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Sock pressed his face to the bus window, watching as his destination came closer and closer. Finally, after years of waiting, he was in Kalos. He was going to see Jonathan again.
The bus made an abrupt stop, causing Sock to fly into the seat in front of him with a yelp that sounded like hurt Lillipup. Sock rubbed his hurt nose as the bus driver announced their arrival to her passengers. Pain immediately forgotten, Sock quickly grabbed his bag and waited for his turn to get off the bus. He bounced in place, simply too excited to say still. When it was was finally, Sock thanked and jumped off the bus.
The simple yet calming view of Aquacorde Town greeted him. In a daze, Sock took a couple steps into the town, stopping by a lamp post. He could feel the huge grin on his face as he stared at the town in silence.
“Welcome to Kalos, kid.”
Sock jerked to attention, to face the man that greeted him. He was leaning on the lamp post with a friendly smile. The man had black sunglasses, a dark brown overcoat, and a big, black bucket hat that did little to hide his…. unique hairstyle. Seriously, the lower part of his face looked like an orange triangle. All in all, a weirdo, Sock’s favorite kind people. Even if mother disapproved. “Thanks! I'm Sock.” He exclaimed as he extended his hand.
Sock was waiting for some kind of reaction. ‘That can't your actual name’ or ‘What kind of name is Sock’ but surprisingly, the man’s friendly expression never changed. It was only then that Sock realized that the man looked shockingly similar to him, if Sock was in his 30s that is.
“Nice to meet ya, Sock. Call me Mephistopheles.” He whispered his name for some odd reason as he shook Sock's hand. Well that name explained the lack of a reaction to ‘Sock.’
Behind him, Sock could briefly hear camera shutters and the dull voices of multiple ‘Where did he go?!’s. Mephistopheles suddenly went pale. Before Sock could turn around or say another word, Mephistopheles stepped next to Sock, putting an arm around his shoulder. The man had a firm grip as he began to speed walk the two away from the lamp post and further into town.
Oh yeah, this guy was weird. “So uh, where we goin’??”
“Away from them.” Mephistopheles basically snared the last word, as if just referring to the paparazzi was painful to him. “Those damned leeches, can’t a man get a moment of peace!”
Sock rolled his eyes. He never understood why people wanted to become famous if they didn’t attention. Mother always said that some people just weren’t build for fame, but it still confused him. Although it was a bit surprising to learn that this weirdo was famous enough to need to disguise himself. But Sock had to get to Santalune City and he felt that Mephistopheles might slow him down.
“Look, I get that you wanna get some distance from ‘them' but I have somewhere to be!” Sock accidentally raised his voice higher than he meant to. He felt his cheeks get a bit warmer.
Mephistopheles gave Sock a cheeky grin and immediately let go. “Well why didn't you say somethin’ earlier, kid?” Mephistopheles said as he quickly scanned his surroundings. Kinda like a trapped wild Pokemon running from a Pokemon Hunter.
Sock rolled his eyes, again, while the man wasn't looking. It wasn't like Mephistopheles gave Sock a chance to say anything once the paparazzi came.
“I'm looking for an...old friend. He's blond, wears a grey hoodie all the time, and has blue eyes. They're like, really blue eyes.” Sock stopped himself once he realized that he was rambling. He let out an awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I- uh haven't seen him in a while. Since he and his family moved from Alola.”
Mephistopheles raised an eyebrow. “Okay, Sock, two things. Why would anyone want to leave Alola? It's paradise! And what made ya think that I know this other kid?”
Sock let out a little scoff. Why does everyone think that Alola is some perfect place where nothing goes wrong? Nowhere is perfect, not even the sunny shores of Alola.
The two had stopped at the fountain in the middle of the town when a voice blared, “There he is! Metosophalise!”
Mephistopheles looked equally terrified and annoyed. “Oh damn it! Sorry to run out of ya, Sock but those talking rats found me! Good luck finding your boyfriend!”
And just like that, Mephistopheles ran for his life towards the Santalune Forest. Right before the shadows of the trees covered him though, Mephistopheles took out what appeared to be a pokeball but Sock was too far to see which kind. With a flash, a Hydreigon appeared! It was surprisingly smaller than its owner. However, given how Mephistopheles towered over Sock, maybe Sock was surprised for no reason. The three headed dragon always looked large on tv. As soon as the crowd of paparazzi ran pass Sock, nearly knocking him down, Mephistopheles climbed onto the Hydreigon. He pointed in a direction and the Hydreigon flapped its wings, Sock had to hold on to his precious hat with the sharp wind it caused.
The paparazzi, four people that seemed to travel in a group, all cursed in almost perfect unison. They all appeared dejected and all walked back towards the bus stop at the beginning of town.
Sock was only in Kalos for roughly an hour and it was amazing how peculiar it was.
He loved it.
Sock watched the Hydreigon as it disappeared from his sight. It was still a bit shocking to finally be in Kalos. Just a little trip into the forest and Sock should be able to find Jon. He adjusted his backpack strap, and took a deep breath.
Sock’s only pokeball opened and the burst of light appeared before him. Right, the reason why he was even allowed to go to Kalos.
~
“Now Napoleon-”
“Sock.”
“Right. Now your father and I have decided to allow you to travel Kalos to your heart’s content.”
“Really?! Oh, thank you Mo-”
“On one condition, Napoleon.”
“...What is it?”
“As you may know, Duchess’ daughter seems to stare out the windows and yowls insistently. Your father believes that if you take her with you, she will be happier. You can travel to Kalos only if you take Duchess’ daughter with you.”
“...Is that the only condition?”
“Of course Napoleon. Why would we stop you from seeing your boyfriend?”
“Oh Mew, mother it isn’t like that.”
“Yet.”
“Oh sweet Arceus, mother.”
~
Sock promised his dad that he would let Reina out as soon as he got off the bus, which obviously didn’t actually happen. Hopefully Renia didn’t mind being in her Luxury Ball longer than she was supposed to.
“Mrow!” Renia snarled as she glared at Sock.
Oh, she minded. A lot apparently.
Sock gave the Alolan Meowth an apologetic smile as he squatted. “I’m really sorry Renia! I got distracted. But look behind you, Santalune Forest!” He pointed at the trees roughly 30 feet away behind the cat pokemon.
Sock heard Renia’s adorable, confused little mew right before she turned around. He kneeled at her side and saw the tropical cat’s eyes widen. Sock could have sworn that her eyes were watery. But no Sowachowski, human or otherwise, would show that much emotion in public. It just wasn’t how any of them were raised. It was probably a trick of the light.
Then again, Renia and him were in Kalos because they didn’t really fit in the ‘Sowachowski Image.’ Sock was a bit wild child when he was younger, always searching for adventure. EVen now that he was older, he still had a hard time controlling his impulses. Not exactly the perfectly calm and collected heir of an estate that his father wanted. And Renia? She had it worse, in Sock’s opinion. Her mother, a Shiny Alolan Persian, was renowned in Alola for her luxurious coat and rare color. Her nine children inherited both from her, all except Renia. Luckily, the client was a family friend, who did not get too angry. All he did was refuse to take the newly hatched Renia and politely ask for a refund.
Renia lived with the Sowachowskis ever since. Sock was thirteen years old at the time. And for the life of him, he couldn’t remember Renia ever allowed to leave the house. Well, she always managed to sneak out but she was never allowed to be outside.
After all, Renia was the reason why no one wanted to use Duchess in order to get a shiny Alolan Meowth anymore. Renia was a living reminder of when Duchess’s breeding career came to an end.
Sock’s excitement died down when he recalled that. His mother wouldn’t send him with Renia to...get rid of them, right?
Sock’s thoughts were interrupted when Renia suddenly hugged him. Her claws were a little out, like she was too excited to wait for her claws to retract all the way. It stung a bit, but he could handle it. A little cat’s scratches were nothing compared to other injuries he’s had before. The hug ended not too long after he hugged Renia back.
Her grey eyes didn’t look sad anymore. They were full of joy and a little wet with unshed tears. So it wasn’t a trick of the light after all. It looked like Renia was smiling with her whole face. She looked so much happier than she ever did back at the estate. Sock decided to make Renia look this happy more often.
Sock grabbed her waist and lifted her to his shoulder as he stood up. She let out a little shocked mew but allowed him to lift her up. “Well, your highness, are ya ready to go?”
Renia’s smile grew into a smirk as she let out a commanding mew and lifted a paw towards the forest. And onwards they went, to begin their journey together.
~~~
It didn’t take very long for them to get lost. Out of all the equipment Sock packed, he somehow managed to forget to pack a map. He originally was going to just buy one in Aquacorde Town but the whole Mephistopheles thing made him forget. So now Renia was angry but Sock couldn’t really blame her. He was angry at himself too. The tropical cat was currently stomping ahead, ignoring every and any attempt Sock made to talk to her.
It was a little odd though, Sock didn’t think he saw any wild Pokemon. But that didn’t make any sense, they were in a forest. If anything, it should be filled with life! But so far, the only pokemon Sock saw was Renia.
A twig snapped behind Sock.
He quickly turned around, searching for the source of the noise. But he didn’t see anything. Sock stood there for a few more moments, staring into the trees and brush. When he was finally satisfied that nothing was there, Sock turned back around.
But he didn’t see Renia. He tried to convince himself that it was fine. She was probably… right behind that tree! Or behind that other one? Or-
“RENIA!” Sock could pretend that he didn’t yell in panic but, what was the point in that?
Good one, Sock. You lost your only Pokemon. And it's been, what? An hour? Half an hour? What an amazing adventure! What are you going to tell Mother Dearest, hm?
Sock blinked away his tears and attempted to bury the urge to cry. Sowachowskis didn’t show emotions in public and they certainly didn’t cry. He had to find Renia. Somehow.
“Ral?”
Sock almost jumped ten feet at the sudden little voice to his left. He looked down to see a little….Kirlia? Ralts? It was one of those two. Sock was always bad at telling non-Alolan pokemon from the ones on the islands. And he didn’t remember seeing any tourists with this pokemon either. Just that it was one of the earlier forms of… Gardaboir? No, that didn’t seem quite right…
“Um, hi. Little…” Oh no was this a girl or boy. Gardaboirs have a gender, right? “Guy…?” Maybe this pokemon could help Sock find Renia.
The….Kirlia(?) nodded as if sensing Sock’s confusion. Alright that was one mystery solved.
“Oh, alright! Hey uh, can you help me find my friend?”
The Ralts(?) nodded again and then hesitated for a few moments before lifting its tiny arms towards Sock. Sock knew what that meant. He saw Renia do it a couple of times. Only, Renia did it in a more demanding way.
He really needed to find her.
Without another word, Sock lifted the Kirlia(?) to his shoulder where Renia was not too long ago. The two pokemon were about the same height but somehow Sock’s new friend was the heavier one out of the two. Go figure.
“Okay, so I have no idea how you’re gonna help. But you’ll try your best, right?” The Ralts(?) nodded as it held onto Sock’s hat. It pointed forward. Sock grinned at his new shoulder buddy. “Let’s go find her then!”
~~~
Not only did Renia and her dumbass companion get lost but now her dumbass companion gets himself lost! It was just her luck really.
“Well, well, well. What’s a pretty little broad doin in a forest all by herself?” A voice sneered out of Renia’s sight.
With her claws extended, she growled back. “Talk about me to my face, coward!” She was already angry and this condescending voice just made her angier.
Out of the bushes directly in front of her, stepped out a Pansear with a shit eating grin. “Now, now, dame, there’s no need to be hostile. I’m just worried for ya. The forest can be a scary place for a fragile doll.” He crept closer to her with each step, the stupid grin never leaving his stupid face. Renia wanted to scratch it off.
“Listen, I ain’t fragile. Now bother someone else!” She threw her left paw out so her claws would stop the monkey from getting any closer to her.
The Pansear’s eye twitched. “A pretty girlie like you is definitely fragile, darlin. So put those claws away so we can talk a bit more civil.”
Renia scoffed. “No, I don’t think I will. This is going down two different ways, bub. You walk away or I can show you exactly why I’m not fragile.”
The monkey let out a bitter laugh as his eyes became wild. “Well, doll, I ain’t goin nowhere.”
Renia sneered at him. “Then don’t cry about me kicking your ass!” She yelled as her extended claws began to glow pure white. She pounced at the monkey as she scratched him four times in her fury.
Before she can jump away, the Pansear’s paw lit up and he scratched her back, cursing at her as he did.
It stung a little, but it felt more like a little branch scratched her. Arceus, this pokemon was just pathetic. She flipped backward, using his body as a makeshift launchpad. Reina landed roughly a foot away as the Pansear landed on his butt.
She laughed and slammed her paws together. She felt her fur standing on edge. “You’re in for a shocking surprise!”
The monkey looked like a deerling caught in headlights as he only stared at Reina. Her smile was wide and full of malice. In between her paws was a ball of blue electricity. He could only raise his arms in an useless attempt to protect himself as Reina’s electric ball sent a beam of electricity straight for him.
Reina huffed, “You were boring.” She raised a paw to ensure her whiskers were perfectly straight as she turned her back from the unconscious monkey. She was only able to take a few steps when a voice broken the silence.
“RENIA WHAT THE HELL!”
Well it was about time that her dumbass companion found her.
~~~
Of course Renia got into a fight during the maybe 10 minutes she was alone. Sock doesn’t know what he expected really. Renia is a very proud, outspoken pokemon that has her mother’s temper. Hell, wild pokemon pick fights with trainers all the time. Why wouldn’t they attack another pokemon that was invading their space?
Although, Sock was impressed that her only injury appeared to be a little scratch. The redhead turned his head towards the Pansear and from the corner of his eye, he could see the Ralts look as well. The monkey’s red fur was on edge, like when human hair gets shocked enough. But... that didn’t make any sense, Reina didn’t know any electric moves.
Wait, did she?! Sock quickly whipped his head back towards Reina. The little pokemon holding on to his hat let out a little yelp. Absentmindedly, Sock apologized to it as he locked eyes with the smug cat.
She was using the back of her paw to brush her whiskers with a gigantic smirk. Her whiskers weren’t even messy, she was just doing it to look good. Renia had this knowing glimmer in her eyes, like she was anticipating what Sock wanted to ask her. So naturally, Sock buried his question and was forced to understand how Renia was able to learn some kind electric move.
“Ral?”
“Oh!” Sock reached up to pick up the small pokemon from his shoulder and placed him on the ground in front of Renia. The cat raised an eyebrow, no doubt wondering what was going on. “I’m sorry buddy! This is Renia, my partner! Renia this is, um Kir-”
The horned pokemon turned back to Sock and shook its head. Of course it was the other name.
“Ralts! He wanted to help me find you. Wasn’t that nice of him?” Please for the love of Arceus get along. Please.
“Meowth? Meow.” Renia held out a paw like she expected the Ralts to kiss it.
Sock felt his eye twitch. How in the world was she more spoiled than him? Expecting someone she just met to kiss her paw, truly unbelievable.
However, the little Ralts clearly didn’t understand what Renia wanted him to do because he simply grabbed her paw with his little hands and shook it. “Ra, ralts!”
Surprisingly, Renia smiled at the Ralts, as if he passed some kind of test. Honestly, the moment Sock felt that he understood Renia’s actions, she shocked him. It was great news how Renia seemed to approve of the Ralts though. Sock grew a bit attached to him as they looked for the cat. Hell, Sock wanted to see if the Ralts could join them. Might as well just ask him, maybe the Ralts will agree.
“Hey, um” Both of the pokemon turned towards Sock, Renia with a knowing gleam in her eyes. Sock knelt down in front of the Ralts. “I know that we haven't been around each other for very long but I think we had a good time. And I wanted to ask if you like to join us? You have a choice in this! I won't force you into it! I promise!”
The redhead quickly swung his bag off and took an Ultra ball out. He held it towards the Ralts as he waited for an answer. Sock closed his eyes in case the Ralts wanted privacy. Sock could only hear his own heartbeat as he waited, wishing for the Ralts to have felt the same.
After what seemed like an hour, Sock felt a light push on the pokeball followed by a distinct pop and zap. He opened his eyes with caution and noticed that the Ralts was gone. Sock smiled and looked at the Ultra ball in his hands.
He spun around to face Renia. His smile taking over his entire face, green eyes sparkling with excitement. “Renia, do you know what this means?!” Renia only managed to a small smile before Sock continued to yell. “I have my first pokemon! Oh geez, I need to name him now….”
Sock tossed the Ultra Ball in the air, tossing it high enough that he had to look at the sky to catch it properly. It was a beautiful day. A perfectly clear blue sky. ….Kinda like the blue of his new Ralts’ head.
Wait a second…. A blue sky and a blue Ralts. It was meant to be! Sock was sure of it. He was supposed to name the Ralts after the sky. That had to be what Arceus intended! He quickly took out his *find out name of Kalos poke watch thing, Cecil* and quickly looked up the word ‘sky' in other languages.
Sock didn't have to look for very long before he found one that he loved. ‘Cielo' Great Mew, that was perfect. Sock hoped that the little Ralts would agree. He let out a little giggle that he didn’t bother fighting. He already got his first Kalos Native pokemon!
“We did it Reina!” Sock held the Ultra Ball in one hand and picked up the cat pokemon with his free arm. He gave her a one armed hug as he spun with her a little. Reina had a smile also, but she wasn’t nearly as excited as Sock was. She began to pat Sock’s arm, and once she had his attention, she used the same paw to point at the Ultra Ball. “Oh Mew, you’re right! We should let him out.” The redhead sat down on the grass and let Renia go as he let Cielo out. The two of them stood in front of him as he crossed his legs.
“Ral?” The little blue Ralts’ head was tilted to one side, like he was confused about something. Perhaps wondering why it was let out so soon after its capture.
“Alright buddy, I decided on a nickname for you! But if you don’t like it, it’s fine! Just let me know, okay?” The Ralts nods as Sock continues to talk. “I figured that since your hair is blue like the sky that you should get a name that means ‘sky.’ And I like ‘Cielo’ the best. What do you think? Do you like the name ‘Cielo’ or would you like another name?” Sock held out two fingers and pointed to a finger so the Ralts could easily tell his new trainer which option he chose.
After a moment to think, the Ralts grabbed on to Sock’s right index finger, the ‘Cielo’ option. “Ralts!” The young pokemon cheered.
Sock lifted Cielo up to hug him. He also grabbed Renia, who was obviously shocked given the little ‘mew’ she let out. He nuzzled them both, shaking with laughter since he was unable to contain his giggles. Renia tried to escape for a few seconds, but stopped once she realized that Sock’s grip was ironclad. So she reluctantly returned the hug. Cielo cheered again and quickly returned the embrace. The three sat there for a little while. Eventually, Renia began purring and that only added to just how warm and happy Sock felt. But they couldn’t stay in the forest forever, so Sock let his pokemon go and stood up. Renia immediately began giving herself a little bath. Cielo looked a little down that he was being held anymore.
He took out the two pokeballs that his pokemon lived in. “If you’re tired let me know, so I can put you in the ball.”
Renia stopped midlick. “Mew!” She promptly stood up and lifted a paw to her Luxury Ball.
Sock chuckled. He expected her to do that. Nonetheless, he let her return to her ball. He knelt down to Cielo. “Guess it’s just you and me, buddy.”
Cielo cheered as he jumped at Sock. Sock scrambled to catch the little Ralts and thankfully caught him. Sock didn't want to make Cielo feel bad for being so excited, so he didn't scold the little pokemon.
Sock brought the Ralts to his shoulder. “Silly little guy. Let's get out of here, Cielo.”
~~~
Eventually, Sock and Cielo were finally able to leave the Santalune Forest. It was getting a bit close to sunset by the time. Luckily for the pair, the Pokemon Center was straight ahead. It seemed like the long awaited rest they wanted was right before their reach. However it seemed as though it wasn’t meant to be yet.
A pokemon ran into Sock. The impact made Sock lose his balance, causing him to land right on his butt. Cielo fall off Sock’s shoulder, taking Sock’s hat with him. Thankfully the said hat provided a safe, soft landing for the little Ralts. The pokemon that crashed into them stood back up in a flash and was grabbing Sock’s hand, urging for him to follow it.
“Wait, hold on!” Sock managed to release his hand from the pokemon’s grasp. It was then that he realized that the pokemon was a Riolu and Riolus weren’t violent. They were kind and gentle, and the Riolu in front of him seemed in a panic. Something was wrong, Sock felt it now that he could look at the Riolu.
So Sock grabbed Cielo, who had decided to put on his trainer’s hat, and placed the little pokemon back on his shoulder. “Let’s go, Riolu.”
Its eyes filled with joy as it once again grabbed Sock’s hand, and began to lead Sock past the pokemon center. Eventually, the Riolu lead Sock pass a sign that pointed East that read ‘Route 22.’
It seemed empty, which was probably due to how late it was. Sock thought the Riolu had brought him over for no reason but he heard a girl’s voice ring out.
“Riza? Riza did you bring someone?”
“Ri, Lu Lu!” The Riolu, Riza, finally let go of Sock’s hand as it ran towards a bush.
“I’m Sock.” He shouted as he ran after Riza, the Riolu’s trainer must be in trouble! Granted, he didn’t know much about first aid, but he would try his best!
The redhead pushed back the brush and saw a blonde girl with a white and red baseball cap. Her hair had twigs and leaves sticking out of it. She was using her arms to hold herself up. One of her feet was stuck between some rocks that the bush covered up.
“Jojo. I would shake your hand, but I’m trying to keep my body up.”
Sock chuckled as he grabbed Cielo and placed him on the ground. He noticed that the little Ralts decided to wear his hat, it was adorable. “That’s alright. We need to find a way to get your foot free though…”
“Yeah, that would be nice, than-”
“Raaaalll” But Cielo interrupted Jojo as he made one of the rocks began to glow with a blue light. Raising both of his tiny arms, causing the rock to also rise. Until the rock came to be right in front of Cielo who promptly jumped on it, like it was a step stool. The movement made Sock’s hat lopsided on his head.
“Ra!” Cielo cheered, raising his arms above his head to straighten the hat.
For a moment, no one spoke. None of them expected for there to be such an easy solution to the problem.
Jojo was the one to break the silence. “Can ya help me up, Sock? I don’t think I can stand on my own….”
“Oh!” Sock immediately went to grab Jojo’s arms to gingerly hold her up. “Uh, do you know what to do about your leg?”
Jojo hopped as she placed her weight on Sock. Sock found a nearby tree stump and helped Jojo sit on it. She lifted her left leg, the one that was trapped in the rocks. “I’ve sprained my ankle before. I can kinda walk but it’ll be slow. Once me and Riza get to the Pokemon Center it’ll be a lot easier for me to recover.”
Sock nodded and sat down on the ground next to the stump. Cielo walked over to him and sat in Sock’s lap. Sock looked at his little Ralts. Cielo still had his hat on, Sock would have to take it back eventually but Cielo really liked it for some reason. The little pokemon curled up and yawned. It looked like the energy it used earlier drained him a bit. Sock smiled, leaned on the stump a bit more, and allowed his mind to drift back to what Jojo had said earlier.
She did look like the kind of person that would have gotten hurt before. She had this reckless look to her with her denim shorts and baseball cap. It made him wonder what she thought of him in his jeans and a polo shirt. Did he look like a rich kid? Were clothes the secret to true recklessness? Sock wondered if he would be happier if he were more reckless, like Jojo. Maybe he could start learning now. Maybe he could buy his own clothes to help him learn. Actual clothes, not just a hat that took months to convince mother to buy for him.
Sock vaguely heard Jojo call Riza over. That was fine. He would just... close his eyes for a little bit. Yeah, that sounded… really good.
~~~
He woke to someone shaking his shoulder.
“Sock, Nurse Joy is here. Let's go!”
Sock slowly rubbed his eyes, his vision still blurry. Nurse Joy? Why did he need- Jojo.
Sock looked down at the the sleeping Ralts, gently taking back his hat. Once his hat was back on his head, Sock used Cielo’s Ultra Ball to return him. Sock stood up, dusting off his pants as Nurse Joy helped Jojo into a wheelchair. Once Jojo was properly in the chair, she returned Riza to a Great Ball.
The walk back to the Pokemon Center was pretty uneventful. Nurse Joy lectured Jojo a bit on proper travel safety and the importance of a First Aid kit. Jojo gave her half-hearted responses and Sock merely followed in silence.
He didn’t have anything important to say, so he didn’t speak at all. His mother taught him that at a young age. It was hard to learn, and he did slip up on it at times, but for the most part he pleased his mother. Well... in that aspect he did.
Out of habit, one of his arms reached over to grab the other. Nurse Joy and Jojo were talking about...something. But he couldn’t really hear it. He was stuck in his own head, blindly following. He simply moved, next to Nurse Joy and Jojo only physically. He only snapped out of it when he heard a familiar voice calling out.
“Oh Mew, Sock?”
Sock turned to face the voice. It was Jonathan! He looked almost exactly the same. The same hoodie, same weird blond and brown hair cut. The same impossibly blue eyes. Sock felt his face flush and fought the urge to pull down his hat in an attempt to hide his face.
He gave Jon a small wave. “Hey Jon!” Shit, his voice went a bit too high. Sock finally managed to look away from Jon and saw a guy next to Jon. He was taller than Jon somehow and had a red jacket. But how long had that guy been there!
Jon must have noticed where’s Sock gaze was because he spoke. “Sock, remember how I wrote to you about my friend, Zack?” Jon held out his hand and Zack smiled as he took it. “Well uh, he’s my boyfriend now.” Jon returned Zack’s smile as he looked into his new boyfriend’s eyes.
….boyfriend. Sock was… too late. He waited too long. It was then that Sock vaguely remembered Jon mentioning in the letters they wrote to each other.Jon looked really happy. If Zack was the one Jon wanted, then Sock had to deal with it. Sock fought to put a smile on his face and held out a hand. “Nice to finally meet you Zack.”
Zack shook Sock’s hand with his available hand. “It’s nice to put a name to a face!” His eyes twinkled with pure joy. Like he was as happy as he could be right now.
Sock would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt.
They made little talk for a little bit. Future plans, pokemon they had, little things that didn’t matter much. Jon and Zack held hands the entire time. Eventually Sock just felt like he wanted to be alone for a bit. Or at the very least, not around the happy couple for while. So he excused himself, asked the Nurse Joy for Jojo’s room and went there.
Jojo was lying on a bed, her left foot on top of some pillows. Her ankle had an ice pack on it. She looked incredibly bored. She welcomed Sock with a big smile but her face changed once she realized how upset Sock looked.
After a few moments, Sock told her everything that happened. Why he left home, how much Jon meant to him, how he was too late. He didn’t, couldn’t fight the tears. Jojo didn’t say a word until Sock was finished.
Jojo spoke softly. A completely different tone than the one she used when they first met. “Sock, want to travel with me and a friend of mine? She’ll love you, I promise. We can travel Kalos and help you move on.”
“...Yes.”
It wasn’t exactly how he pictured traveling Kalos, but sometimes things don’t work out the way you think they will.