Lost Among the Thorns [Pokémon Short Story]

01| Into the Woods

"Things will be better this time."

   Those were the words that Miles Winter hated hearing the most. But over the past four years, he'd heard those words more times than he could count.

   The fifteen year-old glanced up at the rearview mirror from his slouched place in the car's backseat, glaring at what little he could see of his caseworker's—Mr. Wright—face. The older man, who at any time would have noticed the teen and given him a quick, hopeful smile, didn't seem to catch Miles' smoldering amber gaze.

   Whaat? Got nothing to say now? Miles thought snidely, smirking. No words of encouragement or fortune cookie inspirational quotes? He quickly became dissatisfied with what was transpiring. "You're letting me down," Miles spoke aloud, pretending to mope. For the first time during the five hour-long ride, Mr. Wright met Miles' eyes.

   "And how would that be?" he asked in a tired voice that didn't fit him.

   Miles was taken aback for a moment by Mr. Wright's attitude, but he shook it off. "I just thought you would've said something by now," he said innocently. "We are on the way to my new foster home, right? You always try to cheer me up with some happy speech or whatever."

   "I figured you would be tired of listening to me after the other twelve times," Mr. Wright said. "At this point they appear to benefit me more than you."

   Miles scoffed. "How so?"

   Mr. Wright was quiet for a spell. Then he spoke. "I still seem to have hope."

   "After putting up with you for so long" was what Miles was sure the man wanted to say afterwards. "Do you know what would really benefit me?" He paused before continuing. "Maybe convincing these next people to enroll me in Trainer School, so I can go on my journey and just get away and out of everyone's hair." He lowered his voice to a mutter. "Bet that would save a lot of people migraines." It was a shame his caseworker had sharp hearing.

   "Don't say that about yourself. Plenty of those families cared about you. You've just convinced yourself they haven't." He gave the boy his most sympathetic smile. "Unfortunately, basic Trainer School takes two years to complete. You haven't been in a home for more than nine months. You can't be properly enrolled if you keep moving cities so often."

   Miles frowned and leaned against the car door. Late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees of Eterna Forest and dappled the empty road, a sort of blur due to the vehicle's speed. The gloomy look of the shadowy trees matched Miles' mood perfectly.

   "Why'd Lin have to get adopted and not me?" he asked rhetorically. Still, Mr. Wright answered.

   "They could only take one of you in, and they would rather their money go towards a college fund than a Trainer School."

   No, it was because I sliced open the spare room's window screen so I could get out onto the roof. He wanted to see the night sky as clearly as he could, but all the trees were blocking the way.

   He even still had the pocket knife he'd stolen from them. It was buried in his pocket beneath Swirlix Sweet gum wrappers and loose change—also stolen. Those people wouldn't have even looked at him if he didn't do something. Not them, not any of those who came before them.

   "Things will be better this time, I promise."

   And there it was. Miles clenched his eyes shut, burying his face in his hoodie sleeve. How could things be better? They never were! They hadn't been for four years.

   "I want to give you something when we get to Eterna City." His interest piqued, Miles cracked his eyes to glimpse Mr. Wright. "Even though you'll need a Trainer ID to battle, you can still—Oh Arceus!"

   Miles sat up, completely alert, only to be thrown against the car door because of the vehicle violently swerving to the left. When it did, the car jolted for a second, as if something had been run over. "What the hell—?" his sentence wouldn't be finished as the car then careened off the road, slamming into a tree with an ear-ripping screech of metal.