Uncontained

Spirit made me take the Marsh Badge even though all I wanted to do was chuck it into a river. I was convinced it had to be a fake and Sabrina was some strange little girl off the streets. Spirit didn't see the same thing as I. "A badge is a badge, no matter how you get it," she said.

Spirit and I camped in the Pokemon Center until I calmed down. Spirit played with Florence, unruffled. "I think we should check Cinnabar," I said finally. "If I'm wrong and she's not there, there's always a gym leader I can fight so I won't have gone there for nothing. Then we can check Viridian."

"Sounds good." She tickled Florence.

I paused. "I'd rather you not go with me. It's too dangerous."

"Too bad." Florence nuzzled her and her eyes flicked to me. "We're in this together. Besides, who knows Team Rocket more than me?"

"But-" She cut me off with a look. I frowned. "How are we going to get there?"

"We can catch a boat from Pallet Town. That's the fastest way to get there."

The name of my hometown made my stomach turn over, but I didn't let her know that. The feeling spoiled in my gut and I let my head fall into my hands, ready to puke. "Alright," I resigned. "But please..."

"I'm not going to hear it," she said, and that was that.

We decided to fly back. Uriah, despite his love for flying, was not enthused by the distance. It took some bribing, but he finally allowed me on his back. Spirit had a pidgeot she flew from. It took a couple days with less airsickness than I expected, and it was nice to get some sleep on the ground and stop worrying about things when we camped. The tension tightened in my chest once we arrived at Pallet Town.

The purple, red, and orange sign rose in the distance with the words "Pallet Town" and our town motto on it. We descended to the ground and I dismounted Uriah. Florence hopped onto the sign and sniffed it, as if seeing it changed at all. Spirit dropped off her pidgeot next to me. Her hair was blown back and it was hilarious, and I tried to smile. She smiled back and mine crumbled. "I used to live here," I said.

"Oh." Her smile faded. "This was before..."

I nodded and my skin felt like glue. "I'll be alright," I lied. "I'm just a little unnerved. I don't have any home to stay at." Then I paused. "I think I should stop by Malachi's parents' house and say hi. They're probably worrying about me."

"Good idea," Spirit said gently.

Malachi's rich wooden house rose right beside mine. I avoided looking at my old home. Malachi's house had a cabin atmosphere and a porch swing. I let out my Pokemon so they could get some fresh air. Then, I knocked on the door.

Malachi's mom, Beth, answered. Her face was tired, and then her jaw slowly dropped. "Hello," I started.

But she grappled me in a hug and everything fell apart. The first chip when I hugged her back. The second when she rubbed my back. And everything else when I realized how much I missed a mother's love. I shivered like I was caught in a snow storm. "Beau, you've been gone for so long," she breathed. Then she pulled away and held me at arm's length. "Come in. I'll make some tea for you."

Spirit wasn't sure if she should go along with me, but Beth took her in like a second daughter. My Pokemon managed to squeeze through the doorway. Luckily they had a big foyer. Malachi's grandpa and dad greeted me with warmth and excitement and I introduced Spirit. Laura ran out of her room and gave me a huge hug. She somehow looked a lot older. "Look at you, pipsqueak," she said softly. "You're all beat up."

"You should see the scars on my chest," I said. "They're gnarly."

Beth served us tea and we chatted. Malachi's grandpa was a famous Pokemon professor and he was impressed with how strong my Pokemon had become. "In such a short time you've gotten incredibly powerful," he remarked. "How many badges do you have now?"

"Six," I said. I thought about leaving out the Marsh Badge, but I kind of wanted to sound cool. "I'm going for my seventh."

"Cinnabar, I suppose?"

"Yeah. There's a boat that can take us, right?"

"There;s one that leaves tonight at six."

"Oh no, why don't you stay?" Malachi's father boomed. If Malachi's house was like a cabin, this man was a lumberjack. "You and your sweetheart can stay in our guest rooms."

Spirit choked. I blushed, but laughed it off. "Okay," I said. "After today, when does the next one leave?"

"Tomorrow morning at eight." Spirit started chuckling weakly. I didn't know whether she was embarrassed or was laughing at Malachi's stereotypical dad. He perused us behind a thick beard. "How'd you two come about? Are you a Pokemon trainer too, darlin'?"

"I have Pokemon, yes," she said. I thought she would completely be awkward around the subject, but she wasn't. "We met at Viridian and kept meeting up with each other along the road. I know a lot about Cinnabar, so I offered to go with him."

"She knows a lot more about Pokemon than I do," I admitted.

Malachi's dad waggled his bushy eyebrows at me. I ignored it. "Have you seen Malachi?" he asked. "He stopped by here a couple days ago and left for Cinnabar too."

"God damn, how did he get ahead of me?" I blurted. Everyone laughed. Still, Malachi's name pinched something in my heart. "I saw him on the road, though." I sobered. "We've met up a couple times too."

"Has he been doing alright? He seemed a little distressed when he was here," his mom said.

I swallowed. "He's been fine," I said. "We had a little incident in Saffron, but other than that I think he's okay."

"Oh, I knew it was you!" Malachi's dad bellowed. I flinched with surprise. "You were all over the news, kiddo! The president of Silph told the whole world about a kid who rescued him from the evil boss Rocket! They even got footage of you busting through the window on your charizard!"

"Oh, about that-"

"That's why you're all cut up! Oh my boy, I know a real life hero! They want to give you a reward!"

"Oh God." Malachi's dad kept booming and everyone was cracking up so at this point there was no point in trying to interject. Then Florence tried to drink my tea burned her tongue and everyone laughed harder. I was embarrassed, but it was alright. I'd never felt so at home in my whole life.