Alone-
Prologue
Kian was still. The stained sheets did little to protect his back from the springs in his worn mattress. "How long will you keep turning?" he asked the fan. The fan continued to twirl, undaunted by Kian's interrogation.
"I wonder, if you and I aren't so different. No matter how much you move, you are still rooted to that God-awful ceiling." Kian shifted on the matress, turning his face to the wall at his right. "No matter how much I move, I won't see him again." Kian continued, staring at the cracking paint on his wall.
"Miiiiiii!" Kian turned his head slightly to see Minun trying desperately to pull itself onto his bed. Kian sat up and raised Minun onto his pillow, a visible smile on the little mouse pokemon's face. He looked up to see a figure in the door frame of his small room. Two thin legs were bare up to the knee, where the rest was concealed by a black pencil skirt. The lithe torso was concealed in a white sleeveless blouse, leading to a slender neck that supported an angular face framed by shoulder length raven hair. Kian stared solemnly, predicting the coming words from his intrusive friend.
"Are you ok?" Kait said softly,each word floating off her lips on smalls winds of sincerity. Kian met her green eyes, his expression still blank. Kait's concern hadn't affected him, the dazzling green eyes became glassy as she averted her gaze towards the ground. "I didn't mean to pry. Let's go Mimi." Kait turned and left the door, a tear tracing it's way down her cheek before splashing on the dirt covered floor. Minun turned to Kian, it's long, blue-tipped ears bouncing on it's small head. It leaped off the bed and scuttled out the door.
Kian stood and looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn't taken off his work clothes in two days. His black dress pants and matching tie were wrinkled, along with his white dress shirt. Wrinkles included, he would still appear presentable, if it weren't for his face. Dark bags formed under his blue eyes, his mouth seemed to droop at both ends in a permanent frown. Disheveled brown hair surmounted his head. All of his anguish seemed to amass on his face.
He walked out of his room and onto the railed ledge that connected his room to Kait's. He looked down onto the street below him. Pyrite city was never known for its beauty. Sandstorms kept everyone's homes dirty, preventing anyone of class from wanting to move here. Other towns depicted this place as a haven for crooks and scum, but from his second floor veranda, all Kian saw was a town of unfortunate fools. Of all places to spend their meaningless existence, he thought, why would anyone choose here?
Kian looked to his right, noticing that Minun was peeking from Kait's door at him. "MiiMii!" Minun sputtered before disappearing into Kait's room. Kian walked to his left, and up the spiral staircase to the roof. Two chairs sat a few feet from the edge of the roof, an Arcanine nestled in between. Kian sat in the one on the right, using his left hand to pet the top of his Pokemon's light yellow mane as he looked out over Pyrite.
He turned to the chair on his left, letting out a sigh before turning away again. He removed his hand from Arcanine's head as his eyes began to tear up. He turned to the chair on his left once more. "Why did you do it Nascour?" he asked before burying his head into his hands.
Arcanine nudged his master with his nose, letting Kain know that he wasn't alone. Kian wiped his face, returning it to its usual frown. He placed his hand back on Arcanine's mane, and his eyes back on the horizon.
Chapter 1
Kian leaned against the rusted wall by the entrance to Pyrite Colloseum's waiting room. He poked his head into the 'trainer waiting room' behind him, overhearing a pep talk one of the trainers was giving to his Torkoal. He returned his gaze to the lobby in front of the counter he was standing behind. A trainer came through the opening in the wall that functioned as the front door and requested entrance to the upcoming colloseum match.
"I'm sorry sir, but all spots have been filled for the upcoming colloseum event. I can refer you to our ticket saleswoman if you would like to be a spectator until the next match, otherwise you can check back here tomorrow." Kian recited, his voice never changing tone, his stance never shifting, and his eyes never making contact. The trainer eyeballed Kian for a few moments, slowly registering the gaunt, unkempt man who stood behind the counter.
"All right," the kid said nervously, "I think I will just wait a while and return."
The boy turned and quickly exited the colloseum. Kian continued to stand there, staring at the sand covered floor. His feet ached from the dress shoes he had to wear, but he didn't budge. He continued to let his feet become more and more uncomfortable, absorbing every sensation. No matter how hard he focused on the pain, it didn't bother him. It was as if the pain in his heart had desensitized himself to all other manner of pain. Behind him, he heard the metallic inner door open, allowing the first two trainers to step onto the battlefield. Cheers erupted from the stands, the wall he was leaning on began to vibrate. He heard the announcer identify one of the challengers as a Kanto native. The door beside him opened.
"You still out here? Why don't you come watch the match." Duking asked, a huge smile on his tanned face. Kian looked up at the tall muscular man, returning his bosses smile with a frown.
"I guess I just like it out here." Kian answered, returning his gaze to the floor. Duking grabbed the 'Closed' sign from under the counter and propped it beside the computer. He then turned to Kian and wrapped his large palm around the young man's bicep and tugged him through the door to the waiting room and into the large opening that led to the arena.
The trainer with the Torkoal seemed to be winning, the opposing Houndour was breathing heavily and appeared to have a leg injury. With nothing to lean on, Kian hunched over and continued to look at the floor, waiting to feel the numbness he had felt earlier. Before he could fully focus, he heard Duking's voice.
"You look like shit." Duking's gravelly voice expressed more emotion than Kian had expected. "When's the last time you washed those clothes?"
Kian raised his expressionless eyes up to Duking's. "I'm not sure. Maybe a week or two ago. I will wash them as soon as we close up today." Kian looked toward the arena as Torkoal set up a smokescreen, concealing itself and the Houndour. The trainer ordered Torkoal to use Rollout. A whirring noise was heard inside the dense smoke, before Houndour's body was rocketed out of the smog. Houndour had had enough. It lay there on the edge of the arena, exhausted. As the smoke dissipated the losing trainer recalled his Houndour, then he used another Pokeball to reveal a Trapinch.
"Make sure you do, but I want you to take the next few days off. There is obviously a matter that needs resolving, and sitting in this place isn't helping any." Duking stated.
"Really, there's no need for that. I am just fine." Kian refuted. "If it's the way I look, I can always freshen up."
"Looks have nothing to do with it sport. Your attitude is horrible. It's like all motivation has dissipated. You walk around like a ghost, and whenever someone speaks to you, you avoid eye contact and give them short answers. I have trainers all over the place competing for ten straight wins in this here Colloseum. They are all looking for a match against you. So far, I haven't seen one of them at your calibur. But this Ash kid has alreasy won the past six times, and it looks like this will be his seventh. I can't have him disappointed when you show up looking like a zombie." Duking insisted.
Kian stared at the ground. Torkoal was finally taken out, but the losing trainer only had his Azumarill to rely on. The Kanto trainer, Ash, instucted the Pikachu on his shoulder to enter the ring. After one thunderbolt attack, Ash was the victor. Kian watched as Ash lifted Pikachu in his arms, and smiled as the crowd cheered. "Maybe you're right." Kian said.
The rest of the day followed as any other. Once the event was over, Duking, Kian, and Kait gathered in the back room to discuss the business and inform Kait of Kian's future absence. "I'm glad to hear that you are finally going to take some time for yourself." Kait smiled. Kian continued to stare at the floor.
"Use your time wisely, I expect you to be your old, annoying self when you return." Duking ordered. "Oh, and remember to wash your clothes."