How we meet

Chapter 41

Sterile-smelling hospital room. Bright lights that gave you a pounding headache. The window that overlooked a Pidove's nest. You could count the clouds when you were struggling to sleep. The dry bland food, the jello you always asked them not to bring because it tasted like cough syrup. You were bored out of your mind when you woke up.
Caitlin visited you. It was when you were asleep, N had told you that she had stood silently by the door for about an hour until she left. You hadn't seen her in so long that it shocked you to hear about them. N had been reading in a chair when you woke up. You reached up to him gently, kissing his nose when he drew close.
He warned you soon after waking up. He didn't want to bring it up. He had danced around the subject for an hour until he had to tell you. He told you about the lawyers, they wanted to show up as soon as you woke up to discuss everything but N had managed to convince them that he would need to explain what happened first to you. You were glad, truly. Who knows how you would have reacted if they had shown up and started talking about such things.
Your father had been killed by Virizion. N had been there and watched as the police followed the trail of blood and destruction to the garden. Virizion hadn't even moved away from the body. They stood there amongst the plants looking at fall plants. When the Pokemon spoke to them they all had frozen and when the Pokemon said they did not care about the human death and left they didn't know what to do. Virizion however had left with the bell N had explained. Your father's will had stated that assets, and pretty much everything had mostly been given all to you. The lawyers were coming to sort the things out. You weren't really sure what to do or what you wanted to do with it all.
The weather was warmer today. All you needed was a light jacket. The sun was out and the final trees were still bright orange while others had lost their leaves leaving them bare and dead looking. You happily stood around the stalls of bright golden-skinned food. You happily shared a comically large pretzel with N as you watched people parade around with kites and brightly colored prizes from the games set up around the amusement park.
You and N sat side by side. You let the warmth of each other keep you grounded. Two birds hopped around on the ground in front of you. They happily pecked at the crumbs on the ground, flapping their wings at each other before flying off into the darkening sky. N grabbed your hand, and led you back home.
"I have a surprise," he explained.
You closed your eyes waiting patiently as you listened to the wind. The sound of a bell and cold metal touched your neck. You opened your eyes to see him tie the silver bell around your neck once more. You were more than a little confused, you thought that Virizion had left with it?
"They told me to give it back after you were out of the hospital," he laughed as the wind rustled and pink flower petals swept through your front yard revealing Virizion in their wake.
You ran to them, your arms wrapping around their neck. You were so grateful that they showed up. You were so glad that they gave the bell back to you. There were a thousand ways you wanted to say thank you but you could only hug them as tightly as you could.
"I never gave you the second part!" N said, he held a small paper lantern, "It's not really an Autumn festival thing but I thought it was a fun idea?"
You and N watched it fly away together, Verizon and Venipede by your side. You promised Venipede that he would never leave your side again unless he wanted it. He was more than happy to have you hold him to your chest as the glowing lantern rose higher and higher. It was swallowed by the clouds until it looked more like a star. Then with a heavy bag and N's hand holding yours you left Castelia City and your job at the gym behind. Your cottage would fall again into disarray, the vines and windows would break and be foggy again. The garden would vanish with time. It was no longer yours, it was no longer N's and yours, it was now the forest's.
Who knows what will happen now.
"Let me show you where I traveled after I lost the title of champion."