Take responsibility.

So... what now? You can't just leave this woman, this "Margo," here, can you? Even if you destroyed the ball, or just gave it to her and ran, she'd still end up becoming a **** to the next person who her programming recognized as her master. And... you can't go back to living the way you were either. You won't go back to feeling powerless. You won't let the younger "you," the Joel you want to be, fade away in this little town. That Joel who chased what he wanted, never giving up. What do you want? What do you want... The more you think, the clearer the answer gets.

You want to help this woman. You want to make right what is wrong, the consequence of your cowardice. Right now, you're the only one who CAN help her. You're sick of being the victim; you want to be the hero for once. And who cares about those who'd call you childish for it? This is your dream, and you're chasing it.

Coming to your decision, you focus your attention back to Margo, who still kneels, her large jacket obscuring her form. This is... awkward. Your not really sure what you should say. Fortunately, as you clear your throat, preparing to stumble through an apology, Margo cuts you off.

"So what now?" She asks, masking her previously alarmed expression with one of indignation and spite. "You gonna... gonna **** me, or somethin'?"

"What?! No, no! I'd never do th-"

"Listen, don't gimme any bullshit! I've seen this shit happen, I KNOW how it goes down. So don't try to lie to me, it's-"

"I'm not gonna **** you, or anything like that, I swear!" You raise your hands in the air defensively. "Honest to god, I'm not. OK?"

She squints, suspicious, still trying to hide her obvious fear. "...What's your name?"

"I'm Joel. Joel Whittaker."

"...Joel. Joel. So, Joel... what are you gonna do? Because this genie's out of the fucking bottle. I'm fuckin' stuck. So just... just tell me."

This is it. You gotta get this right, convince her that you're here to help. You take a deep breath.

"I'm... I'm gonna help you. Whatever that means... I'm not really sure yet, to be honest. But I'm gonna help you. I couldn't save you in time... I was too scared. So this is kinda on me. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered. If I acted sooner, it's likely that the outcome could've been that he caught me as well." You swallow. "But... What really matters is that I didn't even try. I felt powerless. And I'm done feeling powerless. Nobody else is gonna get hurt because of me."

She sits there for a minute, stunned. You're a little stunned yourself. "Well, uh... shit, dude, I-"

...Weeee woooo weeee woooo weeee-

Fuck! That's the police! Someone must've heard the commotion and called them. You shoot a fearful glance towards Margo, which she returns. If the police file a report detailing the incident, it won't be long before a Rocket enforcer pays you a visit. Even worse, despite good intentions, the police aren't really equipped to deal with captured humans! Margo could be sent to a long-term living center, or be placed in storage, both of which are notorious for being raided by gangs!

"Shit!" You exclaim, as you begin shoveling items into your apron pockets. If you're gonna run, you'd better be equipped. "Get up! We need to get outta here!"

"Wait! The Poké Ball! I'm not-" Too late. Margo stands, **** by your accidental order, revealing that other than the baggy jacket which had previously covered her, she's fully unclothed.

Instantly, you're both scarlet. "Think about things before you tell me to do them!" a flustered Margo hisses, instinctively covering her pale, freckled splashed breasts with her forearms. "And stop gawking, you perv!"

"S-sorry," you sputter, turning away. "Sorry. Gonna have to get used to that. Uh, your clothes should be in a pile over there. Where you were caught."

As Margo hurriedly pulls on her clothes, you finish your pilfering. Potions, snacks, water... and some cash from the register. Everything you'd need for a road-trip. You'd realized staying in town wasn't an option, even if you'd wanted to. Even if you escaped the cops here, they'd still have the CCTV footage. And once they had that, it was over; they'd file a report, Margo would be hauled off, and an enforcer would be dispatched. "You ready to go?" You yell to Margo.

"Just finished lacin' my boots."

"Alright, follow me!"

You exit through the back door, running through the alleys before looping back around to your place. Despite knowing that you wouldn't be coming back, Margo oddly showed no interest in stopping by her apartment. Apparently she didn't even have cash in the place, and used her card for everything. On the way, you'd explained your plan to her, which she'd generally agreed with. Despite her prickly demeanor, she was actually fairly reasonable.

Finally, you arrive at your destination. "Here she is... home sweet home."

Margo eyes you. "I'm gonna wait out here while you grab your shit. Just... need a minute to think."

You nod. "I'll just be a second."

As you walk up the stairs, you think about if you'll miss this place. It was the first time you'd had your own living space, having previously lived with your parents. But you don't really have many good memories of the place. Speaking of your parents... you hadn't heard from 'em in a bit, had you? Hope they're doing alright...

You unlock the door, stepping inside. Okay, game time. The first thing you do is tear off your uniform. With any luck, you'll never wear one of those again. You instead don a t-shirt, a comfortable blue hoodie, and joggers, along with your running shoes.

Next, you grab your old backpack and begin cramming it full of supplies. The things you'd taken from the Mart, your sleeping-bag, a lighter, etc. While connected to the internet, you also take the time to reinstall the Pokédex function on your phone.

Finally, you're ready. You step outside, and together, with Margo, begin making your way towards the town entrance. Deciding it'd be best to avoid the police checkpoint, you sneak around through the woods, using the dark of the night as cover. You're out.

After walking along Route 1 for about a 45 minutes, you and Margo decide you've had enough and pull to the side to settle for the night. You quickly realize that you've made a mistake; you only have one sleeping bag. You offer to share with Margo, but she dejectedly requests to sleep in her Poké Ball instead, and you oblige. As you settle in, you feel your phone buzz. Pokédex setup complete! Now linking with Poké Balls... Poké Ball linkage complete! You have captured: 1 Pokémon!

Idly curious, you tap the alert, displaying the newly discovered Pokémon.

Nickname: Margo
Level: 4
Species: Data Unavailable
Information: Data Unavailable
Forms Discovered: 1
Type: Normal
Ability: Defiant
Moves: Tackle, Charm, Sand-Attack

Huh. Not really surprising. It's just like what they show you on TV. You power off your phone. So Margo can really perform those moves? You wonder if the potential was always there, and the ball just unlocked it. There's more data listed, but you don't really care. After all, you're not planning on using Margo as a Pokémon, right? ...Right. In the morning, you'll plan your next move with Margo. But now... it's time to sleep.