the sky.

“How is he doing?” Toshie asked, taking a step into the room.

“He’s fine,” Odysse said. He wrapped his fingers around the arms of the chair, and pushed himself up. “Can you sit here for a while? I’ll be right back.”

Not even waiting for a response from Toshie, he dashed past her into the corridor, and made his way to the lavatories. The corridor seemed to stretch with each step he took, and Odysse hanged his head low as he passed the various nurses, doctors, patients, and visitors; none of them could see him like this.

He passed another room, where Debonnaire was standing by a patient. Conley’s eyes were wrapped in bandages, but he was wide-awake; he had been blind for a long time, and losing his eyes didn’t mean much to his sight.

“How are you feeling?” Debonnaire said as she slowly slid into the chair she had dragged to the side of the bed.

“I’m fine, Debby,” Conley said. “Just a little worried about you.”

“Why are you worrying about me?” she let out a slight chuckle.

“Well,” Conley said, turning his head as if to make eye contact with Debonnaire. “You have no place to go. Our contract wasn’t finalised, so you can’t go live in the hotel I made a deal with, and now you have no job.”

“I spent the night here in the hospital, and I lived in the wilderness for most of my travels; I can take care of myself.”

“That’s good,” Conley said. “You’re a good person, Debonnaire.”

“So are you,” she replied. “Do you need anything?”

Conley lay still in his bed, almost dead. He returned his head to face the ceiling, and let the rushing sounds of nurses in the corridor fill the room. Their silence was almost unbearable, and it lasted for too long, until Conley broke it.

“Take my hand, Debby,” he said as he presented his hand to Debonnaire, his fingers apart enough to invite her hold. “And close your eyes.”

Debonnaire placed her hand atop Conley’s, and shut her eyes. His grip didn’t tighten, and his hand didn’t move; all that confirmed to Debonnaire that Conley was still alive was his breathing.

“Did you ever wonder why you could befriend Pokémon without any Poké Balls?”

“I- I just assumed everyone can do it.”

“There is some truth to that,” Conley said through a smug smile. “But there is also something else.”

Debonnaire waited for Conley to add something to his claim, but there was nothing for a long time, almost as if losing his eyes made him much less functional. Conley’s hand squeezed itself around Debonnaire’s, and Conley let out a disappointed sigh; his smile was gone, and his body was slowly relaxing, sinking into his hospital bed.

“Listen, Debby,” Conley said. “Have you ever heard of Psychics, or those who can control Aura, or those who can speak to Pokémon? It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that humans have access to many other powers.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Debonnaire said. “I read a book that once described these powers as the human equivalence of evolution.”

“Precisely,” Conley smiled again. “You see, it’s not that simple. For a long time, these people didn’t want their powers to be known, and there are still some who want their abilities to become their own, and not to belong to the world, and there are some who want these powers for themselves.”

Conley paused; even though he had not said much yet, it was still tiring for him. And as much as he searched, he found no other way to explain what he held as a secret for so many years to Debonnaire.

“The person who caused the building to break was one such person,” Conley said. “His name is Addanc, and he only did it because he wanted my eyes.”

“Now that seems a little farfetched,” Debonnaire said, trying to pull her hand away from Conley’s grip, but failing to. “Would you let go of my hand, please?”

“Not yet,” Conley said. “Not until you hear everything I have to say.”

Another moment of silence filled the room; it had been so many that Debonnaire had lost count. She never thought about it, but Debonnaire had never imagined that sitting in a room with a blind man and her eyes closed could make her feel more under constant observance than any other situation.

“Fine,” Debonnaire said, relaxing her hand in Conley’s, but not her arm. “Explain.”

“Very well, then,” Conley’s smile returned. “I wasn’t as blind as you might think. People like us, Debby, we have the potential to give up our own sight for a much better one, a sight that would reveal wonders to you. What I see, what I am, is an even better form of controlling Aura. You have it, Debonnaire, and you have the potential to see things that can rarely be seen.”

“I was hoping you would explain the Addanc person,” Debonnaire said. “What did you mean when you said that it was him that destroyed the building?”

“There are people who want this power,” Conley said. “Addanc is one person. You see, full control of this power can wield great abilities. We can reach out to the dead, and drag they that we want back to life, and that is what Addanc wants to do. He took my eyes, my power, and he wants to use it to bring back the dead.”

“Why would he destroy the building, though?”

“The power,” Conley said, much to Debonnaire’s frustration. “He knows about it, and he tried to acquire it, something that is very dangerous. I don’t know how, but he has found a way to access it, and as he is unable to naturally control it, it ran wild.”

“This still seems farfetched,” Debonnaire said. “I mean, the only part I can believe is Addanc being the one who destroyed the building, because nothing natural could have caused that split.”

“I can understand,” Conley said. “I didn’t believe it when I first heard it either, and I’ve heard that sentence from the person who told me about this power. I hope you’ll understand, and I hope you’ll fulfill one last request for me.”

“If I can, then I will,” Debonnaire said. “What is it?”

“When I mentioned that Addanc took my eyes, and my power,” Conley said. “It means that I have lost my power, and the only reason I’m still alive is because I hung on, with the help of the hospital, of course. A normal person in my position would be in a coma, probably never to wake up, and now, the only thing keeping me alive is you. Very faint life comes from you to me, and once we let go of each other’s hand, I will die.”

Conley hadn’t mentioned his last request yet, and Debonnaire was convinced that it was a challenge, to disconnect their hold, and to see whether Conley would die or not. He was silent, still facing her, almost daring her to let go of his hand.

But what if it was true? What if letting go of Conley’s hand meant killing the man?

“Don’t worry much about it,” Conley said. “I’m still connected to these machines, but I won’t let them keep me alive; I’ve said my goodbyes a long time ago, and I’ve accepted death before it came. All I ask is that you search for someone named Chet Rea. He is in Sinnoh, and if I’m not mistaken, he will be in the Solaceon Ruins, go to him, and he will explain to you all that I just said much better than I could ever hope to.”

“I will,” Debonnaire said. “I’m going there eventually, anyway.”

“I’ve already made sure that you have enough money to carry you through this journey,” Conley said. “And even if you don’t believe me now, and don’t plan on going to see Chet Rea, I hope that you will.”

Another moment of silence filled the room, broken only by Conley’s words.

“You can let go of my hand now.”

He turned his face to the ceiling, while Debonnaire’s eyes opened to meet the sight of their hands. As much as she didn’t believe what Conley had said, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. If letting go of his hand meant killing Conley, then it was a simple action that Debonnaire was unable to perform.

“Goodbye, Debonnaire.”

Conley’s hand pulled away a little, revealing more of itself beneath Debonnaire’s hand. The burden was unbearable, and Debonnaire was slowly starting to cry; she hadn’t known Conley for a week, but a life was still a life, and she found it impossible to pull away. Even if he didn’t die, Debonnaire still had to leave; it was no use staying in Eterna City for any longer.

“Goodbye, Conley,” Debonnaire said as she went to hug the old man, keeping physical contact with him. “I will miss you.”

“You’re a good girl, Debby,” Conley said. “Good girl.”

And then she let go, and Conley’s body dropped back to the bed.

For the last time, there was silence between them in that hospital room. Debonnaire heard the sound of the fan on the ceiling spinning, the rustling of the wind against the leaves outside the window, the footsteps outside, and the drops of liquid, but all she saw was Conley’s lifeless face.

A pair of footsteps entered through the door, and Debonnaire’s first assumption was that it was a nurse.

“He said his name was Addanc,” the familiar voice said, and Debonnaire’s head immediately shot back to see Odysse standing at the door. “The man who did this to my brother.”

Alright, I like where this is going. Judging by what was revealed so far, Deb also has a special power which allows her to connect with wild Pokémon easily. Also, I'm glad that some plot of the story was revealed.

Now I'm assuming that Odysse and Deb will travel together? Looking forward to the next chapter!

Although I did find this chapter a bit short, to be honest. :<

Originally Posted by Tsutarja

Alright, I like where this is going. Judging by what was revealed so far, Deb also has a special power which allows her to connect with wild Pokémon easily. Also, I'm glad that some plot of the story was revealed.

And bring the dead back to life; don't forget that!

Originally Posted by Tsutarja

Now I'm assuming that Odysse and Deb will travel together? Looking forward to the next chapter!

Someone is clever, I see...

Originally Posted by Kyuuketsuki

And bring the dead back to life; don't forget that!

Really? Can't she revive Conley then? Either that or she has no idea how to use her powers in that way.

Originally Posted by Tsutarja

Someone is clever, I see...

The last line of the chapter pretty much implied it, Odysse will most likely seek revenge. :)

Originally Posted by Tsutarja

Originally Posted by Kyuuketsuki

And bring the dead back to life; don't forget that!

Really? Can't she revive Conley then? Either that or she has no idea how to use her powers in that way.

She can't use it yet, nor is she advised to ever use it.

Chapter 7

Tai, Sho, Skye and Wug were huddled together in the Pokémon Center, sharing the same spot on the floor amongst them; the night had come again, and they hadn’t seen Debonnaire for a day. Had Wug been long enough, she would have been wrapped around the group, but the fact that she had even the slightest of physical contact made Debonnaire happy.

She was sitting by her Pokémon, wearing a new set of clothes that was composed of a simple, bland yellow shirt, and a pair of jeans. She had received her clothing and items from the room she had been staying in, and Toshie allowed her to take a shower in her hotel room, after which she quickly left for the Pokémon Center, and was falling asleep by her Pokémon.

Tai’s arms were wrapped around Skye and Sho, and his fingers were touching Wug; he was a light sleeper, and he undoubtedly locked his body into that position to ensure that the other Pokémon would remain unharmed throughout their slumber.

Debonnaire’s lids were heavy, slowly closing around her eyes, and obstructing her vision. The Pokémon Center’s lights were shut, and the night outside was quiet, so quiet that, in her last moments of awareness, Debonnaire was convinced that nothing had gone wrong. Nothing had happened.

Caron could walk. Alfred and Stella were alive, as was Conley.

Everything was fine.

And sleep took her over.

At the beginning, her sleep was an emptiness that lasted numerous infinities; no dreams interjected, and no morning awakened her. As quickly as the emptiness passed, her memories filed themselves into her head. She was back in the hospital room. A body just fell back into the bed.

“He said his name was Addanc,” he said. “The man who did this to my brother.”

“You were listening?”

He was emotional. She left the room. He followed her. He believed everything that was said.

“Please!” she slapped his hand away. “I don’t have the heart to deal with you!”

She walked away. He followed.

“You have to help me,” he shouted. “I will find Addanc.”

“I won’t help you,” she kept on walking. “Stay here with your brother.”

“I can’t,” he said. “If I know the name of who did this, I can’t stand still.”

The emptiness returned, as long and short as everything before and after it.

∞

Once more, the sun rose to reveal the half destroyed apartment building, and to remind everyone who lived in Eterna City that nothing had been magically fixed, nor were bad memories erased from the minds of those who witnessed the terrible events. The sun that had once opened each day with a welcoming light now shined into the Pokémon Center.

Debonnaire’s eyes opened slowly, and her Pokémon came into view, still holding each other, deep in their sleep and oblivious to the fact that their owner was right next to them, where she had been sleeping since the night before.

She almost wanted to wake them up, and shout ‘I’m back!’ just to be met with squeals of joy and embraces, but the situation was too depressing for her to even seriously consider the possibility of being happy again. Death was too depressing.

Her mind raced back to Conley’s room, and all the revelation that seemed too far-fetched to be true. He had to have been hallucinating, must have been a side effect of dying. But it was possible, and as much as Debonnaire didn’t want to, she believed Conley.

She let out a heavy sigh, and noticed the boy sleeping across from her, on the chairs hanging from the opposite wall. Odysse had his bag beneath his head, and his right arm was hanging from the chairs, down onto the floor, where it rose slightly with every shallow breath he took in, and then dropped again with a muffled thud.

Like the moment before, her mind raced back to the hospital, where Odysse had insisted that they go and search for the person who was, according to Conley, responsible for the deaths of many, and bound Caron to a wheelchair. Debonnaire herself had forgotten the man’s name.

All Odysse wanted to do was to seek revenge on the person responsible, while Debonnaire didn’t care in the slightest. Even though she possessed the power, she didn’t want to seek him out, nor did she want to get revenge. Tragic events happen all the time, and being in the middle of one didn’t change her opinion; she was under no obligation to seek justice.

The door to the Pokémon Center opened, and a young nurse walked in. She must have been younger than Debonnaire herself. Her hair was messy, rising up slightly on one side, while being contorted on the other. Her hands were feverishly rubbing at her eye, constantly pushing the blonde hair on her face away, and back into the group it fell out of.

Her half open eye fell on Debonnaire, and she gasped in horror.

“I’m so sorry!” she said, hurrying over to the very confused Debonnaire. “I overslept! I’m really sorry- I- Are those your Pokémon? Oh, I’m getting fired… I was supposed to take the nightshift, but I overslept, and I- Oh, no… I just-“

She gripped Tai as hard as she could and pulled him so suddenly that he awoke with a jolt and was instantly paralysed in the nurse’s arm, his face showing the clear signs of fear as the nurse shouted apologies into the Center.

She grabbed Sho next, and he squealed with fear, letting out a small electric shock that made the nurse take a step back, and drop Tai, who had also received Sho’s attack. The nurse let out a scream of pain, and from the chairs behind her, Odysse’s body smashed against the ground. She was still apologising to no one in particular, as Debonnaire stared wide-eyed.

“What is wrong with you?!” Odysse shouted as he rubbed his bleeding nose. “Calm down!”

“I- I- I’m so, so sorry, sir!” the nurse rushed to Odysse’s side, and tried to pull him up. “I didn’t- this is terrible! Your nose!”

“I know about my nose, idiot!” Odysse said as he slowly stood up, and felt his nose dripping blood onto his hand. “Fuck!”

“Oh, no! It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Of course it hurts!”

“No, no, no. Now I’m definitely getting fired.”

The nurse rushed back to Debonnaire, and tried to grab her Pokémon again, who were awake and horrified.

“They’re fine,” Debonnaire finally found her voice. “You don’t actually need to heal them.”

“Carissa!”

An elderly nurse had appeared behind the counter, and the door behind her was wide open. She was holding a cane, gripping it as firmly as if it was trying to wriggle free of her hand. Her hair was tied in a bun, and her eyes were unblinking; her posture reminded Debonnaire that of Zarya’s.

Carissa, the young nurse, rushed to the elderly nurse, shouting apologies yet again. Debonnaire’s eyes travelled to her Pokémon, all looking up at her, their faces a mixture of horror and happiness.

“Good morning,” Debonnaire breathed. “I’m back.”

The three Pokémon jumped towards their owner, while Wug crawled slowly, and rubbed herself against Debonnaire’s feet affectionately. Tai hugged his owner, while Sho jumped up and down above Debonnaire’s head, and Skye nibbled on Debonnaire’s clothes.

“You look silly,” said Odysse, still holding his bloody nose. “Just buy Poké Balls.”

“Get your nose checked,” Debonnaire said. “It shouldn’t bleed that much.”

“I’m fine. I always bleed when I’m hurt,” Odysse said with a smirk, walking towards Debonnaire, and grabbing a box of tissues from the counter along the way. “How did you sleep?”

“Sit down; I’m not in the mood to look up,” Debonnaire said, and Odysse lowered himself next to her. “Or go away. I’ve told you already; I’m not helping you.”

“I asked you how you slept, not whether you’ll help me find Addanc or not.”

“I’m not helping you,” Debonnaire said. “So just go away.”

“Again, didn’t ask that,” Odysse said. “Tragedies bring people together, Debby. I-“

“Don’t call me Debby.”

“I knew Conley for almost as long as you did,” said Odysse. “I’m as affected by his death as you are.”

“Really? You also lost your job and your home?”

“I lost my home, and we both didn’t have jobs, technically speaking.”

“Go away, Odysse,” Debonnaire said, shooting Odysse a disgusted look. “Tragedies don’t bring people together.”

“They do,” Odysse said, slowly getting up. “But as I said, it’s people they bring together.”

Debonnaire shot Odysse another look.

“See? You can look up.”

“Walburga fired me,” Carissa said. “I don’t have a job now.”

The young nurse was tearing up, while Debonnaire still glared at Odysse.

“We don’t know you,” Odysse said. “We really don’t care.”

“Don’t use the word ‘we’,” Debonnaire said. “I’m not helping you find him.”

“Why not?”

Carissa stammered to the side.

“Because I don’t care about the people who died! I don’t care that your brother can’t walk anymore! I don’t care if you want revenge on whoever did this! I’m not helping you!”

This time, it was Odysse who was glaring back at Debonnaire with a look of disgust. Their eyes were locked into each other for a very long time, not one of them daring to move their gaze away, until Carissa spoke.

“Your brother is Caron? The boy who can’t walk anymore?” she stuttered, finally drawing Odysse’s gaze to herself.

“You knew him?”

“We met,” Carissa said. “I live with Alfred and Stella, or lived. They’ve died now.”

Debonnaire’s eyes turned towards Carissa, as Carissa’s turned towards Debonnaire.

“They were my grandparents.”

Debonnaire felt a bang of guilt, and she got up slowly. She tried to hug Carissa, but the girl stepped away.

“Don’t pretend to me!” she screamed through her tears. “You just said that you didn’t care about them!”

Carried by her weak legs, tears streaming down her face, Carissa rushed out of the doors, her hands covering her face, and muffling her screams. Odysse shot a final glare at Debonnaire, and followed the young girl.

∞

Debonnaire had managed to retrieve all her belongings, and was back at the Pokémon Center. She was ready to move on, put the short tragic chapter behind her and move on, but she didn’t want to.

Perhaps it had been Carissa’s lack of disguise when it came to her emotions, or that Debonnaire was in a more aware state of mind. Perhaps it was seeing Walburga, and being reminded of Zarya, and her sense of justice. Maybe it was even seeing her Pokémon.

Whatever it was, Debonnaire no longer wanted to move on. The possibility of losing Tai, Skye, Sho or Wug pained her, and that must have been the burden Carissa was carrying, knowing that she will never again see her grandparents, the same tragedy that befell Odysse; knowing that the man responsible for crippling his brother was still free.

What if it had been Zarya? What if Zarya was next?

Debonnaire couldn’t shake the thought that she could just as easily be in Carissa’s position, just as easily lose her family. Whatever it was that changed her mind, Debonnaire wouldn’t even be sane if more die because she refused to stop the culprit.

Knowing that Odysse was probably in Caron’s room, she left her backpack with her Pokémon, and rushed to the hospital. As she marched through the doors, she spotted Carissa weeping silently into a tissue, as were a couple of families; they must have just been allowed to see the bodies of their loved ones.

Carissa was rocking back and forth in her chair, occasionally lifting her eyes, only to drown back into the tissue she was holding. Debonnaire was overcome with another bang of guilt, and she struggled to march forwards, convinced that Carissa wouldn’t want to see her right now, if ever.

She crossed the hallway, observing the numbers of the rooms, and finally reaching Caron’s, where Odysse was sitting by his brother, his nose bandaged. Toshie was there as well, and she was right by the door.

“Debonnaire!” she exclaimed, and Odysse grunted. “Come on in!”

She was obviously clueless to Debonnaire’s statement in the Center, as was Caron.

“Hi, Caron,” she said, her eyes occasionally travelling to Odysse. “How are you doing?”

“I’m great,” Caron smirked. “I’m sure Odysse feels the same way as well, he just doesn’t show emotions because he’s a teenager.”

“Yeah, we tend to be fickle,” said Debonnaire. “On that note, can I talk to you, Odysse?”

“You mean outside?” said Odysse without glancing at Debonnaire.

“Yes, outside.”

Debonnaire left the room, and Odysse followed her. They walked a few paces away from Caron’s room, when Debonnaire turned to face Odysse.

“I’ll help you.”

“What changed your mind?”

The victorious look Debonnaire imagined overtaking Odysse’s face wasn’t there. He looked at her with dead eyes, as if he didn’t believe her; the sight would have been threatening had it not been for the silly pink bandage that was obviously applied by Toshie.

“I’m not here to explain myself,” said Debonnaire. “I am going to find Addanc, whether you’re with me or not.”

“I’ve already found someone else,” said Odysse. “Someone who is motivated.”

“What? Who?”

“Carissa.”

“You told her about everything?”

“Yes.”

“And you think she’s more motivated than I am?”

“Yes.”

“She’s motivated by her tears, Odysse! We can’t bring her with us!”

“At least she isn’t motivated by guilt.”

“Oh, that’s saying something coming from you!”

Debonnaire and Odysse stood staring at each other, just as they did in the Pokémon Center. Their gaze was unbroken, until Carissa interrupted them, once more.

“What is she doing here?”

“I’m- I’m going to search for Addanc,” Debonnaire said. “I was just telling Odysse that he’s welcome if he wants to come along.”

“You have it too?” Carissa said to Odysse. “That weird superpower thing?”

“No, why would you think that?” Odysse said, before letting out a smirk. “Oh, no. We weren’t communicating telepathically, we were just… staring…”

“This is a dangerous journey,” said Debonnaire, ignoring Odysse, and turning to face Carissa. “We both have Pokémon, but you don’t. I’m not sure you can handle it, Carissa.”

“I can do it, Debonnaire,” said Carissa firmly. “Don’t doubt me.”

∞

Zarya’s tired hands flicked the switches, and the lights of the Pokémon Center turned off one by one. Only the sign outside indicated that the Center was still open. Zarya took her place behind the counter, and grabbed a framed photo.

There she stood. Zarya was amongst her three sisters; she was the shortest of them. Her fingers traced her sisters’ faces. The eldest of them, Walburga, had run away from home just a few weeks after taking that photo, and news of her death were told to Zarya and her sisters by their mother. She never allowed them to see her body, and as much as Zarya didn’t want to, she couldn’t help but follow her older sisters’ footsteps, and run away from home when it became unbearable to live there anymore.

Xyrisse, the second eldest, was the only one who tolerated their mother. It pained Zarya more than ever to run away from home, knowing that she would probably never see ‘Rissy’ again. She had managed to contact her sister after years of estrangement, and find out that she had a son. But news of Xyrisse’s death reached Zarya soon after that, and the hope of a family she had once searched for and reached was gone.

The third sister, Yannah, was the second sister to run away, a few years after Walburga. Leaving all of her mother’s anger to be directed at Xyrisse and Zarya. As much as she wanted to find her again, Zarya couldn’t, and Yannah was soon just a collection of memories. When Zarya had managed to contact Xyrisse, she was informed of Yannah’s death. She had been buried in the village where Zarya grew up, next to the house that Xyrisse inherited from her mother.

Zarya put the photo back on the desk, and took up another one.

A beautiful young boy was staring back at her; Xyrisse’s son.

“Oh, Addanc,” she sighed. “I wish I knew what happened to you.”