Uncontained

I didn't remember where I was when I woke up.

It was dark, and someone warm was pressed up against me. That was when I realized it. I was still in Rock Tunnel and Spirit was sleeping with me. The light was gone and my heartbeat immediately escalated. Where was Uriah?

My motion woke Spirit. I had a sudden terrifying thought that she could feel what was going on in my pants that I couldn't help at all, but if she did, she made no verbal notice. "Where's the light?" she mumbled.

"Uriah's gone. He'd better not have wandered far," I muttered. We untangled and unzipped the sleeping bag. After we got out I called for the Pokemon. They were just as surprised as the dark as we were.

Florence wiggled into my arms. "Did any of you see Uriah go off?" I asked.

They all replied no. "Shit," I said. "He'd better not have run away. Florence, do you think you can send off a spark or two?"

Florence hopped off my lap and I adjusted myself before she sent off a few sparks. There was a brief moment where I saw the Pokemon and Spirit. I thought I was imagining things when I saw Summer. "Florence, do it again," I said.

Florence lit up the area for a second. I was right. Summer's bulb had bloomed!

"Summer, I think you evolved," I said, shocked.

She croaked. Her voice was deeper than it had been before. Really? Oh my!

"That's so cool," Spirit said excitedly. "I've never seen an ivysaur before."

Then I saw a dwindling of light.

The light grew closer and Uriah appeared like a wraith. Dirt smudged his scales and he growled deeply. Some of he scales were torn off, leaving small weeping marks. The exit is this way, he rumbled.

He went and found the exit for us? I didn't believe he was that selfless; he was probably just as agitated about the cave as we were. "What happened?" I eyeballed his disarray.

I had a slight mishap, nothing more, he growled. With that, I relayed the message to Spirit, and we packed up and moved on.

Summer had grown bigger and her flower was a bright gold. The others gawked at her, except Czeslaw, who silently gawked, and Uriah, who paid no attention. We walked onward and I carried Spirit since she still couldn't put weight on her foot. Isaac graciously handled my things. Also, while we were walking, I thought I head Czeslaw say something to Summer, discussing her evolution.

You look very beautiful, he'd said, and he awkwardly reverted to his place in lead with Uriah. I couldn't help but grin the whole time until we found the exit.

I almost cried, and not because the light was practically blinding. I saw Lavender Town stretched before me with the sparkling grey tower and the air was so fresh I could've wept. "We're out!" I screeched. "We made it. WHOOOOO!" And I took off down the hill with Spirit screaming on my back.

---

We got Spirit to a doctor at Lavender and they gave her a splint. They also took out my stitches. I was grateful for it, but the wounds still stung. I was sure I was going to get scars.

We stayed there for a day and went sightseeing once Spirit got the hang of hobbling around. I let her hold onto my arm for balance. Lavender Town was quiet and unassuming, and pale-colored flowers grew in small bunches. The mountain circled around it like a protective god. It didn't feel overbearing like the mountain around Rock Tunnel at all.

Spirit lost her things in the cave before I found her and I helped her buy new supplies. "That cave really is a demon," she said. "I'm really thankful for you doing this."

We got dinner together. All of the sudden it was like I knew her forever and I still couldn't think straight or believe anything that was happening. While we ate, I watched her look outside with her white hand cupped under her chin. Her eyes reflected the moonlight outside. And maybe it was just me being hopeless but when our eyes met my heart skipped a couple beats.

I guessed that made it so much harder to part with her.

"Beau," she said finally, "I have to keep moving."

We were outside the Pokemon Center after our date. My Pokemon were playing in the flowers, or at least the ones that liked to play were doing so. The air was cool and rustled the plants around us. Spirit's words tore something in me and my arm just kind of grabbed her hand. The motion surprised even me.

"I... I know." I let out a sigh. "It was inevitable."

Spirit's hand was soft and slender in mine like a rose petal. She looked at me and her eyes were wet, but she blinked back tears. "I want to see you again," she whispered. "Maybe we can meet up after all this business is over."

"We're definitely going to see each other again," I said firmly.

And then she reached up, wound her fingers into my hair, and kissed me.

My nervousness plummeted away, but I parted, surprised. "Did you just..." But I couldn't get the words out. I swiped my tongue over my lips as if to see if it was real. They tasted like sugar. Spirit drank a milkshake for dessert.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I though-" Spirit started.

I cut her off with a kiss of my own. It was like every cell in my body had been waiting for this moment and I kissed her deeper like I'd never see her again. Fireworks went off in my chest when she responded wholeheartedly. I was free-falling. And I thought it was just me, but when her tongue brushed against mine I heard bells ringing like a celebration. What we were doing was right. Her and her body and soul with mine.

Then our lips parted. I was breathless and so was she. I realized the chimes hanging from the Pokemon Center were sounding with the wind.

"Spirit," I whispered.

"Beau." She kissed me again. I wanted her. I wanted her so bad. When our lips brushed away again it felt like she'd taken a piece of my heart. Was this what people meant when they said that? "I'll see you soon."

"Wait for me," I breathed.

"I will."

And with one last, heart-wrenching kiss, she was gone.