Chapter One

BAM!

Ryan shot awake to find his little brother bawling on the rug, laid out on the hard wood floor. Ryan noticed his blankets were dangling off the top bunk of their bedroom. Sunlight was slowly creeping into the room. The light was shining through the window onto our blue wall. The pencils and pens on the desk glowed with the sunlight.

Ryan looked back down at the little tike whimpering at his bruise. His elbow was pulsing with red that spoke of the misery and pain he was in. Tyson is the type of person that's fierce and bold up until he gets hurt then he becomes the biggest baby on the planet. What else can be expected of a ten-year-old boy? They run around wanting to conquer the world but still need their mothers to tend their wounds. Unfortunately for this little Alexander the Great, the conquering ended before he could even get breakfast.

Looking at him lying in the sunlight reminded Ryan of their older brother. Tyson's hair looked exactly like his; short dirty blonde hair that turned golden when light shown through the strands. The only thing that lacked was the obvious age difference of growing a five o'clock shadow and the scars.

"Tyson, stop your crying!" my mother called from downstairs, "Ryan make sure you and your little brother are all packed up. He'll need help if he doesn't buck up."

"Okay mom!"

Ryan turned and looked at his little brother. Tyson flashed a wicked smile as if he was up to something malicious. Ryan threw his pillow at him and told him to get dressed. Ryan got out of the bottom bunk, leaving the covers unmade and sheets messy. He dragged over to his dresser and pulled open the top drawer. In it was his most valuable possession and treasure, the pokéball his older brother gave to him. The sphere gleamed in the sunlight with the crimson half reflecting a red glow onto everything in his dresser. The more he stared at it the more he was mesmerized by its magnificence. Ryan usually looked at it for inspiration but today was different. Today he'd be setting off on his own journey and for the first time he'll be able to use the pokéball. He put it into his backpack and packed a couple of jeans and shirts and his favorite jacket. He put on some navy jeans his favorite red shirt and his black jacket. He slipped on his blue beanie and had it hang slightly off the back letting his hair flow out on top. Lastly he buckled his sleeping bag to the bottom of his back pack. Ryan was ready for his journey finally.

Ryan has been waiting for four years to set off on his journey with his own Pokémon. When he turned ten he was supposed to go, but his mother refused to let him go on his own journey. She said she didn't think Ryan was old enough, but Ryan thought it was because of his older brother and his dad. Both of them left the family four years ago and they haven't been seen since then.

Ryan was interrupted by loud snoring and then some soft whimpering. He walked over to his bed. The sheets were folded up against the wall with a couple of pillows bunched up at the head of the bed. They were moving up and down from a body breathing underneath. Ryan pulled the covers back over and saw Bagon sleeping soundly. He shook his little light blue head with his grey crest on top telling him it was time to get up. His triangular eyes squinted in the sunlight as he looked to see who awoke him. His little black pupils adjusted to the light and a smile appeared on his face. He squealed with joy seeing Ryan, waving his little stubby arms up and down his feet swinging in the air. Ryan picked him up and put him on the floor and rubbed his gray crest. Tyson finished getting dressed and packing his bag.

A wave of the scent of bacon rushed into the room and was followed by the sounds sizzling in the kitchen. Bagon's nose lifted in the air sniffing and cheered in excitement and went running out the room with Ryan and Tyson hot his heels. Bagon tripped however and crashed head first into the floor. Ryan tried to stop but Tyson crashed into him from behind and then was tabletop by Bagon on the floor. All three of them crashed into the kitchen on the hard cold tile.

"Honestly, when will you three learn to slow down and walk like normal people to get your food? Bagon, we've gone over this. You need to pick up your feet when you enter the kitchen otherwise you're just going to trip every time you try to get over the step. Now sit down like good boys and eat your breakfast."

Trisha went back to the bacon while the three got up off the floor and sat down at the counter. Bagon hopped into his baby seat that was made for him. They gobbled down their pancakes and made short work of the bacon as it was delivered. Trisha slid a box wrapped up in wrapping paper under Tyson arm.

"Happy Birthday buddy, here's your present."

Tyson gave his mom a hug and tore open the wrappings and flew open the lid. In it was an old ball cap that had water damage on the sides and a little tear on the side. The front had a design of half a pokéball while the rest was a dirty white. The brim was a blue with some dirt stains on it. Tyson looked at it with disappointment.

"What's this mom? Did you go to the dump just to get a torn up hat for me?"

"That was your fathers when he left for his journey. He wore that every day for ten years. I thought it would be of some inspiration for you to start your journey."

"This was dad's?" Both boys replied back.

"Yep, but if you don't want it I guess I can go put it back in the attic. Of course you did say it was trash so maybe that where I should put it…."

"No, don't! I'll keep it, thanks mom."

Tyson quickly grabbed the hat out of the box and whipped it on top of his head. It fit like a glove. Tyson looked up admiring the hat.

"Alright you two, you better get going before the professor gives the Pokémon to someone else."

"Aw! You're right. Bye Mom, love you."

Tyson bolted out the door with his backpack hung over his shoulder. Ryan picked up Bagon and put him on his shoulders and ran out after his little brother. Trisha just smiled as they rushed out. She turned and looked at an old picture of the family with all five of them together. A tear shed as she signed.

"They are all gone now, pursuing their own dreams. I hope they stay safe and make smart decisions. I don't even know if my Warren is even alive."

"You don't have to worry mother, I'm fine. And I'll make sure the boys will stay safe on their own journey."

Trisha spun around and saw a man with broad shoulder and muscles bulging out his shirt with torn jeans and dirty old sneakers. His face was rough with scraggly hair and tanned skin. He had short dirty blond hair and had a beret on top. His blue eyes looked gently down on the woman.

"Oh, Warren! You're alive!"

Trisha ran to her eldest son and grabbed him, embracing him. Tears flooded out her eyes. He hugged her lightly back. After a couple of minutes, she pulled away and wiped away her tears.

"Look at you; you've changed so much from that thin young boy who left me years ago."

"Pi! Pikachu, chu!"

A golden Pikachu came around the corner. The top of his head had fur spiked up in front. Across his face was a pink scar over his right eye. His right eye itself was a colorless grey with no life inside. He grinned at the sight of Trisha and bound to her and jumped into her arms.

"Sparky! Aw, look how cute you are. It's good to see you too! Where have you been?"

"I came back today to see the boys off and give Tyson a little gift. I'm not sure if he even remembers me. But it appears I just missed them."

"He remembers alright. He worships you as a hero. He's always asking when you were going to come back home. Ryan misses you too but he also misses his dad. It's been hard on them the past couple of years without both of you here."

"I'm sorry Mom, I really am. I'm not done yet, I still have many things to do, and one of them is to stop that man that took their dad away from them. I love you, Mom. I got to go and catch up the boys."

With that Warren tore down the path that lead down to the town.

"I love you too….please be safe."

Ryan and Tyson walked down the path that leads from their house down to town. While Tyson was marching to the beat of his own drum and Bagon was toddling behind him, Ryan sauntered in the rear watching his younger brother.
God, was this the same kid that I woke up to this morning? I swear Tyson is bipolar sometimes. I pray for the poor Pokémon that has to deal with him.

The boys continued down their trek towards the lab. Soon it came into view.

"Ryan! Look there it is! I can't wait to get my own Pokémon!"
Tyson then took off towards the lab. Ryan began to chase after him.

BOOOM

A thunderous explosion shook the land knocking the boys tumbling backwards. Tyson crashed into tree while Ryan was flung on to the ground. Bagon was hurled back into the bushes. Ryan slowly stirred and looked up. Black smoke began to pour out of the lab in a huge plume. Continuing looking around, Ryan saw Tyson lying at the bottom of tree knocked out. He couldn't see Bagon. He then looked back towards the lab and the blaze that was beginning to consume it. Off to the side of the building he saw two shadows dash into the forest. He looked at the spot in the forest for a second until his attention was brought back to the burning building by screams and cries. Slowly he pushed himself up. He looked once more at Tyson to make sure he was okay then ran towards the inferno.

He smashed through the door, his eyes darting around looking for the source of the cries for help. In the corner was a fallen bookshelf and under laid the women crying for help. Ryan rushed to her aid and quickly lifted the bookshelf off of her legs. He helped pick her but found her to be a little taller than him and heavier. She couldn't hold her own weight with her damaged legs and instantly fell on to Ryan for support. He struggled to carry her out of the burning structure, but he forced himself. She had since passed out from smoke inhalation. He was worried if she was still alive, however, he continued on his task at hand getting her away from the burning building. He navigated his way through the building until he got to the door. It was blocked by debris that had fallen. He could see that the door could still open, so he used every strength in his body to run and jumped through the entry with all his might. He tore through the door and fell into the fresh air. He picked up the professor again and dragged her away from the building. He laid her down by Tyson and then turned back to watch the building collapse in on itself. Ryan looked at the spot he had seen two figures disappear into and got up making his way towards the trees. As he entered the forest next to fire he began to hear voices.

The first voice sounded nasally and squeaky, "Yo, Al, did you get all the Pokémon?"

The second replied with a deep Chicagoan accent, "You know what Bundy, I think I missed one. Of course I fucking got all the Pokémon, you fucking dumbass. Why the fuck would I blow the whole god damn place up if I hadn't?

Ryan just gasped at the attitude and language of the second man. He couldn't believe how cruel the man was. He was cut off in his thinking by the same man.

"You smell that boys. God I love a good explosion in the morning. Hope that bitch got what she deserved. God what an annoying little bitch she was."

Imitating in an annoying, whinny female voice he began to mock the professor, "NOoooo! Stop! Those are for the children that are coming today. PLEASSSSEEEE. Think of the children!"

The other men laughed at the performance. One stood out though not laughing. He looked more rugged than the rest. He was slim but fit, stood tall and lean. His face was dark with a gray five o'clock shadow. He looked annoyed at the rest. His lips held a tight thin line while his eyes were closed with a cross eyebrows. He then turned to what Ryan found to be Al.

"Quit you fooling around you idiots. You have just about enough intelligence to open your mouth when you want to eat, but certainly no more."

"Is that so Tom?" Al asked as he waltzed up to the thin figure. "I didn't see you in there scrambling to get the damn Pokémon or holding back the professor. What's your problem? We did all the work and you sat on your ass and watched."

"I'm going to need to go to the doctors after this. Your stupidity is surely spreading." Tom began to rub is forehead after this insult. Ryan didn't like these men but he was enjoying the insults this one was making at the expense of his partners. "Clearly you have forgotten who is in charge of this mission and what roles we are supposed to perform. Here's a quick recap for your peanut size brain. I make the plans for you to get the Pokémon and you follow what I say."

"That's a pussy talking there; you ain't got the balls do sh…" Al was cut off by quick draw of a barrel forced to his forehead.

"If you have half the brain I give you credit for you would know to shut up right about now."

"Hey man take it easy." Al began to stutter, sweat was pouring down his face and his suit began to show perspiration leaking through. "I was only kidding about the pussy…" He was cut off by a quick click of the revolver. He squeezed his eyes shut and fell down screaming. A pool began to form on the ground under his waist. The man peed himself. Tom just smirked looking at the scene before returning his revolver to its proper holster. He then turned and walked away not making any eye contact to any of the other men. Some of them looked darkly on the scene while a few that were laughing with Al were now laughing at Al. Ryan couldn't help but grin from his spot behind the bushes where he was watching the scene. Suddenly a large object blocked his view of the scene. He shot back fearing that one of the men had seen him but found out the opposite. One of the men had put down a sac in front of the bushes and went to help Al up. The rest of their men began leaving following Tom.

Ryan looked at the bag in front of the bushes and noticed round bulges. He slowly reached inside of the bad and pulled out a pokéball to his surprise. Quickly deducing these were the Pokémon that then men had stolen he started pulling pokeballs out of the bag until none were left. Then he began to grab rocks and pine cones around him and filled the bag to the same weight it was before. Creeping along ground, Ryan made his daring escape from the criminals. As soon as he was by the burning building he ran towards the professor and Tyson. Tyson was up and tending to the professor with Bagon by his side. The professor looked a little better but she was still covered in soot with some of her clothing looking a little singed.

"Tyson, move! We got to hide. Grab her other arm we got to move her into the woods."

"Why? What happened?"

"Doesn't matter! NOW MOVE!"

The boys picked up the professor and started moving her away from the clearing. However a loud bang behind them and a tree ahead of them having a new hole blown through it made them stop.

"Hey fuck sticks, where do you think you're going."

Ryan turned back to see the man that had helped Al up was now pointing a pistol at them. Instantly their hands shot up to surrender. The professor however collapsed backward from the sudden arms that were holding her up had now hit her in the face on their trajectory up. Ryan and Tyson both spun around to see the professor land on poor, little Bagon who had tried to catch her but ended up getting smashed.

"Oh shit!" Ryan gasped as he and Tyson went to get the professor on the ground. Bagon was trying to crawl out from under her but was pinned under her butt. The man that had fired the arsenal was now just standing dumbfounded at how clumsy these kids were. He shook his head and reminded himself why he was there.

"Hey quit fooling around, what were you doing running away from us?" He seemed to be pointing in the direction of Ryan. Ryan was too terrified to answer the man afraid of what he would do with the pistol in his hand. However he was interrupted before he could even say anything by Tyson.

"What do you want ugly?"

"Ugly? Who the hell you callin' ugly?"

"You! You look like you fell out of an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."

"Ugly tree? The hell?"

"It's ok, you can't help it. Yo momma so ugly the pokedex thought she was a Muk. Guess I'll call you Grimmer then."

Tyson was spouting out so many insults to the man Ryan surely thought he would have been shot, but instead the man just stood there stupidly like his mind was trying to comprehend what was happening. While the man was still rapping his head around the insults Ryan leaned over to Tyson and told him to make a run for it while the man was distracted. He then turned and picked up a baseball size rock and threw it as hard as he could at the man. The man was either as dumb as the kids thought or was in too much shock to see it coming but was nailed right in the head with the rock. He reeled back in pain putting his hands to his face while dropping the gun on the ground.

"FUCK, god damn it, what is wrong with you kids?!"

Tyson had already taken off running thinking that Ryan was behind him but Ryan had a different agenda. Ryan instead sprinted and slid towards the gun on the ground. He knew they would be in trouble if they left the gun with the man so he had planned to turn the tables by disarming him and arming himself with the weapon. Ryan grabbed the gun and immediately pointed the gun towards the man.
"Don't move!" Ryan shouted at the man. The man was still wavering around holding the goose bump on his forehead that had sense started bleeding. However he looked up through the pain and saw that his own barrel was pointed at him. With one still on his forehead he raised his other hand up surrendering.

"Oh look at this sight. God, am I glad that none of the other guys are here. So what's it going to be kiddy? Are you going to shoot me or let me go free?" The man began to walk towards the Ryan. Ryan pulled the trigger without hesitation, right at the ground in front of the man.

"Shit!" The man cursed, and then backed away from the spot. Ryan again pointed the gun at the man.

"I said don't move"

Ryan looked sternly at the man. He had never felt this way before. First he was scared but as soon as he had that gun in his hands his fear went away completely. He felt surer of himself, more confident. Like if having a gun in his hand was something he had been missing all of his life and now that he had it, it completed him. His face was cold and stern to the man but his eyes was almost gleeful at the situation he couldn't help it feeling in charge and holding the fate of this man's life within his own hands. Still pointing the gun at the man Ryan began closing the distance between the two of them.

"Why did you blow up the professor's lab?" Ryan decided to not mention the fact that he had the pokeballs stolen back from them because this man hadn't said anything about them the whole time of this confrontation.

"It's none of your business pipsqueak, now hand back over the…"

Ryan cut him off by cocking the gun.

"or not..."

"Again why did you blow up the lab? And for that matter who are you and those other men?"

"Fine you want to know who I am. I'm.."

BANG

Ryan fell backwards, shocked at the noise. He looked at the gun he had but realized it hadn't fired. He looked back up to see the man had fallen forward on to his face with a pool of blood coming out of his back. Ryan couldn't see any movement from the man. Ryan eyes widen as he realized that the man was dead. He then fainted from his ordeal watching the man die before him.

Warren looked down at the man he had just shot. He had been watching the entire time without Ryan or the man noticing him off in the distance and decided to take action before Ryan learned too much of the man and who he was affiliated with. He was also glad Ryan had fainted from the shock of seeing someone dying in front of him. Warren didn't know how Ryan would have reacted knowing that he had shot this man.

True the man was not armed but Warren had seen him shoot plenty of people and Pokémon alike that were unarmed. If anything justice was served. But that wasn't the kind of man Warren was. He didn't care about justice, he didn't care about morals like a super hero or a regular good guy would. Warren was just pissed off. More than justice, Warren was spent on revenge, revenge of a childhood ruined by these men and their organization. He wanted revenge for his Pokémon who were injured and disabled because of that battle, revenge for his flightless Charizard and his blind Pikachu. But his desire for revenge has dulled now that Ryan and Tyson have started their journey. No, revenge isn't important anymore, he has to protect Ryan and Tyson. And that is why he had to shoot the man, to protect Ryan from learning the truth.

"Cough, cough"

Warren whirled around to see the professor lying against a rock. He ran over to help her up.

"Warren is that you?" She started off surprised seeing the young man. But then she doubled over realizing who had shot the man dead. "You shot him?! Why would you shoot him?"

"I couldn't let him tell Ryan the truth. Ryan can't learn who those men work for."

The women lying on the ground looked at him carefully for a second, processing the information. She relaxed for a second and smiled before she slugged him in the face.

"You still didn't need to shoot him! God damn it Warren! You shot him right in front of your younger brother, he watched him die! Don't you ever think before shooting? Like, oh maybe for instance, you come out of the shadows for once and just talk to someone. If you didn't want him to tell him just come out and interrupt them. It didn't look like that guy wanted to tell Ryan in the first place."

"I'm sorry but I just can't risk it. Did you see how serious Ryan was? He even shot at the ground as warning and I don't think he's ever shot a gun in life before hand. He looked so determined it was scary. Scary like how my father used to look…." Warren caught himself looking down at her chest and was having a hard time following his train of thoughts. "Will you cover up your front? I think I can see a nipple poking through. It's hard to talk to you when you're showing so much."

Professor Fagus's eyes shot down to her front to see that lab coat was partially burnt and that her bra was torn and indeed one of her breasts was revealing a little too much. Her arms shot up and crossed in front of her breast making an attempt to cover up what she could but the damage was done. Her face immediately went red and her cheeks especially flushed.
"You fucking pervert. Why do you always look at that stuff?"

"A duh, I'm a man. We got a six sense for that stuff. But I didn't need another sense to see the view in front of me. However, I'm sure my brothers were probably enjoying dragging your ass around." Warren said glancing back his unconscious brother. Maria froze with the thought of the boys seeing her bra and who knows what else.

"We probably should call 911 to make sure they got the fire department coming to put out the fire and to check on you and the boys."

"AANNNDDDD the police to arrest you for killing the man in front of your brother."

"You can call them if you want but I won't be going to jail, whether you like it or not."

"God I hate you sometimes."

"I know, let me know how Ryan is. Don't tell them it was me. I want to protect them from all of this."

"Great, you aren't even man enough to face them and see if they'll be okay."

Warren just smirked at her attempt and turned and left.