The Hacker [Pokemon Fanfiction]

The Hacker: Chapter 20

Our feet stepped off of the boat, a high summer sun sweltering over head while our group swayed with the hundreds of other refugees who moved to Island two. In my arms I clutched Copycat close, her head handing limply over my shoulder as the small child snored. The little child's arm hugged my neck tiredly as I pulled from the crowd, upstairs that guided up to an almost abandoned hill top, lined with a crashing waterfall. I settled under a lone tree that dug its roots deeply into the loam just beside an isolated ranch home.

Quietly I took her arms from around my neck and set her on the ground, giving a tender brush to her bangs from the child's face. With that, I twisted to look back where Red stood. He motioned with his hand to a port-side Bazaar back from where we came, each of the stands covered with golden threaded canopies, giving the signal he would pick out some food and be back soon. I gave a nod and shooed him to continue on without me.

He did so, letting me collapse beside the toddler who slept soundly. I gave a smile as I slid my hand over hers, "We'll find your parents Copycat. Don't worry," I began nodding off as my mind reeled with the past of the early morning.

The sun was barely risen when I had to wake up Copycat so that we could catch our ferry to Boon Island. She was a good sport for the first couple hours of the ride, playing with Vulpix, but then she had a small melt down. How badly she wanted to see her mom and dad. Her hands that entire time were clutching a small red and white sphere, most likely a pokeball. Still, after that incident, she fell asleep.

If you think about it, children are pretty bipolar.

I let out a sigh, pushing out my troubles with it as I let myself doze off into a cold darkness of dreams. Though it was all snapped away by a harsh voice of an older woman cackling.

"Twins?"

A natural reaction to spring up, my eyes flickered to meet ones who have seen much for their years. An old woman with jet black hair cut down just below her shoulder blades, the lady's skin was like a crumpled piece of paper after someone tried to unwrinkled it. Marks still left behind. Her garb was a long white dress to fit her more heavier-set figure, her waist sashed with a blood red ribbon. Her obsidian eyes fixated between me and Copycat, awaiting a sort of explanation.

Lazily, I had a theory of what the woman was speaking of, I turned my head to see Copycat curled up soundly. In the appearance of me. Letting out a breath I turned to look at the woman, "This is Copycat. She changes her appearance into other people when she feels so inclined. She is not a fifteen year old trainer, but truly a six year old toddler who lost her parents. My friend and I took her in on our travels to find her parents."

This woman narrowed her eyes, her lip sneering creepily before she nodded up into the tree, "Is he the friend?"

It couldn't be, I told myself. But sure enough, when I looked up, Red sat atop a branch roughly ten feet from ground. His shoulder leaning against the body of the tree as his hat laid just askew on his head, throwing his hair about like the ruffles of a Pidgey's feathers. The trainer's mouth somewhat parted as he took small and steady breaths, his chest rising softly before a gentle fall. Light tumbled down the leaves and struck Red carefully to illuminate him, It is.

"Red," I called emotionlessly. He didn't jump, his eyes just slowly pulling open to stare down at me. "You didn't have to sleep all the way up there."

The quiet trainer just nodded, like saying he did have to.

"Or you could have woken us up."

The trainer just pointed down to where Copycat and I were previously curled up, "Too peaceful," he said quietly, "Didn't want to disturb." From under his arm, I noticed a wicker basket and a checkered cloth hanging out.