Pokémon Bloodstone | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 68: Sunrise

A whole hospital ward was filled with the prisoners. The scientists were people who once worked for Ein, but came to doubt or be entirely disgusted by his motives. They didn't endure as much torture as Ruhul, Peonia or Wyatt. They were simply shoved somewhere convenient, where they couldn't report any concerns.

Chalcedony sat at the foot of Ruhul's bed. She laid her guitar case down. He winked.

'You didn't come to save me, did you?'

'I didn't know you were there.'

'Even if you had, you came to save Wyatt. Why don't you go to him?'

Wyatt wasn't on the ward. He was in the ICU. Chalcedony showed the nurses her engagement ring and a photo of her and Wyatt together, but there was no point in letting her in. He was still unconscious.

'He's out cold. And I'm not really a relative, anyway.'

'Well, if you're staying, I'll finally finish what I was saying when I called your name back in Pyrite.'

'So it was you. And you came of your own accord, huh? Not because Cail asked you to?'

'It was thanks to Cail that I knew you were battling. But no. He didn't ask me to. All that stuff I said...'

'You know what? Forget it. People say things they don't mean to the people they love most. It's a fact of life. I did... to Wyatt.'

'Like father, like daughter, eh? But I want you to hear it from me that I'm sorry, Chalcedony. You know you've always been the Applin of my eye. Finding out I wasn't your biological dad made me feel like a fraud. I know I'm probably just your cheerleader uncle to you now, but as far as I'm concerned, you'll always be my daughter.'

'It took losing everyone I loved to realise I wasn't living in a movie that would end one day. It was real. I am curious about my biological parents, but you're not my weird uncle. You're my dad.'

'I don't know who they are, but your mom does. You deserve to know.'

'Well, I think I might.'

'Really? I wonder if we suspect the same person?'

'Eldes sent me a Key Stone and Salamencite, even though we've never met.'

'A-ha! So we do. Here's the thing, though... I don't think you're his kid with Ardos' wife. The way your mom – and I think she might actually be your biological mom – acted, I think she had an affair with him. That said, I don't know any of this for a fact. I don't even have any vague proof. Just a hunch. I could be completely wrong.'

'Your hunches are usually right. Why did Cipher kidnap you, anyway?'

'They wanted me to believe this "Alfie Clan" nonsense and blame all their mischief on you because you're a fan, or something like that. I didn't really get it. I've never even understood why Cipher exists. World domination? Really? And I was never going to feed you to the Houndoom, anyway.'

'He wasn't,' Peonia called from the bed where Stella sat with her, 'He took all their torture like a bloody rock.'

'Thanks, Dad. But next time, feel free to shit on me to get them to leave you alone. I know now that you'll never mean it.'

'Well, I hope there won't be a next time! Feel free to laugh, but now you and Hanila are all grown up, I've thought about doing the Gym Challenge myself.'

'No! I wouldn't laugh. You should do it! I don't even know what I really wanted from it, but I got what I needed.'

Hanila arrived from The Under. She hugged Ruhul tight. She hesitated before hugging her sister, but when Chalcedony smiled, Hanila hugged her tight, too.