The next few hours of my life were pretty boring, mostly spent sitting around in the interrogation room waiting. Koga must have come through, as another officer stopped by to take a headshot for my trainer ID. Apparently, not all officers are Jennys or women – yay, equality.
They also returned my phone, apparently called a Rotom phone. I really wish they hadn’t. While it was impressive that it survived the collapse of a hideout and a Geodude with anger management issues, it hadn’t stopped buzzing with calls and messages from dear old mom and dad.
“Aaand block.” What did you expect? Was I supposed to answer them and express gratitude that their precious little grunt was letting me marionette his corpse? Nope, it was better to leave for never what you don’t want to do today. I was sure that wouldn’t bite me in the ass down the line. Not like I knew how to interact with parents, especially the kind that pretends to care. The bottle-throwing ones are much less scary – just kick them in the dangling Digletts and run. Simple.
They did send in a doctor to confirm that amnesia was possible and to test my memory. That was an easy sell, as I genuinely didn’t know anything about the original Cain's past. The shrink, who I was to have regular sessions with throughout my “Journey” – their vernacular, not mine – was an unwelcome surprise. One that I handled like the silky-smooth operator that I am.
You should have seen me; I pulled out all the classic, misunderstood, moody teen tropes. Slumped shoulders, minimal eye contact, exasperated sighs. It was an Oscar-level performance. Sit me right up front because I’m taking home the trophy. But as for the shrink...
“I don’t know why you are pretending to be so insecure when I saw quite clearly you speak up and make your wishes known to two authoritative figures earlier today,” she remarked, casually gesturing to my inanimate nemesis. Might I add, the mirror had the audacity to glare back at me with my own stolen face. Stupid, grimy mirror. “I’m sure you have a whole host of real issues that we will get to in time. I am quite prepared to wait until you are ready to talk. It can’t be easy to be thrust into your current situation with no personal past experiences to draw on for guidance, given your amnesia.”
Okay, so maybe just a Teen Choice Award at best. Dr. Suzuki let me go after that, promising to be in touch. Not that I would hold it against her if she decided to break that promise. I’m sure she's an extremely busy woman, and I wouldn’t want to take up her valuable time. I was glad they let me keep the hospital scrubs, as the intern look would likely get me further than the Rocket gear. Apparently, my parents had transferred some starting cash onto my Trainer ID too. Score. Do I hear a makeover montage? Yes, I think we shall.
I could see Ekans coiled up on the steps outside the police station's sliding doors. I had been here for hours, not counting my involuntary Kadabra-induced nap. Had he really been waiting this whole time? Crack. There went that ice, grinding away again. I took a second to close my eyes and centre myself.
The doors slid apart, allowing me my first breath of honest-to-goodness fresh air since reincarnating. No smoke or musty police station smell. The scent of the outside world mixed with the sounds of a city: people chatting, the occasional car rumbling by, and stones crunching underfoot as pedestrians dashed around. I allowed myself that moment of peace, eyes shut, just taking it all in. I was alive. I could hear people and Pokémon calling out their names. I was alive, and Pokémon were real. A smile tugged at my lips. I heard people walking past me into the station, their shoes thudding up the steps.
I was alive and Crunch!
“Fuck, is my nose broken; you wee shite!” I crashed onto my back on the floor as some jerk stood over me. I swore there was a cop in the lobby laughing. I guessed my reputation was still Taurus dung around here. Jenny, where were you when I needed you and your professionalism... Well, I didn’t need her, but this guy was going to wish for it in a minute. I began to sit up, only to stop as my vision cleared, and I saw what was between me and the person who wished to join the inanimate nemesis list. I knew he was still quite animate right now, but I was fully prepared to fix that; really, no trouble, happy to do it.
No, what gave me pause wasn’t the pink-haired 18-year-old in a matching nurse's uniform, nor the Pokéball on his belt. It definitely wasn’t the fact that my pride was hurt because this stringpole, who looked like he would lose to a paper bag, had taken me to the mat in a single swing. It was Ekans, no longer coiled up in front of the station doors, but rather between me and the walking cherry blossom.
Ekans' head hung low but was raised above his tensed body, ready for violence.
“Ekansss…” he hissed threateningly, surprisingly not at me.
“Why are you protecting him, Ekans?” The pink-haired guy raised his eyes from Ekans to look at me. “How could you treat a Pokémon like that! Do you understand how nasty his condition was? He could have died if he had been with you any longer without proper treatment.”
“I see,” I said, my voice steady. Ekans flinched at the sound, a reaction not lost on me as I slowly stood up. I watched the back of Ekans' head carefully as I slapped the legs of my scrubs and brushed off the dirt, each slap producing a slightly bigger flinch. Meanwhile, the ranting pink-haired guy's yells resulted in zero reaction from the serpent. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this. Abused kids, spouses, or dogs – it’s all the same. Loyal to their abuser because it’s what they know; familiar in a twisted way, and the unknown is far scarier. Even willing to protect them from anyone trying to help. I allowed the blizzard in my soul to calm and froze over the flashes of memories that tried to surface from the storm.
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“Ekans…” I said softly, and he flinched. “Please calm down, Kirby isn’t going to hurt me anymore. Right?”
“My name’s not Kirby…” He spat at me but swallowed whatever was to follow as he saw me point to Ekans and gesture with my palms to the ground, signalling the need to calm him down.
The message must have gotten through as Kirby studied Ekans carefully and took a calming breath. Oh, so he could compose himself, but when I tried, I got a busted nose? Ekans visibly relaxed and turned just enough to include me in his view while keeping Kirby in his sights.
“Ekans ek ansss Ekans ek ek?” If only someone had a talking Meowth in their pocket. No such luck.
“Sorry, buddy, I don’t understand you. I’m guessing you know what I’m saying though, from what happened in the hideout?” I added, recalling years of video games and an immortal 10-year-old’s TV show.
“Ekans,” he nodded.
“Good, then I need you to really focus and listen to what I have to say… I’m sorry.” His eyes had lost their cloudiness, and he had shed all the old skin into a far healthier condition. The Pokémon centre did good work, even if the customer service left much to be desired.
“Ekans?”
“I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through and how I treated you since your capture. I don’t remember any of it,” I admitted. A scoff came from Kirby's direction.
A quick glance at Kirby was enough to make him regret his little outburst and take a step back. I suppressed a giggle as he stumbled on the step, nearly joining the nemesis list all on his own. Whoops, did I give him the 'three seconds until I beat you to death' look? My bad. Refocusing on Ekans, I continued.
“I’m not trying to belittle what you went through under my care; I just have no memories of it since that ceiling came down and I was injured.”
Ekans, bless his soul, looked concerned as he checked me up and down for injuries.
“Don’t worry, I’m all better now. Actually, I’m planning to go on a trip around Kanto to get my head right and try to be a better trainer than I have been to you. I understand if you don’t want to come with me.” I understood but would really appreciate it if he didn’t bail, as I really didn’t want to get handed to Blaine or, worse, Giovanni. I suppose I could go catch a Weedle; that shouldn’t be too hard.
I could tell from Ekans' reaction that if I ordered him to come, he would. But I couldn’t. Don't ask me why; I really wanted to, as it would make everything easier with Koga. The words just wouldn’t come to my lips. Instead, I screwed myself over like a right idiot.
“I will release you or find you a new trainer who will treat you right if that’s what you want?” I offered tentatively.
“Ek ans?” Ekans seemed to question my sincerity.
“Yes, really.” I noticed Kirby giving me a funny look. “I want you to come with me as I challenge the Gyms, but only if you want to be with me. I won’t force you, especially not after the state you were in when I first saw you.”
Ekans took a long few minutes, not saying anything, just resting his head on his coiled body and watching me. I waited patiently, dabbing at my nose with my sleeve. It had mostly stopped bleeding now, just busted then, not broken. That was lucky.
“Ekans,” he finally said, raising his head. He then slithered up beside me and faced the same way I was. I wasn't sure if it was his smartest decision, but I appreciated the chance to prove him right. I slowly moved my hand down above his head but paused before making contact, waiting as he hesitantly moved up to meet it. He gave the smallest movements, allowing my palm to slowly rub his head, then moved back down. Baby steps, got it, bud.
“Well, I can’t agree with this, not yet. Come with me,” Kirby declared, turning and storming down the steps. He got halfway across the street to a park I could see from the road before looking back to find me and Ekans hadn’t moved an inch from where he left us. I’m no lap dog. He stomped back like a petulant toddler. “Are you coming?”
“Um, no.”
“I’m challenging you to a battle,” he sputtered, clearly frustrated.
“Okay…” His response surprised me as he turned towards the park but then hesitated, looking back just as he descended the steps of the station.
“Why are you just standing there?”
“Because I gain nothing from battling you. I’m just waiting for Officer Jenny to give me Ekans’ Pokéball, then we’re out of here.” I left out the fact that I would be more than happy to fight him in a non-Pokémon way. We had likely drawn the attention of a few onlookers, both in and out of the station.
He smirked at me, which was never a good sign. I started rolling up my scrubs sleeves, preparing myself in case we really did have to take this to the mat again. They already had enough blood on them that I looked more like an escaped mental patient than an intern.
“You mean this Pokéball?” He took a scuffed ball from his pocket. Ekans, clearly recognizing it, raised up to my shoulder height, showing interest. “Ekans left without being officially signed out of our custody. I came here to collect him or sign him over to Jenny. Beat me and he's all yours; lose, and you release him to find a worthy trainer.”
“No thanks,” I replied, nearly bursting with laughter as he caught himself, falling forward in shock at my refusal.
“What?!”
“It’s not my place or yours to tie Ekans' future to a random bet. I just finished giving him the choice; I'm not going to disregard his feelings that quickly.” Besides, if he was here to sign Ekans over to Jenny, I'd be getting him anyway. Check and mate.
“Ekans sans Ek.”
“You want to fight him?” I asked, unsure of what Ekans wanted as he stared me down.
He nodded.
“Why?” Ekans shifted his body around and pointed his tail at my nose. I swear the mischievous little serpent smirked.
“Well, I guess it would be in poor taste not to let you defend my honour,” I mused as we crossed to the park. It was a decent-sized one, complete with all the basic play areas for kids to safely run around: swings, slides, and battlefields for superpowered beings to fling fireballs at each other. Just the usual stuff in this crazy world.
“You ready?” Kirby called from across the field, gripping the Pokéball on his belt. I nodded, and he tossed his Pokéball into the air. “Go, Happiny!”
A red light shot from the Pokéball, and a small, pink Pokémon materialized. About two feet tall, Happiny looked like an egg in an eggcup, holding its own tiny Easter egg. It even had what looked like a ponytail. Why am I so obsessed with Pokémon hair choices? Its cheeks blushed as it realized it was the centre of attention for a bunch of kids curious to see what the 'escaped mental patient' and the 'sanatorium nurse' were up to. I didn’t miss the concerned parents pulling their children away from the park.
“Ready?” I asked Ekans. This time, there was no flinch, just a focused stare ahead and a brief lift of the head. Well, I guess we were really doing this. Ekans burst onto the field as I channelled my best Ash Ketchum impression, pointing towards Happiny and shouting out. “Ekans! I choose you!”