The Viterals

Chapter 17: Bambi's Worth

When Bambi and the others found Zakana, the Eevee he held was still safe. Curled up inside Zakana's now crumpled frame. Houndour kept a flame lit for all of them to see. Bambi looked at him, inside that great big warehouse, watched the way her cousin breathed up and down, rhythmically but with small hiccups too. Despite his sudden disappearance, he hadn't been hard to find. He had dragged himself, screaming, shouting in frustration until his voice died, all through the great city of Fuchsia. People had seen. They had noticed—how could they not? It wasn't everyday that crazy distraught teens visited them and lay alone on the ground in the rain. Lucky for Bambi and her family, the residents who told them where to go didn't know who Zakana was. Not yet at least.

"He's here," Isaque said. "So now what?"

Bambi had gotten to know the boy twice her height in the 24-hour period they'd spent looking for Zakana. He seemed genuine but Bambi still wouldn't tell him anything. She needed to heed her mother's words. And that was family first. And don't tell anyone anything.

"We should stay here for the night." Farore spoke as if the answer were obvious.

Bambi studied the vast space around her, or at least all that she could see, which wasn't all that far.

"Poor thing," Farore said.

Zakana shivered and shook, but whatever possessed him seemed to have passed.

Pain shot through Bambi as she imagined what Zakana had seen. Her very own cousin—gosh, he'd be about sixteen now. Her parents wouldn't tell her much, but she could fill in the pieces. She's wondered which bug Pokémon had done it, and if Zakana saw such a Pokémon in Farore's line up.

Her throat tightened, and without any more words she left the cousin she wanted to wake, and the Eevee that slept so soundly beside him as Farore and Isaque studied the sight further. Suddenly, Bambi felt a surge of loyalty when Farore's words rang in her head. She could say things about her cousin but no one else should be allowed to.

What did they say when she wasn't there?

Night passed into early morning, and with it came nightmares and groans. Bambi sat awake, leaned against heavy boxes, and tried to drown Zakana out. He was still in pain—after all these years. And why shouldn't he be? Bambi had no memory of him. They had met of course a few times when she was 1 or 2 years old, probably hugged and played and fought over things, but it wasn't enough to leave a mark. All the marks of that boy had been pressed, like a scalding brand, upon Zakana.

Bambi pulled blankets around her chin. She pet Houndour and felt its natural warmth. Nearby, across from her own set of boxes, was Farore—quiet, unmoving, elegant even as she slept. Isaque was somewhere in this cold place. Probably somewhere long and narrow where his whole body could stretch out to its full bazillion foot length.

Tomorrow, or rather today, Bambi realized as light flickered in through high windows, they would find Makua's older brother. They would find out if there had been any sign of him. They would meet Farore's Gym Leader colleague, Glaukus, see if he had any answers. Bambi needed to be reunited with Yumin and Makua and Isaque needed to be reunited with his friend Lyres. That was the arrangement. They needed to get Zakana somewhere safe and out of Pokémon battles. Those were the immediate goals.

All these things and others plagued Bambi with their varying degrees of importance. She couldn't sleep. She'd wait until the others were awake to start talking business. In the meantime, she walked around to see where exactly she was in the grand scheme of things.

Boxes, both metal and cardboard, and crates, zip lines running haywire through the air above—all of it had been used once, recently it seemed. Open-mouthed machines outlined the walls connected by conveyor belts. They had made or manufactured something here.