(This story contains SPOILERS: If you haven't read the first 5 0r 6 chapters of The Master Challenge)
So this is just kinda a little side story about when Gary lost his parents. Gary mentions in The Master Challenge that both Ash and Ash's father had comforted him and here they are doing just that.
Also I realize some of the reflections by Gary are a bit mature for his supposed age, but I see it as though this story is a mixture of what he was feeling then and how he looks back on it now.
Alrighty, enjoy!
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"I can't wait until I'm a trainer! I'll show the world what I'm made of!"
"Will you?" The older man raised his eyebrow and chuckled before smirking, "You're awful confident, short stuff."
"Ha! Very funny, dad," The boy spoke with sarcasm and rolled his eyes. He had his mother's attitude and cynical humor.
"Alright, alright. It's time to go to bed, Gary," The man spoke and helped to boy into bed.
"Where are you and mom going again?" The young Gary asked.
The man smiled, "We have to go and meet with Mr. Goodshow. He needed to talk to us about something."
"The League President? Does it have something to do with the gym?" Gary asked trying to sit back up. The man chuckled explaining he didn't know and carefully laid the boy back down.
"Blue! Blue, we need to go!" A woman's voice called from the other room. The man turned,
"Alright, I'm coming!" Blue turned back to Gary, "So you just sleep and we'll see you sometime tomorrow, ok? Your grandfather is here if you need anything." Blue stood up and started towards the door before he turned back, "I love you, kiddo. Your mom does too.
Gary nodded before he yawned, "I love guys too. Cya dad."
The door creaked before it shut. Gary was alone...
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Gary woke up feeling odd. He didn't hear his gramps walking through the halls or any of the normal activity that occurred around the lab. He got out of bed and wondered towards the door. After leaving his room he walked down the hall and entered his gramps' study. He would never forget what he saw.
Professor Oak was holding a picture frame close to his chest and was facing away from Gary. He kept saying something over and over again, "Anna... Anna... I'm so sorry... Anna... Blue... Blueregard..." Tears streamed down the older male's face. Gary couldn't remember when he'd ever seen his grandfather, cry.
"Gramps...?" Gary asked quietly. It came out like a mumbled whisper. His grandfather turned around sharply and laid eyes on him. Why was he looking at him like he was an abandoned Growlithe?
"Gary... Oh Gary..." Professor Oak reluctantly put down the, now damp, frame and walked over to give him a wonderfully warm hug that felt oddly out of place.
"Why are ya crying, Gramps?" Gary asked softly, "You okay?"
Oak shook his head a little, "Gary... Your parents... they..."
Gary could feel like what his grandfather would say next was bad. He pushed away from the man and when Oak tried to hold him again, he pushed away with even more force.
"I so sorry, Gary... Your mom and dad... they... they were in a car accident... They aren't with us anymore... I'm so sorry." Oak spoke on the verge of tears again. Gary heard what he had said but simply kept trying to shake his head to make the words disappear from his mind... his memories...
They aren't with us anymore...
They aren't with us anymore...
us anymore...
anymore...
Gary suddenly was aware of the tears wetting his face, shirt, and the floor. He turned on his heel before his grandfather could hold him again and tore out of the room. He ran into someone on the way out, quite literally.
"Professor?" The man asked as he rounded the corner. Gary ran into his chest as he too tried to round the corner. Professor Oak was trailing behind him. Gary looked up at the man and felt kind arms go around him. He could see those red eyes filled with tears.
"Red?" Gary asked and his voice broke, as tears felt like they were welling in his eyes, chest, throat...
"..." Red bent down some and enveloped Gary in a massive hug. Gary could feel Red's shoulders heave in sorrow as well. Gary's dad was one of his closest friends. He was surprised that he hadn't said he was sorry, that he hadn't said anything at all... then again what good can words really do in this world when emotion and feeling, good or bad, have built up beyond their capacity to be expressed? Gary let it out. He cried and cried and cried in Red's arms. He could feel his back getting wet from Red's tears and he could also hear the muffled sobs of his grandfather behind them.
"He was a good man... A good friend... A good father... both of them such good people... because of that they will be missed so..." Red spoke softly.
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They didn't even know what happened... Something about trying to miss something on the road?
"Sounds like Blue... Trying to miss hitting some pokemon or something..." ~ Red
Though there was never any evidence found that a pokemon had been nearby...
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Gary was so tired of it... The people coming and going... Saying sorry over and over... He did like their sympathy but he didn't favor their pity, because it made him bitter... because it reminded him so easily how most of them still had what he had lost... And the kids in town... they... they were the worst and avoided him like the plague... then again sorrow can be somewhat contagious... as can... joy...
"Gary...?"
Gary looked up from his lonely vigil and spied one of his closest friends, Ash Ketchum.
"Oh... hey Ashy-Boy," Gary spoke flatly. Ash didn't even whine at the nickname only a sad frown graced his face. He said nothing but sat down. He thought about where Red was... probably with Mrs. K and gramps trying to help him. Gary of course wasn't mad at his grandfather for not paying too much attention to him... He was grieving too. Gary seemed to accept the whole idea that you can never understand the pain a parent goes through if they loose a child.
"What pokemon do you think you'll get?" Ash spoke suddenly.
Gary was a bit confused by the change of topic or at least where he thought the conversation would go once they did speak, "What?"
"What pokemon will you get when you start you're journey? I can't decide... Maybe a Charmander like your dad did... Char is a cool pokemon," Ash said without any sort of joy or sorrow on his face. Gary thought about his parents' pokemon... they were so sad... Char had taken it the worst though. Suddenly he felt anger towards Ash for talking like he was, mentioning his father, his father's pokemon... It was as if Gary was trying to horde every word, memory, or thought about his parents all to himself and he was now furious that Ash had the nerve to speak of them.
"Who do you think you are!?" Gary stood up and shouted at Ash. His friend was taken off guard but only frowned, "Who gave you the right to even talk about my dad!?"
Ash stood up and faced Gary, "I'm sorry Gary." He flinched when he realized what he had said. Ash had been trying so hard not to say that phrase. Gary snapped,
"Of course you are! If you haven't noticed, everyone in Kanto probably feels sorry for me! What makes you any different!?" Gary shouted. Ash spoke calmly,
"I won't forget and I won't leave and I'll... listen instead of talk..." Ash sat down again and tilted his head to slightly a gaze over the town of Pallet. Gary started to calm down. Slowly he sat back down and pulled his knees to his chest. He wouldn't cry, there were no more tears left after all.
"I wish I had gotten to say a better goodbye..." Gary started. He then proceeded to talk with Ash for a long time about his father and mother. Ash listened and never budged; he just nodded his head. Ash eventually got Gary to even talk about what pokemon he wanted to catch in the future, though he never would tell Ash what he wanted for his starter, things his dad and Ash's dad had taught him, and laugh about some funny memories. The sun finally started to set and both could see Ash's parents coming from the lab to come and get them both. Before they stood up, Gary turned to face Ash,
"Ash, thanks."
Ash smiled and placed a hand on Gary's shoulder, "No problem, but let me warn you... I'm going to be a better trainer than you Oak," Ash looked sideways at Gary with a smug grin.
"I don't think so Ashy-Boy!" Gary said defiantly. Ash smiled when he saw Gary get fired up... mission accomplished. Gary smiled and then said something again,
"I'll pay you back for this one day, Ash. I promise, and when an Oak makes a promise, they keep it!" Gary spoke with a bit of pride.
"That's what friends are for, right? No need to repay me," Ash said and Gary smiled.
They walked together down the side of the hill to meet with Ash's parents and Professor Oak, who were waiting for them.
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It wasn't to long before summer rolled around and his grandfather told him about a summer camp they were going to be hosting. His gramps excitedly told him that he had invited Ash and some of Gary's other friends to the event, along with whoever else could come; anyone was invited really. Though Gary was excited, he couldn't help but wonder if his grandfather was just trying to keep him happy and distracted. He appreciated the thought but he would be fine. He was determined to be. He needed to continue on with his life joyfully, for the sake of his parents and himself.
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by his grandfather talking to him about the different games and such they'd have at the camp. After a moment more, Gary was brought back into his own mind by what he could almost believe was his father's voice, Smell ya later...
A challenge or taunt... and yet the quote held an air of familiarity as if it was calling upon it's receiver to challenge themselves and become stronger... also of course there was the obvious message of, We'll meet again.
Gary smiled and turned his attention fully this time to listen to his grandfather blabber on about pokemon and their wonders.
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I imagine the idea that his parents died in a car crash is fairly common, but I plan to add onto this further in The Master Challenge, perhaps.
I feel as though this little head-cannon would happen before the summer camp that Ash met Serena at. It would help distract Gary and get him psyched about learning about pokemon again. Then after the summer camp, Ash's father leaves for unknown reasons and Gary returns the favor to Ash by comforting him.
If you were wondering, Anna is just a name I made for Professor Oak's deceased wife.
Also if you were wondering about Blue and Red's weird lengthened names:
First of all I know there are some huge issues with Blue and Red being Ash's and Gary's fathers but I like the idea and I explain more about that in my author's note at the front of the first chapter of The Master's Challenge.
Second their names I lengthened because I thought that it would be weird normally for someone to just name their kids Red and Blue, though I suppose its not completely out of question, but regardless I made them act more like nicknames and gave them the longer names of Redrick and Blueregard. Sorry if that's kinda weird.
Alright I'm done:
I hope you enjoyed it! :D