Remember? -A Pokémon Story-

Chapter 16

You inhale sharply, opening your eyes, but only to be met with darkness. The sweat on your skin makes your (h/c) hair stick to your forehead. Your knuckles turn white from your grip on the sheets.

You find yourself laying in your bed in the Professors' house. You bring a hand to your forehead, rubbing your temples, trying to shake off whatever just happened.

It seems like Xurkitree appears in your mind more frequently when you're asleep. It makes it a lot more challenging to get a good night's rest without having to worry about being attacked by a creature made of cables and zip ties.

You glance to your left at the small alarm clock. It's still pretty early, but there's no point in trying to get any more sleep.

You swing your legs over the side of the bed and stretch. Cato stirs at the base of the bed, but doesn't get up. You stand up and head for the door, wincing at the ache in your muscles.

You slip out of your bedroom and walk silently to the front door. You try your best not to wake anyone: especially Ash, since he sleeps on the loft in here and not in a bedroom.

You crack the door open and quietly exit, sighing as you sit down on the porch's top step. Your head aches and your whole body is sore. You close your eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

You feel the soft Alolan breeze brush against your face, and the smell of the ocean wafts up from the beach.

You breathe in the crisp morning air, listening to the sound of Pokemon around you. Your muscles relax, enjoying the quiet sounds of nature.

Your small moment of peace was soon interrupted by the sound of a door pushing open behind you.

Glancing over your shoulder, you see Cato sit down beside you. You smile at him and put a hand on his back, feeling his soft fur between your fingers.

"Quite a mess we've fallen into, huh?" you mumble. Cato gives a small sound of agreement, looking over at you.

"I've been thinking," you start, "If we find a way to go back to our own world, does that mean we won't be able to see Ash, Pikachu, and the Professors ever again?"

You look over at Cato, and he stares back at you with sad eyes.

"I don't want to leave them behind," you say quietly, "but I don't think we have a choice if we want to go home."

You lean against Cato's tall frame, wrapping your arm around him in a hug. He leans into your side, and you rest your head against his.

He's always been there for you, and you've always been there for him.

Your mind wanders to the times when you were little and you would hide from the scary scientists your dad worked with. Cato would stand guard at your hiding spot, making sure you felt safe, even if there wasn't a real threat.

You smile at these memories, and you wonder how much you've missed out on by being kidnapped.

You two sit there, watching the sunrise, until the door behind you opens once again. You and Cato turn and see Professor Kukui standing there.

"How long have you two been out here?" he asks, yawning. You shrug, not really knowing for sure.

"Well, better get up and around, we're heading to Aether Paradise in a little bit. Burnet thinks she found a way to send you home," he says. You look over at Cato with wide eyes, and then back to the professor.

"Really?" you ask him cautiously. He smiles down at you two.

"She told me she has an idea," he says, cryptically. You and Cato stand up, but your head spins and the world feels like it was pulled out from under you.