Differing Mirrors 【Pokemon】

Chapter Six: Arceus, Save Me!

Chapter Six

"Arceus, Save Me!"

► Winston ◄

Merii. The only person I don’t want to go on a journey with. Why? Oh-h-h, who would want to travel with her? She’s a biter. Strong-headed. Full of fire. Super strong as well. It hurts when you’re punched by Merii. And I’m telling you that by first-hand experience. Don’t believe me? Just go run into a wall, full speed, without slowing down even when you hit it. That’s as close as you’ll get to feeling how hard and strong Merii punches.

Oh, Arceus, save me! Why did I ever accept? I’m a man that keeps his word, so I can’t back out now. Even if I wasn’t, I just know Merii would track me down and force me to travel with her.

The last thing I remembered was Merii’s fist flying towards me and connecting with my cheek. My head snapped backward, my cheek stinging fiercely, and I lost my balance; I hit the ground with a thud and saw no more. Then I awoke on a softly padded couch with an ice pack on my cheek.

I blinked and tried to sit up but was forced down by dizziness and someone’s hands. I glanced around the room, not at all surprised that it was Merii and Rose’s. I wondered who found me and what Merii told her mother.

“So you’re awake?” Rose asked me in a soft voice. Although she was slightly quiet, the noise shot through my head like a gun and made me reel in pain. “Oh my! Winston, I’m sorry… Shh, shh….” After I was calmed down, I decided to ask her what happened, acting like I didn’t know anything.

“What happened…..Rose?” I murmured, panting slightly, watching her every move. She looked tired and somewhat flustered, and, when I asked the question, she glanced away for a second, as if to hide something in her eyes. When she turned to face me, she was back to her normal self.

“When I was gonna go take out the trash, I found you lyin on the ground completely out cold. I called to Merii-Shay and we carried you in and put you on the couch. I asked her what happened…. B-but she didn’t know, though.”

‘Oh yeah,’ I scoffed to myself, ‘She certainly didn’t know.’ I didn’t bother pressing Rose more, though; she already seemed out of sorts for some odd reason. I yawned and closed my eyes, dozing off.

*********

“Hey, is Winston awake?” I heard Merii ask in a whisper, jerking me from my doze. I kept my eyes closed as she came nearer, so close that I could feel her warm breath of my cheek. I tried to keep my eyelids from fluttering since that would tell her I was awake. “Is he okey?”

Rose murmured something and Merii’s breath disappeared. They spoke to each other for a few minutes in low voices. I barely made out anything they said, except for the few times Merii raised her voice speaking in some kind of language I didn’t understand; it sounded familiar—like I knew it somehow—but I couldn’t place my finger on it. Finally, I yawned and stretched, blinking open my eyes like I had just woken up. I sat up and their voices stopped.

Rose came to meet me. She sat beside me with a small grin. “So, how are you feelin?”

“I feel better actually.” That was true. I did feel better. She nodded and yawned, trying to hide it underneath her hand.

Merii came over and glared at both of us. I merely stared back at her, a hard glint in my eyes. Rose gave me a funny look and turned around, meeting her daughter’s gaze. For quite a while, all we did was stare at Merii while she stared back. Finally, Merii threw up her hands in defeat (it actually was in annoyance but I’m going with defeat—don’t tell her, please) and snorted.