章節 5: Not paradise
The food in the "prison" was surprisingly decent. The breakfasts were hearty, often consisting of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and slices of fresh fruit. The lunch and dinner menus changed every day, offering a range of options that included both meat and vegetarian dishes. Whether or not the scrambled eggs actually came from chickens, Jared didn't really care, it all tasted good enough. Over the next few days, Ailani visited Jared and brought him his promised 'creature comforts,' such as books and newspapers. Initially, Jared was feeling down about being locked up, especially since there was no television in this world. However, thanks to the books, he found himself learning a lot about various subjects and the happenings on Alola. Additionally, his sunburn had healed nicely.
Jared had been waiting for Ailani to bring him more books, but instead, she arrived with news of his freedom, holding it in her very hands.
"Good morning Jared. Will you please come with me?" she asked.
After a minute, Jared found himself sitting across from Ailani in a room that looked identical to the one where he had been interrogated all those days ago.
Ailani's voice interrupted Jared's thoughts. "It's unfortunate that you were unable to recover your memories; however, I have some good news for you," she said with a smile. "We have expedited your application for temporary citizenship and will provide you with subsidized residency for four months, along with a monthly stipend. During this time, you will be required to attend Halu College to fill in your missing knowledge."
"What happens if I never remember? Can I still stay here? Can I work?" Jared asked.
"I'm certain that reasonable actions will be taken in that event," the chief replied, shoving the papers she was holding into his hands. "These are your temporary citizenship papers, and underneath that is your new address and bank account number. Just below that, you'll find a house key taped on as well. You already have the map I gave you the other day, so I'm sure you can easily find your way to your temporary home."
From within her pocket, she pulled out a small rudimentary phone and handed it over. "Do you know how this device works?" she asked.
"I think so," Jared replied, looking it over.
"In case you don't, there are instructions on one of those papers. I also wrote down our station's number, as well as Makoa's private number. Please don't hesitate to call him if you remember anything. You can make as many calls as you like using that device, but don't abuse it," Ailani instructed.
As Jared stepped out of the police station, he took a deep breath of the warm, fresh air. He felt the sun's rays beating down on him and shielded his eyes with his hand as he made his way down the smooth stone steps. Jared's skin, pale and slightly blistered skin was exposed to the sun for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Looking around, Jared had noticed that the Arcanine that had been in the lobby was nowhere to be seen, and the dog bed had been removed as well. He briefly wondered where they had gone, but he didn't feel like solving this mystery right now.
Outside, the area around the police station was somewhat deserted, but he could still see a few Pokémon and their handlers going about their business. Jared noticed that most of the Pokémon he saw were common water types such as Poliwags, Woopers, and Merrils, with a sprinkling of others like Pidgey, Rattata, and Machops. The lack of evolved pokemon made him curious, but he was more interested in getting to his new accomodations.
Feeling a little out of sorts, Jared pulled out his phone, only to quickly remember that it didn't have a screen and needed to be plugged in. He sighed, realizing that he would have to adjust to life without much technology for a while.
With the map in hand, Jared oriented himself and began walking toward his temporary home. As he walked further in, the once wide and beautiful streets beginning to narrow. The further he went the more unkempt the streets became. The number of people walking the streets didn't decrease much, but they moved a little quicker and there were fewer Pokémon to be seen. The city he had seen so far had appeared to be a well-maintained paradise, but now, cracks were starting to appear in that idyllic image.
Jared wondered if this was the pokemon equivalent of the ghetto.
As Jared continued walking, the streets, which had once been wide and orderly, had now given way to narrow and winding alleys, barely wide enough for four people to walk side by side. The transition had been gradual at first, but now it was impossible to ignore.
Jared peered closely at the people he walked past, and noticed that they looked tired and wary, as if they had seen too much. Their clothes were old and worn, with patches of dirt and grime that seemed ingrained into the fabric. He saw a few people huddled together in doorways, sharing a meager meal, and others sitting on the curb, staring off into the distance with hollow eyes.
As he continued on, he realized he had entered a small shop distract. He saw a variety of shops and establishments lining the narrow alleys. The first shop he passed had a sign that read "Gloom's Garden," with a picture of a happy-looking Gloom tending to a row of potted plants. The entrance was boarded up, but through a broken window he could see packs of scattered seeds, and broken down gardening tools littering the store.
The next store he passed was called "Geodude's Gems," but the window was shattered and the interior was covered in a layer of dust. He could barely make out the outline of a display case in the back of the store, which looked like it had been ransacked long ago.
All the other stores had no signs, and had clearly been repurposed as living spaces.
Further down the alley, he found the only shop that seemed to have any business. It was a small restaurant with a sign that read "Farfetch'd Fare," featuring a picture of a happy-looking Farfetch'd holding a platter of food. People were seated on the patio outside, and the aroma of grease and spice wafted out, making his stomach growl. Inside the restaurant, a few customers were enjoying their meals. In the dimly lit dining area, he noticed a few Meowth lounging under the tables. Perhaps they were waiting for scraps.
Despite the poverty and hardship evident in the area, the people and Pokemon seemed to be making the most of what they had, carving out a life for themselves amidst the chaos.
Passing through another alley, few wizened old men walking side by side, Jared passed by them quickly and couldn't help but notice they reeked of beer. Soon he found himself standing in front of a small townhouse. There was graffiti scrawled on the side in bright, neon colors, and a few steps away from the house was a street pole, but no light. It was now acting as nothing more than a monument to a time when things were different.
Jared took a deep breath and looked around him. The alley was home to a combined total of twenty cramped homes, all of them in a state of disrepair. There was a vibe of poverty and desperation that Jared knew all too well, having grown up in similar circumstances.
"Ah... the neat and beautiful red-tiled roof houses, and the beautiful gardens started to give me the impression that poverty and crime didn't exist here, but how wrong I was," he muttered to himself. "No matter this world or mine, humans are still the same aren't we?"
Looking his new home up and down, Jared shook his head with a small amount of exasperation, "My new home has already been vandalized..." he remarked to himself. He took another quick look around and noticed that he was the only soul in sight. All the houses had their doors firmly shut, as if to keep out the outside world.
Before returning the key, he by chance looked next door. Behind a broken glass window in the house next door there stood an unhealthily thin child, no more than three years old. Jared watched the child for a while, but soon averted his gaze with a sigh. With each passing moment, this place transforms into a world akin to Earth. It reminded him of his own neighborhood, where crack addicts and drug dealers ruled the streets. Where the duality of humanity's nature is on full display, with both cruelty and kindness existing starkly side by side.
Looking back to where the child had been, Jared saw nothing except the shadow of the window, "Maybe I should call the police about that child... maybe there is something akin to social services in this world?" he pondered.
"At least my windows are intact, small as they might be! Not bad, not bad!" he said to himself, trying to convince himself that things could be worse.
After struggling the door open, Jared muttered to himself, "Door needs work... maybe I can buy some tools?" As he walked through the small house, he found a single dirty mattress in the bedroom and a chair without a desk. "Well, beggars can't be choosers," he thought to himself.
In the bathroom, he noticed a wooden basin serving as a makeshift bathtub. "At least it's cleaner than I expected, and the toilet flushes," he said, trying to find some comfort in the situation. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, Jared knew he would make do for now.
Jared let out a deep sigh as he settled onto the mattress. "A small pity about the hot water, but this is already better than I deserve. I got this place for free after all," he smiled, taking in the simplicity of his new home. He couldn't help but feel grateful for the roof over his head, even if it others would simply see it as a rundown shack in the middle of nowhere.
As he lay there, he realized that the mattress was much harder than it appeared. "Hard as a rock... that hurt," he groaned, shifting his weight to find a more comfortable position.
After a few minutes of rest, Jared mustered up the strength to face the stubborn door again as he wanted to go outside. He wrestled with the handle for what felt like an eternity before finally managing to pry it open. He then sat down on the porch steps and pulled out his map.
Studying it carefully, he traced his finger along the roads until he found the nearest food store. It was a good twenty minutes away, but that didn't faze him. He also marked the location of the bank, which wasn't too far from the store. With his plan in place, he committed the route to memory.
But then it hit him – there was something important that he would need, a bag! Opening the map again, he marked a few stores that might possibly sell one. He decided he would check them one by one after hitting up the bank.
Quickly rising to his feet, Jared put away the map, locked the door, and began making his way to the bank. As he walked down the alley, he caught sight of three children, no older than ten, standing together wearing dark and faded clothing. They whispered amongst themselves before scurrying off into another nearby alley. Jared couldn't help but wonder what their story was. Were they orphans? Had they been abandoned by their parents?
Jared shook his head at this sight. Poverty and inequality seemed to be universal constants for people, no matter which world you lived in. Even the innocent were not exempt, as he had seen earlier that day in the window of his neighbours building. He made a mental note to call Makoa, to see if something could be done for these children.
As he turned the corner, the sound of three sets of footsteps could be heard behind him. Jared spun around to see the same three children from before, and before he could react, four more appeared from the other direction. He was surrounded.
Jared quickly realized that he was probably being mugged. Trying to keep his composure, he raised his voice and spoke loudly, standing up straight to appear larger than he was. "What do you kids need?" he demanded.
To his surprise, the seven children seemed taken aback by his sudden outburst. After a moment's hesitation, they turned and disappeared back the way they had come.
Jared breathed a sigh of relief as he continued on his way, but his thoughts were still with those children. "They can't be leading good lives if they have to resort to shaking people down in an alley," he mused to himself. "Maybe if I tell Makoa about them, something can be done."
But as he walked, doubt crept into his mind. He didn't know enough about how things worked in this world. What if he inadvertently made things worse for the children? What if they were imprisoned instead of helped? He couldn't bear the thought of causing them harm inadvertently.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
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