Pokemon: Fate's Path

Chapter 17

Freya Stark

I looked over at the doors to see Soren walking in followed by Jay. "Hey, over here!"

They looked in my direction and walked over before joining me on the couch, glad to be out of the cold. Soren leaned back comfortably before speaking. "So, did you check out the gym yet?"

"Ivan and Josef are challenging it now." I responded before motioning to the TV. "So, I'm guessing you haven't heard... Prince Salem is dead."

"What?" Soren looked completely caught off guard at the sudden turn the conversation had taken but I thought they should be aware of it. "Was it Valhalla?"

"Of course it was." I scowled and took out a pokéball. "His gengar showed up here to send a word of warning to Chant and Zure... Valhalla hasn't shown up yet but Gengar let me take him to train. I think he wants to get stronger to face them again."

Soren turned away with a depressed sigh. "Great... Just what we need. Valhalla to ruin our lives and others' lives even more."

Jay didn't comment like I expected her to but she did lean towards Soren and put one arm around him. I watched for a few seconds, not regretting what I had said but half wondering if I should have worded it better. I hadn't even been thinking about how Valhalla had killed her parents... probably should have waited. Jay would get over it though, she was tough, I knew that much about her.

Still, I decided to change the subject. "I trained with the others before they left to challenge the gym. Guess who evolved!"

"Well I doubt it was one of Josef's pokémon." Soren responded.

"Pichu evolved into Pikachu!" I smiled and let him out of his pokéball. "See."

"Pika?" Pikachu looked around before jumping up on my lap and greeting us happily. "Chu!"

"Nice."

"Yeah." I agreed. "My charmander egg seems to be doing alright too. It's incubating in my room still but the nurse says it could hatch soon."

Soren nodded. "I see."

I could sense I wasn't doing well in trying to help forget what I said. I got up and left with Pikachu to go check on the egg, glancing back at the two on the couch to see Soren casually rubbing Jay's arm in comfort as she stared off into space. Why hadn't I paid attention to that? Some friend I was. It had only been a day since her parent's died, of course she wasn't going to get over it just because of me trying to have a lighthearted conversation.

"So how do you think Ivan and Josef will do?" I looked down at Pikachu as I sat down on the bed.

"Pi, pika." He replied, seeming positive about the results.

I nodded. "I can see Ivan doing well but Josef... well it took a while to even get him to train. I bet he doesn't last too long."

"Chu." Pikachu agreed with a nod.

I smirked at him, proud to have the yellow mouse pokémon as my partner, before reaching over to the egg to check on it. Nothing to show it was hatching just yet... I couldn't wait until it did. Then I could train the charmander up into a charizard so it could mega evolve. Soren was already jealous of me getting a charmander egg and the mega stone for its final form and once I had a charizard he'd be even more jealous when I beat him in a battle.

Satisfied the egg was fine I walked back out to the front room where Soren and Jay were still in the same spot, though Soren was now sleeping while Jay petted Curse absentmindedly. I sighed mentally, I wasn't going to be a dick and wake him up like I normally might consider, and Jay probably would only give me a one sided conversation. Oh well, I'd just play some games on my computer until the other two came back or Soren woke up.