A Pokemon Tale, Part III: Chasing Shadows

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Ninja Queen

 

Fuchsia City-

            I should apologize to Janine, thought Blue.  She didn’t know what had gotten into her.  She went back to her room that had been prepared for her after Janine had asked her about how she escaped Silph Tower.  She wasn’t angry that the question was asked; it was nothing too personal.  Maybe she was tired of answering questions about it.  The others had pressed the question often in Saffron City, and nobody pressed the issue more than Lance himself.

            Lance was obsessed with finding the missing Rocket Boss, and Blue felt like it was her fault for letting him get away.  She didn’t even remember meeting the Boss, and she felt like she let everybody down because of this.  I could have helped if only I could just remember. She put her face down on the soft pillow at her bed and began to cry softly. 

            Nothing hurt worse than being a failure.  Why couldn’t she remember what had happened? Did anything even happen at all? Was it all just a dream? Falling, she remembered falling and crashing.  Blue couldn’t even recall the Rocket Boss’s face.  She cried some more, and wondered if it was a trick they were playing on her. 

            The last thing she remembered was riding back into Saffron City’s Pokémon Center on her Venusaur.  When she thought of Venusaur, she knew it wasn’t just a dream but that it actually happened. 

            She had gotten back to the Pokémon Center and had some of her own wounds treated when they directed her up to the room where Red was staying.  He had kissed her then, and she had forgotten all her other troubles and hurts.  She wanted Red to make her feel better like he had then.  The whole ride on Lapras across the Gulf he had hardly talked to her.  She felt so alone.

            She sat up and realized she was being stupid.  She wiped her eyes and walked over to the window where she could see that she and Red’s Pokémon were playing in the courtyard out back. 

            I don’t need anybody to make me feel better, she said.  I let Lance and the others down, but I won’t let anyone down ever again.

            It was dark outside when she went to visit Janine.  She found the young Gym Leader of Fuchsia in her own room.  Janine had just turned off a large video screen when she walked in.

            “Sorry to bother you,” said Blue. 

            “Oh don’t worry,” replied Janine, gesturing at the big screen.  “You came just in time.  I was just speaking with the other Gym Leaders.  We’re finally getting me registered as Fuchsia’s Gym Leader.  The whole process was interrupted by the Team Rocket issue.  But then again, I wouldn’t be the Gym Leader today if it wasn’t for the Team Rocket issue.” Janine laughed, and Blue couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the irony.  “Anyways, what’s on your mind?”

            “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way I acted at dinner.” 

            “It’s no big deal,” laughed Janine.  “You’re probably just tired of answering questions.  I have no doubts it’ll come back to you and we’ll all find out the answers anyway.”

            Hopefully, if the memories come back.  Nobody wanted answers more than her.  They said the Phantom rescued everybody trapped in Silph Building, but they had all appeared suddenly in the Pokémon Center.  Blue only remembered waking up next to a hole in the ground miles from the Center.