The Chasm

Sandgem Academy was teeming with courtyards and other flat, open spaces that had been converted into battle arenas for the Trainers that studied there. Some professors used them for instructional purposes but mostly they were used by students who, having put off their Pokémon training in favor of their studies would spend their spare time battling to keep their sole Pokémon occupied and in healthy condition.

Professor Rosanne now stood at the side of one of these battlefields, ready to officiate over a match between four Academy students. This arena was located at the edge of the Academy’s northern border, overlooking Lake Verity and was one of the more advanced arenas; the only thing separating the battle from a long, jagged drop into the lake was a short brick wall that barely rose to her waist. Roseanne was careful to keep this arena off limits to the less experienced students even though she particularly enjoyed it as it made for some very interesting battles, but she felt these students could handle it.

“Trainers ready?” she asked, looking out across the battlefield; each Trainer stood within the boundaries of their Trainer Box, their Pokémon standing before them at the ready. Being a double battle, the four were organized into teams: JC and Cameron against Kara and Kylie.

“We are, Professor,” Kylie said, speaking for the group. Her Chikorita pawed at the ground, eager to start as Kara’s Mudkip angled his tail fin.

Kira stood next to the professor, not participating in the battle. She watched on in excitement for JC, but also embarrassment for what her friends were putting him through.

Rosanne adjusted her glasses, “Very well, this will be a one round, team v. team double battle; the team with the last remaining Pokémon will be declared the winner. Begin!!”

“Piplup, Bubblebeam!”

“Ember, Kai!” the boys started, but the girls were quick to counter.

“Kippy, dodge it!”

“Same to you, Rita!”

Kippy and Rita quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the stream of bubbles and spray of embers whizzing by.

“Kippy, use Water Gun on Kai!” Kara commanded as her Pokémon regained his footing. Kippy’s cheeks suddenly swelled with stored water which he spit at the fire-type in powerful bursts with pinpoint accuracy.

Kai scampered across the cobblestone ground as he desperately avoided the attacks before Piplup jumped in front of him, taking the brunt of the attack.

“Great work, Piplup,” Cameron commended, “Now Peck!”

His Pokémon left Kai and charged with his head down, his sharp beak aimed directly at Rita.

“Get out of the way, Rita!” Kylie warned, but Piplup was too fast. Her Pokémon cried out as Piplup’s beak made contact, throwing Rita backwards across the ground.

Kylie merely straightened her glasses, unphased by the attack. “Rita, recover and use Vine Whip.”

Before she had even stopped skidding across the stone, two of the buds circling Rita’s neck sprouted into long vines that lashed out and slammed hard against Piplup. The little blue Pokémon took the hit hard, falling to the ground as he winced in pain.

“Nice work, Rita!” Kylie congratulated as her Pokémon climbed to her feet. But her celebration was short lived as Rita was suddenly covered in burning embers, courtesy of Kai. 

“Chikaaa!!” she cried as the embers took their toll, wobbling side to side before collapsing to the ground.

“Chikorita is unable to battle,” Rosanne announced, “Mudkip is the last remaining Pokémon on their team!”

“Way to go, Jemkyn,” Kira cheered softly from the sidelines, “You’re great…”

“Well I’m out,” Kylie said, returning Rita to her Poké Ball. “That was short.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Kara reassured her. “Kippy, Mud Shot!”

Kippy braced himself as he shot two bursts of muddy water from his mouth. The bursts rocketed across the field, throwing Piplup backwards a few feet and knocking Kai unconscious.

“Cyndaquil is unable to battle!” Professor Roseanne called, “Both teams are now down to their last Pokémon!”

“Ouch,” JC winced, returning Kai to his ball, “That’s not good…”

“You’d be right if this wasn’t my battle!” Cameron said confidently, “Piplup, finish this with a Peck!”

“Take it, Kippy,” Kara commanded defiantly.

“Big mistake,” Cameron said back, “Get him, Piplup!”

Piplup charged again, racing across the field towards Kippy. It looked like a sure victory as Kippy just stared ahead blankly, but Kara jumped in at the last minute.

“Now Counter!”

“Oh no,” was all Cameron could say as he watched Piplup strike Kippy, only to have his force used against him as Kippy swung him around and smacked him hard with a stiff tail fin. Piplup fell face-first against the ground with a crash, fainting on impact.

“Piplup is unable to battle! The winners are Kara and Kylie!”

Kara and Kylie ran up to each other and hugged as they squealed happily.

“We won! We won!!” they cheered together, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“We… lost?” Cameron asked, shocked that he had to return a defeated Piplup to his Poké Ball.

“Looks that way…” JC replied, shaking his head.

“Aw, don’t look so down,” Kara laughed, noting the boy’s expressions, “Come on; let’s go heal our Pokémon together. Well, actually just your Pokémon because mine won!!!” she laughed again.

“Kara!” Kira shouted, sticking up for JC.

“Oh lighten up,” Kara said, rolling her eyes. She ran up to Kira and whispered in her ear, “Just come with us; Kylie and I have a plan…”

“Oh no…” Kira whined, “What are you trying to do..?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she winked, “You’ll find out soon.”

◄►

Over in the Academy’s infirmary, Nurse Joy checked on the four Poké Balls connected to her machines. Two balls were receiving general painkillers, one was being treated for burns, and the last was merely having a check-up.

“It’ll just be a little longer,” she announced from behind the clinic counter; the five students turned to her from the waiting area and thanked her, returning to their conversation.

The school’s only medical professional, Nurse Joy treated both students and their Pokémon and was acquainted with nearly every student who attended the Academy. These particular students were regulars, always finding themselves in a battle one way or another.

“Can I get you anything while you wait; maybe some soda or lemonade, perhaps?”

“No, we’re good,” Kara replied, “But thanks!”

Joy smiled; that was Kara for you, always speaking up for whatever group she was in. The girl had always been a bit more “unrefined” than her friends and Nurse Joy struggled to remember the countless times she’d had to patch up a young Kara from all of her fights. Luckily, Nurse Joy had seen less and less of her for that reason over the years, as her friend Kylie did a good job of keeping her in line.

The students paused their conversation as the familiar chime rang from the nurse’s computer, notifying her that their Pokémon were back to normal.

“All finished,” she said, disconnecting the tubes from the balls’ ports. “Everyone is fully healed!”

“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” Cameron said as the collected their Poké Balls. “Anyway, Kara, I really don’t get what you mean…”

“Look,” she explained, “It’s really simple: you said you two are going off to prove yourselves as Trainers. So you’re going to be doing a lot of battling, right?”

“For the most part,” JC answered.

“So logically your Pokémon will become injured along the way,” Kylie stepped in, “You’ll need someone to heal them; that’s why you need to take Kira along with you…”

Cameron, JC and Kira all stopped in their tracks, as Kira finally realized what Kara had meant by “plan.”

“Kara!” she squeaked, tugging on the girl’s arm and shaking her head defiantly.

“There’s no getting out of this,” Kylie said, adjusting her glasses, “We’ve decided that this is the best thing for you. You’re going to spend time with him and you’re going to like it!”

“B— but!” she stammered, pulling Kylie aside. “I— I can’t just invite myself!” she whispered, “He probably doesn’t even want to take me…”

“Um, hold on a second,” JC spoke up, “Don’t we get a say in this? It is our trip after all.”

“Wrong,” Kara disagreed, stepping in front of him and standing tall as she stared him down. “Remember our bet? You lost your chance to leave the Academy when you lost the battle. We’re just offering you a… an alternative to sticking around here.” 

“Isn’t that basically blackmail?” Cameron thought aloud.

“Basically, yes,” Kylie grinned. “So, what do you say, JC?”

“Well actually…” he mused, “I think it sounds like a good idea.”

Kira immediately spun on her heels, her eyes gazing at him full of hope.

“Re… really…?” she asked.

“Yes, really,” he smiled. “You’d be really useful to us. Isn’t that right, Nurse Joy?”

“That’s right,” the nurse smiled, having been listening in on the entire conversation. “I’ve trained Ms. Fuego myself; Kira has got to be one of the most capable medical students I’ve ever had.”

“See?” he said, glad she was backing up his claim. “You’d be perfect for us. And, I…” he trailed off, “I wouldn’t mind your company either…”

Kira was euphoric. If she hadn’t still been breathing, she would’ve sworn her heart had stopped.

“So, does this mean you’re coming with us?” Cameron asked intrigued, but Kira didn’t answer; she just continued to stare in JC’s direction instead, her eyes glazed.

“He asked you a question, Kira,” Kylie directed, but Kira still didn’t respond. Her mind was a million miles away, dreaming about the future she was going to be sharing with the object of her adoration.

Kylie sighed at her obviousness, but Kara was finally the one to step in.

“Well let’s not just stand there with a dopey look on our face…” she suggested, taking Kira’s hand and jarring her from her stupor. “Don’t you have some packing to do, Kira?”

“What…? Oh, right,” she said, her mind still in a daze. Her friends walked her to the doorway, Kara glancing back at the boys as Kylie led Kira out into the hall.

“Oh, Rowan told me to tell you to meet him at his lab before you leave tomorrow,” she said. “You better not forget!”

“How is it that everyone seems to know about our trip?” JC asked aloud, “We didn’t tell anyone.”

“Did you really think you could hide it from us?” Kara laughed, flipping her hair back. “To be honest though, this was the first I’d heard of it. I guess Rowan just knows,” she shrugged. She stepped out of the room, calling loudly behind her, “Kira will meet you there though, so you’d better not be late!!”

JC and Cameron just looked at each other and shrugged, leaving the infirmary with Poké Balls in hand. Nurse Joy watched them leave, mulling over the conversation she’d just listened to. Curious, she pulled up the boy’s files on her computer, seeing that they were indeed marked as “travelling.”

“That’s interesting…” she said to herself. Normally children left home after their tenth birthday, but the ones that did stay were usually sent off in a big way. They would be recognized in front of the entire Academy, and she herself would have to deem them medically “fit” for the journey before they could leave. But the fact that she hadn’t even been so much as notified was… strange, to say the least.

She scrolled down further, noting a small footnote instructing the faculty to keep it on a need to know basis; all things pertaining to their journey was to be left up to the head professor, Dr. Rowan.

Very peculiar, she thought, closing the student files and switching over to her email. But it’s probably best not to pry.

◄►

Later that evening JC and his family made their way to the Berlitz’s home, one of the largest houses in Twinleaf Town and tied only with the Suou estate. Like Sandgem, Twinleaf was a very rural town, but large nonetheless. Being further from the coastline than Sandgem, Twinleaf was covered in green, rolling fields that spread out in all directions; trees hung together in clumps near the infrequent  houses, clinging to the sparse roads and well-spaced buildings. Most of the houses in Twinleaf were two story suburban homes, each with a magnificent garden and at least an acre of land a piece. The larger homes, namely those of the Suou’s and Berlitz’s, were even more lavish, having additional floors and a full, regulation-size battle arena behind them.

Johanna Berlitz had invited both the Kalmikovs and the Suous to a surprise going-away party for both JC and Cameron, as well as a welcome home party for her daughter who was due that evening. But with it now past seven and Dawn’s return drawing ever nearer, Cameron was growing more and more anxious.

“I wish Dawn would just show up already!” he said, the stress making him uncomfortable despite being seated in an expensive recliner. “The waiting is unbearable!!!”

“Calm down, man,” JC said, sitting on the hearth next to him, “You’ve waited ten years; I think you can survive a little longer.”

“I guess…” he sighed. “It’s just not fair; I never should’ve had to say goodbye in the first place…”

JC looked at his friend, watching the poor boy anxiously roll a Poké Ball between his hands. He could tell that if Cameron kept thinking about Dawn he was going to burst, so he tried changing the subject.

“So, where do you think we’ll travel to first?” he asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know or care. As long as I’m with Dawn, I don’t care where I go.”

JC shrugged; so much for that plan. But Cameron was right, and JC hoped it would turn out the same way with Kira and himself.

“We’re going to have quite the pack,” JC continued, “You, me, Dawn and Kira. That’s double just the two of us.”

“Your math skills are astounding,” his friend replied sarcastically, shooting him a quick smile.

JC laughed but dropped his head in defeat, leaving Cameron to his thoughts as he walked across the room to look at a few pictures on the wall.

After what seemed like an eternity for him, Cameron heard the screen door in the kitchen creak open, then slam shut. His ears strained at every sound coming from that room, and after a few seconds he heard a voice call through the doorway.

“Mom? I’m home!”

“Oh Dawn!!” Johanna said excitedly, rushing to the kitchen, “You’re back!”

In the split second it took for JC to turn, Cameron was nearly in the kitchen. JC chuckled to himself as he followed after his friend, suddenly greeted by a very grown up Dawn caught in the loving embrace of her very excited mother.

“Mom, stop it!” she giggled, “You’re crushing me!”

“Sweetheart I haven’t seen you in years!” her mother exclaimed, “I think I have the right to crush you!!”

Dawn had changed a lot in the time she’d been away. She was now as tall as her mother and had matured into a very beautiful young woman. However, her dark blue hair still matched her mother’s perfectly, and she wore the same style of clothes she had left home in: a dark top feathering into a short pink skirt, dark knee socks almost completely covered by her tall, pink boots, and a long, red scarf hanging loosely about her neck. Her yellow duffel bag lay on the ground next to her, dislodged from her hand by the sudden assault of affection.

“Oh, Mom…” Dawn said, hugging her as well. She held Johanna out at arm’s length and shook her head, “Look, you were a Trainer once; you know this is normal.”

“I was a Pokémon Coordinator, and at least I remembered to call!” she exclaimed, wrapping Dawn in another hug. “But you’re right,” she said, remembering her own childhood, “I just miss my little girl while she’s away…”

Dawn smiled at that and gave a conceding sigh, releasing her mother. “So…” she started, glancing around the kitchen, “Did the Suous make it? You promised me he’d be here…”

Johanna pointedly cleared her throat. “Dawn…” she nodded, motioning toward the doorway into the living room where Cameron and JC stood.

“Oh, hello,” Dawn smiled, noticing the boys but not recognizing them. “So he’s in the living room?” she continued, confirming with her mother.

Johanna laughed, quickly covering her mouth with her hand in an effort to spare her daughter. She covertly pointed at the doorway, directing Dawn’s attention to the boys.

“What?” she asked, “I said ‘hello’. I’m kind of on a mission, Mom!”

“Oh dear,” her mother sighed, “You haven’t changed a bit. Dawn, it’s them; your friends.”

Confused, Dawn slowly started to work it out in her head, her eyes growing wider as she slowly caught on to what her mother had meant.

“No way,” she said in disbelief, suddenly tearing across the kitchen and wrapping her arms around them both.

“I hardly recognized you guys!!” she said, sniffling as her emotions washed over her. “I missed you so much!!” she added, hugging them tighter.

“We missed you, too,” JC coughed, straining from the tightness of Dawn’s embrace.

Dawn finally let them go, taking a step back.

“Here, let me look at you,” she said with her hands on her hips. “Whew! You’ve really grown up,” she winked, making JC laugh.

“And you…” she said as she turned to Cameron, “Look at YOU!!” Dawn jumped forward and hugged him again, burying her face in his shirt as she held him close. She smiled contently as she made small purring noises, the look on Cameron’s face broadcasting that he was completely ecstatic.

Dawn loosened her hold on him, allowing her to lean backwards without fully letting him go.

“Well? Don’t you have anything to say to me, Mr. Cool Guy?”

Cameron opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out; instead, he found himself lost in the familiar pair of deep, blue eyes he hadn’t seen in years. JC saw his friend struggling, so he decided to help him out.

“So, Dawn… You kept asking your mom about Cameron,” he said, “What was that all about?”

Dawn quickly let go of Cameron, jumping back in surprise.

“Oh, well I…” she fumbled, realizing she’d been caught. “It, it was nothing! Nothing at all!” she added, laughing nervously.

JC eyed her suspiciously, “Right… So are you ready to travel?”

“Oh you bet!” she answered excitedly, glad to have changed the subject. “When my Mom told me you wanted to come along I couldn’t believe it! I mean, travelling is great and all, but it’d be even better to travel with one of your best friends. The last group I had wasn’t all that great…”

“At least you’ll have plenty to talk to us about on our journey though right?” he asked excitedly, “I’m sure we’d love to hear some good stories!”

Dawn cocked her head, “We? Like, you and your Pokémon?”

JC was caught off guard, “You didn’t tell her?” he asked, turning to Johanna.

She just smiled, “I figured it’d be better left as a surprise.”

“Tell me what?” Dawn pleaded, “You know I don’t like to be kept in the dark!”

“Kira’s coming along, too,” JC said with a big smile, “Oh yeah, and Cameron as well…” he added as a very intentional afterthought.

“Cameron’s coming?!” she exclaimed, nearly shouting. “I mean, cool, that’s exciting,” she corrected, “And little Kira, too? Did you two finally tie the knot?” she winked.

“Not quite,” JC blushed, “But you never know…”

“Well then this’ll be perfect for you two! A journey is a great opportunity to become really close with people!” Dawn leaned in closer to JC and whispered, “Really close…”

He gave her a sideways glance, “What…?”

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled, her slyness interrupted by a light knocking at the screen door.

“Excuse me,” a voice asked, “May we come in?”

“Dawn,” Johanna asked, a sudden tone to her voice, “Who’s that?”

“Oh!” Dawn remembered, skipping to the door, “I completely forgot about you two!”

She pushed the door open, allowing her Piplup and another young woman into the kitchen.

“I cannot believe you left us to carry all of your things!” the girl scolded, “Why did you not help us?”

All eyes fell on the angel walking through the door. She was plainly dressed, yet her beauty was unmarred and seemed to only increase because of it; her pale pink shirt hung loosely across her body, secured to her by a sash tied about her thin waist, and her dark pants cut off openly below the knee, displaying her delicate legs. She had a small pouch slung across her body and a baggy white hat that sat limply atop her dark red hair, drawing contrast to her enticingly red eyes that slowly moved from person to person.

“Why are you all staring? Do I have something on me?” she asked innocently, looking herself over.

“No, you don’t,” Dawn laughed, taking the bags, “But you didn’t have to carry these; Piplup should have been able to handle it all by himself,” she added, shooting her Pokémon a disapproving glance.

Her Piplup dropped the bag he was holding and ran over in front of Dawn, waving his arms wildly and chirping angrily at her.

“Don’t yell at me, you slacker!” Dawn snapped back, “You’re the one who thought it would be a good idea to get all this stuff!!”

“Pip-lup,” Piplup huffed, turning his head and crossing his flippers across his chest.

“Whatever,” Dawn said, dismissing her Pokémon and turning back to the group. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Serina.”

“Serina…” JC nodded, taking her hand, “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Serina stared intently at JC’s hand gently holding hers, then quickly looked up into his eyes. “Oh no, the pleasure is all mine,” she smiled generously, her breathing a little lighter. “Dawn, you never told me your friends were so, handsome…”

JC blushed, “We could say the same about you.”

“Oh stop,” Serina said, turning her face from them, “Now you are making me blush…” She finally withdrew her hand from JC, only to present it to Cameron. “And I assume you are the boy Dawn seems so infatuated with? I must say, she did not do you justice in her descriptions…”

“O-kay!” Dawn interjected bumping Serina with her hips. “Well, we’re going to take this stuff up to my room now before one of us says something she might regret; we’ll be back in a bit!” She hurried her friend across the kitchen to the stairs, dragging Piplup along with them.

“I was only pointing out that your boyfriend seems much more attractive than you led me to believe…” Serina said slyly as Dawn herded her up the stairs.

“DON’T get any ideas, you!” Dawn said quietly, but pointedly, giving her a stern push from behind. “He’s mine…”

JC watched them disappear up the stairs before turning to Cameron, still dazed from his first encounter with Dawn in ten years. He stood still for a moment before suddenly calling after her.

“I— you look, good!”

JC sighed, slapping him on the back. “A little late, buddy. Come on; let’s wait for them out on the porch.”

◄►

It was a very dark night. The light from the kitchen window kept the night at bay on the porch, but just off the small portico the world was consumed by darkness. The new moon only added to the dark void, turning the houses of Twinleaf into glowing gems in a sea of blackness.

Cameron sat on a wicker couch while holding his Piplup on his lap; JC stood, leaning up against the banister surrounding the veranda with Kai sitting on the railing and leaning drowsily against his Trainer. Their families had already headed home for the evening, and with the guests now gone, Johanna, Dawn and Serina were tidying up around the house. Back outside, JC and Cameron were both looking up at the stars, shining especially brightly as if to make up for the lack of a moon.

“Well, tomorrow’s it,” JC said. “The day we finally leave home to make it as Trainers… It’s almost ten years late, but it’s better than nothing!”

“I know,” Cameron replied, “I’m pretty psyched. Especially now that we’re going with Dawn…”

As if right on cue the screen door to the kitchen creaked open and Dawn slipped outside, followed soon after by Serina.

“I thought we might find you guys out here…” she said, rubbing Kai’s head. “Just like the old days, huh?”

“That’s right…” JC said, thinking back to their childhood, “We would sit out here for hours on summer nights, just watching the stars…”

“Those were the days…” Cameron sighed.

“Ah, so it does speak!” Dawn winked at Cameron, turning back to Kai and squatting to his level. “Hey, Kai; you won’t believe the surprise I have for you!” she added, scratching his chin.

Kai squeaked curiously, nosing her hand for more details.

“You’ll see tomorrow,” she smiled, tapping his nose with her finger. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Cameron, her Piplup following her and climbing up next to them. Serina came to rest near JC, seating herself on the railing next to him.

“Are you guys excited for tomorrow?” Dawn asked.

“Oh yeah,” JC nodded, still staring at the stars. “Hey Dawn, what was the best thing about your journey?”

“Well for one thing,” she said, wagging a finger, “It’s not over yet. In fact, it’s just starting again! This time with far better company…” she added.

“Excuse me?” Serina shot back.

“Not you,” Dawn corrected, “These other two I travelled with. But the best thing would have to be… all of the time you get to spend with your companions.”

“What an adorable answer!” Serina smiled, causing JC and Cameron to roll their eyes jokingly.

“Speaking of friends,” Cameron started, “What’s your story, Serina?”

“My story?” she asked, looking at Dawn. “You want to know my story…” She startled JC by jumping up and standing on the railing as she leaned towards them, beckoning to the group like an orator, “Very well! This will be a dark tale, going back hundreds of years…”

“Serina!” Dawn scolded.

“Oh fine,” she laughed, dropping back onto the railing, “I am from Alto Mare.”

“Never heard of it,” Cameron said.

“It is on an island off the Johto coast. It is an old city, but incredibly beautiful! It was built on waterways instead of streets, so everyone travels the city by boat.”

“Sounds like the place for me,” JC said, turning to her. “I love the water!”

“As do I,” she smiled.

Dawn giggled softly, “Looks like Kira has some competition…”

JC blushed, and Serina looked from him to Dawn.

“Oh, is he already spoken for?”

“Well, not exactly,” Cameron slipped in, to which Dawn nudged him.

“That is all right,” Serina sighed, stretching out along the banister. “After all, I do enjoy the thrill of a hunt,” she added, laughing to herself.

The four of them looked up at the stars for what seemed like hours, simply enjoying the still silence of the night. In that time, all of the Pokémon, as well as Serina, had slipped off to sleep. She and Kai were both leaning against JC who—despite their combined weight—felt it better not to wake them. Dawn yawned, stretching her arms up over her head and snuggled even closer to Cameron, resting her head on his chest.

Cameron was just beside himself and JC couldn’t help but smile. They sat for another twenty minutes or so, until Ms. Berlitz poked her head outside.

“Dawn? It’s after midnight and you all have a big day ahead of you tomorrow…”

“Coming, Mom…” Dawn mumbled, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and called to Serina to follow her.

“I would very much like a bed…” Serina said sleepily, stumbling towards the kitchen door.

Dawn walked lazily over to JC and leaned into him, giving him a sloppy hug.

“It was real nice to see you again, JC,” she said, “Did you want to stop by here for breakfast tomorrow before we leave?”

“That sounds great,” he said, “Oh wait, Kara said Rowan wants us to stop by his lab before we leave. Plus that’s where Kira will be meeting us…”

“That’s fine,” she yawned “We can stop there afterwards.” She walked dreamily back to the couch where Cameron was sitting and leaned forward, falling into him and giving him a good night hug as well.

“And I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, Cam,” she said. She pulled herself up off the couch and began walking towards the door, only to turn right back around, lean in, and give Cameron a quick peck on the cheek. Then without saying a word she headed right into the kitchen, closing the door quickly behind her.

JC snorted, seeing Cameron’s face frozen in a state of utter shock and total excitement.

“Well while you come to grips with reality, I’m going to head home,” JC said, returning Kai to the cozy embrace of his ball capsule and walking down the few steps of the porch, his shoes crunching on the gravel road next to the Berlitz home.

“Have a good rest of your night!” he called back to his friend, seeing that Cameron still hadn’t moved an inch. JC laughed again as he headed out into the darkness and dug a small flashlight from his pocket, all the while thinking about the imminent trip. His feet unconsciously followed the three mile path home along Route 201, the faint chirping of Kricketune and the echoing hoots of a Noctowl adding ambience to his thoughts. Every once in a while he would duck to avoid a swooping Dustox, the three foot moths spreading toxic powder with every beat of their wings. After a while the woods finally opened up at the top of a small hill, presenting JC with the dimly lit houses of Sandgem Town.