Uncontained

I got the Cascade Badge and headed back to the Pokemon Center. "Thank you," I said to Spirit. "I didn't know battling could be so technical. Without you, I would've lost."

She blushed, which made me blush. "No problem. I was raised in a trainer's school, so I've had that stuff ingrained into me."

"Do you..." I paused. "Do you want to go with me to Vermillion City?"

"Oh." She looked down and the blush spread like a solar flare. "I would love to, but I can't. I actually have to leave today."

My heart sank, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it. "Okay." I fiddled with my fingers. "W-Will, er, do you think I can see you again?"

"I..." She looked away, but not before I saw the delight in her eyes. "Actually..."

I waited. "Yeah?"

"It'd be better for you not to see me." And without looking at me, she ran off. Her hair tumbled out of her cap and Isaac burbled in surprise. I didn't react fast enough to move.

"Spirit!" I blurted.

But then she was gone. She ran so fast, it was like she was sprinting from a wild Pokemon, and I lost sight of her through the trees. My legs wobbled and gave way. My knees cracked onto the ground, but I couldn't feel it. "What did I do wrong?" I whispered.

Uriah growled and I felt his heat next to me.

Humans can't be trusted, he hissed. Not one of them at all.

---

I felt depressed the rest of the day. Shocked to the very core. Feeling like my heart got ripped out. And I couldn't do a thing to help myself.

Florence rubbed my back and squeaked. It'll be okay.

"How do you know?" I mumbled.

"Um, excuse me, mister."

I looked up. I was sitting on a couch in the Pokemon Center moping and making sure there was stormcloud of thoughts around my aura so no one would talk to me. For some reason I thought it was Laura, but it was only a young woman and a little boy with a Pokemon in his hands.

"Can you take this bulbasaur?" he asked.

I sat up straight. Isaac looked curiously at it. The woman quickly explained. "We nurse abused and injured Pokemon back to health. We heard you beat Misty, so we thought you would be a good trainer to raise her. She's a sweet bulbasaur. It's fine if you decline, we can give her to another trainer."

The bulbasaur looked at me with bright, kind eyes. She certainly didn't look like the aggressive type. The thought of these people giving her away to some jerk-trainer bothered me. "Of course I'll take her," I said and smiled.

The bulbasaur reddened and vines appeared from under her yellow bulb to hide her face. She was a kind of amphibian Pokemon, squat, with a closed flower on her back. Her skin was lime green with darker green patches. "I'll call you Summer," I added.

"Oh, thank you!" The woman clapped her hands together and the boy set Summer down in front of me. I petted her head. Her skin was entirely smooth. I could feel Uriah's glare in the back of my skull, but I ignored it. "Do you mind doing us another favor?"

"Sure thing." Summer was already nuzzling up to me.

"Could you... take this egg?"

She gingerly pulled a padded bag from her back and opened the drawstrings. A large, tough egg was enclosed inside. I stared at it, and then at her. "What is this?" I asked.

"We don't know," the woman said. "It was abandoned at our doorstep. We need a good person to raise it; Pokemon eggs only hatch when around other Pokemon. Do you mind taking it as well?"

I looked at Florence for help. Her eyes sparkled in a way only a mother's could. I looked at Czeslaw for a second opinion. It's a big responsibility. Can you handle it? he rumbled.

Uriah growled. No.

Isaac merely took the bag from her and rested it on my lap. I cracked a smile. "A new teammate wouldn't hurt. I'd love to take care of it." And Uriah, you'd better fucking deal with it, I thought.

"Thank you so much," the woman said. She breathed a sigh of relief. "You're going to go great places."

The bulbasaur reached for my hand with a vine. I took it gently and felt something warm grow in my heart.

"I hope so," I said. "I hope so."