The Lonely Deerling

"Are you sure... Are you sure it's okay to go without you?!" Trevor hesitantly asked – I could see he was doing his best to be nice, but I could also hear the fear in his voice: fear that I would say 'no', that I would ask them to wait for me. He was just too eager to continue! I smiled at his almost failed attempt.

"Yes, I'm sure... go ahead!"

"We could stick around for a few hours... I'm sure there's no harm in that! Is there, guys?!" Shauna pleaded.

"I don't know how long Charmander's exams will take... It's best that you guys go ahead, I'll catch up as soon as we're ready!"

"In that case, I'm staying with you!" Calem's hand weighed on my shoulder and his smile pierced into my brain, uncomfortably. ."

"Hm, it's okay..." I smiled with embarrassment "You must help Trevor out... keep him out of trouble if he tries to look at the big ones too closely, you know?!"

"I can't leave you behind with a sick Pokémon..." – he pondered.

"...It's okay, it's... fine..." I repeated, hoping it would sink into myself eventually and become true "I'm sure it will do us some good to spend some time alone, Charmander and I..." I sighed "I guess I've yet to show him I'm his trainer. I want him to know I'm by his side now... That we're a team!"

He gave me a sad smile, still torn between going ahead and staying with me in Camphrier until Charmander was released from the Pokémon center.

"You can face it as your chance to surpass me, how about that?!" – I teased, aware that pleading to his pride would be more effective than to his heart.

"Ha! It's not like I need it, neighbor..." He fell, smiling his shiny smile again "...But I get you."

I dismissed all the long farewells, resuming them with a simple 'I'll see you guys soon', even though I had not yet decided if I would want to continue with them. After I watched them march away, I returned to the Pokémon center to wait.

...But hours went by. Dawn turned into dusk, and there was still not a clue of what was wrong with my Charmander. His vital signs were abnormal, unstable... he wouldn't stop crying in his small voice, his little facial muscles would never relax, and there seemed to be no organic cause to it. That only left me more frightened!

The nurses eventually advised that I returned to my room and waited there – They suspected my presence might be proving unsettling for Charmander and decided to experiment his reactions in my absence, so I returned and waited alone, worried – every minute felt like an hour, and eventually the hours did accumulate: it was 10 pm when I received a call from Calem in my Holo Caster. It was strangely comforting to see his face:

"How are things going? We thought you'd be here by now...!" He began, not wasting any words with a greeting.

I explained Charmander's situation as best as I could without dropping a tear. They were all as confused as I was, but Trevor had his advice: He pulled Calem from the camera, pointing it to himself:

"You should take him back to Professor Sycamore! He will probably know what to do!"

I felt my heart skip a beat or two.

"What? But... it's... it's so late!!" I saw Calem's face twitch, disapprovingly.

"It's no good leaving the Pokémon as he is... Anne should do something right away! It's her responsibility!"

Responsibility... That word sounded so heavy! But he was right... I was being a coward again, and it was time I acted directly against such feeble will: I didn't want to see Sycamore – I hated all those feelings he stirred inside of me... I hated how he seemed to touch separate strings inside my chest, and all in vain... But if it was for Charmander, I would do it! It might be the only way for him to acknowledge me as his trainer.

"Well, just be careful..." Calem advised with a heavy sigh.

I had to do some snatching to retrieve my Charmander from the medical cares of the Pokémon Center – they advised me to leave my Pokémon there because of the instability of his condition, but they didn't have any perspective on diagnosis or improvement, therefore nothing was being done to him but watch – no drugs administered, no treatments whatsoever. He was as good as if he was with me – The difference was that, if his body manifested any signs of an actual disease, I might not be able to recognize it... and might not get him his treatment soon enough. Once he was in my pokeball, safely in my bag, I had to hurry!

In that particular night the moon was gentle: It shone its silver rays upon lonely route 5 as I ran, panting and coughing as the cold air assaulted my chest. I might have sobbed, too, between those tormenting thoughts: Was I doing the right thing? What would become of me if something happened to Charmander? The tree crowns brushing the night sky, quickly left behind, and the sleepy wild Pokémon eyes those bushes housed were the only witnesses to that cold crusade, and to how low my state sank that scary night.

Lumiose's lights still shone brightly, bright as if they'd never known the dark surrounding the city walls. The Pokémon lab was just around the corner, and I stopped to catch my breath as I gazed up toward the windows – there were no lights on inside... Was I too late to catch anyone there?

As I approached the door, however, my eyes detected a slight movement: it was the door knob, moving in place. My insides turned cold and my legs threatened to tremble... It was only then that I realized how much the professor had moved me, and how utterly hard it seemed having to face him again!

But, for the distress or relief of my stretched nerves, it wasn't him: A pretty woman walked out into the night, then turned to lock the door. I recognized her as one of Sycamore's assistants. It was quite dark there, where the two of us stood, for the café's lights cast a shadow over the lab, so she sustained a small fright when she came across my trembling figure:

"Oh my! You scared me, young lady!!" Was her initial reaction, in the tune of an upset reproach... She then eyed me, probably perceiving the sad state I was in: "Tell me at once, in one word only, what you are doing here!"

It felt like a mother's reproach – comforting, actually! – even though she was probably too young to have a daughter my age. Still, I couldn't help but feel childish and obediently comply:

"Professor." – I used one word, as demanded.

Her eyes grew wide.

"And aren't you too young for him, child?!! Do you have any idea of what type of man...-" The reproach went on, harsher still.

I blushed so hard I thought my head would explode, and proceeded to interrupt her as soon as I could, before her words could embarrass me enough to damage my frail resolve to see him:

"Noo, wait! NO! That's... not what I mean!!"

"Ohhh!" It was she who blushed now, clearly embarrassed "Forgive-me, kid! I should have known, for a second there I thought that... Phew!" Her hand was in her head, and she sighed with relief. "Tell me what troubles you, then! But be quick about it – I have an important meeting in just a few minutes".

"It's my Charmander... There's something wrong with him! I need to talk to Professor Sycamore about it!"

"Have you tried the Pokémon center right there?!" She gracefully pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"I have. They can't do anything about it!" I was growing impatient.

"I don't think the professor can, either! You should go home..." She eyed me from above with a mix of pity and hardness.

"I must see him!" – I pursued, my voice sounding much more scared than I intended.

She sighed again.

"Okay, have your way... But I can't stay with you! I really, really have to go..." She apologized for something I did not quite understand yet.

"That's... fine, I guess."

I felt her hand fall on my head, followed with another long sigh:

"No, it's not fine! There's no one else in there but him. I'm worried about you! You're too young and too pretty to be left alone with a man like him, you know?!" She sounded dramatic and playful at the same time.

"Why?!" I inquired, recalling the conversation Calem and the gang were having yesterday about Sycamore.

"Why? Well..." She picked her words "He is no saint, I tell you as much!"

"How so?!" My curiosity got the best of me.

"He is that peculiar type of men who... Well... Uhm..." She awkwardly mused aloud.

I guess the assistant grew tired of my heavy, curious and unknowing glare upon her, for she shouted, now inpatient:

"My! Didn't your mother teach you anything about men, little girl?!"

I guess she was too busy being interested in them for that...

"Let's just put it like this, okay? Have you ever seen those documentaries on TV... about... what happens when a Pyroar spots a lonely deerling in the nature?"

I was getting more and more confused.

"Ugh! Well, just watch your back, okay kid? Professor Sycamore is what one might call a ladies' man, and of the worst kind!" She sighed with what sounded like personal frustration "...cause he's charming as f... Well!" she looked back at me "You can go ahead: He's on the third floor. Please, knock before coming inside. I wish you good luck with your Charmander..."

Her eyes were warm at last, and she quickly parted, leaving the door unlocked for me.

I thought about what she said as I entered the dark, empty reception room. Pyroars eat the lonely deerlings. A chill of dread ran down my spine.