Chapter 26 - Reconciliation

  Elduran opened his eyes and turned his head to glance at the digital watch on the nightstand. It was five in the morning, and he could still hear the annoying sound of Tia's keyboard typing. At this point, he was convinced she was doing it on purpose to irritate him. He would bet anything that once he stepped out of the room, she would finally go to bed.

  Elduran didn't dislike Tia; he actually liked her. However, he found her way of dealing with pain to be incredibly childish. He acknowledged that she had a rough childhood, but aside from Jabari, everyone in the group had demons from their past. Tia needed to start owning her problems and become more dependable.

  She was amazing with computers, doing things that were incomprehensible to Elduran. As valuable as she was to the group, her dependability remained questionable. No one could rely on Tia to do the right thing. She was only helping them because of her hatred for the government and her conviction that it was involved with the watchers. But what if the government wasn't involved? Elduran pondered.

  He sat up, finding Cyndaquil asleep at the foot of his bed. With Audrey, Dan, and the others dead, he no longer felt the need to have Cyndaquil keep watch all night, especially since Cyndaquil was his only remaining Pokémon. Furret was still around, but she would probably kill her trainer before agreeing to stand guard.

  It was time to wake up Cyndaquil, who was even more eager than Elduran to train. The young Pokémon didn't want to stop practicing Flamethrower the previous day. Elduran was still amazed at how much better the training session went, attributing it to both his improved training methods and Cyndaquil's natural aptitude for learning moves. They had both gone through hell in the past few days, losing two loved ones. Now, they were trying their best to live up to their family members' example and the chance at life they had been given. Their motivation was insatiable.

  Tia turned around and glanced at him, but just as quickly as she looked, she turned her attention back to her screen, immature indeed Elduran thought. He slowly nudged Cyndaquil with his hand, and after a few seconds, the pokémon stirred and got to his feet without opening his eyes. Cyndaquil moved towards Elduran, rubbed against his legs showing affection, then jumped down from the bed and went for his water bowl. Elduran got up and walked over to Cyndaquil, placing some kibble on the other bowl.

  Elduran walked back towards his bed, realizing that even in Dirthrow, now that it was October, the mornings had become considerably chillier. His boxer briefs were no longer sufficient. Just as he retrieved a pair of pants and a shirt from the dresser, Tia's voice rang out, "Are you leaving already so I can take my turn sleeping?"

  He left his pants on the bed and walked towards Tia, putting on his shirt. He sat at the foot of her bed, next to her desk. She wasn't using Porygon; instead, she seemed to be playing a video game. He stared at her, trying to make her uncomfortable until she finally turned around to face him.

  Unable to resist, she stared back and asked, "What do you want, soldier boy?"

  "For you to grow up," Elduran replied.

  "Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one who lost a sister," Tia retorted.

  That got Elduran's blood boiling. He had lost something equivalent in his mind. Vivillon and Heracross felt like siblings, while Cyndaquil felt more like a son. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of an answer, knowing she would just say they were only Pokémon. Tia was not Aisha; she didn't see Pokémon as equals to humans. He couldn't blame her though, as he used to think the same way just a few days ago. "I'm really sorry about that. You're not the first or the last to lose someone close. What I wonder is how many people who lose loved ones act the way you do."

  Tia's anger was evident as she asked, "What the fuck do you mean, how do I act?"

  Elduran replied bluntly, "Like an asshole."

  Tia retorted, "I have every right to talk to you as I see fit. You are as responsible for her death as those other fuckers."

  Elduran looked at her in disbelief. "I can see how you're looking at this, but you're taking away and destroying everything the three of us fought for when we were attacked up there. I'm sure Anaya would be so proud of you right now."

  His last words had a noticeable effect on Tia, softening her expression briefly before she hardened again. "Why couldn't you just stop them?"

  He decided to tell the truth. "Because the closer I got there, the more curious I got. I wanted to check the place out. Trap or not, I wanted to kill a few of those motherfuckers."

  Tia fell silent for a few moments before responding in a near-whisper, "Are you trying to make me angrier? I dislike you right now, but every time you speak, I'm starting to feel more like hatred towards you."

  Elduran got up, it was time for training, but had one last thing to say: "So it's fine for you to do whatever you want, against everyone's wishes, but not for the rest of us, correct?" He walked over to his bed, picked up his pants, and started dressing. Elduran glanced at her; her head was down, and she was idle.

  He called Cyndaquil to follow him as he prepared to leave the room. Before exiting, he addressed Tia, "You're pushing away the one person here who truly understands you and is willing to support your decisions, even when they're irresponsible or downright foolish. I know about taking risks—I built a career on it. It might seem unfair that I received medals for my actions while you faced criticism, but we share a common drive: we both follow our instincts. That's what defines us. Tonight, I’ll move to Jabari’s room; Arceus knows I need sleep without the sound of a keyboard." With that, he closed the door behind him.

  As they walked down the hallway, he spoke to Cyndaquil, "Alright Forge, time for some intense Flamethrower training today."

  "Cyyyn," Cyndaquil replied excitedly.

  "We need to find a way to feed Ladylike, though I suspect it won't be easy unless we become the meal," he said, smiling at Cyndaquil.

  "Cyyyyyyyn," Cyndaquil called out loudly as they neared the stairway.

  "Shhhhhh, you'll wake everyone," he whispered, kneeling to place a finger over Cyndaquil's mouth.

  Realizing his mistake, Cyndaquil fell silent, looking embarrassed. "It's okay, just a little quieter," he reassured as he stood up and led Cyndaquil down the stairs.

  As Elduran heard noise from the kitchen, he easily deduced who was there. Descending the last step, he spotted Taylor, along with two mugs of coffee and three sandwiches wrapped on the table. The rich coffee aroma was captivating him. Taylor had brewed some excellent coffee for him the previous day.

  "Elduran, glad you're awake. I hoped to prepare everything before you left," Taylor said.

  "All this for me?" Elduran asked.

  "Yes, the three sandwiches are for you to taste. I plan to start selling them tomorrow. They're made from ingredients found locally in Tenera, without importing from other regions. Aisha was adamant about that," Taylor explained.

  "Aisha insisted on that, huh? Well, do whatever you want with the food, I'm not picky. But you'll need to import Pomace Coffee from Kalos," Elduran responded.

  "She also asked me to brew a coffee that could taste similar to Pomace coffee, using regional coffee beans from around Keras town," Taylor said. "The local beans brew a little more bitter, but I think I found a solution after using a lot of coffee yesterday to experiment. Aisha will probably kill me, but I didn't want to just make it taste similar, I wanted to make it taste the same. I have two cups here, one brewed with Pomace, the other with local Keras. Can you drink from both and tell me if you can spot a difference?"

  Elduran smiled and began by examining the color difference between the two cups of coffee. One was slightly lighter than the other, but he couldn't honestly remember how dark or light Pomace was supposed to be. He was too much of a peasant to care about such nuances; all he cared about was the taste. Deciding to skip the smell test, as even he could admit that cheap coffee often smelled just as enticing, Elduran reached for one of the cups. "You know, there's no way you could ever imitate the taste of Pomace coffee with cheaper beans," he said as he took a sip from the darker cup. Putting it down, he confidently declared, "This is definitely Pomace."

  "Could you try the other one too?" Taylor requested.

  Elduran took a sip from the other cup and was stunned. He couldn't tell the difference between the two. Grabbing the previous cup, he took another sip, but it was pointless. He legitimately couldn't distinguish one from the other. Shocked, Elduran conceded, "Kid, you got me. If these two are made from different coffee beans, you win. Which one is pomace?"

  "The lighter one is Pomace," Taylor replied, smiling widely.

  "How did you mimic it so well?" Elduran asked.

  "I added a bit of salt to reduce bitterness and ground it coarser before brewing," Taylor said proudly.

  "If Keras Coffee can taste like that, forget Pomace," Elduran admitted.

  "Thanks, Elduran. Let me know about the sandwiches later," Taylor said.

  After taking a sip from a cup, Elduran realized he couldn't remember which one he was holding. "I will kid, but I'm sure they all taste amazing," he said. "You really have skill in cooking. Oh... do you have any raw meat? I don't care what kind. I have a Pokémon that I feel will appreciate it."

  Taylor didn't question him. He opened the fridge, grabbed what appeared to be a big leg of lamb, and proceeded to wrap it in plastic wrap. "Please feed this to your Pokémon quickly. I'm still learning, but apparently raw meat goes bad fast outside the fridge. Plus, I'm pretty sure it will start to stink," he said.

  Elduran placed the sandwiches in his backpack, finished his coffee, and grabbed the lamb, heading for the door. "Thank you, chef."

  "Aren't you drinking the other cup? And wouldn’t you prefer a bag for the meat?" Taylor asked.

  "I only have one cup in the morning and one in the afternoon. As for the meat, I’ll feed it right away," Elduran replied.

  Taylor said seriously, "I meant so people don't see you walking on the street with a dead animal's leg on your shoulder."

  Elduran chuckled. "I don’t care what people think, but the streets are empty now. See you later, Taylor," he said, leading Cyndaquil out through the kitchen to the front door.

  ***

  "Take a deeper breath before exhaling fire," Elduran advised,

  Cyndaquil followed the instruction, showing slight improvement from the previous day. They had been practicing for at least two hours, but Flamethrower was still too advanced for the young Pokémon. Most trainers with fire-type Pokémon attempted to learn this move, but few progressed beyond it, except for league trainers, mercenaries, and strong challengers in badge competitions and league tournaments. Devastating high-level fire moves like Fire Blast and Overheat were even more challenging. Yet, Elduran was determined to teach this three-month-old Pokémon. Cyndaquil's Flamethrower had the right diameter but couldn't travel more than a foot. Watching Cyndaquil's persistent efforts, Elduran felt exhausted himself. However, he took comfort in knowing that they had a powerful close-range attack.

  "You nailed the diameter on that last one, Forge. It's as strong as I've ever seen from any fire Pokémon," Elduran praised. "Going forward, we just need to focus on extending the distance. You're doing great!"

  Cyndaquil seemed to ignore Elduran's praise, either uninterested in the slight improvement or simply determined to keep practicing. However, it was clear that he had reached his limit for the day. In the past, Elduran might have pushed him to continue practicing until he fainted from exhaustion. But not anymore. While he still believed in the value of hard work and pushing oneself, Elduran no longer believed in driving a Pokémon to the brink of losing consciousness.

  Elduran filled Cyndaquil's water bowl, noting that it was the fourth one he had emptied today. He then unwrapped the meat and placed it on a rock, setting Heracross's old water bottle next to it. Elduran then returned to his Pokémon. "Forge, training is over for today. You did fantastic," he said, but Cyndaquil continued breathing fire. Elduran tried another approach. "Forge, please drink some water. I need you to protect me in case Ladylike attacks. I'll try to feed her."

  This got Cyndaquil's attention, and he immediately dashed to his water bowl, practically inhaling the water. After everything they had been through, protecting Elduran or anyone on their team was clearly Cyndaquil's top priority.

  "Thank you Forge, stay vigilant," he said, grabbing Furret's Pokéball. He released her next to the leg of lamb. Although healed, Furret hadn't eaten or drank anything for two days. Even in a digital state, where hunger and thirst progressed slower, if not hungry she was likely dehydrated.

  Furret glanced at the food and drink, then fixed Cyndaquil and Elduran with a malicious stare. In a flash, she used Quick Attack, but after becoming a blur, she transformed into a red light and got sucked into her Pokéball. Thankfully, the Pokéball only needed to face the general direction of the Pokémon to recall it. Otherwise, this could have ended badly, as Elduran had no idea where Furret was when he aimed the ball towards her last known location.

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  This was not over yet, Elduran released her next to the food and water once more. She was about to take a sip, but used Quick Attack instead. However, Elduran remained vigilant and swiftly returned her to the Pokéball.

  Once again, Furret was out. This time she did drink water, all of it. Elduran had already pressed the button, all he needed to do was direct it towards her and she would be back into her Pokéball. It looked that she was contemplating between going for the food, or attacking them.

  "Furret, I will call you Ladylike from now on, if that's okay with you," he said. Furret growled but did not attack. Elduran continued, "I want to get to know you and understand why you lash out at every living being you see." Just as he finished speaking, Furret became a blur once more, followed by another transformation into a red light and another visit to her Pokéball.

  Elduran wasn't finished yet, but he would be once she ate her food. After releasing her once again, he said, "Ladylike... eat your food. I'll be quiet and let you eat in peace." Elduran thought that just learning to eat her food was enough bonding for one day. Figuring out the reason behind her aggression would have to wait.

  Furret began eating slowly at first, but within seconds, she was devouring the meat with barely any chewing. Elduran couldn't stop admiring her impressive height. When standing on her back legs, she towered over him, which was quite unsettling. However, he knew that Furrets were much lighter than they appeared, with their bulk mostly consisting of fur.

  She finished and sat down. Elduran intended to recall her immediately after she ate, but her good behavior made him curious about how long she would last before attacking. They stared at each other in silence, his promise to remain quiet keeping him from speaking. The Pokéball, button already pressed, was prepared to receive her at any moment.

  She closed her eyes, making Elduran smile. He knew she was pretending to fall asleep, likely waiting to hear him walk away and let his guard down. But her breathing hadn't slowed or become rhythmic, betraying her ruse. After five minutes, Elduran feigned taking a few steps while remaining in place. The moment Furret opened her eyes and used Quick Attack, Elduran was ready. He swiftly recalled her into her Pokéball for that last time that day.

  He felt a sense of accomplishment as he reflected on the day's progress. Cyndaquil had made significant strides in mastering Flamethrower, a development that Elduran viewed as highly encouraging. Moreover, Furret's well-being was secured, as the Pokémon would no longer face the risks of dehydration or starvation. With a plan to conduct one final training session with Cyndaquil later in the evening, Elduran decided to take a moment to savor some sandwiches before going back.

  ***

  Elduran opened the door to their house—or was it their Café? Clearly, it was both, he thought. He hoped Aisha's plan to start this business would prove successful. It seemed no one else in this Arceus-forsaken town had any hope of launching a new venture. He had to admit their establishment now appeared to be one of the nicest in town, rivaled only by a few upscale restaurants on the north side. Initially, Elduran thought it was a great idea to use the business as a base of operations, allowing them to hide in plain sight while generating income. Now, it seemed only the income aspect remained.

  He heard an unfamiliar voice. After waiting for Cyndaquil to enter, he closed the door and turned around to see a woman talking with Aisha, Jabari, and Faelan. Judging by her expression, Elduran guessed she wasn't very happy.

  The woman exclaimed, "Are you guys insane? You're starting a café with a closed kitchen design. When was the last time you bought coffee that was made behind closed doors?"

  Elduran interjected, indifferent to the woman's identity, "The kitchen is closed for reasons of our own. If you're here to work, it might be best not to complain."

  Faelan introduced them, "Elduran, meet our new manager, my cousin Yvette. Oh—and she's been informed of our... well, mission."

  Elduran's face broke into a wide smile. "You know what? I really don't care. Get a megaphone and announce it to the world," he said, heading towards the kitchen door. He paused, turned to Yvette, and added, "Oh, and by the way, happy to meet you."

  As Yvette approached Elduran, she said, "Wait a minute, you're the soldier boy I've heard so much about. I have a question, and your answer will determine if I come to work tomorrow."

  Curious, Elduran inquired, "What is it?"

  "They told me you were a big deal in the same special forces unit as Faelan. Do you think he has a good chance of defeating three Cleavers, each armed with six Pokémon?" she asked.

  "Depends, do they know he's coming for them?" Elduran inquired.

  "They won't be aware he's targeting them," Yvette responded.

  "In that case, you should find three suitable burial sites, or enlist Forge's help if he's willing, to reduce them to mere bones," Elduran advised, as Cyndaquil cried out in agreement.

  Jabari sighed, urging the group, "We need a new mindset. Are we going to start eliminating everyone we consider a villain or who wrongs us? That's why the police exist."

  Aisha took a seat at one of the tables and expressed her agreement, "Jabari, I agree with you. But do you see any approach to confronting the Watchers without stooping to their level in some way?"

  "That's what concerns me," Jabari replied. "Even the person working for a government agency think this way. People, wake up. We're becoming what we're hunting," he added as Meltan leaped from his shoulder and dashed toward Cyndaquil.

  Jabari," Elduran began, "you're right. The issue is that I won't change my ways. As Aisha pointed out, can you see any way we can hunt them while staying within the law?"

  Looking deflated, he replied, "No, not yet. And with your mindset, I don't see how we will."

  Elduran placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, you're too good for us. If you want to walk away, you're free to do so. I hope you know that."

  Jabari turned to face him. "I'm not abandoning you, not when you need me most."

  "Damn, you folks have issues," Yvette interjected.

  Faelan, speaking mostly to himself, replied, "You don't even know half of it."

  "Can we go back to the restaurant topic?" Yvette asked.

  "It's a café," Aisha corrected.

  Yvette laughed loudly. "This place is set up like a restaurant, so why not embrace it? You can still serve drinks, but let's make it more casual. Remove those boring landscape pictures and replace them with hipster art. Use different colored tablecloths, multicolored plates, and glasses. Scatter some RGB lighting around the place. Then turn it into a comfort food haven for trainers. They already get free drinks and food if they're first-years But if you serve burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches, omelets, pancakes and maybe milkshakes, those are items trainers don't eat as often and definitely not for free. Plus, we're located right across from the town Gym."

  Elduran approached Yvette and placed his face directly in front of hers. "I hope there is stove top coffee in that list of yours," he said with gritted teeth, trying to appear serious, although he was just messing with her.

  Yvette smiled, "They told me how obsessed you are with coffee. Yes, we will have coffee. Stove top is the cheapest anyways. All you need is a pot and we could use some of the old folks clientele."

  Aisha and Jabari laughed at Yvette's comment, and even Elduran couldn't help but smile.

  Aisha spoke up, "I have to say, her suggestion sounds more promising. We have time to change the decor until tomorrow, and sandwiches can be prepared. We weren't planning on having pancakes, but Taylor is good at making them. All we have to do is ask him what he can have ready for tomorrow."

  Yvette looked puzzled. "Wait, Taylor is your cook? I thought he was some kind of helper. Wasn't he one of the homeless boys that always seem to be near these streets?"

  Aisha's expression turned serious. "He was, but he is not any longer," she said firmly as she made her way to the kitchen to inform Taylor of the change in plans.

  Yvette looked uneasy. "I have a feeling that I just insulted her," she said to herself.

  Faelan approached Yvette. "It wasn't the most polite thing to say cuz, but seriously, go inside with her. You'll be amazed at how good he is. He probably has a couple dozen things ready for you to try in the fridge. Trust me."

  Yvette headed for the kitchen. "Don't mind if I do. I owe her an apology anyway. I do like your girl, Faelan. It seems she has a brain up there in that skull of hers."

  "Oh, she has a brain, all right," Elduran sighed. As Yvette entered the kitchen, he walked towards Faelan and Jabari. "What's the deal with the Cleavers?"

  "It's a long story, and I hate explaining long stories—" Faelan began, but Elduran cut him off.

  "I actually just want the short story, as few words as possible," Elduran said.

  "Her mother killed herself because those Cleavers were... assaulting both of them... sexually. And it was kind of my fault for not helping sooner," Faelan said.

  Elduran's face turned serious. "No matter where I am, when you hear news of them and you think you can wait a day for me to make the trip back here on the monorail, you let me know, and I'll be here."

  Faelan mumbled, "Thanks... Owl. I appreciate the assistance more than you think."

  "Please, both of you. At least promise me you'll try to find a way to put them behind bars first," Jabari said.

  Elduran looked at him. "That, my friend, is a conversation between you and Faelan. I'll go tell Taylor how good his sandwiches were," he said as he made his way towards the kitchen.

  As Elduran entered the kitchen, he noticed Yvette eagerly sampling a variety of foods presented by Taylor and Tress. Jake and Cubone were noticeably absent, and Elduran wondered about their whereabouts, considering the construction had concluded. It was clear that Cubone had formed a stronger bond with Jake than with the other two.

  Elduran interrupted, "Taylor, I know I am interrupting, but all three of your sandwiches were great. Especially the one with the bazilion deli meats." Just then, Cyndaquil stormed into the room, clearly chased by Meltan.

  Taylor panicked and rushed to stop them both, "please, calm down. Too many things can break in here."

  Cyndaquil stopped dashing, but Meltan clearly did not care and crash landed on Cyndaquil. They formed into a tangled ball that ended up rolling into Taylor's legs, tripping him over.

  Elduran helped him get up, then looked at Meltan, "the boss of this establishment, told you stop, next time it will be wise for you to do, otherwise you might never get tasty food again."

  Meltan looked panicked and lunged at Taylor, jumped on his shoulder and hugged him apologetically.

  "It is okay, it was an accident," Taylor said as he petted his back, which seemed to calm Meltan down and clearly made him happier.

  Elduran was confused. "I was clearly joking. Don't you only eat metal?" he asked Meltan.

  Meltan, however, completely ignored him.

  "I am really happy you liked the sandwiches. I think the one you liked the most is my favorite too," Taylor said beaming.

  Elduran placed a hand on his shoulder nodding at him while walking towards the other two, "by the way tomorrow, I will be going to Valt Swamp to introduce a new Pokémon to my party," Elduran said casually.

  Aisha stopped talking, and looked at him incredulously, "we need to plan our trip to Pagos City."

  "You know you will not leave the next few days, with the Café... sorry the restaurant, opening and all," Elduran said.

  "Damn, you are probably right and I think it is a great idea getting a new Pokémon partner, but are you sure you want to go to Valt all by yourself? Mew is not back yet and you only have Forge, there are a lot of water Pokémon in that swamp," Aisha said.

  "I also have Ladylike, we will be fine," Elduran said as Cyndaquil clearly turned his head sideways, probably wondering about the amount of assistance Furret would give them in a life or death situation.

  "Alright, I trust you, but since this is your Restaurant too, since I am sure you will be leaving tomorrow first thing in the morning, you have to contribute your share of work before leaving. Off we go, time to redecorate the place. We will be shopping around town and we need a carrying mule," Aisha said.

  He glanced at the undeniably smiling Cyndaquil and sighed. "Great. The sacrifice of ownership," he said wryly. "You know what Forge, no resting for you today, or going inside your Pokéball. You will follow me and lend me your support." He smiled at Cyndaquil, who promptly deflated.

  ***

  Elduran and Cyndaquil entered the bedroom after a long day. Tia was, as usual, sitting at her desk, doing... nothing. He grabbed his duffel bag from the corner and put it on his bed before opening the closet.

  "What are you doing?" Tia asked.

  "I'm packing," Elduran replied. "Once I've grabbed my stuff, I'll get Faelan to help me move the bed. You'll be Elduran-free in no time."

  Tia stood up, shut the door, and sat on the bed beside him. "You don't need to do that," she said. "I had plenty of time alone to think and clear my head a little."

  Elduran continued packing, folding each piece of clothing as he placed it in his bag. "That's great, but I can't sleep with the sound of the keyboard typing haunting my dreams," he admitted.

  "You won't have to. I was deliberately being louder," Tia confessed. "You didn't have this problem before you went to Dasos, did you?"

  He paused to think and realized she was right. He had slept well those nights, even though she went to bed just before he woke up. It felt as if they were taking turns keeping watch, a human supporting whichever one of his Pokémon was on duty. "Pretty shit thing to do," he remarked.

  "Yes, it was. I'm sorry, Elduran. I overreacted a little," she began.

  "A little?" he interjected.

  "Okay, a lot. I would prefer you stayed. You were right about our characters having similarities. I can't deny you've treated me better than anyone else," Tia said.

  "I am quite sure Jabari has treated you better than me; he exudes calmness and positivity," Elduran remarked.

  "You've treated me differently... in a good way," she insisted. "He cares and tries to make me do the right thing. You accept me as I am and never judge—except for not dissuading Anaya from that stupid mission."

  "Well, you deserved that one," Elduran retorted.

  "Yes, I did," Tia agreed.

  "Alright, I'll stay, but I'm leaving tomorrow for the Valt swamp to expand my Pokémon family with a specific Pokémon in mind. So, you'll be Elduran-free anyway, as Aisha and I will be departing for Pagos upon my return."

  "I've been thinking about Pagos, and honestly, whether I'm there or here, it doesn't really matter," Tia said. "It might be wise to rent as few rooms as possible at the start to save money. Jabari wants to stay a bit longer to study more about the Pokémon they've been researching. And I don't know if you've met Faelan's cousin—he wants to stay to help her with something."

  "Yes, I know," replied Elduran. "Honestly, besides me and Aisha, I thought you'd be the most eager to come. I figured being closer would help in finding them and everything. But it seems you can manage just fine from any distance," he added, gesturing towards her laptop.

  "I would be more helpful if I was closer. Getting a feel for the place can make a difference in knowing what to look for," Tia said.

  "Then why aren't you coming?" Elduran asked.

  "I'm scared," Tia admitted, looking frightened. "I just lost my sister and realized how real this has become."

  "We should have warned you about the dangers," Elduran said.

  "Jabari did call me after I agreed to help my sister. But before the first catastrophe, you think you're invincible," Tia said, clearly flustered.

  "But you've faced multiple setbacks in your life," Elduran pointed out.

  "Not death. That was new," Tia said, shaking uncontrollably. "Prison is less scary than dying, Elduran."

  Elduran sat next to her on the bed and took her hand, attempting to calm her despite knowing his strengths lay more in protection than comfort. In this situation, a gentle squeeze of her hand was all he could offer. "You know, some people would disagree with you," he said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "I would choose death over a long prison sentence."

  Tia looked at him, flabbergasted, before bursting into laughter. "If that was meant to make me feel better, you utterly failed, soldier boy," she said.

  Elduran smiled. "I'm not one to boast, but I did make you laugh," he pointed out.

  Tia's laughter subsided, but a smile remained. "Only because you're so terrible at this," she explained.

  "Oh well, mission accomplished. That's all that matters," Elduran said.

  Tia's expression softened. "Elduran... thank you for being so raw and honest. It really does help a lot. I wish I could repay you somehow, but I will in the future. Let me owe you one."

  Elduran looked at her with a mischievous smile. "Well, you could get laid with me," he said, getting up and walking towards the dresser, away from Tia, and removing his shirt. "But I know you prefer women, so I can't force you," he added with a laugh. He grabbed a new set of clothes and turned to start heading to the bathroom to take a shower. That's when he saw Tia walk towards him in just her underwear.

  A moment later, they were both kissing, neither ready to break the kiss. Tia kept pulling him towards her until they were finally back next to his bed. She finally broke the kiss and pulled him and herself on top of the bed.

  "I know you are obsessed with red," Elduran said before going for another short kiss, then continuing, "but red hair, red glasses, and even your underwear?" He smiled.

  "Damn, you talk that much even during sex?" Tia said, smiling after she stopped kissing him to allow herself to speak.

  "Oh, I am worse during sex," he responded.

  Cyndaquil jumped on the bed, curiously observing them.

  "I think you should put him in his Pokéball," Tia said.

  "Nah, let's educate him," he said. "Forge, this is how baby Cyndaquils get born." Cyndaquil had already cozied up in the corner of the bed, observing them with interest.

  "You are sick. But right now, I don't really care." Tia stated. Forcing a serious expression onto her face she pressed on, "also, for the record, this is a one-time thing."

  Elduran looked at her with a wry smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he began unclasping her bra. The shower would have to wait until tomorrow morning.