As mentioned in my earlier post, Two Car Train is officially discontinued.
However, as an extra bonus for the Tumblr crowd, I'm putting the unfinished chapter 5 beneath the cut, which you can read if you want to.
[[I will be using square brackets to fill in missing scenes.]]
Station help up a hand, motioning for Lian to stop. “Did you hear that?”
They had been heading back to the settlement, earlier than Station would normally start the trek back but he didn’t want Lian to be out here when night fell.
“You mean the Pokémon?” Lian asked. “It sounds like a fight.”
“Yes,” Station agreed grimly, then took off at a sprint. “It’s hurt.”
“Wait! Wait up!” Lian hurried after him on his much shorter legs. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to run away, not towards it!”
If anything Station only quickened his pace, hoping he would be able to finish the battle before Lian caught up so he could keep the kid out of danger. He crested the hill, and spotted a flock of rufflets harassing a small curled up form. That wouldn’t do. He slid down the slope towards them and tossed out a pokeball.
Magikarp sailed towards the gang like a frisbee, crashing right into the middle of the flock and startling them into taking fight.
“Karp!” Magikarp splashed cheerfully.
“Bravo! Well done. Thank you.” He returned her to her ball and crouched down next to the cowering machop. “Greetings! Don’t be afraid. We are here to help!”
It hesitantly uncovered it’s head and looked up at him. The rufflets had done a number on it. Station offered it an Oran berry. It didn’t take it. He placed it on the ground. “Your cab needs maintenance and I don’t have enough supplies on me to heal you completely.”
It didn’t seem to understand any of that, boggling at him in complete confusion. “The most efficient course of action would be to take you back to the settlement and heal you there.” He pulled out a pokeball and it flinched back, kicking its feet to scuttle backwards.
Station pulled back. “I won’t hurt you. It’s only a pokeball. For transport. You’ll be safer inside.”
“What. Is. Wrong with you!?” Lian panted, having finally caught up. “What are you doing?!”
“It needed help,” Station said and pointed at the machop. It almost felt too obvious to be worth mentioning but Lian had asked.
Lian threw an exasperated hand towards the sky. “Great. Now we need help.”
Station looked up. The rufflets had not dispersed and were circling above them, flying in formation in a way that reminded him of a… dance.
Shit.
“Ah,” he said, sounding much calmer than he felt. “That’s bad.”
“Indubitably,” Lian agreed.
The birds blurred together and dove towards the ground.
“We should run,” Station said.
“I concur,” Lian said, already booking it.
Station glanced down at the machop, who had curled up again in fright. “Please don’t punch me,” he muttered and scooped it up, cradling the machop to his chest. It squeaked in surprise but, fortunately, it was too startled to punch him.
He dove to the side as the giant fusion plunged down, talons raking the ground where they had been. Shit! That was too close. It beat its many wings and ascended again, preparing for another attack.
He easily caught up to Lian and soon began to outpace him. Even though his instincts screamed at him not to, he slowed down so that he lagged behind Lian. After all, it would be the slowest group member who got targeted. Should they pick him up? Lian certainly wouldn’t appreciate it, but that was the least important factor right now. But he was already carrying Machop. Carrying two passengers might be slower than travelling separately.
“Look!” Lian pointed ahead. “We’re almost home!”
Suddenly, what Station needed to do became crystal clear. He couldn’t lead the rampaging Pokémon into the settlement.
Station turned on his heel and unclipped a pokeball from his belt.
And cornobbled the fusion, knocking it out of it’s flight path and sending it crashing into the snow.
“What are you doing?!” Lian wailed.
[Station and Lian fight the fusion and win!]
——
“We have arrived at our destination.”
Machop looked up at him, confused. Station crouched down so he was at her level. “This near where we met, yes?”
She bobbed her head.
“Right. So.” Station absentmindedly rotated her pokeball between his fingers. “You are all better now. Fully operational! That is good. I understand that when you acquiesced to capture it was under duress. A temporary solution to an emergency situation. That’s over now.”
“Chop?” She cocked her head, uncomprehending.
“You can go home,” Station said. “You have the option. I will release you, if you wish.”
She warbled and stepped closer to them. She hesitantly placed her hand on his wrists, light as a butterfree. She didn’t seem to comprehend what he was offering.
“Don’t you want to go home?” Station asked. “Don’t you have things to do, places to be? You were taken quite abruptly. Isn’t there anything you want to return to? Things you left undone?”
She stared at him with a concerned sort of confusion.
“Don’t you have family? Friends? …Aren’t you loved? Isn’t there someone, anyone, who will miss you, if you do not return? Someone who will look for you if you’re not at your station?” He practically begged her. “You didn’t even get to say goodbye. So you can’t. You can’t stay. You’ll be homesick. And lost and confused and…”
She reached up to brush at his cheeks and dab under his eyelashes with a tender sort of awkwardness. He reached up to grasp her hands to keep her from poking out his eyes out by accident. Machop’s hands were wet. So was his face.
Station swallowed, suddenly aware of the lump in his throat. “Sorry. My apologies. I got off track.” He flicked her ball open, intending to snap it at the hinge. “It’s a bit of a waste, but I can’t recall a release method that doesn’t involve breaking the ball so…”
Machop let out an alarmed cry and tugged the pokeball away from them, cradling it to her chest.
Station glanced between his now empty hands and her. “You want to keep it? A little unorthodox but I don’t see why not. Be your own master… or something.”
She sat down in the snow with a huff, protectively shielding the ball from Station.
“Isn’t that cold?” he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him. “I suppose you would be used to it.”
After some hesitation, Station shuffled around so that he was sitting beside her. Yep. He was right. It was cold. And wet. A bit miserable all around. “You seem upset. Are you mad at me?”
“Mmm.” She looked at her feet and petted her pokeball, as if it were something alive that needed comforting.
“Is it because…” and he couldn’t believe he was saying this. “You would rather stay? With me?”
Machop jerkily nodded.
“…Why?” He didn’t understand. Was her previous life truly so terrible? Or maybe it was different for Pokémon. It wasn’t uncommon for Pokémon to couple themselves to promising trainers. Gligar and Magikarp had certainly been eager to join him. Still, Machop didn’t seem like the type who would like to pursue battling. What would prompt her to leave the only home she had ever known?
Machop leaned against him, pillowing her head against the crook of his arm.
The whole point of this exercise had been to give her a choice. To give her an opportunity that Station had not gotten. And she had made her decision. It was not the answer that Station had been expecting but, unfathomable as it was, it was her truth.
“I see. If that’s is truly what you want, then it would be an honour to have you with us.” He opened his hand expectantly. “Don’t worry, I won’t break it unless you change your mind.”
With some hesitancy, she retuned the ball to him. Station pulled it back before she could enter it again and she squeaked in betrayal. “Sorry, I just wanted to let you know that you can change your mind. This is a standing offer. If you ever want to be released you just need to to tell me, okay?”
“Chop,” she grumbled and vanished into the pokeball in a flash of light.
With a huff of amusement Station reattached her pokeball to his belt. He stood and shook off the snow clinging to his pants and coat.
The area around him had grown so foggy it was difficult to discern the world around him. Coupled with the snowfall covering his tracks, it was impossible to tell the way he had come from. The fog had set in so quickly and he hadn’t even noticed. It seemed… unnatural.
Slow clapping sounded from behind him and he spun to see Volo’s figure emerging from the haze, mist curling around him like drapery. His uncovered eye shone through the gloom, glacial blue.
“Oh, how sweet,” he drawled, rolling his eyes.
Station squinted at him. “You are not Volo.”
Not-Volo spluttered, mouth opening and closing rapidly. “How did you-?! No! I am Volo! What makes you say that?!”
“Volo would act more like…” Station smiled widely, leaned forward with a hand on his hip and waggled his pointer finger. “My, what a showing from my favourrrrite customer! Putting my pokeballs to good use I see! You weirdo, you!” He winked. “Have you remembered anything yet?”
Not-Volo’s lip curled. “V- I would not fucking say that.”
Station shrugged, letting his smile and the persona drop. “Maybe. Maybe not. His eyes are definitely grey though.”
Said blue-but-should-be-grey eyes widened as it’s hands (already lengthening into claws) flew to it’s face, as if it could feel the imperfections. It snarled and yanked at the illusionary bangs, tearing off the illusion like an orange peel, until frayed away into the ghostly fur of it’s real body.
“…Do I know you?” Something about it seemed familiar. He tilted his head. “Didn’t I give you berries that one time?”
It stilled from tearing at it’s mane,
[Station catches a Zoroark]
——
[Station becomes Lady Sneasler’s Warden]
[Station and Lian talk about how Lian is upset that Station was made a Warden before him]