First Faith

Chapter 31: Dragons

Chapter 31: Dragons

My body collapsed into a chair at the table, glad to be sitting. I instantly drank my entire glass of water, filling it again and repeating the action, hoping to quell my dehydration.

"I'll take your Pokemon outside to eat." Dawn offered.

I grabbed my Poke Balls and handed them to her in thanks, not really feeling like moving.

"I'll go with you. Mine are all in the garden with Salamence." Demi said, standing up from her own chair and opening the door for Dawn, whose hands were full.

Roric was at the counter, collecting bowls of Pokemon food. Everyone insisted that I just sit here, which now felt awkward. Dawn doing things for me was fine, but everyone else?

I began to get up, but Electivire's hand pushed me back down. He was the only one sitting with me, but behind me with his back against the wall, too large to sit in a chair.

"No one should be doing that much for me." I argued, turning so I could give an annoyed look at Electivire.

He rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself, before his expression read, Take a chill pill, kiddo.

I sighed, turning back to my glass of water as everyone else continued getting things ready. After fifteen minutes, Robert came from the church kitchen with a steaming pan, which he set on the table. I assumed it was lasagna. Roric went out the doors a few times with the Pokemon food and called the girls back inside, letting out his Pokemon before joining us. Fortunately, there were only brief seconds of me and Robert being at the table alone.

"Who would like to say grace?"

Roric and Demi instantly looked at each other, trying to decipher who would want to more.

"I would." Dawn offered.

I held back the small shock that ran through me as I bowed my head, hands clasped as I waited.

"Dear God," She seemed to let that sink in, or she tried to gather her thoughts, before continuing, "Thank you. Thank you so much for this food and that Pastor Robert is so welcoming to us here. Please bless this church and let him be that loving to everyone who comes here. Thank you for our friends, new and old, because I know you're the one who made all this possible."

Sure, possible. But did that mean God made it happen? I said to myself, still doubtful.

"Help us to grow in love towards each other and open our hearts to everything you're doing. In your Son's holy name, amen."

Everyone said amen but myself, including Electivire (or at least I assumed that's what he said) before digging into our food.

The lasagna was still hot, forcing me to blow on it before I could take a bite. Really, I needed an Ice attack to cool it down considering it had just come out of the oven. And I wasn't in the mood for waiting. My hand was shaking from lack of nourishment.

The fork was half an inch from my mouth when snarls and roars erupted outside. I recognized one immediately, though the tone reminded me of the sickening day he'd broken his forearm. A wailing agony of a roar.

Without thinking, I stood up, rushing out the door out to the garden, looking for Salamence. If anyone followed me, I didn't notice. My heart hammered and a bit of adrenaline started going through my system as I noticed everyone's Pokemon, including some I didn't recognize, Salamence not in sight. They blocked my view until I saw his neck straighten in surprise, flexing his wings in fear.