Pokemon - Capture Quest

Chapter 13 - Lullaby in the Storm

"All right." I said, rising up from the bed with a fair bit of effort. The shower was still running, so I had to leave without telling Nelly. I took the key card and left the room, closing the door behind me and knocking on the one right beside it. "I'm getting her now." I told Megan. "Put Acerola on."

I lowered the phone from my ear and waited.

Alicia opened the door in her pyjamas, looking like a normal girl for the first time, as opposed to some kind of fugitive hiding under layers of clothing and a hood. Minerva was sat beside her bare feet, looking up at me.

"Hey, Acerola wants to talk to you." I said, offering her my phone.

"Oh – thank you." She graciously accepted it and began to talk to her sister, tears welling up as she found it hard to talk. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I stepped outside and leant against the wall of the corridor. I took out my key card and twirled it slowly between my fingers.

"It must be hard, finding your sister after all that time apart, only to be separated the next day..." I thought about it. "She may be a Princess, but that's not what makes Alicia fragile. She seems delicate – like this whole ordeal could break her up inside." I took a deep breath. "I should never have let her come with us. When we met her at the dock, I should've told her she couldn't tag along... No good ever comes to anyone who sticks around me long enough..."

"I will see you again soon, I know it." Alicia said, saying farewell to her younger sister.

She stepped out into the hallway to hand me back my phone. I smiled and took it, bringing it up to my ear.

"Toby?" Megan's voice came through.

"Yep."

"It looks like you'll have to make your own way out of Almia. I don't think it's safe to send anyone else over to get you." She sighed. "It'd be best if you got a boat back to Kanto."

"Yeah, that sounds safer." I straightened up. "But what about Alfred?"

"...I think it might be best to let him rest. I don't want him moving about too soon. I'm sorry to say it, but I don't think he'll be participating in this mission from here on out."

"Well, that's fair..." I sighed. "If it weren't for him, we'd still be stuck in Alola, after all, and without his piloting skills, we might have ended up a lot worse than we did."

"Right. But we'll see this through to the end. We will get your Pokemon back. To not do so would be an insult to everything that Alfred fought to protect you for." Megan said determinedly.

"Of course." I let myself smile. "But I don't think there's a boat back to Kanto for a couple of days – not tomorrow, at least."

"That's fine – rest." My older sister told me. "I may not be able to do much for you from back here right now, but once you set foot back in Kanto, I'll see to it that you're protected. There are a few people I've gotten in contact with who are willing to take the fight to Team Rocket with us."

"All right. I'll call when we're about to leave." I said.

"Good. Take care, Toby. You don't need me to tell you this, but you and Nelly need to protect Alicia while you're out there. She may be a little older than you, but she's still a sheltered Princess."

"Mhm, got it. Don't worry, we can handle it."

"I know you can. Right, see you."

"Bye."

I lowered my phone and yawned.

"Thank you." Alicia said, still standing in the doorway.

"Don't mention it." I replied.