Story Notes:
Standard Disclaimer: I own the character Jack as well as the plot of this story, Pokemon and other known characters are their respective owners. This story contains sexually explicit content. Go away if you're offended or too young to read such revolting literature.
Chapter 13
"Lucario, what's this about?" asked Jack cautiously, trying to edge closer to his Pokémon before she went on a rampage. "Calm down. This is Blaine; he's the Gym Leader here."
"Shut up human, this man and I know each other all too well. He's the one that separated me from Peter!"
"Peter," said Blaine, angrily, "You have no idea what I saved you from. I rescued you from a world of suffering at his side."
"Suffering? You freed me from my ball without as much as a word. Dropped me in the wild somewhere. The last image I have of your wretched face is as you drove away and looked back and left me in the forest."
"You don't know what you're saying Jill. I-"
"Stop calling me that! Only he can call me that!" Lucario was in tears, some powerful memories overwhelming her otherwise tempered emotions.
"Who? Peter? Peter won't ever call you that again."
"Because you took him from me!"
"Because he's dead!"
A deep and painful silence fell over the group and to his credit Jack said nothing at all, letting this duel of wills and violent battle of words wage itself without him. Riolu too didn't make so much as a peep as she hid behind Jack's leg, dipping her ears back at the sight of her mother so very angry.
Lucario seemed surprised. "He's not dead. I can still feel him. You're lying."
"Peter died over 12 years ago Jill," said Blaine, his voice softening. "And when he left, all of his Pokémon remained in their balls for almost a decade as they passed hands. Finally they came to me, and I did the only thing I could for you all."
"That can't be true," said Jill, the Lucario stammered on, "He was going to be the Champion. We were all so close."
"And then the cough started, didn't it. You must have noticed. The cancer took him not a week away from the finals. He wasn't a healthy man when he first caught you Jill, I know you knew that. He told you he would become the Champion, that he would take you all to the top if it was the last thing he did. And it was. I watched as he took the stand in the semi-finals and collapsed. An old man, still able to stand only because of the hope and promise he had given to all of you." Blaine's own voice was crackling now with the memories and he removed his sunglasses to regard the Lucario as she lowered her stance and a torrent of emotions welled up in her eyes.
"Then we were..."
"You were there Jill. He was going to call you out first, I know he was. To let you see the stadium light up in front of you. The man you knew wasn't just your Master, he was my best friend, and even I couldn't tell him that he wouldn't make it. He had that much faith in you. He trusted in the faith you gave him. His only regret was that you never got to see the lights shining down on you, and your picture blazing on the giant screen above the stadium."
Every word hit her like a knife and despite her still bared teeth she was crying uncontrollably. Her Master was dead, the one man whom she had fallen in love with, who had fallen in love with her was gone, and so long ago that she was living in a different time altogether.
"Jack," said Blaine, turning the boy's attention, "Could we have a moment. There's a lot to catch up on I think." Jack paused and looked at Lucario, Jill, and then nodded, walking off to the other side of the arena where an outcropping of rock parted to reveal a smaller plateau where he could set up a small camp. He called out the others and they all sat with him, curious as to why Lucario wasn't joining them.
"She's... got something to sort out right now. Don't worry. For now, let's just enjoy the view, okay?" said Jack, who seemed to quell their immediate interest as they all cuddled up close to him.
Since Jack had left Blaine got down on one knee and spread his arms out wide to accept the Lucario, and hugged her when she tossed herself at him in a fit of tears.
"I don't want him to be gone. I want him back. I've missed him so much."
Blaine only shrugged and stroked her back soothingly. "There there sweetheart. I loved him too." And he hugged her all the tighter, sniffling himself at the memories of his best friend.
It was a long time before either of them calmed down enough to talk again, and when the silence finally broke, it was Blaine with something to say. "Remember the day he first caught you?" Jill looked at him incredulously and through blurry eyes. "You were still just a puppy but he was so proud and so fond of you. And you took to him instantly." Blaine sat back and Jill did the same, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Right here on Cinnabar, would you believe it? A little Pokémon like you wound up off the mainland. And you were a cutie. You looked just like the little one Jack holds. She's yours ain't she?" Jill nodded with a smile for her child. "He had you training on the jungle gym he had in his yard for the grandkids before they could walk. And do you remember when he would catch you whenever you slid down the big yellow slide." The Lucario grew misty eyed again. How could she forget? The old man had no one else on the island. At that time she was all he had, and he treated her like a daughter. She could recall falling down the long slide and then being hoisted right over his head, and she would laugh and then he would cradle her and take her inside again.
"Then when you were old enough to fight he knew that Cinnabar wasn't the place to keep you. You would explore all over the place. He had to call the fire department to get you down off the roof a whole bunch of times cause you were scared of heights and couldn't get back down."
"I remember that," she tried to laugh but it only came out as a gurgle. Her little feet curled up to her chest as she held on for dear life to the little brass chicken that always pointed where the wind was going. "And I wouldn't come down until he came up and got me himself."
"And you would whine and carry on until finally he would come and get you. I remember too. Those were some of the happiest days of his life. When you were big enough he left Cinnabar and started the League Challenge. Can you imagine, an old man like that, wandering the woods and the roads on foot just to take you around the world? And you two weren't alone. He caught and trained a top notch team of Champions and before long was on his way through Victory Road."
"But those caves... I remember him coughing," Lucario's eyes began to water again.
"He was in there for days. Longest they've ever seen anyone stay inside. He got lost. But you pulled him out. Almost two weeks after he went in you pulled him out. He was almost lifeless and you were in tears, but you did it. And you were both awarded for getting so far. You were finally there. The Pokémon League Championship was right in front of you."
"But he was sick. His cough got worse. He didn't recover from Victory Road. Not really." Jill was hugging her legs to her chest and a flash of a happy memory when Peter had climbed up the roof of his house to get her back down flooded back to her. "But he kept going. And we kept winning! And he... he..."
"He took the podium the afternoon of the semi-finals. But he didn't come back down. They postponed the games for a week in his memory."
"I wanted to see it. I wanted to see him up there. I didn't care about the lights or the screen or the shouts and cheers. He would be up there and looking down on me. And I was going to win it for him. I really was. I wanted to..." when she broke down again Blaine grabbed her arms and pulled her tightly against his chest.
"I know sweetie. We all did. He wanted to as well. He so wanted to see you there."
"But then what happened? Why didn't we come out again to say goodbye? Why weren't we allowed to see him again?"
"It was decided by the League. You weren't allowed to see him like that, and when he passed away, without a proper owner, you all traded hands until finally you came back to me. And then I made six trips, all over the world and released you far away, so you would never have to come back. You weren't ever supposed to find out Jill, but after seeing you again I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to give you the answers you wanted back then."
Blaine's voice had shriveled to a whisper in her ear, but as he finished his story they sat back from each other, spent of tears and only looked at each other.
"They were good times though, right?" asked Blaine.
"The best in the world," answered Jill.
"Well you know. It's still not too late to go again. You've got a new, younger trainer with enough power to get himself to the Championship all by himself if he needed too. You could support him and not be disappointed."
Lucario slumped her head. "I was so busy comparing him to Peter that I never wanted to see it. I know. But I don't want to without him..."
Blaine propped up her chin with his finger, "Hey kiddo. When life gives you lemons, what do you do?"
Jill looked at the old man seriously for a long time and then managed a smile, "Make lime juice. Lemonade tastes funny anyway."
"That's my girl," said Blaine, giving her one more hug and then releasing her again. "Now go get those other medals and take the League by storm again."
Lucario nodded to him as he stood up and then raced towards where Jack had gone. When she turned the corner she was only a little surprised to see everyone out and cuddled up close watching the waves so far below from their precarious perch. When he saw her Jack stood up immediately.
"Lucario, I..."
"It's Jillian, Jack. Call me Jill," said Lucario, then added, "Will you complete the League Challenge? Will you go to the League Championship?"
He stood in front of her and with every ounce of conviction he could muster. "I will. I won't stop until I do."
It was Jill's turn to bow her head, "Then I will go with you. As your Pokémon," and then she regarded the others, "And as a teammate," and then focused on Jack again, staring deep into his eyes and said, "And as a friend."
That made smiles come to everyone's face. Jack's most of all and before she could protest he had her in a tight embrace she couldn't escape. "Thank you," he whispered so that the others couldn't hear. "You won't regret it."
"Now I think there was a little matter of a bet that transpired between a Pokémon and her Master not long ago. So let's see it," said Laura, kneeling but holding her breasts up with her hands and mashing them together.
"Don't be so lewd," chided Maya, who was then drowned out by Sasha.
"Nuh-uh, it's the least she can do for threatening to leave."
"She doesn't have to do anything if she's not ready," said Jack, who took her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length. She looked nervous but finally met his gaze.
"I am good on my word Jack. You won," she said, and before he could argue the point before him stood a magnificent beauty of a Pokémon as he had ever seen. Her curves were perfect and her form sleek and toned. Her C-cups didn't harm her flawless form or her stance and her hips were like a sculptor's inspiration. She had a regal look to her face and eyes and even her tail was accentuated by her height. And between her legs he just made out a slight hint of pink. In a word she was stunning, and they all noticed it too. From the tips of her ears to the gleaming fur of her toes.
"I'm speechless," said Sasha.
"I'm jealous," said Maya.
"I'm totally turned on," said Laura, who received some raised eye brows for the comment, to which she replied, "What?"
"You're beautiful Jill," said Jack after a long pause to stop staring at her voluptuous body.
She could only nod and waited meekly, a different thing for her, as Jack sheparded the others out of the plateau and into the main area of the volcano's peak. When they were all gone Jack rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "I promise to do everything to get to the Championship. Nothing will ever stop me."
"I will hold you to that Jack," said Jill, trying to regain a little of her former composure.
"I am good on my word." And that was the last they said to each other as they emerged from the private clearing.
As they passed around the bend though they caught fragments of a conversation between the others. "She's smoking hot! Did you see her boobs! They were like, better than mine!" And a number of other responses and comments were thrown about amongst them.
"So Mr. B." said Jack, "How do we get down from here?"
To which Blaine could only laugh. "Same way we got up kiddo. Though I had a few improvements made since I started up here." He used his walking stick and pressed a pressure plate in the wall of stone at the edge of the arena and it started to slip to the side, revealing a set of stairs. "Going down's not so much fun anyway, so I figured why drag it out?" the old man laughed and herded Jack's Pokémon to the stairs and then Jack, keeping Jill behind a moment.
"You really staked your nudity on this bet?"
"He was the one to make it in the first place," she answered.
"Well can I-"
"No."
"But what if I-"
"No."
"Not even if-"
"Never, Blaine. Let it go."
He could only smile and let his mind run over all the different pictures the other three were painting of her in his mind.
When they were finally back in town Blaine directed them to a nearby hotel they could stay in for the night, with a modest discount if Jack showed off his new badge. They were all very grateful and left immediately but before Blaine was out of sight Jack stopped at a door and held it open, suddenly having a brain wave. "When is a door not a door?"
Jack ran off towards Blaine and stopped him. "When it's a jar."
"Excuse me?"
"When is a door not a door? When it's a jar."
Blaine could only laugh as Jack turned away, and continued laughing until he was well out of earshot.
"I like him. He was a nice old man," said Maya when they sat down to eat.
"You didn't have to fight him," said Laura, still sore in her face from when she fell.
Jill stayed silent for the meal, eating slowly and not making eye contact with the others in their recollections. How could they be so carefree? How could they just break off in the middle of their training to play and laugh and banter with each other. She thought of Peter and how he had been with his Pokémon. The man was strong in heart, if not in body because of his condition. He would drive all of his Pokémon to their limits to train them in speed, or strength or in defenses. She could recall camping with him and being the one he talked to most often, for long hours into the night. How he would tell her his dreams of seeing the League gates open in front of him and how proud he was of her for achieving every new win against another trainer or gym leader. As she looked around at the table though, there was Sasha, who, every time she turned her gaze on Jack would stop for an extra long time just to watch him and smile. And there was Laura, who could look at Jack for hours and not realize that not only was she drooling, but that she hadn't taken the bite of food of her spoon. And Maya, who gazed at Jack with the kind of look she remembered giving Peter so long ago now. Had it really been 12 years? Did she really lose that much time inside her Pokéball? As she looked then at Jack, who smiled at all of his Pokémon, her included, she got the same sense of rightness that Peter gave her back then around the fire. She found that when she looked at Jack she saw Jack's face, and for the first time in a long time, Peter's wasn't there to interrupt.
She was Jack's Pokémon now, and they were all headed for the League Championship.
There was no place she would rather be.
The next morning Blaine made his way to the remnants of his city gym and found a note posted on the door. There was a message written on it and as he read it he smiled widely.
"It heals all, but not forever. Trapping memories is its pleasure. But when the smallest thing pulls the trigger, it makes that wound all the bigger. What am I?" It was signed by Jack and he read it again. "Time," he said to himself. "Never heard that one before." There was a post script below the riddle. "I'll take good care of her. I promise." Blaine smiled all the wider, knowing that indeed, Jill was safe and at peace again.Chapter End Notes:And that's how that goes. Whew... Glad I got that off my chest. That's all for a little while. Be back soon
"Shut up human, this man and I know each other all too well. He's the one that separated me from Peter!"
"Peter," said Blaine, angrily, "You have no idea what I saved you from. I rescued you from a world of suffering at his side."
"Suffering? You freed me from my ball without as much as a word. Dropped me in the wild somewhere. The last image I have of your wretched face is as you drove away and looked back and left me in the forest."
"You don't know what you're saying Jill. I-"
"Stop calling me that! Only he can call me that!" Lucario was in tears, some powerful memories overwhelming her otherwise tempered emotions.
"Who? Peter? Peter won't ever call you that again."
"Because you took him from me!"
"Because he's dead!"
A deep and painful silence fell over the group and to his credit Jack said nothing at all, letting this duel of wills and violent battle of words wage itself without him. Riolu too didn't make so much as a peep as she hid behind Jack's leg, dipping her ears back at the sight of her mother so very angry.
Lucario seemed surprised. "He's not dead. I can still feel him. You're lying."
"Peter died over 12 years ago Jill," said Blaine, his voice softening. "And when he left, all of his Pokémon remained in their balls for almost a decade as they passed hands. Finally they came to me, and I did the only thing I could for you all."
"That can't be true," said Jill, the Lucario stammered on, "He was going to be the Champion. We were all so close."
"And then the cough started, didn't it. You must have noticed. The cancer took him not a week away from the finals. He wasn't a healthy man when he first caught you Jill, I know you knew that. He told you he would become the Champion, that he would take you all to the top if it was the last thing he did. And it was. I watched as he took the stand in the semi-finals and collapsed. An old man, still able to stand only because of the hope and promise he had given to all of you." Blaine's own voice was crackling now with the memories and he removed his sunglasses to regard the Lucario as she lowered her stance and a torrent of emotions welled up in her eyes.
"Then we were..."
"You were there Jill. He was going to call you out first, I know he was. To let you see the stadium light up in front of you. The man you knew wasn't just your Master, he was my best friend, and even I couldn't tell him that he wouldn't make it. He had that much faith in you. He trusted in the faith you gave him. His only regret was that you never got to see the lights shining down on you, and your picture blazing on the giant screen above the stadium."
Every word hit her like a knife and despite her still bared teeth she was crying uncontrollably. Her Master was dead, the one man whom she had fallen in love with, who had fallen in love with her was gone, and so long ago that she was living in a different time altogether.
"Jack," said Blaine, turning the boy's attention, "Could we have a moment. There's a lot to catch up on I think." Jack paused and looked at Lucario, Jill, and then nodded, walking off to the other side of the arena where an outcropping of rock parted to reveal a smaller plateau where he could set up a small camp. He called out the others and they all sat with him, curious as to why Lucario wasn't joining them.
"She's... got something to sort out right now. Don't worry. For now, let's just enjoy the view, okay?" said Jack, who seemed to quell their immediate interest as they all cuddled up close to him.
Since Jack had left Blaine got down on one knee and spread his arms out wide to accept the Lucario, and hugged her when she tossed herself at him in a fit of tears.
"I don't want him to be gone. I want him back. I've missed him so much."
Blaine only shrugged and stroked her back soothingly. "There there sweetheart. I loved him too." And he hugged her all the tighter, sniffling himself at the memories of his best friend.
It was a long time before either of them calmed down enough to talk again, and when the silence finally broke, it was Blaine with something to say. "Remember the day he first caught you?" Jill looked at him incredulously and through blurry eyes. "You were still just a puppy but he was so proud and so fond of you. And you took to him instantly." Blaine sat back and Jill did the same, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Right here on Cinnabar, would you believe it? A little Pokémon like you wound up off the mainland. And you were a cutie. You looked just like the little one Jack holds. She's yours ain't she?" Jill nodded with a smile for her child. "He had you training on the jungle gym he had in his yard for the grandkids before they could walk. And do you remember when he would catch you whenever you slid down the big yellow slide." The Lucario grew misty eyed again. How could she forget? The old man had no one else on the island. At that time she was all he had, and he treated her like a daughter. She could recall falling down the long slide and then being hoisted right over his head, and she would laugh and then he would cradle her and take her inside again.
"Then when you were old enough to fight he knew that Cinnabar wasn't the place to keep you. You would explore all over the place. He had to call the fire department to get you down off the roof a whole bunch of times cause you were scared of heights and couldn't get back down."
"I remember that," she tried to laugh but it only came out as a gurgle. Her little feet curled up to her chest as she held on for dear life to the little brass chicken that always pointed where the wind was going. "And I wouldn't come down until he came up and got me himself."
"And you would whine and carry on until finally he would come and get you. I remember too. Those were some of the happiest days of his life. When you were big enough he left Cinnabar and started the League Challenge. Can you imagine, an old man like that, wandering the woods and the roads on foot just to take you around the world? And you two weren't alone. He caught and trained a top notch team of Champions and before long was on his way through Victory Road."
"But those caves... I remember him coughing," Lucario's eyes began to water again.
"He was in there for days. Longest they've ever seen anyone stay inside. He got lost. But you pulled him out. Almost two weeks after he went in you pulled him out. He was almost lifeless and you were in tears, but you did it. And you were both awarded for getting so far. You were finally there. The Pokémon League Championship was right in front of you."
"But he was sick. His cough got worse. He didn't recover from Victory Road. Not really." Jill was hugging her legs to her chest and a flash of a happy memory when Peter had climbed up the roof of his house to get her back down flooded back to her. "But he kept going. And we kept winning! And he... he..."
"He took the podium the afternoon of the semi-finals. But he didn't come back down. They postponed the games for a week in his memory."
"I wanted to see it. I wanted to see him up there. I didn't care about the lights or the screen or the shouts and cheers. He would be up there and looking down on me. And I was going to win it for him. I really was. I wanted to..." when she broke down again Blaine grabbed her arms and pulled her tightly against his chest.
"I know sweetie. We all did. He wanted to as well. He so wanted to see you there."
"But then what happened? Why didn't we come out again to say goodbye? Why weren't we allowed to see him again?"
"It was decided by the League. You weren't allowed to see him like that, and when he passed away, without a proper owner, you all traded hands until finally you came back to me. And then I made six trips, all over the world and released you far away, so you would never have to come back. You weren't ever supposed to find out Jill, but after seeing you again I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to give you the answers you wanted back then."
Blaine's voice had shriveled to a whisper in her ear, but as he finished his story they sat back from each other, spent of tears and only looked at each other.
"They were good times though, right?" asked Blaine.
"The best in the world," answered Jill.
"Well you know. It's still not too late to go again. You've got a new, younger trainer with enough power to get himself to the Championship all by himself if he needed too. You could support him and not be disappointed."
Lucario slumped her head. "I was so busy comparing him to Peter that I never wanted to see it. I know. But I don't want to without him..."
Blaine propped up her chin with his finger, "Hey kiddo. When life gives you lemons, what do you do?"
Jill looked at the old man seriously for a long time and then managed a smile, "Make lime juice. Lemonade tastes funny anyway."
"That's my girl," said Blaine, giving her one more hug and then releasing her again. "Now go get those other medals and take the League by storm again."
Lucario nodded to him as he stood up and then raced towards where Jack had gone. When she turned the corner she was only a little surprised to see everyone out and cuddled up close watching the waves so far below from their precarious perch. When he saw her Jack stood up immediately.
"Lucario, I..."
"It's Jillian, Jack. Call me Jill," said Lucario, then added, "Will you complete the League Challenge? Will you go to the League Championship?"
He stood in front of her and with every ounce of conviction he could muster. "I will. I won't stop until I do."
It was Jill's turn to bow her head, "Then I will go with you. As your Pokémon," and then she regarded the others, "And as a teammate," and then focused on Jack again, staring deep into his eyes and said, "And as a friend."
That made smiles come to everyone's face. Jack's most of all and before she could protest he had her in a tight embrace she couldn't escape. "Thank you," he whispered so that the others couldn't hear. "You won't regret it."
"Now I think there was a little matter of a bet that transpired between a Pokémon and her Master not long ago. So let's see it," said Laura, kneeling but holding her breasts up with her hands and mashing them together.
"Don't be so lewd," chided Maya, who was then drowned out by Sasha.
"Nuh-uh, it's the least she can do for threatening to leave."
"She doesn't have to do anything if she's not ready," said Jack, who took her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length. She looked nervous but finally met his gaze.
"I am good on my word Jack. You won," she said, and before he could argue the point before him stood a magnificent beauty of a Pokémon as he had ever seen. Her curves were perfect and her form sleek and toned. Her C-cups didn't harm her flawless form or her stance and her hips were like a sculptor's inspiration. She had a regal look to her face and eyes and even her tail was accentuated by her height. And between her legs he just made out a slight hint of pink. In a word she was stunning, and they all noticed it too. From the tips of her ears to the gleaming fur of her toes.
"I'm speechless," said Sasha.
"I'm jealous," said Maya.
"I'm totally turned on," said Laura, who received some raised eye brows for the comment, to which she replied, "What?"
"You're beautiful Jill," said Jack after a long pause to stop staring at her voluptuous body.
She could only nod and waited meekly, a different thing for her, as Jack sheparded the others out of the plateau and into the main area of the volcano's peak. When they were all gone Jack rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "I promise to do everything to get to the Championship. Nothing will ever stop me."
"I will hold you to that Jack," said Jill, trying to regain a little of her former composure.
"I am good on my word." And that was the last they said to each other as they emerged from the private clearing.
As they passed around the bend though they caught fragments of a conversation between the others. "She's smoking hot! Did you see her boobs! They were like, better than mine!" And a number of other responses and comments were thrown about amongst them.
"So Mr. B." said Jack, "How do we get down from here?"
To which Blaine could only laugh. "Same way we got up kiddo. Though I had a few improvements made since I started up here." He used his walking stick and pressed a pressure plate in the wall of stone at the edge of the arena and it started to slip to the side, revealing a set of stairs. "Going down's not so much fun anyway, so I figured why drag it out?" the old man laughed and herded Jack's Pokémon to the stairs and then Jack, keeping Jill behind a moment.
"You really staked your nudity on this bet?"
"He was the one to make it in the first place," she answered.
"Well can I-"
"No."
"But what if I-"
"No."
"Not even if-"
"Never, Blaine. Let it go."
He could only smile and let his mind run over all the different pictures the other three were painting of her in his mind.
When they were finally back in town Blaine directed them to a nearby hotel they could stay in for the night, with a modest discount if Jack showed off his new badge. They were all very grateful and left immediately but before Blaine was out of sight Jack stopped at a door and held it open, suddenly having a brain wave. "When is a door not a door?"
Jack ran off towards Blaine and stopped him. "When it's a jar."
"Excuse me?"
"When is a door not a door? When it's a jar."
Blaine could only laugh as Jack turned away, and continued laughing until he was well out of earshot.
"I like him. He was a nice old man," said Maya when they sat down to eat.
"You didn't have to fight him," said Laura, still sore in her face from when she fell.
Jill stayed silent for the meal, eating slowly and not making eye contact with the others in their recollections. How could they be so carefree? How could they just break off in the middle of their training to play and laugh and banter with each other. She thought of Peter and how he had been with his Pokémon. The man was strong in heart, if not in body because of his condition. He would drive all of his Pokémon to their limits to train them in speed, or strength or in defenses. She could recall camping with him and being the one he talked to most often, for long hours into the night. How he would tell her his dreams of seeing the League gates open in front of him and how proud he was of her for achieving every new win against another trainer or gym leader. As she looked around at the table though, there was Sasha, who, every time she turned her gaze on Jack would stop for an extra long time just to watch him and smile. And there was Laura, who could look at Jack for hours and not realize that not only was she drooling, but that she hadn't taken the bite of food of her spoon. And Maya, who gazed at Jack with the kind of look she remembered giving Peter so long ago now. Had it really been 12 years? Did she really lose that much time inside her Pokéball? As she looked then at Jack, who smiled at all of his Pokémon, her included, she got the same sense of rightness that Peter gave her back then around the fire. She found that when she looked at Jack she saw Jack's face, and for the first time in a long time, Peter's wasn't there to interrupt.
She was Jack's Pokémon now, and they were all headed for the League Championship.
There was no place she would rather be.
The next morning Blaine made his way to the remnants of his city gym and found a note posted on the door. There was a message written on it and as he read it he smiled widely.
"It heals all, but not forever. Trapping memories is its pleasure. But when the smallest thing pulls the trigger, it makes that wound all the bigger. What am I?" It was signed by Jack and he read it again. "Time," he said to himself. "Never heard that one before." There was a post script below the riddle. "I'll take good care of her. I promise." Blaine smiled all the wider, knowing that indeed, Jill was safe and at peace again.Chapter End Notes:And that's how that goes. Whew... Glad I got that off my chest. That's all for a little while. Be back soon