A/N: This chapter is annoyingly short. As in really, really, REALLY short. But it's also pretty sad, so whatever.

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say it? I do NOT own Pokemon!!!!!

MATT
chapter 2: frustrated

Matt paced agitatedly on the cliff. It was three days after he had promised Klio they would travel the world together. A bitter cold wind stung his cheeks and messed up his tousled hair. The smell of salt was strong in the air. A pale shaft of moonlight cast a silvery shadow on the cliff, picking out his laid-back, cheerful features, uncharacteristically moody and preoccupied. Finally he stopped, facing the moon before him, and said hesitantly, as though to himself, "Hey, Klio, I think -" He stopped and frowned. "No...um..." He tried several more versions, cutting himself off every time, then threw his palms in the air. "What's the use?" Matt grumbled.

He continued to pace, Klio's face before his eyes, and wondered how many times he had tried to pluck up the courage, but chickened out at the last second. He couldn't even say it to himself, let alone to his best friend.

The wind picked up speed and became extremely strong, so he had to sit down to avoid being thrown off balance. Sand and dirt flew past him and caught in his hair, soaring out to sea. Matt followed with his eyes as they swirled out and wished he could go too. The promise he had made to Klio...it would be impossible to keep it. There was no way anybody could get out of quaint little Kanto, through the raging seas around them or the permanently damp, cloudy skies. But he was determined to do it somehow, and if Klio wanted to come, then why not? They would go together.

Matt held onto the rock he was sitting on to avoid being blown off. The wind had now gotten to the stage that it could have been considered a cyclone. Matt paid this no thought and didn't realise how absurdly dangerous it was to be on a cliff in such a violent storm. He continued to think about Klio and formulate plans for how they would get away, discarding them before he had fully thought them up.

Suddenly a mangrove below snapped loudly and went flying off into the wind. It was at this point Matt noticed the howling wind and pelting rain. He cursed to himself and stood up, wrapping his jacket around him tightly against the roaring storm. The jacket flew off him as soon as he let go of it. Sand flew into his eyes, blurring his vision. He took a step but lost his balance before he put his foot down again and crashed to the ground, hitting his head. He let out a yelp of pain and scrambled wildly to get to his feet. But before he could properly stand up he was knocked to the ground again and went flying head over heels tell he was sprawled at the edge of the cliff. He couldn't hear himself yell over the raging wind.

He forced himself upright and tried to crawl painstakingly away from the edge, but a particularly violent gust of wind threw him backwards off the edge.

He knew what was going to happen the split second before it did, and this is what he thought before he was swallowed by blackness:

Why didn't I tell her?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Matt was battling the storm, his mobile phone sat on his dressing table at home, ringing non-stop. The phone number displayed on the screen was:

Incoming call
0407654321
Contact name: Klio