CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: PECULIAR ATMOSPHERE

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Dawn broke across the horizon, and because he'd forgotten to shut the curtains, Jay awoke to the blinding rays of the sun. He failed to withhold a groan as he covered his face with his hands and roused his roommate from sleep.

Ken slowly rose from his lying position, stifling a yawn to glare at Jay who had taken to rolling around on the floor. It's much too early to deal with this. "What are you doing?"

"It's too bright," he complained, burrowing under his pillow.

"Then shut the curtains."

"Don't wanna."

Ken closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply. He could abstain from sharp comments at six in the morning.

Jay stood up and stretched, sighing in relief as his joints popped. He chuckled as Ken cringed and plopped beside the pale teen on his bed.

"Did you have sweet dreams?" he asked in a teasing voice.

Ken knew better than to trust him. He narrowed his eyes. "I slept well."

"Did you—" the spelunker leaned in and lowered his voice "—dream of your girlfriend?" He smirked upon seeing Ken's fair complexion redden. "You did, didn't yoUAHHH!"

Jay's yelp resembled a strangled Chatot as he was shoved off the bed onto the hard floor. He landed with a thud and groaned in pain as he rubbed his aching behind.

"Dude, I was kidding."

Fuming with hot embarrassment and anger ready to burst forth, Ken hissed a curse underneath his breath and stormed to the bathroom. He splashed his face with cold water to soothe his flushed skin. The heat boiling inside him dissipated.

Curious to see the color, Ken removed the amulet from beneath his shirt and scrutinized it. The rosy jewel had adopted a purple tint over the past couple of days, going from a coral pink to a hue reminiscent of the carnations planted adjacent to the daycare. Alice's hopeful expression on the Prism Tower flickered in his mind, and the blush reappeared in a deeper shade.

"You okay in there?" Jay called through the door.

Ken tucked the amulet under his clothes. "I'm fine."

* * *

The party of five left the Bristow home in the following hours in high spirits. There were but two stops left in the tour, and both the hosts and participants couldn't wait to part ways. With the radio blasting and wind combing through their hair, Dan sped Sassy to Laverre City.

An uneasy feeling settled upon Ken as they reached their destination. An eery aura radiated from the area, sending chills down his spine. He'd never been one for superstitions, but the overgrown willow trees draping atop rickety houses and mushrooms jutting out of logs that lined the streets made him think twice. Even the elderly and children gathered at a park they passed stared at them with hollow eyes and vacant faces.

Jay voiced his discomfort first, "Is it just me, or is this place hella creepy?"

"It's always been like this," Alice said, keeping her gaze straight ahead. "Not to be mean or generalizing or anything, but Laverre City's really, really weird."

Bailey twisted around to read aloud from the pamphlet, "According to historians, Laverre City was created by a mysterious, supernatural force produced by a tree 1,500 years ago. Its nickname is 'the City of Otherworldly Dreams'."

Ken folded his arms across his chest. 'Otherworldly' isn't reassuring at all. Other worlds I have knowledge of are the Distortion World and the Mirror World, and neither of them bring good fortune.

"I saw a drama about Laverre City," Alice mentioned, earning Jay's and Ken's attention, "and it was about a witch who lived here. She had a Hypno bring children to her house and then she'd use their body parts for rituals." The brunette grimaced at the recollection. "It was based off an old folktale."

"Why would you watch such a thing?" he asked.

She shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile. "It had good ratings."

The crumbling shrubbery cleared as the group traveled further into the town. Pastel cafés and bushels of flowers hanging from windows greeted them with friendly open arms. However, Dan sailed past them in favor for a large parking lot located at the front of a red-and-white facility emitting tons of smoke from its brick chimneys. Poké Ball statues the size of Donphan decorated the pathways, and a tall, emerald green fence lined the perimeter.

"Up, up, up!" Dan chanted, hastily unlocking the doors and shutting off the engine. He began walking without them and explained, "We were supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"

Ignoring Ken's sharp comment and Alice's whine of protest at the chore of having to move quickly, Dan grabbed ahold of the two and ran to the building with Bailey and Jay in pursuit. The green-haired man released them from his grasp as the glass doors slid open and revealed an amused man all too familiar to the three teenagers.

"Welcome," Casper greeted, scanning the five. Ken was giving Jay a miffed look, his half-brother was ignoring the blond and whistling, Dan and Bailey were straightening their clothes, and Alice was fanning herself.

"Sorry we're late," Dan apologized, offering a regretful grin.

The elder waved his hand and stepped aside to let them in. "Don't fret too much; you're the only company scheduled for today. My name is Casper, and I'll be your guide."

The trio were struck with confusion as they ventured into the factory. Perhaps it was due to the unnerving energy surrounding Laverre City, but the further they wandered into the building, the tenser they became. An unknown pressure suffocated the passageways only to thicken at the operation center.

The metallic creaks and groans of the machines filled the air as did electronic buzzing and beeping. Multicolored lights affixed to walls and steel blinked on and off, unsynchronized to the noise of the racket. Emotionless workers stationed beside the conveyor belts completed their tasks robotically, their movements stiff as they picked up Poké Balls to inspect then placed them down for the next person.

Alice paused near a worker, her brows furrowing in puzzlement. Identical to the others, the worker donned a charcoal gray-and-white jumpsuit with collars resembling turtle necks. She eyed his peculiar bowl cut and spun heel when she met his annoyed glare.

"Their outfits were different the last time I was here," she told Ken, hiding behind him to shield herself from the irritated man. "I think that they should've stuck with the polos. Those uniforms are really bad."

Ken noticed the adult shooting daggers at her and glowered himself. They engaged in a staring contest until the other blinked. The Sinnohvian disregarded the smugness of winning such a petty contest and refocused on the tour.

A lengthy, uneventful hour ticked by as Casper lectured them on information no one cared to learn. He noted their boredom and ended his spiel early, handing out Premier Balls as souvenirs. Alice wrinkled her nose in distaste as she recalled her troubles with the pearly Poké Ball. Ken pocketed the device, and Jay latched onto Casper's wrist during his turn.

Jay quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Dude, did you call me over here just so I can go on your boring tour?"

"I wanted to see if you were still on good terms with your friends," Casper answered, shaking off his hold. He reduced his volume and added, "I'm glad to see that you are. Listen closely, Jay. Our family's project is nearly complete. You need to be ready for service at any given time now. Understand?"

"No." He snorted and took a step back. "What are you even talking about? You're acting like this is a top secret mission."

Exasperation reflected in the bluenette's appearance. "This mission, as you call it, is an extremely valuable one. You must not fail your simple task."

Jay's own nerves prickled at his haughty tone. "My 'simple task'—" he made air quotations "—would be a lot simpler if you told me what was going on."

"Just take your leave already."

"What?"

Casper rolled his eyes. "Your friends have exited the building, and I doubt they'll stop to wait on you once they reach the car. Go."

Not believing what he said, Jay glanced over and his jaw dropped upon seeing that the couples had ditched him. An ugly curse burst from his mouth and he chased the four, shouting at them to wait.

Casper sighed and pressed his lips in a thin line. "Do take care in completing your duties for once in your life."

* * *

An unintelligent idea would be to search for an infamous witch house in the woods during the evening. An even more unintelligent idea would be to search for an infamous witch house in the woods on a stormy evening with dark clouds overhead promising heavy showers and rumbling thunder. The most unintelligent idea, however, would be agreeing to this perilous trip despite knowing how it would turn out.

Why did I allow this to happen? Ken wondered as Alice continued to ramble on about the tale of the evil witch who lived in Laverre City.

According to the website she pulled up, the witch didn't actually reside in the city. Instead, her house was located on the outskirts in a boggy region akin to a swamp. Jay was the person to suggest that they tried to find it, but he abandoned the duo only ten minutes into the expedition due to stomach problems.

Able to smell the oncoming rain, Ken attempted to discourage his companion once again, "Alice, we should turn back. This is a terrible idea. In fact, this idea is so horrendous that not even Dan nor Bailey wanted to partake in it."

"That's because Dan's scared of Ghost-types," Alice replied. "The witch's house can't be that far off. Kids try to find it all the time!"

"How many of these children become lost?"

"We're smarter than ten year-olds, Ken."

She continued grinning all the while, radiating sunshine despite the lack of it. Ever since last night on the Prism Tower when it clicked that Ken liked her back, she'd been unable to remove her rose-tinted glasses. Butterfree danced in her stomach, and she found herself smiling at anything. Jay took advantage of her jovial attitude by convincing her to go witch house hunting, therefore causing her to beg Ken to accompany the two.

Something wet landed on her scalp, breaking her out of her reverie. Alice blinked then raised her chin to the dark sky. Minute raindrops descended onto the earth, wetting her face and dragging her lips into a troubled frown.

"Shoot," she mumbled.

"I warned you that this would happen," Ken pointed out. "Let's turn back before it worsens."

Alice swept her gaze across the path one last time, and she gasped. Almost entirely obscured by ivy so it seemed a broad, misshaped tree among a handful of saplings was what appeared to be a broken-down hut.

"Look!" she exclaimed.

He scowled. "That cannot be safe. Alice, Alice—"

Excited to see if the drama had done a faithful adaptation of the real house, Alice bounded forward with her cracked phone in-hand. She circled the wooden home then found the door cleared of foliage. Careful to have one hand on her Poké Ball in case of emergency, she entered the odious abode with a tired Ken trailing behind.

The musty scent of damp, rotted wood matched the crude interior. Floorboards creaked underfoot, littered with decaying leaves and food wrappers. Empty cupboards barely hanging on the wall lied above a once usable stove that had weeds growing out of it. No light illuminated the shack except Alice's phone.

"This place is creepy and all," Alice commented, "but I don't see the big pot anywhere."

Ken refused to budge from his place in the threshold. "It's an urban legend, of course there isn't a cauldron."

"Usually myths have some truth to them." She peeled off ivy from a countertop and found a cracked kettle. "I thought you liked stories like that."

"The legends I admire are different," he said, watching her as she wandered around. "Be careful; you'll catch tetanus from handling that."

She retracted her hand then walked back to Ken, standing in front of him with a curious expression. He stiffened under her doe-eyed stare, flashbacks of yesternight plaguing his thoughts once again.

"What makes your legends better than other people's?" she questioned.

"My legends have factual proof of their existence."

"Like...?"

The amulet dangling from his neck felt a thousand times heavier. He took a deep breath and fingered the chain, raising the jewel connected to the end of it. Alice cocked her head as he brandished the gem and stepped closer, perplexed by how it glowed.

"This is a family heirloom," Ken began, never looking away from her face. "It has been passed down in my family generation to generation since the dawn of time." He paused, noticing how soft her features appeared in the dim cast of the jewel's light. A blush crept up his neck, and he admitted, "You're the first person I've ever shown this to."

Alice tore her curious gaze away from the amulet, and her lips rose into a tender smile. "Aww. It's really beautiful."

The downpour outside picked up, drumming steadily against the rooftop. Ken moved farther into the shelter. He came nearer to Alice. Hands brushing hers as she ran her fingers on the smooth surface of the ornament, he relaxed under her touch. No longer frozen and coiled, he enjoyed the warmth she brought in contrast to his cold digits.

Umber met indigo. Past thoughts forgotten, worries set aside, and fear bridled, they leaned in. Lips touched in a soft and gentle embrace, subduing everything else in the world. For just a brief, fleeting moment, the universe held its breath and allotted the two a treasured memory for eternity.

Ken's free hand cupped Alice's cheek after the kiss. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, and she did the same albeit with a silly grin. Both their faces were painted dark pink and bordered on converting into a crimson hue. Not even the chilled air the rain carried could cool them.

Excited and confident from the exchange, Alice kissed his cheek and giggled. Her cheeks burned as she met his gaze once more and confessed, "I think I really like you."

Ken mirrored her beaming and stroked her face with his thumb. "I adore you, as well."

Embarrassment surged over Alice at the sight of his tender gaze, so she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. He returned the hug and leaned his chin atop her head, grinning. Foolish or not, they wouldn't have the exchange any other way.

The sensation wasn't one of crackling electricity nor exploding fireworks. No, it was one of sweet gratification that transformed the rainfall into music crafted by a secret, private orchestra and made their shy caresses feel like the dawn of spring succeeding a frosty winter.

* * *

The rain ceased from heavy drops to a thin sprinkle half an hour later. Deciding to take advantage of the lull, Ken and Alice began their retreat back to the hotel. The soggy earth swallowed the soles of their shoes, and more than once did they lose their footwear to the vacuum-like mud.

A rustling noise startled them, making Alice leap a foot into the air and Ken spin around to locate the source. Bushes shifted as something crept through them, shaking the leaves and snapping twigs. Beady black eyes caught Alice's phone's flashlight, and she reached for her Poké Balls. Her fingers grazed the spheres, and the creature halted.

She cleared her throat and called out, "Hello?" The figure shuffled in place. She crouched down, careful not to get covered in muck. "I won't battle you if you show yourself."

"Don't stray too close. Wild Pokémon aren't to be trusted," Ken warned as she approached the dense undergrowth.

"I know, I know," she responded. She stretched her palm out to the unknown Pokémon and nodded. "I won't hurt you. Why don't you come say 'hi'?"

Neither individual stirred. Alice was about to leave when a slimy substance akin to thick goo coated her hand. She yelped in surprise and fell back straight into the mud. A jello-like mass of sludge clung to her arm as she flailed, too distracted by the attack to regard how she sent buckets of mud flying into the air.

"Di~tto!"

Alice's thrashing stopped long enough for her to recognize her assailant. It was no taller than two feet and wore the typical blank mask native to Laverre City's natives. A breath of relief escaped her as she recognized its bubblegum pink form and petite features.

"You scared me." Alice chuckled, prodding Ditto's side. Her fingers sunk into its tacky body, and she regretted her choice of actions immediately.

Ken flicked off the muck Alice knocked onto him, frowning in discontent. "Are you going to catch it?"

"I'm good," she said, rising to her feet. Ditto stuck to her arm like wet glue, and she laughed. "Okay, I have to go now, Ditto."

"To," it gurgled, refusing to let go.

Ken enlarged Alakazam's Poké Ball, ready to let it sail. "Do you need assistance?"

"I'm fine," she reassured, batting away the tri-colored tool. "Ditto will let go sometime."

Alice spoke too soon. Ditto latched onto her arm for the entire duration of their traveling. It slithered from its position holding onto her arm up to her shoulder. She had no problems with Ditto, but Ken kept it in the corner of his eye at all times.

Once they arrived at the sidewalk leading up to the hotel, Ken spoke up, "Catch Ditto or send it off. It's hazardous carrying wild Pokémon into facilities that have people who aren't Trainers and can't protect themselves."

"Ditto wouldn't hurt anybody." Nonetheless, she scooped Ditto into her hands and attempted to lay it down. Ditto whined. "It's time to go home, Ditto."

"Ditto,"

"Please?"

"To."

This will never end, Ken lamented.

Ten minutes later, Alice managed to pry Ditto off of her. As they walked away, she looked over her shoulder and found the Normal-type to be missing. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, and regret gnawed on her stomach. It was too late to catch it now.

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Author's Note

They finally kissed! Kalice grew up so fast :,)

Question of the Chapter: What's your favorite type of Poké Ball?