Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 113: Blessing

Outside of Obsidian City, Ryland had nowhere to live. Dixie emptied his accounts. The banks couldn't trace the money.

Jamie didn't want to live in Nascott City. He moved there to be closer to Cipher and further from his family. Instead of selling his new apartment to a fan, he signed it over to Ryland, who didn't care where he lived as long as it wasn't underground or a resort suite.

It was almost six months since Laila and Asterid helped Jamie move in. The apartment was dusty. He barely spent any time there. When they stood amongst the boxes again, it felt simultaneously like forever and a few seconds ago, because it was so similar yet nothing was the same.

'You'll stay in touch,' Asterid said when Bewear transferred the last box to the van, 'Won't you?'

'You sure you want to stay in touch with GoD?'

'I don't know – or care – who that is. You're Jamie.'

He almost argued, but he didn't.

'Asterid... thank you. Man, I can't stop crying...'

'You kept it bottled up for too long. It's all coming out now. Come on. Your mom's waiting.'

Amber, Laila and Raidne patiently waited in the back of the van. Asterid drove. She invited Raidne to sit in the passenger seat to watch her driving, since she planned to learn soon. In the rearview mirror, they saw Ryland hesitate before hugging Tommy and Wes. They knew now that he didn't kill his mother or Tommy's second wife. His mother was killed when she realised what was going on and stood up to Brynlee. Even his stepmother died because she tried to report her. Ryland still felt responsible, because they died to protect him, but Tommy didn't blame him. He was just glad to have his son back, alongside the father he never knew, but who he knew now would always have loved him.

The first stop was a self-storage facility in Quartz Town. Jamie was going to leave the cheap furniture with Ryland, but it was a memory of the day he first began to realise he was loved. He felt irrationally attached to it. Once their Pokémon carried it all to the small storage unit, they drove on to Agate Village, where the wafting scents of cinnamon and garlic, not to mention Looker's car, told them a feast was waiting.

Raidne's parents taught her to hate Jamie's family because they all opposed Cipher. When they met, she secretly dreamed of meeting them and being invited to the feasts where everyone was welcomed as family, before losing hope that she would ever feel such warmth.

Even their Pokémon welcomed hers and Asterid's. They played in the garden that was quickly becoming messy as it came to life with the spring. Rumours said that Abbey wasn't as warm and polite as Leon, but she shook Raidne's hand with a genuine smile.

'Jamie's told us all about how intelligent and into science you are.'

'O-oh! Yes! I was supposed to hate you – and everyone at the Pokémon HQ Lab – but I've actually really enjoyed all your books. Landscapes of Alola made me feel like I was there.'

'I'm glad! Are you going to pursue science? I'm sure Yan would gladly have you at the Team Magma Lab.'

'I don't think so... I like science, but... I just want to be... ordinary.'

'I don't blame you. Come on in. My husband's egg tagine is the best!'

Asterid had visited many times before. She was already gratefully tucking in to some fresh bread.

'You're sure right about that, Prof. Hawthorn! No wonder old Looker can't stay away!'

Looker's smile was tinged with sadness. The recipe was from Leon's mum. He missed her.