Coltar: The Prophecy - (Pokémon)

10. Secrets and Promises

Wednesday, May 3rd, 1989

Dawn rose through the dewdrops, and the ground was still soaked from the day before. Kitiku sat up in bed. His body felt lighter than the day before. His eyes looked at the small jar with coins on the wooden floorboards. He gave me twenty Colkara. I can get some food for mum and dad. Then they won't have to worry. He laid back down on the bed.

"Kitiku! Trash... now-or somethin... I need another drink," his father called up the stairs.

Kitiku sat up and reached over. He took his wooden crutches and tucked them under his arms. He saw James waiting for him at the door. "C-c-coming." He pulled himself along, wobbling. Pressing on the top of his crutches to keep balance, he approached the wonky wooden stairs.

"Kitiku!" James called out, his arms extended.

Kitiku felt a tingling rush of adrenaline through his body as he plummeted down the stairs. The singular moment of freefall left his stomach in a knot. His broken leg slamming into the wooden angles created a stabbing sensation through his lower leg. "Ugh... Agh!" He froze in place as the large octillery pressed its eye almost against his eye. "Oosho..." Kitiku said.

The octillery's eight long orange legs wiggled at the tips while remaining stuck to the wall. "Sho-Sho-Sho," he chuckled before he puckered and suctioned along the wall upstairs.

"Jerk." James scowled.

"Uselesh runt!" Tak grabbed Kitiku by the back of his shirt and threw him against the wall. "Canch-chou do anything right? Shoulda only had firsht born." He dropped him and turned back around. Swaying from side to side, he walked out the front door, picking up the axe that hung by the door.

Kitiku could smell the pungent stench of alcohol on his clothes. He glanced down at the floor.

James scowled and placed a hand on Kitiku. "Ignore him. Let's just go."

"I f-forgot m-my money..." Kitiku whispered.

With a soft grin, James said, "No worries. I'll get it for you. I'll get ten out."

Kitiku nodded at him and pulled himself forward towards the wooden front door. He leaned forward and took the metal handle, twisting it open, and hobbled back, almost tripping over his crutches. He turned around and pulled himself towards the kitchen. The fridge was on his right, and the bin bag was in front of him. He picked up a sitrus berry on the table and stuck it in his pocket. I'll eat this on the way to the shops. I want to get Mum and Dad a nice big roasted dubwool. The wooden crutches dug into his armpits as he lifted the bag. He felt his arm strain under the weight. Slowly but surely, he pulled himself towards the front door again.

"Hey, I got it." James reached forward and took the bag from Kitiku's hand. He scampered down the steps with it in tow.

Following closely, Kitiku watched James toss the bag into the dumpster opposite the house. "J-J-James..." he pointed forward at a small metallic blue object behind the dumpster. The object floated up.

"Damn, that's a pokémon. No way. I have no idea what Pokémon it is, though." James quickly put his hand in his pocket to pull out his poké ball. "Damn, Tomilson used my only poké ball on that... thing." He looked at the Pokémon. "Well, not much we can do."

Kitiku stared into its golden yellow eyes. You are scared, aren't you? He saw bruises and scratches all over its body. "J-James, it l-looks hurt."

Tilting his head, James said, "Yeah, but we don't have the money for a healer. Besides, we don't have a poké ball. It's not that I don't want to help it, but... I don't have anything on me." He looked away.