Chapter 26

Whitney sat on a large rock in the middle of a small clearing. Her small Clefairy doll, Pinky, was in arms. She was waiting for Rapi to come back from her search.

N had been disappearing a lot lately, and didn't come back till late into the night. Whitney had rarely seen Darmanitan, Zorua, or Woobat either. So Rapi had spent most of her time trying find out where they have went.

Rustling bushes behind her announced Rapi's return. Whitney turned her head to see the Ponyta leaping over the thorny rose bushes.

"Did you find him?" Whitney asked before Rapi could say anything.

Rapi shook her head, and said softly "I'm sorry, Whitney. I haven't seen him. I even took the risk of asking other pokemon."

Whitney frowned and turned away. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks, and she squeezed Pinky. Why did he leave her like this?

"Does N like me anymore?" she asked Rapi, trying to keep her voice steady.

Rapi laid next to the large rock and nuzzled against her shoulder.

"Of course he loves you." Rapi said soothingly. "N is getting older. He can't stay here forever."

"You mean he'll leave me?!" White squeaked with horror.

"Not like that! He can't live in the forest for the rest of his life, and neither can you. You both will have to leave, and start a life with your... your own kind." Rapi said the last part with difficulty.

"But I don't want to live with other humans!" She protested. "I want to stay here with you! Everyone probably thinks I'm dead, and my mother won't accept me for who I am! You're like another mother to me! You and the others are my family!"

"I know," the Ponyta said, and she looked touched. "But you will understand when you are older."

Whitney bit back a retort. She hated it when everyone said she had to be older to understand things. Not everyone reached the age to understand things, and those people were the kids who die young.

"But I might be dead tomorrow!" Whitney snapped before she could stop herself.

Rapi gave a small smile and said quietly, "Your life isn't finished yet. Things have yet to be done."

"But what will happen if I die?" she asked.

Rapi was looking very uncomfortable now, but didn't seem to want to break the conversation.

"Well," Rapi started slowly. "There are two paths in life. One is a path with lots of bumps and holes. The other is clean and smooth. Each person in their life has a choice to decide which road they travel on. You have chosen the good road, the bumpy road, to live your life."

"How is the bumpy road good?" Whitney asked, "And how does that help me?"

"You must understand, Whitney, that you chose the path that your religious God placed before you." Rapi told her. "But I am not part of that religion, so you must forgive me if I mess up on this. Your God will lay down problems in your life that you can't get over by yourself. You will need his help, Whitney, I promise you. Do not give up on him, no matter what."

Whitney didn't answer. She had been wondering about if her religion was the real deal. She had been losing faith in God for awhile.

"Does he love me?" she finally asked.

The Ponyta blinked before saying "Who takes care of the birds and the strays?"

"He does." answered Whitney, tilting her head.

"That's right, but he cares for you far more than he cares for the birds." Rapi told her. "He loves you so much, that he let his own son die on a cross to save you. Do you know any other human who would give away his own son to save the human race?"

"No." Whitney replied, and she hugged her Clefairy doll harder. "But what's at the end of each road?"

"Well, if you keep following the bumpy path, you will eventually find a mansion, where your God lives. And when you reach him, he will embrace you with open arms."

"What about the other one?" Whitney asked. The Ponyta's ears twitched.
"Every living thing deserves to go to the place at the end of the clean path. I shall not say the name, because it is used for anger. Let's call it, the Land of Ever Burning Fire. Everyone deserves to burn in the fires for the rest of eternity. But your God made it possible for you to live with him, and avoid the fires of that land."

Whitney started shaking at the thought of burning in fire for eternity.

"Will I be able to go to that mansion?" she asked.

"Are you following that bumpy road?"

"I think so."

"Then you will get there. It's a long way, but I'm sure you will make it to his home."

Rapi put her head on Whitney's. Whitney stopped shaking and loosened her hold on Pinky. She felt a bit calmer now, and wiped away her tears.

More rustling came from the bushes behind them, and Ray the Riolu leapt out to face them.

"I wouldn't go back there if I were you." He said with a smirk.

"Why?" Rapi asked curiously.

"N and the others finally came back, and Di-Di's having a shouting match with Darmanitan." Ray told them.

Rapi sighed and stood up. "I better go then. Whitney, do you want to come back to?"

Whitney shook her head. She didn't like watching Darmanitan argue with anyone. It always got noisy.

"I'll stay too. I don't fancy getting sprayed in the face by that beast."

Rapi flinched when Ray said the word "beast". The Ponyta and Clampearl were best friends, so it must have took quite a lot of energy to keep Rapi from hitting Ray.

Once Rapi was gone, Ray had turned to Whitney asked "What were you two doing?"

"Nothing." answered Whitney, staring at the ground.

Ray snorted. "I'm not stupid, you know. Or was it something private?"

"Well," she started, hesitantly. "It's a bit... personal."

"All right, all right. I know when I'm not wanted." The Riolu snapped.

Whitney flinched. Ray was acting more and more violent lately. Pichu had said he might have been feeling a bit left out.

"Do you know where the guys have been going?" Ray asked.

"No," She said honestly. Ray muttered something and turned away.

Whitney couldn't help but feel uneasy. Everyone was acting different. Ray and Di-Di were acting rude, Rapi was more nervous and jumpy, Pichu was acting frightened of everything, and N and the others were leaving them for long periods of time.

What was happening around here?

***

I set out on a great adventure

The day my Father started leading me home

He said there's gonna be some mountains to climb

And some valleys we're gonna go through

Well I had no way of knowing

Just how hard this journey could be

Cause the valleys are deeper

And the mountains are steeper

Than I ever would have dreamed

But I know we're gonna make it

And I know we're gonna get there soon

And I know sometimes it feels like we're going the wrong way

It's just a long way home

I got some rocks in my shoes

Fears I wish I could lose

That makes the mountains so hard to climb

And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometime

There's a bag of regrets,

My should of beens and not yet

I keep on dragging around

And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay it all down

But I know that day is coming

And I know it's gonna be there soon

And I won't turn back even if the whole world says I'm going the wrong way

Cause It's just a long way home

When we can't take another step

Our Father will pick us up and carry us in His arms

And even on the best days

He said to remember we're not home yet

So don't get too comfortable

Which really all we are

Are just pilgrims passing through

But I know we're gonna make it

And I know we're gonna get there soon

So I'll keep on singing and believing

What all of my songs say

Cause our God has made a promise

And I know that everything He says is true

And I know wherever we go,

He will never leave us

Cause he's gonna lead us home

Every single step of the long way home

We're Just taking the long way home

Taking the long way home

White felt Archy move closer to her as she finished singing. She felt her arm throb as she set her guitar next to the bench she was sitting on.

"I'm surprised you still remember that song. It's been such a long time." Archy finally said.

"I haven't forgotten it. It's kept me alive for years." said White.

Archy and her were now in the amusement park in Nimbassa City, near the Ferris wheel. White had arrived at Nimbassa City at one in the morning. She was held up by her brother though, who had stopped her at the Nimbassa gateway. He had shouted at her for telling Amos about everything, and had tried to get her to back out of the deal. This, N now had learned, was a mistake, because he had angered her so much that White had slapped him across the face.

"Why did you have to hit him?" Archy asked suddenly, as if he knew what White was thinking.

"Because he was acting like a idiot, and he deserved it!" She snapped. "There is a few more things I would like to say, but I don't even know if I'm old enough to be hearing those kind of words."

The Arcanine chuckled but stopped as White clutched at her shoulder.

"Is it hurting again?" he asked.

"It's been hurting for awhile, now." She hissed through clenched teeth.

Her number of injuries had increased since the battle with Amos. White now had a stinging shoulder from Oliver's scalchop, a throbbing arm from falling off Rapi's back, and a sore throat from her lung attack. She still hadn't told N about her breathing attacks.

"Honestly, why don't you go see a doctor?" Archy growled.

"White? Go to the doctor? I can't see that ever happening." Sky Blue's voice said cheerfully.

White looked up to see Sky Blue and his Empoleon walking toward them, Amos running slightly behind him.

"Oh, it's you." White snarled in an unenthusiastic tone.

"Your a bit cranky, aren't you?" Sky said, eyeing White's belt.

"White, is that a gun on your belt?" asked Amos nervously.

Archy's head snapped up and his eyes darted to her belt as well. Next to her pokeballs, was a small black pistol. White snarled and covered the gun with her bag.

"Well, it's not a Love Ball, is it?" she snapped.

"Whitney Joy Gropius, why do you have a gun?!" Archy asked sharply.

"I love it when he uses your full name." said Sky, snickering slightly.

"Stay out of this, Skyler!" White snapped, using Sky's real name and rounding on Archy. Amos had winced and stepped back a bit.

"I have this pistol for self protection! Sometimes pokemon, gadgets, and disguises aren't good enough for defense! Happy?!" she hissed at the Arcanine.

"No, I'm not! Are telling me that you, former Champion of Unvoa, Team Plasma's biggest fear and threat, the girl that was trained by a Lucario to be protected from other kinds of danger, has to carry a gun around? Are you honestly thinking of using it?"

White didn't answer. She was distracted by Sky's muffled laughs, and Pip the Empoleon's giggles. Amos looked very uncomfortable and was messing around with his bag.

"It's not for taking a life. It's for saving one." She said wisely.

"But will you use it?" Archy repeated.

"Maybe."

"Can I be there when you use it?" Sky asked, trying to keep his face straight.

"Be quiet." growled White.

Pip gave a squawk and put his fin over his beak to hide his smile. Sky Blue was so over come with laughs that he collapsed into a bench next to White's. Amos didn't seem to know where to put himself.

"You can sit here." White told him, moving over to make room.

"Thanks." He muttered and sat next to her.

"And when did you arrive here last night?" asked Sky, apparently trying to start a conversation.

"I got here around one." She answered, rubbing her arm. 

"But you left around 11:30, and you were on your Rapidash! How come you got here so late?" said Amos.

White stiffened. She honestly didn't want to say this in front of Sky Blue.

"Tell them. Tell them how you hit him." Archy growled.

"You hit your brother?" Amos asked.

White's face burned as Sky gave a whoop of laughter.

"And if I did?" she snapped to Sky Blue.

"Why did you hit him?" said Pip, grinning slightly.

"That's none of your business!" White snarled.

Thankfully, Amos didn't laugh or smile. He was looking a bit shocked. White was starting to feel ashamed and embarrassed. It was out of anger that made her slap N. It wasn't like she meant to hit him.

"What did he do when you hit him?" Amos finally said.

White shrugged. "He probably would've killed me if he had the chance. I ran away when I slapped him. But Zoroark scratched my arm when he found out."

"And you deserved it." snarled Archy.

This made White stomp on his tail and hiss, "Don't you dare take sides!"

The Arcanine yelped and backed away from her.

Sky stopped laughing and turned to her. "By the way, do you know about a guy named Colress?" he asked, in a suddenly serious voice.

White tilted her head. "No. Why?"

"Well we ran into a oddball called Colress, and he was acting a bit strange." Sky said.

"I thought you didn't like him just because of his hair!" said Amos with a smirk.

"That too. He had yellow and blue hair, and the blue hair went all the way around his head." He told White.

She snorted. "Makes me feel better about my hair." She muttered.

"I find it very lovely, Minty." Pip sneered.

"Stop it if you know what's good for you!" Archy snapped.

The Empoleon only chuckled.

White ignored this. Sky Blue had given her the nickname "Minty" when she first met him. She had earned the name because of her brown and green hair.

"I will not stop." Pip said stubbornly.

Archy started snarling before Amos snapped, "Just be quiet!" The two pokemon looked surprised but didn't continue arguing.

White folded arms had avoided looking at anyone. She was starting to remember her conversation with Rapi when she was younger.

"You will need God's help, I promise you."

It has been years since she had given up Christianity and turned into an atheist. White knew she was now on the path that Rapi had warned her about. Rapi would still try and get her back on the right track, but White would ignore her whenever she brought the subject up.

Would she still be able to get back on that bumpy road?

~~~

Ello.

Hrmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Something's happening cheer. BUT WE MAY NEVER KNOW. Idk anymore

vvv BIG NOTE HERE! PLEASE READ vvv

This will probably/maybe be the last religious part in the story until the end. I'm not sure yet. Thank you for being patient if you are annoyed with the religious parts ;)

I just want to repeat that this book was made for Christian Pokemon Fans who can't find good pokemon books. If you are not a Christian, I think it's great that your still here and reading this! :D

This book is not trying to force people into being a Christian. I am not trying to do that at all. You do not have to be a Christian to read or enjoy this book. This book is not forcing people to give up their religion. It is completely your choice to do what you want :)

I just want to say that I'm proud that you guys are taking that risk in reading this :) It makes me very happy! :D

^^^

Just so you know, I will add a lyric video onto this chapter. It's "Long Way Home" by Steven Curtis Chapman. "Long Way Home" is the song White was singing. REALLY awesome song!

So, thanks for your comments and votes! :D Please leave a comment or vote if you have been enjoying the book so far (That is optional :P) I love you guys!

Bye bye! :D