ToT Side story 5: A new year away from home

The sky was getting cloudy and dark. A rain was coming soon to Tabira and the majority of the inhabitants were taking shelter in their houses. Alex didn’t mind it, it was one of the things he liked most since he was a kid. The sound of the drops falling, the smell of the humid soil; it made him feel alive. Of course, getting sick because he got wet for staying outside for too long wasn’t the idea.

“Hey Alex” Zack called him. “Are you going to stay out all day expecting the first drop to fall?”

“Huh?” Alex snapped out. “Oh, sorry; I had some ideas spinning”

“Well, tell them to slow for now; I have some food with us to bring it to the house; can you lend me a paw with this?”

“Sep”

Alex grabbed a part of the boxes with his arms and the rest he lifted them using Psychic. Then they headed back to the house. On the way, Zack noticed that his partner was kind of nostalgic. He didn’t have to read his mint to find out what’s going on with him, it was the same face of five years ago when he saw it at first and a few occasions after.

“Missing home?” Zack asked.

Alex nodded. “Thousands of kilometers between us and our normal lives; at this point I was only seeing more rainy days and snow if we went far to the south or the mountains”

“Yeah, we’re supposed to be in the middle of the winter by now; yet, here we are, having a year without it”

“Heh, I wonder how everyone is doing”

“Me too; we didn’t have any recent news from them”

“The last thing I remember from the Electroignius rock is that they have a pair of rookie teams ready to train” He found funny the faces they put when they received the news. “From Amanda and the flight group, they were preparing a small incursion into the Millenary forest”

“I wonder how it ended”

“Yo también” Alex had to tell the commanders Katrina and Denise about his little mission in that corner of the world. It took its good twenty three minutes of silence and few words before giving an answer. Not because anything related to them; it was the fact that they wouldn’t have backup of any kind in case of trouble and in the words of the Fennekin ‘You’ll walk into a thin ice floor; every step you’ll take has a danger and it can be the last one’. “From my sister, she was learning some complicated medical procedures; from my brother, I’m guessing he’s doing quite a mess somewhere”

“If you mean his muzzle connected directly with his brain? Yes, stay quiet and dissimulate are not part of his attributes; but at least he’s not afraid of what others think of him when he speaks; as far as I can tell, maybe he has the potential to be a leader; in what? I don’t know”

“I would be surprise if he has people who follows him; we have the same lonely tendency”

“But in your case it diminished; not all, but in some way; give him time as well as you family gave it to you; and there is a difference between you and a lonely Pokémon: you don’t like too much the crowds and when a conversation is mostly nonsense, something understandable; the other doesn’t like even be in contact with anyone”

“I guess” Another memory appeared in his mind. “Do you remember the day after that ‘wipe the floor’ you did with me?”

“Yeah; the only thing you can speak well was hinolish; but the common tongue, you barely said one sentence right; it took us two hours to have a ‘small’ conversation”

“The first time we met I was using symbolic language”

“Pointing things and facial expressions are symbolic language?” Zack joked.

“It is for me”

“Fair enough; better move faster, the others are probably really hungry by now”

Back in the house, they distributed the food between all of them. There were a few talks about funny situations everyone got into and a few explanations of some personal tactics until the sound of rain started to appear and intensify gradually. Alex approached to the window and looked through it. He was not thinking anything in particular, just watch and listen. Nya stood beside him with something in mind.

“You don’t mind if we go out for a while?”

“Heh, not at all” Normally Alex was with one of his teammates, with Nya or alone, enjoying the moment when there was nothing to do.

“You better use boots and coats” Jaina suggested to them. “Removing the water and the mud from the floor and your fur is not something easy and if you get sick, I’ll have to find medicine and have you in the bed”

Excepting Zack and Jack, everyone else opened their muzzles and mouths.

“I think I’m a little old for that” Nya commented with a big smile.

“Not enough for me; now get your things or I’ll force you to do it”

“Yes mom” She remarked the last word with a bit of irony.

When they were upstairs and Jaina returned to the table to write a few notes, the others approached to Zack and Jack, asking in whispers why she acted like that, because they didn’t see her speak in that way before.

“Let’s just say, she took care of Nya when she was a baby” Zack answered. “She had to take the role of a mother as the real one’s last wish”

“You’re kidding, right?” Ryan asked serious.

“Unfortunately, no” Jack answered. “Both of Nya’s parents are gone; Jaina had to raise her and help her older brother and sister”

“Geez, and how old is Nya?” Darius asked.

“Eighteen years old”

“And Jaina was for her for fifteen years, discounting the ones she has been here” Zack added.

“Old habits die hard” Sasha commented.

“Hey boys and girls” Jaina called, surprising them. “I don’t want to interrupt you, but I going to need your help”

“With… with what?” Isabel asked.

“It’s something for Alex; I’m surprised that you two have already forgot”

“We didn’t, but we didn’t know what to do” Zack responded.

“We’re out of ideas most of the time” Jack added.

“Now you have something, can you help me?”

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Alex and Nya were in the middle of the branches of a tree in the outskirts of Tabira, listening the rain while they were partially protected by leafs and completely by their coats. They didn’t talk since they got there and haven’t the necessity to do it. Alex had his eyes closed, being conscious only in the moment; not in the past and the future. Nya was attached to him doing the same thing. They didn’t know how much time they’ve been there and they didn’t care at all. Then they started to talk to each other telepathically.

‘It feels that I made all the way back to Hinolia’ Alex though.

‘Having thoughts of getting back?’ Nya asked.

It took him a few second to answer. ‘A few times, yes; even with all we’ve been through here, I still don’t feel this place as my home’

‘I know; you, me, Zack, Jack and the others have built and started a lot of things back there; but here too, with the people you met”

‘And that is what it bothers me sometimes’ He opened his eyes and crossed his paws. ‘I feel that the time Jaina is here, is what we have to finish those things’

Nya opened her eyes as well and placed her head on his shoulder. ‘Well, whatever Jaina is looking for, it’s still elusive; try to not think too hard on the time; rushing things is the fastest way to make them collapse’

‘Yeah; sorry’

‘You don’t have to; we’re not perfect, not all the things go the way we want; just the way we can’

‘Now you sound like my mother’

‘I learned a few things from her’

‘Heh’ He saw that the day was getting darker. ‘We should get back now’

‘You’re right’. They both got down in one single jump making a big splash in a small pond. ’By the way’. She gave him a long kiss. ‘Happy birthday’

Alex took a minute to remember what day was and hit himself. ‘Carajo, I almost forgot it’

She laughed ‘It will be the first time it happens to you’

‘There’s always a first time for everything’

Without more words, they returned to the house. One thing Alex was thankful was have a part of his homeland costumes, like the use of clothes for any day and the boots in days of rain. Maybe Pokémon in general didn’t need them, but it could help them in different weather conditions that they’re not adapted. The couple walked at a slow pace, thinking of the winter all of the people they know were enduring, the same the Lucario had to endure when he opened his eyes for the first time, when the chances of an egg hatching were lower and the possibilities of getting sick and can’t make it to the spring were higher.

Once they were inside, they found the house strangely quiet. When they took off their coats and boots, and headed to the living room, they found the table turned, supported by the chairs and with a layer of water on the surface, held with magic. Getting closer, an image took form in it.

“SURPRISE!” A yell came from it.

Alex got emotional. In the image there were his family, Amanda, Samuel, Thomas, Liana, Bassey, Tadeo and Farius. And from the looks of it, they were in his house.

“Happy birthday!” They continued.

Alex couldn’t talk. He just stood there, with a few tears in his eyes, tears of happiness.

“Hey, we’re looking to an adult or a new born baby?” Amanda joked, causing a general laugh.

Alex smiled at it. “I… I never thought… I would see all of you”

“Thank Jaina and Farius, they have planned that surprise for you” Her mother told him.

He looked to Farius. “I believe this is what you would have wanted for your day, considering the distance and the time” The Mienshao said.

“I hope you like it” Jaina said when she appeared with the rest of the group.

Alex nodded. “Thank you”

“I cannot believe it, you really evolved” Bassey said.

“Same to you; now you’re an Ampharos”

“Yeah; and he was annoying the first two weeks talking about his new strength” Liana commented.

“But a few smacks in the head returned him to the common people” Tadeo added.

“I can tell” Jack said in a funny tone.

“Oye Alex, Farius told us about the things you and the others did in that place; but we want to hear them from you now” Almira said, also evolved in a Zoroark.

“Seeeeee, how many asses you and Zack kicked to evolve?” Sebak asked.

“Far too many by now” Zack sighed.

“Get comfortable, because this is going to take long” Alex suggested.

He resumed all that they lived the past weeks, the people they met, the problems they got into, the accomplished missions and anything relevant. Nya, Zack and Jack added a few commentaries, but they let him to tell his experience. Sometimes someone asked him about specific points, like his point of view of some of the Pokémon he spent more time. Almira made a few suppositions about the ones whose behavior was not normal; Amanda teased him about his new relationship with Nya, with the rest backing her up, especially his parents; Liana gave her approval of rudeness to the ex-witch hunter; Samuel and Thomas asked Isabel about a few things about her as well as Bassey and Tadeo about Zack’s group; and his brother dared him to fight the masked Riolu to break the tie.

After that, it was the turn of Alex to ask questions. From what he learned, Bassey evolved in the middle of a rescue mission, inside of a mountain, with the rookie teams on his charge. Almira evolved after practicing hard for an exam. She barely slept for at least a week, but the result was better than she anticipated. Amanda got bigger than the regular Flygons thanks to Katrina and Denise when they learned about Alex’s evolution. Samuel explained the incursion he didn’t participate; the flying group had the objective to locate and recover a box with important information from an anarchist group; and even with some difficulties, it ended successfully.

“Seems like a lot of things happened” Alex’s father commented.

“The only thing that is not happening to them is to deal with the rains of winter” Sebak complained. “We need to buy a boat to cross the street”

“Actually, it’s raining here right now” Alex pointed.

“Pfff, kind of ironic, isn’t it?” Amanda said.

“You know I’m not the one who complains about it”

“True, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy it as you do”

“If I recall correctly, it was your idea to find those lemons while it was raining like hell; Samuel, Thomas and I only followed you”

“The brilliant idea of our leader” Thomas joked.

“Remember me to burn your ass when you get back”

“Don’t worry; I’ll keep it in mind” Zack assured her.

“I’ll make sure you’ll keep your beak shut” Alex warned him.

“I want to see you try”

“Okay, that’s enough” Alex’s mother told them. “Why we don’t pass to the nice part?”

“You mean this cake?” Jaina brought one from the bakery and Zack put a small table in front of Alex.

“Everyone ready?”

All of them nodded and began to sing the happy birthday, in hinolish. Alex felt that this is the one he would remember the most. Even if he was far away from his family, they would always be with them, no matter what; and no matter how much time it would take, he knew he would return home.