Chương 41: Chapter 33

I sunk deeper into the soft couch and felt my body melt into the fluffy fabric. I stared at the piano in one of the corners of the room and raised an eyebrow. I really wanted to play a little before I left, but time always went by too fast. I had always wanted to try playing the instrument. I returned my attention to Nurse Joy, who sat with her legs crossed on a chair across from me.

"And these nightmares, you say they've finally disappeared?"

"Yeah, I've finally been getting full nights of sleep, and it's making a world's difference on my state of mind. I feel like the world is a little bit brighter," I told her.

"But you still haven't tried without your Togetic, have you? Have you considered doing so?" I exhaled.

"Right now, I just want to do what works. I think I'll be using Togetic for a while… I've gotten advice from someone."

"If you trust them, I suppose that's enough. I still recommend weaning off that way of sleeping. Now, since this is your last day, let's move on to your worries about Mars." I felt my heartbeat quicken, and the wound on my face flare up. I couldn't help but imagine Mars pressing her knife against my cheek, moving my face around like I wasn't even human. Like I was a thing for her to play with.

"I can't help but be terrified," I said as I exhaled.

"But someone helped me find my resolve. Someone I look up to, so I'm not going to hole up and hide forever."

"The same person that told you to sleep with your Togetic, I presume," She said perceptively, "I trust that the League will take care of her and the rest of her ilk before you have to see her again," Nurse Joy said.

"It's good to be vigilant. I don't want to be caught off-guard ever again." I waited for Nurse Joy to respond, but an alarm rang on her phone.

"Oh my, has it been one hour already? What a shame. These seven sessions between us have been very productive, Grace. I recommend booking more whenever you get to Eterna city."

"But it won't be you," I lamented.

"I don't know if I can talk to someone else and pretend she's you, Amanda." Nurse Joy shook her head and smiled.

"When I'm on the clock, I'm Nurse Joy, not Amanda. And don't worry, we can always arrange meetings via video chats, although I would say face-to-face meetings are more effective. You could always stay longer as I asked you to, many times."

"I can't stay here forever. I have to get stronger. I have a friend waiting on me, and being here forces me to think about the incident," I said.

"I have to leave." Nurse Joy stood up.

"If that's what you think is right, I can't stop you. Stay safe in Eterna forest, Grace. Keep your wits about you."

"I will. Thank you for everything, I'll call when I get to Eterna city," I told her as I left. It had been a week and a half since the attack on Valley Windworks, and I was slowly getting back on my feet. Honestly, it felt like what had transpired didn't even happen to me. It was like a dream, where I had been observing myself act until Cynthia came and spoke to me. Her words shook me— and they still did. I walked into the Pokemon Center's lobby and hugged Denzel.

"Congrats. You did it," He said.

"I can't believe it's over," I told him.

"It seemed like an unsurmountable climb before, and now I'm done. It's a little scary."

"I know you'll manage. You're strong." Denzel and I had grown much closer after the Galactic incident. I considered him to be my best friend now, or maybe a brother? It was hard to put a term on it. He had always been there for me, visiting every day and trying to keep my mind focused on positive things, or making me laugh. I honestly didn't think I could have made it without him.

"Ready for tomorrow?" He asked me as he let go.

"Yup. Just gotta buy a ton of antidotes and potions, right?" I asked him. Denzel grinned.

"Already did, they're all in my bag."

"Seriously? Man, you're the best."

"Duh. Although I hope it's enough, I spent almost all of our money on that and a few Pokeballs." We made our way to my room, and I collapsed on my bed, while Denzel sat on its edge and released Eevee. The furry Pokemon barked happily and licked both of our faces before settling on my belly. He had been battered by that battle with Gible, and he had been seriously depressed about it for a while until Denzel finally convinced him that he had fought well. He was also now back at full strength and ready to go.

We relaxed for a few hours— Denzel browsed the forums while I watched whatever was on television. We had learned to enjoy each other's company in silence too, and neither of us felt forced to try springing up a conversation when it wasn't necessary. I felt my Poketch vibrate in my pocket. Probably dad or mom again, I thought. Dad had called me multiple times every day since the kidnappings, and I had barely managed to convince him not to drop anything and book a flight to Floaroma.

He had been worried sick about me the entire time, and he felt partly responsible for what happened to me because he was the one that pushed me into this journey. No matter what I told him, he still felt guilty, and it ate me up that he felt that way. Mom had called too, and surprisingly just as many times as dad. They had also been a part of my recovery, and I had never felt more grateful for my parents. I grabbed my Poketch and felt a surge of panic when I saw the name. It was a message from Cecilia Obel.

"How in the world did she get my number?" I muttered. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Who?" Denzel asked before slapping his forehead.

"Wait, are you talking about the Obel girl? That was me."

"What?" I demanded.

"She confronted me outside of the Center yesterday and asked for your number. Strangely enough, she was alone, and she was nice this time, so I gave it to her. Should I not have? I figured it'd be nice for you to connect with someone who went through the same thing as you did." I sighed. I hadn't seen Cecilia since the attack at the plant, and I honestly thought I wouldn't again. Hell, I kind of thought she had left Floaroma already, and for some reason, I felt sad about that.

"It's alright, thanks," I said as I opened my Poketch. Cecilia O. This is Grace Pastel, correct?

"She's asking if it's me," I told Denzel with a smile.

"She doesn't even trust you enough to be sure you gave her the right number." Denzel raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? I have that shit memorized." You It's me. What is it? Cecilia O. Meet me inside of room 17 right now. You Why? Do you need something? Cecilia O. I need to talk to you. You Are your friends going to be there? Because they're pricks. Cecilia O. No, it's just me for now. They are busy, so come quickly before they come back.

"She wants me to meet her in her room," I told Denzel.

"In her room? Are they all about to jump you, or something?"

"I'm going," I said as I gently pushed Eevee off of me.

"Huh?"

"See you later," I said, leaving my room.

"Bye, Eevee."

"Vee!" I made my way to the first floor and knocked gently on room 17's door. I was a little bit nervous, which surprised me. I hoped I didn't look silly. I placed my hand on my chest and took a deep breath as Cecilia told me to come in. She was ever so graceful, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. I stood still for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say.

"Come sit. I have a proposition for you," Cecilia said, patting a spot next to her on the bed.

"Good morning… wait, it's the afternoon now," I awkwardly said as I sat.

"What do you want to ask me that you couldn't ask over text?"

"I want to form an alliance between our two groups to travel through Eterna forest," The girl said, going straight to the point.

"W—what? That honestly sounds like a terrible idea to me. We basically hate each other. Your friend— whatsherface…" I trailed off before remembering her name.

"Pauline! She threatened to make my life, and I quote, 'a living hell'. This is not happening," I said.

"Sorry for that outburst."

"Pauline said that?" She blinked.

"How unlike her." I scoffed.

"I don't think you know her very well. She literally wanted to see you bully me when you dragged me off to the bathroom—" I started before terrible memories came flashing back. I took a few seconds to calm myself and swallowed.

"Anyways, she isn't the only problem. They're all assholes."

"Is this about your… companion? I know Louis is not fond of him, but we can mend those bridges."

"Louis is the biggest ass of them all. Sorry, I know he's your boyfriend. What's the deal, anyway? You guys have two dragon types and a bunch of other powerful Pokemon, it's not like you can't get through it together." Cecilia breathed in deeply.

"The truth is, they're scared."

"Scared of the forest?" I asked, doubting her words. Cecilia adjusted her sitting position.

"Yes. They are terrified. Everything so far has been easy, and we stayed on the routes, but Eterna forest is when the real challenge begins. The plan was to leave two days ago, but they keep putting it off. You especially impressed them during our battle, so I believe that if we combine our forces, they'll be willing to take the plunge."

"Why didn't you call Denzel here? We travel together, I can't make a decision on my own," I said.

"But if you had to choose right now, what would you do?" Cecilia said, staring right into my eyes. I felt a surge of shyness and averted my gaze. I bit the inside of my lip, thinking about what to do. The truth was that I had also been worried about Eterna forest, it was just I had been entirely focused on getting back on my feet. What were the pros on cons here?

Okay, a big group meant higher chances of survival because of the amount of Pokemon everyone brought to the table, and we'd be able to watch each other's backs. But then again, if a big group was dysfunctional, it could be deadlier than traveling alone. But maybe…

"I would accept under a few conditions. One, I want you to show Denzel and I how you train. You specifically, because I know you're the best trainer in your clique. Second, I want access to your resources. All that money you'll use to buy the best potions, antidotes, and everything else? I want your group to lend those to us if we need them, we barely have enough for both of our teams as it is. Third, I want your pals on their best behavior, and I want that Pauline girl to apologize to me," I said.

"And I want your boyfriend to apologize to Denzel." I had blurted out that third part without thinking, but Pauline had really hit a nerve after our battle, even though I didn't exactly show it. At the time, I had simply taken her threat to heart and figured it would be best to keep my head down in case she sicked her family on me. But if I was to travel with her? I needed this.

"That is… a tough sell, but I believe I could make that work. Now, can you convince Denzel?"

"Probably. He likes me too much to say no," I smiled.

"And if you fulfill all of my conditions, it probably won't take too much convincing."

"Thank you," Cecilia smiled.

"Now I can finally make some damned progress." I was surprised at the way she spoke. During all of this conversation, Cecilia had spoken in a prim and proper way, but she was apparently letting her mask slip again.

"So you aren't scared?"

"Not at all. I'm eager to get going. Someone recently lit my passion for Pokemon battling ablaze, and I want to get stronger as fast as possible."

"Wait, so you weren't passionate before?" I asked.

"And you were still so good… man."

"I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it," Cecilia said as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I have a promise to fulfill now, and I plan to make good on it."

"Who was it then?" I asked curiously. I wanted to know who had ignited Cecilia's passion for battling, potentially unleashing a monster.

"It's a secret," She said with a small laugh.

"Now, on you go. My group will be coming back soon, and it would be easier to explain if you weren't in the room."

"Sounds good," I said.

"See you later?"

"See you later." I felt a grin creep up on my face as I left Cecilia's room, feeling butterflies in my stomach.