Anana was not sure how to feel. On the one hand, he was going to do... something. Something bad. She didn't want to think of what it could have been. She couldn't. This lizard was probably not a good Pokemon to begin with and thus probably deserved it. It was probably a long time coming. On the other hand, someone was now impaled in front of her. Did anyone deserve such a fate? She felt dizzy. It was difficult to keep her composure.

Gunpowder finally snapped out of it. His face returned to its usual dumb look. He finally had a chance to assess his situation. He didn't even remember what happened. Still, even. One minute he was staring at the two, the next, he was staring into the dead eyes of Anana's assailant. The look on his face turned to one of shame and fear. He pulled his arm away and let the body hit the floor. He looked over at Anana to see that she was still shaking.

She was just a kid. She acted tough, she acted like an adult, but the reality was she was still young, at least compared to Gunpowder. She was so good at hiding it, but these were not normal circumstances. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She began to bawl. Gunpowder wasn't sure what to do. Touching her in any way to comfort her didn't feel appropriate, since he was likely the cause. Leaving her there to suffer didn't seem appropriate, either. She just witnessed a rather violent death. A murder.

A murder. At Gunpowder's hands. He kept repeating that in his head. He couldn't get over it. He began to panic. He was a mess. What was he going to tell people? How was he going to deal with all of this? What am I going to do?

Gunpowder was fumbling for words. He was trying to explain what had happened, but he was having a hard time. That was when he noticed something unusual about the body. On the thing's shoulder was a tattoo. It sort of resembled Gunpowder's face, except more gnarled. Its sight gave him a sinking feeling in his gut. He understood now. It was that sight, along with Dorsen’s name, that threw him into a fit of rage.

He pointed it out to Anana very calmly. He explained the tattoo was a brand, of sorts. The brand of his family, of his brother. His name was Dorsen. Those with the mark were members of his gang. It had actually been run by Gunpowder's family for generations, hence why the mark resembled his face. Originally, only Pokemon sharing Gunpowder's species and family name were permitted entry to the gang. It seems Dorsen had a different idea of membership, letting such a hideous creature join.

They were a drug cartel, but that's really all Gunpowder knew. Following the death of his parents, he was next in line for taking charge, being older than his brother. When it was offered, he refused and ran. He had no choice but to run. No one refused such an offer and got away with it. Upon learning of Gunpowder's refusal, Dorsen swiftly took over the business and ordered Gunpowder's 'removal.' He had been running ever since. Typical sob story.

That was what caused him to lose it. His brother must have known where he was. This little grunt had an idea, so it was only natural. That wasn't a big deal in itself, but this guy suspected Anana was associated with Gunpowder. He couldn't let that information escape. He couldn't put Anana at such a risk. That's why he...

“How many,” interrupted Anana with a question. “How many before him?”

“None. This is the first. I've never wanted to do that. I've never wanted to sink to the level of...” Gunpowder paused. “A level that low.”

“Well, now you have. What now?”

Gunpowder shook his head. He had no idea. He wanted to leave. It was probably the best course of action. It would give Anana time to clean up. To tell the authorities. Gunpowder wondered if she'd rat him out. She certainly had no reason not to. Not like it mattered. All the more reason to leave. He told Anana this. She didn't say a word. He told her again. Still no response.

He was mulling over his options. Then he remembered his encounter with that Other. She wouldn't know what had happened. If Anana told the authorities, that PK wouldn't believe the story for one second, not because she trusted Gunpowder, but because her distrust for Anana was so great. Gunpowder recalled her destination was Tao Village. He vaguely knew where that was. It was now his destination, as well. It was almost too perfect.

Gunpowder had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Anana rummaging through her cabinets. She was looking for something. It didn't take her long to find it, of course, since it was her store. It was Gunpowder's old hat.

Gunpowder had completely forgotten about it, having cast it aside when arriving. It reminded him too much of Bluegill. It used to belong to him, after all. It was his favorite hat, and Gunpowder greatly admired it. He gave it to Gunpowder just before they parted ways. It was painful to think about in his current state.

Anana brought it to Gunpowder and handed it to him. There was a cloth note pinned to it. It was Bluegill's writing. Gunpowder had no idea when he could have left a note, or why he hadn't received it previously, but he didn't really care very much. He wasn't the best at reading, and Bluegill's writing was terribly messy, but somehow Gunpowder could figure it out. It was like a doctor-receptionist relationship. It read:

Yo,

I figure I can't expect ya t' stay 'round that city

forever, eh? Well, whatever. Dunno when I'll

be back. You know how it is. Didn' mean t'

bail on ya like that. You know how it is. Well,

hopefully I'll see ya again.Outta space. Cheers.

Gunpowder removed the note and pinned it to the inside of the hat. Then, as is the natural thing to do with hats, he put it on his head. It was still a perfect fit. He was meant to wear this hat. Not some goofy hat for a shopkeep. This was who he was.

“He told me to give you that note only when you left. You are leaving, right?”

Gunpowder nodded. He stared at his yellow friend and noticed her color was darker than normal. He knew what it meant. He couldn't think about it. It was time to go. If he dwelled on it, he'd have considered staying, which he couldn't afford to do. He was not very good at goodbyes. Not very good at all.

He wanted to give Anana a hug to comfort her. He held his hand out to her, but when he got a look at it again he quickly retracted it. His vision was kind of cloudy. He didn't understand it. It was as if it was raining inside. But it wasn't. He took one last look at Anana before walking away. As he left, he could hear her sniffling, but it soon faded into the distance, with the city soon following. He was walking at a brisk pace, trying to escape everything as quickly as possible.

His head was a mess. He couldn't properly remember the order of events anymore. He still didn't. Not like it mattered. The only thing that did was making it to Tao. He had no idea what he'd do when he arrived there, or how long it'd take, but that was all he had on his mind now. He pushed everything else out. Anana, the bay, Bluegill, they'd all be forgotten for many, many years. It was a whole new life for Gunpowder in Tao.

=====

Part 7 of "Well of Memories" by

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