The World Without Them || Original Pokémon Fanfiction ✓

Chapter Forty-Nine: In Loving Memory

 Frost and Sage trudged hand in hand through the gates of Bellmare, Mana snuggled tightly beneath the boy's coat. It was early in the morning and all was silent in the town. The small, dark houses seemed to reflect the group's dreary mood as they traveled quietly. Snowflakes were falling, creating a white curtain in front of their eyes.

 Their narrow escape from Belen Academy was still fresh in Frost's mind. After getting separated from Sage and Carter, Frost and Mana had searched around for what felt like hours until finally finding them, but in a condition he hadn't thought possible at the time. He remembered the girl's hysteric sobs as she knelt beside the pale and lifeless body of the Nightshade. Even days later, he could still hear her cries in his mind.

 After overcoming the shock of the situation, Frost had no choice but to pull Sage away. She had fought him with what little energy remained, but eventually she gave in. While he understood her tremendous pain and sorrow, he knew there was nothing more they could have done. They had been much too close to Silverkeep City still, and the odds of a patrol coming after them were high.

 So Sage decided to take them to Bellmare, the small establishment that Carter had once told them Clover and Xavier were staying in with family friends. She had insisted on it, stating that seeing those two was the most important thing to her, and Frost agreed. The Iris was devastated and infuriated, and she needed them.

 Frost knew there was nothing he could do or say to comfort her, so he just held her hand.

 The trio made their way up the steps of a house located on the edge of Bellmare. Carter had apparently given Sage the address during their stay just last week when Frost had been locked up in the bedroom after the execution of his father, which made it much easier to find. 

 They paused in front of the door. Frost glanced over at Sage, who was staring down at the ground.

 "I don't want to do this," she whispered in a strained voice.

 The runaway squeezed her hand in reassurance and Mana whimpered. Sage then straightened her posture and lifted her other fist. She took a deep breath before knocking a pattern on the door's wooden surface.

 A couple moments later, they heard movement from within the house. It wasn't too long before the sound of locks being undone from inside arose, and the door opened just slightly. Frost could barely make out the face of a middle-aged man as he studied them with hostility.

 "State your name and business," the stranger said in a gruff tone.

 "Sage Tooley and Frost Statice. We're friends of Clover," the Iris replied.

 The guy hesitated for a second as if contemplating whether to believe her or not. But ultimately he pulled the door open further and beckoned them inside. 

 The house's interior was simple yet homey. Pictures were hung all over the walls, and a fireplace served as the main piece in the living room. Since it was still dark, Frost couldn't make out many of the place's other features, but what his eyes finally settled on was the hallway directly in front of them.

 Frost was somewhat startled when a woman appeared from the living room. She had brown hair with streaks of gray and a tired expression. She came to stand beside the man.

 "You're really Sage Tooley?" She asked quietly. When the girl in question nodded, the lady wrung her hands together. "Then I will get Clover right away. Please, make yourself at home."