Jacob dragged himself from bed, he had graduated from year 11 at his school shortly before he went to the Pokémon world, then he had slept through the holidays and now it was time to start year 12.

His shoulders were slumped, and he wore a scowl on his face as he got ready. His mum drove him to the bus stop, he got out of the car and spoke to her through the open window.

"I'll walk home from here this arvo."

"Okay, bye love you."

"Love you too mum."

Jacob turned and left, his mother waited until he had gotten on the bus and then she drove to her job as a vet. As she drove she coughed and hacked violently.

******

Jacob got off the bus outside his school, he walked in through the gates. The day passed slowly, as he meandered from class to class.

His schoolmates around him left him alone, because he had asked them to, but now, he wanted friends, could he really just join in? Could he act like nothing had ever happened?

His school had a café for senior students and Jacob sat on the outdoor extension of it. He just stared blankly around the school as he thought.

*Scrape*

A chair was pulled up next to him. A boy sat down and placed his arm on the table between them. Jacob glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

The boy caught Jacob's bus, he had scruffy brown hair, his eyes were brown as well. He had broad shoulders and his stomach pushed against the confines of his school shirt. His tie hung loosely over an undone top-button.

Jacob searched for the name that accompanied the bulky figure.

"Hey Tim."

Tim looked at him.

"Hey Jacob."

The pair hadn't really spoken before, Tim was a nice and funny guy but didn't really fit with any of the social groups, I suppose everyone needs at least one friend.

Tim was quiet for a while but then sighed loudly, he looked at Jacob.

"How were your holidays?"

Jacob thought for a moment. His holidays... Well on one hand, they were spent in a coma which wasn't the best but on the other hand they were spent in the Pokémon world, which was absolutely the best.

Jacob shrugged. "They were okay."

"Yeah? What'd you do?"

"Not much, just hung around here."

Tim scoffed and shook his head.

"You know what? I'm calling your bluff. Bullcrap."

Jacob raised an eyebrow, Tim eyeballed him.

"Look I'm gonna get straight to the point, I know you're a bit of a lone wolf, but I saw you in the hospital and if you don't wanna talk that's cool but if you need a friend, let me know."

Tim got up and began to leave when Jacob called out; "You know what? A friend might not be so bad."

Tim smiled at him and sat back down, "Well alright then."

"I don't mean to be rude but I gotta know, why are you doing this?"

Tim shrugged.

"I got nothing better to do."

It was true, while Tim was a nice guy, he was kinda socially awkward, he was friends with everyone in the year 12 cohort, but he wasn't close with any of them.

"So, Tim, how were your holidays? What did you do?"

"My holidays? They were alright, I swear I'm the most childish year 12 you'll ever meet, I replayed a bunch of the old Pokémon games, they were fantastic. You ever get into Pokémon?"

Oh, he had no idea.

A wide grin spread across Jacob's face, he laughed loudly, they sat and talked until the lunch bell rang and then they went back to class.

Later when Jacob got on the bus Tim sat next to him and they talked until Tim got off, he was on the outskirts of the town, but Jacob was a little further out, on a rural property.

As Jacob rode the last few stops he thought to himself, maybe people aren't so bad after all, maybe he could have a friend yet.

******

Tim whistled a cheery tune as he walked the streets, he was on the edge of town. He turned down a side-street. The dark alley was a shortcut to his home, he stepped around the rainwater left from the night before.

He froze in his tracks, before him lay what looked like a fox but it had a pink collar on it.

It was bleeding, bad.

He ran forwards and gently scooped the creature into his arms, he spun in a circle trying to remember the way to the vet.

Got it.

He burst from the alleyway and sprinted along the sidewalk, he whispered to the fox as he ran.

"Just hold on, we're nearly there."

The Fox opened an eye and yipped weakly, the eye closed and the animal didn't move again. Tim pulled it closer to his chest as he ran.

He charged into the vet and called for help. A lady in veterinary scrubs walked out from behind the desk, she looked to be in her mid-late forties. She pulled the collar from around Pixie's neck and handed it to Tim, she took the fox from the boy and left without a word.

He sat and waited with the few others in the clinic. He twisted the collar in his hands and looked at the tag.

'If found, please return to-'

Weird that they hadn't put a name or anything on it, oh well. Tim's eyes grew wide and he chuckled as he read the tag again, aloud this time.

"If found, please return to; 32 Cullert street, NSW, Australia."

Tim shook his head in disbelief.

Funny how life works, and hard to believe such a thing could be coincidence. He knew the address, his new friend had mentioned it earlier, 32 Cullert street was where Jacob lived.