Timeline of Errors

Part 11 - Moving Forward

Silence fell for a bit. Only the sound of cutleries clanking against the plate can be heard filling the space. The young man kept his gaze to his food, without looking up even once, as he munched them. His wavy long bangs fell to his face, slightly covering his sharp protruding eyes and long lashes.

"What is it?" he suddenly asked without looking up.

"Nothing. Just wondering how you've been?" I asked, "I just... suddenly stopped you in the streets without any warning and..."

"...I'm alright. I just got back from one of my part-time jobs," he replied as he put down his plate, "I heard you're working in the association nowadays?"

"Oh, right," I said as I took some of the fried rice, "yeah,"

Sighing, he asked, "how did you end up working for my sister?"

"So, you know how weird it is that suddenly people can't revive their fainted Pokemon anymore?" I asked, "Antonia reached out to us saying she's willing to support our investigation. She proposed the idea that something from beyond the world caused all of these... which she was right about,"

"And the catch was for you to investigate the Gris for her?" he asked.

"They do seem to be connected," I said and shrugged my shoulders, "but I don't know what kind of proof am I looking for to prove that that person is involved since I don't even know what his involvement was in those cases in the first place. So, it seems like the best lead I can get is to investigate the people he sent to do his dirty work..."

"...the girls," he continued.

"Yep. Antonia doesn't really have a complete list of names, but... by sheer luck..." I said and intertwined my fingers, "...I ran into a girl who's been trying to hide from him,"

"Is that the young girl with the Giratina you were talking about?" he asked, resting his chin on his arm.

"...I was... the only one who knew," I said, "I was the only one who could do anything about it,"

Silence fell. At the thought, my heart began to pound on my chest. It was only then I realised how light my feet are, as I could feel every millimetre of movement my body was making like I was thrown into the wind on a roller coaster. Those words forced the details up my throat. How my mind blanked as I watched Krookodile fell down without any warning. As the waves washed Infernape away without even me realising until it was too late. As I let giant boulders crushed-

Just like-

"Did you run into him?" he asked, waking me up from my thoughts.

"...someone ambushed us in the cave," I said, "the girl asked me to meet her somewhere safer with no one else around, but then..."

"Are you sure she's not affiliated with that guy anymore?" he asked, "that sounds like a trap to me,"

"...quite frankly, I have no idea how the attacker managed to pinpoint our location straight-up, but..." I said, "seems like she was manipulated into it, and she seems genuinely frightened of the consequences,"

"Lots of them are," he said and sighed, "I've spent about two years now trying to help them out... and in case there are any intel about our parents' whereabouts. One came from a DV background, one had a gambling addiction, and someone else illegally crossed the border, so... lots of stuff,"

Oh.

"That must be rough," I said.

"...I'm just doing what I could. I had a hand in making their life miserable, after all," he replied and continued eating, "...I had a second chance to make things right, and yet..."