Pokémon Homecoming | A Galar Fanfiction

Chapter 58: Blood

'I told you the Pokémon here were wild wild.' Abbey said mildly as a tumbling Boldore swept up her sleeping bag and rolled away. Cinderace sprinted after it. Boldore was booted like a football into the wall. Dust crumbled from the cave's roof. Leon winced.

'I'm sure it didn't mean to cause us any trouble...'

A shrieking Noivern swooped down. Abbey ducked to avoid it. 'Now I remember why I camped outside.'

Dragging out her sleeping bag, she crawled under a fallen tree to find a small space wide enough for the tent. They were far enough from any city to look up and find the galaxy's starry bands arching like a nighttime rainbow over the canyon walls, interrupted only by cackling Murkrow. The most eerie sound, however, was the distant howls of Midnight Form Lycanroc growing closer as they pitched the tent. Meowstic stood guard. It would sense anything coming before it needed to attack, though neither Trainer was afraid of any Pokémon. Potential attackers would sense no fear to feed off.

The sandwiches Acerola and Victor prepared were already soggy. Abbey thought Leon wouldn't eat if she didn't, but he took one without flinching at its sloppy state.

'I'm actually hungry.'

It shouldn't have surprised her. Before fame, he enthusiastically ate anything that was reasonably healthy and wouldn't take too much time out of his training. She felt bad now for the way she reluctantly chewed her cheese and Tamato sandwich.

'At least it's not that junk Hop loves so much...'

'Oh, Leon! You're like a dad.'

'Someone's got to be a dad to him.'

Their dad was never there. Abbey and Leon bonded over that shared absence, once, but she felt uneasy thinking that was what made Leon so vulnerable to Rose.

'But I haven't done a great job, either.'

Abbey carefully considered her words. 'Maybe you weren't always there – which wasn't your fault, but anyway – but you inspired him even from a distance. And I know you did that partly for him. There's no way he'd be who he is today without you. And he's pretty awesome – I think he's smarter than I am!'

He smiled. 'He's actually stronger than me, now. Giving Victor a Pokémon was the best thing I ever did for him. Once this is over... I must spend more time with him. And mum, although I'm still a bit annoyed about the "present."'

When he said 'once this is over,' did he mean this trip or did he know more about their research than he should have? Then she remembered that day he flew off...

'Where did you go that day you were going to see her?'

'Oh, that... I guess that's a sort of project, or test I set myself, before you came home.'

Abbey wasn't sure if she was curious or suspicious. 'Like...?'

'It doesn't matter. I'm not... I don't know if I even want to finish it. I'm sorry I lied. I wasn't thinking straight.'

'It's fine. As long as you're not putting yourself in any danger.'

'Well...'

'Leon! What are you up to? I'm getting worried!'

'It's not that there's anything I'd hide from you... but I don't want you to fall down the same Raboot hole I have. I don't want you to worry. And I certainly don't want you and Hop trying to help. Maybe I'll just leave it alone.'

Her head reminded her of Anabel's words: Leon is a suspect... he has been since before you even got involved. Her heart insisted that even if he had become so bitter he'd hurt people, anyone involved in a Shadow Pokémon plan had to overlook Pokémon suffering. Leon never would. Unless he simply didn't know... but she dismissed it all. If he believed everything he heard about her, he wouldn't be with her now. He knew any accusations were ridiculous... and so did she. Utterly isolated in the wilderness with no choice but to trust him, she didn't find that difficult. Her thoughts blurred with their faces when he kissed her. She didn't need to be saved, or protected, yet she did crave how safe she felt in his arms; perhaps because she believed for the first time that her heart was safe. I sure hope it is, doubt in the back of her mind whispered. I don't even care, her heart screamed and indeed, when she woke up refreshed the next morning, she remembered how his touch set her alight, not nagging unease.