(Finally, a title that doesn't begin with a T!)
Disclaimer:
FOR THE LAST TWO FICS, ONE PROLOGUE, NINE CHAPTERS, AND A ONE-SHOT,
I. DON'T. OWN. POKEMON.
An Acknowledgement:
This story is dedicated to my sister, the main inspiration to this story.
-x-x-x-
Chapter One:
For My Sister
Fire. Grass. Water.
A cycle, three elements.
Fire warmed lovingly, but it was destructive. It would destroy what little they had. It needed Grass for fuel.
Grass covered the world, this cover was controlled by fire. Without control, it would cover everything. It would seethe its green tentacles into their home.
Water. It brought life to Grass, it stopped Fire from taking over. It gave life.
Water would help his family.
Water would be his choice.
Water was something they were now out of.
And Diapers.
Klaus laid on the flat, stuffed mat he called a bed. Near him were two more mats, the closer mat was the newest, and the farthest mat was ripped and dirty. His sister was the middle mat, his mother's the farthest. They had sold their beds about two years ago, so they could have more expenses. Klaus was ten, and had another six years until he could get a job at the Poke-Mart like his mom. In fact, they were lucky his mom still had a job. There was another option.
Become a Pokemon Trainer.
Like his Dad.
His Dad had left them 7 years ago, taking only his Pokemon, all his belongings, and the thousand or so they had at the time. His good-for-nothing Dad left them. They had been struggling to get by since.
He was lucky DHS and the Cops hadn't taken his sister and him from their crummy shack they called home. The crummy shack just outside of Cherrygrove.*
His sister.
They had the worst situation for a spouse to leave. For the dad to walk out with all his belongings, his Pokemon, and what money they had at the time.
His sister was autistic. Severely autistic. (She was about 1-2 years in her mind.) She had arthritis, scoliosis, and ADHD. She had seizures as well, and the uncontrollable shaking and rolled up eyes scarred his memories. She wasn't even potty-trained, for a toilet that they didn't have. His sister had to use diapers, and commonly had to re-use them. She was lucky that her health and their environment hadn't gotten to her already. He dreamed of the pain she was in, nearly every night. The feeling of your bones cramping all the time, the odd pain of a crooked spine, the childlike mind that could make you do something incidentally, the uncontrollable and irregular movements.
She was ten when their dad walked out on them. Klaus had been three. She was unable to talk, and would never be able to support herself.
Ever.
He had to wonder.
Would it be better for her if they sent her to a new home? For her sake?
A scream rang throughout their two-room shed. Klaus jumped up, appearing into the room, and saw her sprawled out on the dusty floor, yelling her head off. There was a small wooden bowl in her hand, and his mother was trying to take it away from her. (It was one of the only bowls they had, out of three.)
The message was obvious:
Isa was hungry.
He was hungry.
They all were hungry.
Klaus ran to his 17 year old sister, hugging her from behind, even though they were all in their thin, starving states, Isa's grip was like a monkey. It took a few minutes to calm her down, and get the bowl back. His nose cringed from the slight smell of stale urine that came from Isa.
Klaus stood up, watching his sister for a moment, observing the dirty, long since stained shirt on his sister. She was lucky it was her size, his own was too small on him. He now looked at his mother's torn up, brownish jeans, and her faded, filthy brown shirt.
"Mom, we need to face facts. We can't go on like this. I can't live like this. You can't live like this, and Isa is in some-kinda hell. You don't deserve this, I don't deserve this." Klaus looked down at his sister once more. "And Isa especially doesn't deserve this."
"What do you mean Klaus? We're fine! We're alive, aren't we?"
Denial. His Mom couldn't face the facts: They shouldn't live like this.
"Wake up and look around you, Mom! Your job is not going to keep us alive! And we're even struggling to stay alive! How long has it been since there was food in our fridge, for a fridge we don't have?! It's been a day since we've had any water! How many times have we had to reuse the same diapers over and over again?" Klaus sighed.
"I'm going to be a Pokemon Trainer. I'm going to get us along, and you aren't going to lose your job."
His mother was silent for a moment, then spoke. "Then go. Go like your Father. Leave, before I change my mind."
Klaus stared at her, making sure she wasn't kidding. His mother never kidded.
Go like your Father.
Leave.
Klaus turned around.
"I will come back. And I will have money."
Klaus walked out ofthe shack, his sister's yells of hunger and pain ringing in his ears. He fought his instincts to run back to his sister and help her.
He had to keep going, he had to get money, he had to do this.
For his Sister.
For his Mother.
Tears welled up in Klaus' blue eyes, beginning to run. His stomach strongly disagreed, and he slowed down a little, only after coming out of the forest that they lived in, and onto the Route. He turned right, to the Pokemon Lab. He knew very little about Pokemon. He did know that there were three starters:
Fire. Grass. Water.
Fire warmed lovingly, but it was destructive. It would destroy what little they had. It needed Grass for fuel.
Grass covered the world, this cover was controlled by fire. Without control, it would cover everything. It would seethe its green tentacles into their home.
Water. It brought life to Grass, it stopped Fire from taking over. It gave life.
Water would help his family.
Water would be his choice.
Klaus kept running, through the tall grass, past the Pokemon, until he came into New Bark Town, the wind nearly knocking over his boney body. His stomach screamed at him, telling him to stop.
No. This was for his Sister.
Klaus walked into the lab, the clean, disinfected lab workers staring at his dirty, thin body.
"I need a Pokemon. I'm going to start a journey."
A young-looking scientist walked up to him, his eyes trailing to Klaus' feet to his face. "You look worn down, boy. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I just need a Pokemon."
The scientist sighed. "Alright then. I'm Professor Elm. Follow me." Klaus did so, the Professor taking him to a machine, which held three capsules. "We have three starter Pokemon, Cyndaquil, the fire starter. Chikorita, the-"Professor Elm's introduction was interrupted by the boy.
"I don't care about the other two. I need the Water starter." The Professor's eyes narrowed slightly, and he shrugged, presenting the small Pokemon to him in a flash of light.
"Then you want Totodile, the water starter. Do you want to name him?"
Klaus stared at the crocodile-like Pokemon for a moment. "I'll name him Spike." The Professor smiled lightly. "Alright then. Here's some of the things you'll need to start your journey." The man handed him a bag, a book, and five other capsules, similar to the one that Spike had. It had been years since he had ever seen a book, or a bag. His mother sold those away a long time ago. He put the capsules and the book inside, hitching it over his shoulder. "Oh, um- Boy, One more thing-Here's your pokedex, and your Pokegear, and my number is in it. I've also downloaded a map of Jonto. Oh, and I'm studying the relation between Pokemon and humans, so I want your Pokemon to walk with you."
The boy nodded. "My name's Klaus." He paused. "And what's a Pokegear?"
"A Pokegear can be used to call other people, look at the map, and listen to the radio."
Radio. He hadn't heard one in the longest time.
"Ok, then."
Klaus turned, and exited the lab, his Totodile trailing behind him.
He would get Money for his family. He would get things to make their lives more livable.
He would get Diapers.
-x-x-
I know, I know, I should be working on my other stories, but I just had to write this.
*This is in Jonto.
