Don't Look Back
Hello! And thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this story. This is my first pokemon fanfic, and I'm excited to start it, as for once I actually have an idea of where the plot will go, haha. It's pretty much completely OC, no Ash or any of them. I hope you enjoy, and pretty pretty please review, they make me feel happy and fluffy inside, and help me make it better.
Chapter One – The Most Surprising Things
"I'm home!" I yelled, dropping my bag next to the sofa, which I promptly planted myself on with no particular intent to move. I hadn't really expected anyone to be home anyways, Dad was still on some business trip to Unova, Mom was probably in the shopping district looking for a present for her best friends Lindsey's birthday. Even the maid was probably long gone by now, so I had the whole house to myself.
Sighing I turned on the television for a bit of background noise while I did my homework. My mom must have been watching the news earlier, because the anchor from her favorite network PPN was staring at me from the flat screen. I ignored him, quickly scrawling out answers on my math homework while he listed off various tragedies in the deadpan, emotionless voice journalists seem to have.
Fifteen minutes later I was faced with the daunting task of reading three chapters in the World History text book for the weekend. I sighed again, a little more forlorn at the thought of all that reading. The national news had switched to local; a fluff piece about a ten year old who had beat the gym leader Whitney with just her Machop. Maybe I should have gone on my journey five years ago, that little girl certainly didn't have to read three chapters on the War of the Balsic Ocean. Looking out at the sprawling skyline of Goldenrod city, I decided that despite the ungodly amount of schoolwork, I did love my life. I loved our penthouse apartment overlooking the most beautiful city in the world. I loved that my mom would come home in an hour or two with more shopping bags than she had planned, and that she would squeal excitedly until I came to ooh and ahh over all the 'fabulous sales' and 'bargains'. I loved that in a couple days dad would be home from his business trip, and we would go to Piazzo's like we did every time he came back home. He would get steak, my mom would get salad, and I would laugh at them for not getting Italian food at an Italian restaurant, and order spaghetti.
You also love that you'll have the weekend free if you finish your damn homework. I thought getting back to work. The anchor was going on about rumors of some secret government project in Sinnoh. I tuned it out, more interested in finding out what Sinnoh was up to a hundred years ago in the war of the Balsic Ocean, than I was knowing what they were doing today.
Two and a half chapters later I heard a ferocious growl come from my stomach. Deciding I deserved a break I heaved my books out of my lap and made a beeline for the fridge. I kicked it shut, a soda in one hand and a bag of Pokepuffs in the other. I set them on the counter about to grab a hand of cheesy goodness when I noticed the red "you have a message" light flashing on the phone.
Shoving a handful in my mouth I grabbed the phone and dialed our own number,
"You have – one – unheard message, if you would like to hear –" I cut it off pressing the number one with my thumb.
"Hello," an unfamiliar man's voice came over the speaker. "Jack Brant from Graely and Brant divorce attorneys," my heart stopped, "I'm calling with good news; your husband signed the papers today. You're officially divorced."
It's funny, how the most surprising things, are the ones you really expected all along. I had seen it coming; I guess I just refused to acknowledge what it meant. All those business trips he'd been taking, they'd been getting longer and longer. The way mom's lips would purse every time I would go on about how excited I was that he was coming home. How quiet those dinners at Piazzo's had become, how I was the only one talking. It was just one of those things I didn't want to see, so I didn't.
I put the phone back on the hook gently, trying to fight down the iron lump closing my throat. Over the bar in the living room the local news was on again, running the same piece on the girl and her machop. I couldn't quite see it, the tears had turned the TV into a blob of flashing colors, but I could hear it.
My dad wasn't going to walk through that door in a couple days. We weren't going to go to Piazzo's where I would make the same lame joke about Italian food over an awkwardly quiet table. My mom would walk in and have me coo over diamonds and pretend everything was ok. Everything that had kept me safe and secure in our apartment overlooking Johto's capitol was dissolving.
It was a snap decision that changed everything. I dashed into the living room and dumped my backpack in an explosion of white paper. In my room I crammed as much practical clothing into the bottom of the main compartment, and placed a few books I'd had on pokemon training I'd had when I was little on top of them along with a rather hefty wad of cash.
Back in the kitchen I threw food I didn't think would spoil or be squished into the bag before going to change out of my school uniform. Gently closing the door behind me, I looked at my room, this could be the last time I would see it for a while. I pushed back tears again, and pulled the gray sweater up over my head. In a few minutes I had on jeans and a sweatshirt, I took a look at myself in the mirror, my green eyes staring back at me. As I threw my blonde hair up into a pony tail something on my bedside table caught my eye.
It was a picture; I remember when it had been taken eight years ago when I was seven. We had gone on a day trip to Cianwood after three weeks of my incessant begging, my father had finally agreed and we woke up before the sun had risen. I remember I had a temper tantrum before passing out on the ferry ride home. I was happy in the picture though, we all were. Mom had asked an old man to take it for us; I remember I felt embarrassed to trouble him, so my cheeks were still a brilliant red. Mom was smiling, and so was dad his arms around her while I was sandwiched in the middle. They both looked so young, no gray in their hair, the lines on their faces more faded.
The tears started to spill over my cheeks as I picked it up, looking at those people who were all so different now. I can't express how much I wanted to go back, wanted to be that little girl happy to be playing in the waves with her mom and dad. It had been a happy day. I decided to bring the picture too, placing it delicately so the glass wouldn't break. I zipped up the bag, slammed the door shut behind me, and started running down the hall. I didn't look back as the elevator shut behind me and headed down for the lobby.
It wasn't far to Bill's house, only a few blocks. Cool fall air filled my lungs as I flew around the corner sliding to a stop in front of his door.
"Bill!" I pounded on the green painted door, "Bill!? Bill, are you home?!" I yelled slamming my fist into the door again. The door slid open and a head covered in floppy brown hair peeked out.
"Hey Gwyn. What's up is something wrong?" his brow furrowed. Shit, I muttered darkly in my head, I didn't want him thinking there was a problem. He would just make me go back home. I glanced at my watch, mom would be getting home any minute, she would see the mess I'd left, she'd know I was gone.
"N-nothing, I just uh… I-I'm going on my pokemon journey, and I thought who better to get my first pokemon from than my good friend Bill?" I laughed too loud, putting one hand behind my head as I smiled awkwardly.
"Well…come on in?" the end rose in sort of a question uncertain about my weird behavior, but not wanting to pry. I'd always loved Bill's house, there were so many pokemon I'd never hope to see anywhere else.
"Flaree!" a ball of orange fur launched itself into my arms purring loudly. I hugged the flareon tightly before placing him back on the floor, trying to follow Bill into the backroom as it wound through my legs.
"You almost missed me, I'm about to head out to Kanto, but I think I know just the pokemon for you." He smiled, examining the shelf that was lined with pokeballs each one with a small handwritten label underneath it. "Here you go." He grinned, "I wasn't doing anything with him, so he'll probably be better off with you."
"What is he?"
"Why don't you find out?"
I smiled, and tossed up the ball, it exploded in bright white light and came, back to me. The light faded, and in its place was a small ball of brown fluff with big eyes. I could've died right then.
"An eevee?" I squealed crouching down so he could sniff my hand.
"Vee!" he chirped butting his incredibly soft head into my palm.
"Oh Bill, thank you! Thank you!" I stood up throwing my arms around his neck.
"You're welcome. So you got your trainer's license yet?"
My trainer's license, I hadn't even thought about getting that. At fifteen one year underage, I wasn't allowed to go farther than the route above and below my home city without a license. In other words I was about to run away from home, and break a couple laws.
"Er, no my dad was going to fly me to New Bark to pick it up in a couple days though."
"Good, you can't get a room at a pokemon center without one, so don't lose it." He said helpfully. Crap, I'm going to have to sleep in the woods until I get all the way to New Bark. "So, what are you going to name him?" he asked crouching next to the eevee, I followed suit, stroking the little Pokémon's back.
"Um, I don't know…what do you think?"
"You're choice you're the one who's going to have to call him by his name regularly."
I hated naming stuff, names were so permanent, and they had to fit, because you couldn't just change them. That's why I never named half of my pokedolls. I stared at eevee for a good five minutes, just watching him chase his tail around. He looked young, which I liked I would be able to train him myself. Not that I had any experience, but I guess that was good too, we could learn together.
"Remi!" I hit my fist against my palm, the eevee looked up at me with those adorably huge brown eyes. "I'll call you Remi." I grinned, and my newly christened pokemon seemed to nod pushing his face into my shin. I gently put my hands around him and cuddled him to my chest as I stood.
"Why Remi?" Bill asked chuckling.
"Why not Remi?" I shot back, Remi had already picked up on his new name and looked a bit confused as to why we were calling him.
"Well I need to get going to Kanto," Bill said putting a hand on my shoulder and leading me towards the door, "but if you're ever there feel free to stop by my place, I live just north of Cerulean City."
I told him I would keep him in mind, as I put Remi's pokeball in my bag deciding to carry the little pokemon so I could get to know him better. I parted ways with Bill, and started walking towards the entrance to the subway; I needed some supplies so I took a train to the shopping district. Remi sat in my lap the whole way, eagerly accepting the chin scratches as I played with him. In the store I picked up a few things for Remi, and a few for me.
I checked out, and started stuffing poke food and a few treats for Remi into the bag. I had bought a belt that had holders for pokeballs so I would have them in easy reach; I placed the five shiny new pokeballs onto their holders making sure that Remi's was at the front. It had been a lot of money for everything, but I needed it.
"Ready for another ride Remi?" I asked him as we left the department store, and went to catch the F train. I had decided that I would head north, and go through Violet city instead of go south through Azalea. Going through Azalea would be prettier, but it was longer, and the roads were bad and overridden with wild pokemon I wasn't sure if Remi could handle yet. It was a fifteen minute ride to the north end of Goldenrod, and it was starting to get late. I had had a long day, and I could already feel my eyes drooping, even Remi was tired curled in my lap with his tail over his nose. I wasn't going to be able to stop once I got out of the city though, I at least wanted to get into the national park, find a good place to camp out where the park rangers wouldn't find me.
Even at this hour the subways in Goldenrod weren't empty, there was an old woman a few seats down with a machoke that held her bags seated next to her. A well dressed family, maybe coming home from a dinner party was across from her, the daughter was screaming because the pearls were itchy and her mother wouldn't let her take them off because she would only lose them. Her older brother seemed as if he wanted to melt into his seat and disappear because of his sister's behavior. The ruckus didn't stop when the train slowed, and the electronic voice announced our arrival at the end of the line the north end of Goldenrod.
"Remi," I said gently ticking the white scruff that covered his neck, "Remi wake up." The eevee didn't move, his only response was a surprising large snore for such a small pokemon that blew his tail up and down. Even when I lifted him up off my lap and onto the seat next to me he didn't stir, just sprawled out on the seat contentedly while I put on my bag. Apparently my new pokemon was a rather heavy sleeper. Not wanting to carry his dead weight while he slept, I recalled him into his pokeball so he could rest while I walked to the national park.
It was completely dark by the time I reached the gate into the national park, and much to my dismay the temperature was dropping rapidly. The late autumn temperatures weren't something I would ideally want to sleep in, much less at night when it was even colder. The main entrance to the national park also housed a cute little bed and breakfast I had stayed in once, however I was going to have to avoid people in general until I was a little farther clear of the city. Which also meant I really shouldn't go through the main gate at all, but go through the thin layer of woods that separated the road from the trails on the other side.
I stared long and hard at the deep shadows between the trees. If there was one thing I wasn't fond of, it was the dark. Which it appeared I would have to walk right into if I wanted to get in. Sighing I hiked up my backpack and started walking. The first two minutes weren't all that terrible, but then I ran into something that reminded me exactly why most people just walked through the gate.
Thick sticky web suddenly molded across my face. I squeaked clawing at the ropes trying to pull them off of me. Then I felt something, something kind of heavy pulling down against my backpack. Felt thin spindly legs brush the nape of my neck.
"Spin, Spin, Spinarack!" I heard it cry from its position on top of my bag. I really screamed then arms flailing trying to make contact with the spider pokemon; I started to run hoping the momentum would make it fall, only to run into three more webs before I came to the trail. I ditched my backpack, and started rolling on the ground till I couldn't hear their harsh little voices anymore.
"Well I officially hate bug pokemon." I muttered to myself, standing up and readjusting my bag as I tried to pull pieces of web that were still attached to my chin, and hair off. I shivered, still feeling their little legs crawling over my skin. I really loathed bug pokemon. I started walking again, relieved to be on a well beaten trail with apparently no spinarack. I eventually found a small secluded clearing that I decided to settle down in.
Turning to my bag, I realized just how unprepared I was for all of this. I had been rash, over emotional, and acted before I thought. However I couldn't go back now even if I wanted to, I have a weird sense of pride that has issues backing down easily. I had nothing, but food, clothes, a couple books, some pokeballs, and a very young eevee with almost no experience. Despite the cold November air, and the freezing December it promised, I had forgotten to bring a sleeping bag, or any warm coats. I looked at the dark clearing, and wondered if I should just turn back now, go home tell my mom I was sorry, tell her I loved her, and go curl up in my warm bed and sleep. But then I thought of Jack Brant's voice, telling me that my parents were divorced. I didn't hear it from my mom, or my dad, I heard it from a stranger over a voice mail not even meant for me. I could feel tears stinging my eyes again, as I laid down and released Remi.
The little pokemon opened his eyes slightly, a bit confused, and then closed them as I wrapped my arms around him, his fuzzy body heat keeping my stomach and chest warm. I fell asleep with him, shivering against the cold, and the sensation of spider legs crawling on my neck.