Blowing Bubbles

Chapter 39: Memories

MILLIES MOTHERS POV

I was in the kitchen, my eyes wet from crying. I took two pieces of bread out from the bread box, and then took some peanut butter out from the pantry. After spreading some of it on one of the bread slices, I went to the fridge to take out some jam. I spread some jam on the other bread slice, put it on top of the one with peanut butter, poured myself a glass of milk, then sat down at the table.
Since Millie left, the house had been quiet. I had been living off of milk, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and instant ramen since I didn't have the energy to cook anymore. I barely left the house, unless it was to get groceries or go to work. I was also becoming somewhat thin, and some of my curly blonde hair was beginning to turn gray. I had a lot of sleepless nights, because almost all of them were spent either crying or praying that Millie was safe.
As I bit into my peanut butter sandwich, a waterfall of tears began rolling down my cheek and onto my sandwich, making it slightly soggy. Flashbacks of Millie began flooding my mind. I remembered when she scribbled all over the living room wall with a red crayon when she was a baby. I remembered when we lived in Eterna City in the Sinnoh region, in a house next to the grass type gym. I remembered taking Millie with me to Veilstone city occasionally to go shopping in the department store there. I remembered the pain I felt when I told Millie that my husband and I were divorcing, and that her and I would be moving to the Alola region. That pain was nothing compared to the pain I was feeling right now.
I angrily slammed my fist onto the table, causing my plate to fall off and break, glass shards big and small scattering all over the wooden floor. "DAMMIT, CAROLINE!" I screamed at myself. "IF YOU HAD JUST LET MILLIE KEEP THAT POPPLIO, NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED!" I looked up in sadness at a family picture on the wall, making me have another flashback.

—-FLASHBACK—-
Millie was five years old. Her, me, and my husband, Wren Webb, were out for a walk in the streets of Eterna City. We also had our pet growlithe, Rusty, with us.
Just then, we saw a woman with half brown, half black hair, orange shorts and a black, long sleeved crop top. Over the crop top was a huge green cloak, and she had green boots.
"Hi there," she greeted. "Hi," Wren replied, then widened his eyes. "Hey...I know you! You're Gardenia, the gym leader of this city!" "Yep," Gardenia confirmed. "That's me. The gym leader after Roark, and the gym leader before Maylene. I specialize in grass types!" "Sweet! Hey, listen, can I challenge you?" Wren asked. I looked at him with concern. "Honey, you don't have any pokemon," I reminded. "I could use Rusty," Wren pointed out. "He has the type advantage." "Rusty isn't good at battling," I told him, "but if you want to try, by all means."

Wren had lost that battle, since Gardenias Cherubi had defeated Rusty in one hit. "Daddy, is you mad?" Millie asked. "No, sweetie," Wren replied. "Daddy's just...frustrated." "You should heal your Growlithe," Gardenia reminded. "I will," Wren replied with determination, "but after that, I'm taking Rusty out to train. Maybe he'll evolve, too."

We never saw Rusty or Wren much after that day, since they were outside all the time to train. If they weren't training, they were challenging Gardenia; and losing. Wren got so obsessed with training Rusty that he quit his job so he and Rusty could train. Thankfully I had a job, so we could still make money to send Millie to school and pay the bills for our house. I usually brought Wren and Rusty lunch and dinner, because they always left early in the morning, and didn't come home until late at night. I began to worry about Rusty, since it never seemed like he got any breaks.

Almost half a year since Wren and Rusty started training, I noticed Wren was being a little more harsh towards Rusty.
One day, I saw Rusty try to burn a bush by using ember. He missed, though, so Wren, to my surprise and horror, punched Rusty across the face, then hit him. "You useless mutt!" Wren scolded. "You're so weak! When will you evolve, dammit?!"

A year and a half later, it got to the point where Rusty would rarely obey Wren, despite how many times he scolded him for it. Rusty still hadn't evolved yet, and Wren wouldn't let Rusty eat unless he found and defeated a water type pokemon from the nearby pond, which must have been hard. They had begun to sleep outside in a tent instead of coming home.

One day, Wren and Rusty finally came home. Wrens caramel blonde hair was messy, and his face and clothes were full of burns. Rusty, on the other hand, looked angry, hungry, and tired.
"We finally beat Gardenia," Wren stated. "Rusty fainted in the process, but I gave him a kick and made him get back up."
I turned around and saw Millie run out of her room. "Rusty!" She ran up and hugged the exhausted Growlithe. "Hi, buddy!" Rusty flailed around, trying to escape from Millies hug. Then, to my disbelief, Rusty bit Millie on the cheek, then began to attack her. Millie, who was crying now, got up and ran away, but Rusty ran after her, trying to use ember.

Pretty soon, I managed to grab Rusty, pull him up by the scruff, and put him outside. The feral pokemon tried to run away, but I clipped on his leash and tied it to the bottom of the railing next to our front steps. I then walked back inside, ready to give Wren a piece of my mind.
"You monster!" I yelled. "What have you done to our pet pokemon???" "Caroline, we can get another one!" Wren protested. "No way in hell!" I retorted. "After Millie got bit by Rusty, I've realized how dangerous pokemon can be! We're never getting another pokemon if its the last thing we do!" "How is this my fault?!" "You're the one who made Rusty feral! You're the reason he bit Millie! You chose ambition over family!" "I didn't choose ambition over family! I love my family!" "If you actually loved your family, you would come home once in a while! By the way, I'm releasing Rusty. Our pride and joy is a wild pokemon now, thanks to you!"

Wren and I were still screaming at each other after about twenty minutes. "Like I said, Caroline," Wren argued, "it's not completely my fault Rusty's gone feral!" "Here we go again," I retorted. "Just shut up and admit it! Rusty's gone feral because of your stupid training! Wren, you didn't even have to challenge Gardenia!" "No, but I wanted to! By the way, you don't need to release Rusty. Tomorrow, him and I are going to go to the top of Mount Cornet and challenge the legendary pokemon Palkia, who controls space!" "Well you're going to have to find a place to stay, because I'm not letting you sleep in my house tonight!" "Good! I grew to hate both you and Millie!"
I looked at Wren, feeling a mixture of shock and anger at the words he spoke. Both of us went silent, and the only thing I heard was Millie bawling in her bedroom; she had obviously heard what Wren had said.
I clenched my fists with fury as I began to cry. "THEN LEAVE!!!"
Wrens eyes grew wide with shock, but I continued to scream at him. "I don't ever want to see your face again! In fact, just so I'm sure Millie and I won't see you anymore, we're going to move! You're nothing but a selfish, heartless man who doesn't deserve to be a father, a husband, or a pokemon trainer! Pack your bags and LEAVE MY PROPERTY, NOW!!!" With that, Wren went to our room and packed his suitcase. Soon, he left hesitantly.

Millie and I then moved to Alola, two weeks after Wren and I divorced.
—-FLASHBACK ENDS HERE—-

Millie...I hope you're okay, I prayed. I'm not sure where you are right now, but please...don't treat your Popplio the same way your father treated Rusty. I love you with all my heart, and I hope you come home safe.