unableΒ toΒ findΒ theΒ helpΒ heΒ wasΒ lookingΒ forΒ heΒ resignsΒ himselfΒ toΒ figuringΒ itΒ outΒ onΒ hisΒ own.Β forΒ onceΒ heΒ wasn'tΒ inΒ pursuitΒ ofΒ someΒ trouble,Β he'dΒ justΒ wantedΒ help.Β butΒ helpΒ doesn'tΒ comeΒ forΒ thoseΒ whoΒ areΒ seenΒ asΒ lowerΒ byΒ society.Β andΒ soΒ theΒ saffronΒ nativeΒ treksΒ backΒ betweenΒ theΒ bushesΒ andΒ theΒ trees,Β asΒ fastΒ asΒ theΒ beatenΒ pathΒ canΒ carryΒ himselfΒ andΒ hisΒ bike.Β fasterΒ andΒ fasterΒ stillΒ heΒ goes,Β untilΒ heΒ skidsΒ toΒ aΒ haltΒ onΒ aΒ particularlyΒ beatenΒ downΒ patchΒ ofΒ soil,Β oneΒ thatΒ lookedΒ asΒ thoughΒ itΒ hadΒ justΒ barelyΒ begunΒ recoveringΒ fromΒ constantΒ feetΒ andΒ wheelsΒ wearingΒ itΒ down.Β dustingΒ himselfΒ off,Β he'sΒ quickΒ toΒ tossΒ hisΒ helmetΒ toΒ theΒ sideΒ βΒ heΒ couldΒ cleanΒ itΒ laterΒ andΒ jumpΒ backΒ towardsΒ theΒ underbrush.
kanedaΒ pushesΒ aΒ pairΒ ofΒ particularlyΒ tallΒ bushesΒ apartΒ toΒ revealΒ aΒ familiarΒ buildingΒ longΒ abandonedΒ andΒ leftΒ toΒ theΒ ravagesΒ ofΒ theΒ forestΒ andΒ Β time.Β theΒ oldΒ hideoutΒ forΒ himΒ andΒ theΒ gangΒ alwaysΒ bringsΒ backΒ memories,Β butΒ that'sΒ notΒ whatΒ he'sΒ hereΒ forΒ today.Β it'sΒ notΒ aΒ grandΒ structureΒ byΒ anyΒ means,Β butΒ itΒ isΒ ratherΒ large.Β itΒ sportsΒ aΒ fewΒ windowsΒ andΒ aΒ simpleΒ woodenΒ door,Β ageΒ andΒ vinesΒ clingingΒ toΒ theΒ outside.Β byΒ oneΒ ofΒ theΒ windowsΒ onΒ theΒ sideΒ standsΒ aΒ scizor,Β pressingΒ hisΒ faceΒ toΒ theΒ windowΒ asΒ hisΒ clawsΒ sitΒ onΒ theΒ outerΒ wall.Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β Β sol,Β Β isΒ Β heΒ Β stillΒ Β thereΒ Β ?Β Β Β βΒ Β Β Β theΒ bugΒ pokemonΒ perksΒ up,Β pullingΒ hisΒ faceΒ awayΒ fromΒ theΒ glassΒ andΒ turningΒ towardsΒ hisΒ partner.Β heΒ buzzesΒ lightlyΒ inΒ response,Β noddingΒ asΒ conformation.Β kanedaΒ letsΒ outΒ aΒ relievedΒ Β sigh,Β showingΒ whateverΒ anxietyΒ he'dΒ beenΒ hidingΒ inΒ him,Β nowΒ ableΒ toΒ beΒ fullyΒ himself.
theΒ bikerΒ walksΒ upΒ toΒ theΒ window,Β solΒ standingΒ besideΒ him,Β lookingΒ intoΒ theΒ darkΒ shed.Β throughΒ theΒ dustyΒ windowΒ liesΒ theΒ remanenceΒ ofΒ aΒ sortΒ ofΒ dwelling,Β oldΒ andΒ longΒ forgottenΒ couchesΒ andΒ shelves,Β knickknacksΒ andΒ aΒ fewΒ dustyΒ arcadeΒ machinesΒ thatΒ showΒ noΒ signsΒ ofΒ life.Β kaneda'sΒ glovedΒ handΒ pointsΒ atΒ aΒ greenΒ curlΒ inΒ theΒ centerΒ ofΒ theΒ floor,Β slightlyΒ hiddenΒ underΒ aΒ tableΒ onΒ anΒ oldΒ andΒ tatteredΒ rug.Β theΒ coil'sΒ headΒ droopsΒ aΒ little,Β asΒ ifΒ it'sΒ overlyΒ tired.Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
βΒ Β there,Β itΒ movedΒ there.Β itΒ wasΒ besideΒ theΒ couchΒ overΒ thereΒ before,Β iΒ think.Β Β βΒ Β Β Β Β Β afterΒ aΒ fewΒ moments,Β kanedaΒ backsΒ up,Β browΒ furrowedΒ inΒ aΒ bitΒ ofΒ annoyanceΒ andΒ concernΒ mixedΒ allΒ intoΒ oneΒ confusingΒ expression.Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β weΒ can'tΒ justΒ waitΒ aroundΒ forΒ someoneΒ toΒ comeΒ helpΒ us.Β Β βΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β theΒ bikerΒ feltΒ unsureΒ atΒ theΒ colorΒ ofΒ theΒ pokemon,Β wonderingΒ ifΒ somethingΒ wasΒ wrong.Β andΒ soΒ he'dΒ goneΒ toΒ getΒ help,Β toΒ noΒ avail.Β solΒ turnsΒ toΒ lookΒ atΒ him,Β mirroringΒ theΒ frustratedΒ lookΒ ofΒ hisΒ trainerΒ beforeΒ staringΒ upΒ atΒ theΒ otherΒ withΒ determination.Β wordlessly,Β theΒ pairΒ nods,Β kanedaΒ movingΒ fastΒ withΒ solΒ followingΒ closeΒ behind.
theΒ pairΒ headΒ forΒ theΒ ivyΒ strewnΒ door,Β lockedΒ tightly.Β somewhereΒ inΒ thatΒ setΒ ofΒ keysΒ heΒ carriesΒ liesΒ theΒ rightΒ one,Β andΒ afterΒ aΒ bitΒ ofΒ digging,Β theΒ bikerΒ jamsΒ itΒ intoΒ theΒ doorΒ andΒ hearsΒ theΒ lockΒ clickΒ intoΒ placeΒ audibly,Β pullingΒ theΒ doorΒ openΒ softlyΒ asΒ itΒ creaksΒ withΒ lackΒ ofΒ use.Β kanedaΒ closesΒ anΒ eye,Β lookingΒ asΒ thoughΒ he'sΒ wincingΒ fromΒ theΒ sound.Β Β Β (Β Β whyΒ wasΒ itΒ soΒ loudΒ ?!Β Β )Β Β theΒ smallΒ pokemonΒ underΒ theΒ tableΒ liftsΒ it'sΒ headΒ slightlyΒ asΒ kanedaΒ getsΒ downΒ onΒ allΒ fours,Β crawlingΒ towardsΒ it.Β theΒ snakeΒ pokemonΒ rearsΒ it'sΒ headΒ back,Β angryΒ andΒ afraidΒ atΒ theΒ humanΒ approachingΒ him.Β kanedaΒ doesn'tΒ hesitate.Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β it'sΒ okayΒ littleΒ guy,Β weΒ justΒ wannaΒ makeΒ sureΒ you'reΒ notΒ feelingΒ sickβ¦Β Β βΒ Β Β Β Β butΒ theΒ ekansΒ isn'tΒ buyingΒ it,Β andΒ aΒ hissΒ leavesΒ it'sΒ mawΒ asΒ kaneda'sΒ handΒ βΒ gloveΒ removedΒ βΒ reachesΒ outΒ towardsΒ theΒ snakeΒ pokemonΒ inΒ aΒ gentleΒ gesture.
sol'sΒ gazeΒ dartsΒ backΒ andΒ forthΒ betweenΒ kanedaΒ andΒ hisΒ hand,Β unableΒ toΒ seeΒ theΒ pokemonΒ fromΒ thisΒ height.Β nervousΒ aboutΒ theΒ hissing,Β theΒ scizorΒ carefullyΒ joinsΒ kanedaΒ inΒ anΒ allΒ foursΒ positionΒ onΒ theΒ dustyΒ andΒ dirt-coveredΒ floor,Β buzzingΒ hisΒ wingsΒ gentlyΒ atΒ theΒ ekans.Β theΒ greenΒ coilΒ turnsΒ toΒ faceΒ theΒ bugΒ type,Β listeningΒ toΒ solΒ speakΒ andΒ returningΒ similarΒ conversationΒ withΒ fear.Β kanedaΒ softlyΒ pipesΒ up.Β Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β areΒ youΒ feelingΒ okayΒ ?Β Β βΒ Β Β Β Β theΒ ekansΒ barelyΒ turnsΒ towardsΒ theΒ trainer,Β stillΒ wary,Β andΒ insteadΒ looksΒ backΒ toΒ solΒ forΒ reassuranceΒ aboutΒ thisΒ wholeΒ ordeal,Β whoΒ happilyΒ providesΒ aΒ nod,Β indicatingΒ it'sΒ okayΒ toΒ answer.Β theΒ snakeΒ pokemonΒ hesitates,Β butΒ eventuallyΒ turnsΒ towardsΒ kanedaΒ andΒ nods,Β confirmingΒ he'sΒ okay.Β theΒ bikerΒ letsΒ outΒ aΒ sighΒ ofΒ relief.Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β thankΒ arceus.Β Β β
someΒ conversationΒ later,Β andΒ theΒ ekansΒ finallyΒ hasΒ easedΒ upΒ enoughΒ toΒ beΒ tryingΒ toΒ communicateΒ withΒ kanedaΒ directly,Β whoΒ isΒ nowΒ sittingΒ withΒ hisΒ legsΒ crossedΒ onΒ theΒ floorΒ besideΒ sol.Β Β Β Β βΒ Β youΒ knowΒ littleΒ guy,Β ifΒ youΒ like,Β youΒ canΒ comeΒ withΒ meΒ andΒ iΒ canΒ takeΒ youΒ somewhereΒ niceΒ toΒ settleΒ down,Β whereverΒ youΒ like.Β Β βΒ Β Β Β Β somethingΒ shiftsΒ inΒ thatΒ moment,Β andΒ theΒ greenΒ ekansΒ shakesΒ hisΒ head.Β kanedaΒ frowns,Β unsureΒ ofΒ whatΒ toΒ do.Β butΒ theΒ littleΒ pokemonΒ doesn'tΒ giveΒ kanedaΒ timeΒ toΒ thinkΒ aboutΒ it,Β insteadΒ optingΒ toΒ slowlyΒ uncurlΒ itselfΒ underΒ theΒ tableΒ andΒ slitherΒ upΒ intoΒ kaneda'sΒ lap,Β coilingΒ upΒ thereΒ andΒ simplyΒ lookingΒ upΒ atΒ him.Β ifΒ itΒ wasΒ possible,Β itΒ lookedΒ likeΒ theΒ pokemonΒ wasΒ smiling.Β kanedaΒ raisesΒ bothΒ handsΒ awayΒ fromΒ hisΒ lapΒ inΒ surprise,Β andΒ solΒ letsΒ outΒ aΒ laughΒ withΒ aΒ bitΒ ofΒ aΒ buzzΒ inΒ it'sΒ features.Β kaneda'sΒ frownΒ turnsΒ toΒ aΒ smile,Β andΒ heΒ gentlyΒ laysΒ aΒ handΒ onΒ theΒ ekansΒ head,Β runningΒ hisΒ palmΒ alongΒ theΒ smoothΒ greenΒ scales.Β Β Β Β Β Β βΒ Β weΒ canΒ goΒ lotsΒ ofΒ placesΒ together,Β then.Β Β β
