Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 21: Jacob

"What's in the Thunderfall ranges?"

Tertle grunted at my question.

"Nothing. Rocks, there's a wide-open valley at the end of it, that's where Motor wants us to look but it'll leave us exposed and could be dangerous."

I groaned, "What else is new?"

Glair laughed, "This adventure's new!"

I rolled my eyes but cracked a small smile. I looked at my team, they were ready.

"Let's go."

They nodded at me. With that we walked from the guild. Down the hill from the safehouse I looked back up at the entrance and smiled. I had no idea that it would never be the same again.

*****

We arrived at the head of the valley mid-afternoon and searched for a few hours before settling down for the night. As usual Tertle was in charge, no-one questioned his judgment.

"We'll set up camp back at the mouth of the valley and go further down tomorrow." From there Glair and Pixie gathered firewood while Tertle and I picked berries, later we sat around the campfire, eating our dinner and enjoying the company.

Pixie asked; "What happens, once this is all over, what do we do after?"

"We keep doing what we're doing, exploring, travelling, living." Glair... She was so certain about things that couldn't be.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Glair, I can't come, not that time."

"Why not?" She was disappointed, I know how she felt.

"I'm going home."

"Why? Do you really have to go?"

My response was little more than a whisper and it was nearly carried away by the wind.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, she's waiting for me."

Pixie's ears dropped, Glair's pricked up.

"She? Oh, I need details, what's she like?!"

"Calm down Glair, it's just my mum."

"Oh." Disappointed, excited, disappointed. This Gligar has a seriously erratic personality.

"What's she like?" I looked at Pixie as she repeated Glair's question, she looked sad.

"My Mum? She's the best person I've ever known."

Pixie frowned, Glair looked confused, Tertle offered me a calm smile.

"What do you mean she's the best 'person'?"

My heart leapt into my throat at Glair's question.

"Uh, um, I, I..." I looked from face to face. What now?

Tertle saved me. He was still wearing that calm smile, typical Tertle.

"You're not from here are you?"

The confusion was clear in Glair's voice. "Tert! Haven't you been listening, we know he's not from around here, that's why he has to go home."

I grit my teeth and hung my head, I couldn't look them in the eye.

"Tertle's... right. I don't belong here."

Pixie's eyes watered, when she spoke her voice cracked.

"What are you t-talking about? Of, of course you-!"

"I'm a human!"

Silence.

"I don't belong here, I'm from a different world with no Pokémon. Palkia brought me here to help solve the problem, I think, and once everything's fixed, I'm going to ask Palkia to send me back. I have no reason to stay here."

Pixie spoke up, trying hard to keep the pain out of her voice.

"Wow. I thought you'd figured it out Ace. Guess not."

Someone put the fire out, it became dark and without a word everyone went to sleep.

*****

Complete black, and then, Motor. He was just floating there, smiling at me. But slowly, a shadow overtook him, as it did he changed, his genuine smile became an evil grin. His eyes became wide and tortured. He disappeared amongst the black, laughing manically.

The laughter, it was coming from everywhere, Motor? Motor, where are you?! The laughter suddenly ceased. Motor was gone, but I wasn't alone. I turned around, a pair of yellow cat-like eyes. They were hungry.

"Jacob! Wake up! Wake up! Damn it all! Wake up!"

The eyes pounced, they leaped over me and dove, straight for my friends, more sets of eyes appeared, they followed the first pair. I was too slow.

"Jacob! Wake up!"

I woke up in a panicked sweat. My friends. Breathing heavily, I check, it's okay, they're all still here, they're all okay. What a nightmare. A... Nightmare. Darkrai. In the movie 'Rise of Darkrai' Darkrai warns Ash, warns him, through a nightmare...

A low growl.

Piercing yellow eyes.