The Theory of Grey | Pokémon X

Twenty | Electrifying Conflicts

After moving away from Sinnoh, I was more than certain I would never see my old friends again. Our falling out was awful, but it made it easy for me to accept the inevitable move from one region to another.

However, being here now, my forest green irises making contact with Reese's jade irises, I had come to realize that the past would never let me be. I didn't know how I felt at this very moment, staring into the eyes of my best friend. I didn't care that Jay and Lucas were looking at us with much confusion. All I wanted to know was why this always happened to me.

Why won't the past just stay where it belonged?

"Oh my god..." Reese mumbled, releasing an uneasy breath from her lips. "Em, I can't believe it's really you."

She took a step forward, and then another one, and another, and I soon found myself in a tight embrace. I was trying to process what was going on, so I couldn't return her embrace even if I wanted to. How could I after all the awful things I've said to her before disappearing?

Realizing I didn't move an inch, Reese pulled away from the embrace and held me at arm's length. A pang of guilt hit me when I saw that rare frown on her lips. It wasn't my intention to make her sad; I just didn't know how to react.

"Um... h-hey," I stuttered. Jeez, this was the first time we've met since I moved and that's all I had to say? Ugh, I wanted to slap myself.

"It's good to see you, Emilia," Lucas spoke up. Reese dropped her arms from my shoulders, which allowed me to turn and face him. That signature smile on his lips eased the tension I had.

"You look different," Reese inputted as she peered at me. Her eyes perked up when she figured it out. "Ah! You colored your hair and cut it. Not to mention you've acquired a different taste in fashion."

"Y-Yeah..." I laughed uncomfortably and looked away. When Jay came into view, I pulled him into our small circle to become a distraction from the past. "Guys, this is my friend, Jay."

The blond simply smiled and waved as a greeting. Lucas shook his hand, which he always did whenever we met someone new, and Reese waved back. Both seemed interested in my Kalonesian friend instead of my sudden change from the girl they once knew.

"Jay, these are my friends from Sinnoh, Reese and Lucas," I introduced to him.

"So, where are you guys headed?" Jay asked them.

"We were on our way to Lumiose City to see Professor Sycamore, but..." Lucas trailed off and looked down at the road where they had came from.

"Some assholes wouldn't let us pass." Reese rolled her eyes in an annoyed manner.

"Why's that?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess the Kalos Power Plant is up ahead and it's been having problems. The officers guarding that area said that it's been causing blackouts in Lumiose City," Lucas informed us.

"And to make things worse, they're not letting anyone go on any further," Reese huffed. "Honestly, this is fucking dumb."

I suppose that explained why construction workers in Lumiose City stopped me at certain areas when I first arrived there. It was strange that they weren't allowing anyone passage in most places because of the blackouts. The fact that it hadn't been resolved after so long was certainly suspicious to me. It couldn't have been an accident at the Power Plant. No, I had the feeling that there's something else going on and I needed to know what.