The World Without Them || Original Pokémon Fanfiction ✓

Chapter Seventeen: Order

Frost awoke late the next morning, grogginess clinging to him like the layers of blankets he had on. Mana was curled up at his side, still fast asleep. He laid there for a few moments as the memories of the night before resurfaced.

He had been given a room just big enough for someone to live comfortably in. A desk sat in one corner with a dresser next to it, and on the opposite side stood the bed. The painted walls were the same gray as the bakery up above. A bathroom also connected to the main area. Frost's backpack was sitting nearby; Sage had brought all the supplies she had been keeping for him before he went to sleep.

The boy remained motionless until a knock sounded from the door. He sat bolt upright, waking Mana in the process. Frost didn't make any move to leave his bed until a familiar voice came from the hallway outside.

"It's just me. I know you're awake," Sage said.

Hearing her voice, Mana rolled off the mattress and bounded over to the door. She tried to jump and reach the handle but couldn't quite make it. Frost rescued her from her struggles and opened up. The girl was leaning against the wall, a stack of folded clothes draped over her shoulder and a large tray full of breakfast foods in her hands. The sight of an actual meal and not granola bars or trail mix made his mouth water. Sage held out the tray and nodded to the clothes.

"Here, change into these. We'll get you more later today, but they should last you until then. And my dad told me to bring you something to eat so I stopped by the kitchen." She paused as the boy gratefully took everything from her. Mana pulled at his pant leg with a whine, knowing there was something edible for her. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah," Frost replied. He set the food down so the Pokémon could start eating. "What about you?"

She shrugged. "I was a little restless, but other than that it was fine."

The humans were quiet for a couple moments as they watched Mana stuff her face with fruit and the occasional pancake. It erased Frost's previous doubts about whether or not she could eat the same thing as humans. He was eager to dig in himself, but there was still a question playing at his mind.

"You're going to take me somewhere, aren't you?"

Sage nodded slowly. "It's about time we stopped hiding everything from each other. Now that you're with the Tanna Society there's no reason to be secretive. My dad and Xavier just want to hear your story. I'll be there too, but other than that the meeting will be completely private. I haven't said anything about Mana because I didn't want to give false information to them. It's up to you to elaborate."

"And you'll answer my questions in exchange?"

"Yes."

Frost nervously ran a hand through his messy blue hair that he had finally washed the night before. "Alright, just give us a few minutes."

~~~~~~

Frost and Mana followed Sage down a series of winding hallways in the opposite direction of the main room they had entered the night before. The criminal now wore black jeans and a forest green t-shirt. A white symbol of a plant was emblazoned over his chest. Under one of the plant's leaves, a droplet of liquid was seen suspended in air like morning dew falling off a petal. He assumed it was the emblem of the Tanna Society, but he had yet to find out what it stood for.

It was a few minutes later that the trio came to stop in front of a large oak door. Sage knocked right away, and shortly after Xavier opened it for them. The group piled in. Bryce was seated behind a desk in the middle of the office-like space. Bookshelves adorned every wall, all overflowing with novels and informational guides. The room was very bright, with overhead fixtures providing a sterile glow. The man stood.