Soft rays of sunlight peered in through the curtains of young Gary Oak's room, cascading along the floor and across his oversized bed with a baby-blue hue. His small body stirred within the earthy green covers, murmuring softly as the light shone against his eyelids, causing his features to curl in protest. He wriggled back slightly, tugging the plush snuggled against his chest along with him, just out of reach of the sun, but after a few more minutes passed, the light was upon his face again and a breath of frustration expelled his pink lips. Gary ripped the comforter over his head in an irritated manner, grumbling pitifully as he was being forced to come to terms with the fact that the fiery ball in the sky wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Even so, Gary buried his face farther into his pillow, praying for a few more minutes of shut-eye.
Naturally, a loud knocking sounded from behind the door, causing the little boy to jolt awake again, gripping onto the sheets as to keep from falling off the bed. His heartbeat rose in a panic, thumping hastily beneath the walls of his tiny chest. Another rap of knuckles against the wooden door came, then a mans voice. "Mr. Oak." Gary instantly recognized it as belonging to Simon, one of his grandfather's many assistants. this one in particular chosen to supervise the young Oak most days.
"Mr. Oak—"the man spoke again, repeating the motion on the door. "It's time to wake up-your grandfather is requesting you down by the Lab." Gary groaned, pulling the covers tighter over his head. "Says he's got a surprise for you." Simon added, as though that would be the final ticket to get the little boy out of bed. Taking one gander around at the overflowing shelves around Gary's room put a rather disgusting number to how many times Professor Oak had already pulled that card—and every time, the brunette hopped out of bed in hopes that the surprise would actually be his grandfather for a change.
"Mr. Oak—we need to leave in-" Gary growled, flinging his pillow out into the floor, sending the stuffed animal over the edge as well. He bolted up with wide eyes, just barely catching it by its golden back fin. A sigh of relief escaped Gary and he clutched his most prized possession against his body. "Okay, okay." He whined, rolling over onto his other side, facing his back towards the window now. "And stop calling me that!" His expression furrowed deeply and he pouted. "My name is Gary." His tone carried with a bitterness far too strong for a seven year old. "I am not my dad."
Gary focused on the crack at the bottom of the door, waiting for Simon to walk away. As soon as his footsteps quieted and disappeared completely, Gary turned onto his back, staring sadly up towards the chocolaty color of the beds canopy overhead. His hands stroked down the spine of the golden magikarp locked tightly in his arms, which was nearly as big as he was. The fins were stiff and crinkly, a foily texture aligned with bright glitter. The body was a softer cotton with a gold color much more rich, adorned with various bulky lines of hand sewn fabric splits. The stuffed toy was aged with obvious ware but Gary didn't mind this at all. Out of everything the boy owned, from size to price—this magikarp was his absolute favorite because his best friend had given it to him.
Gary finally sat up, bringing the plush up higher, the tip of its head leveling with his nose and he parted his lips, inhaling the scent easily. It smelled just like Ash and if that wasn't enough reason to love the gift, Gary didn't know what was. He wrapped his arms even tighter around the magikarp, arching his back as he leaned over, burrowing his face upon it again. He nuzzled it lovingly- ruffling up his auburn bangs, wishing he didn't have to seek solace in the stuffed doll, and rather could do so with Ash instead. His company always made the lonely days and nights better—because Gary didn't have to be so alone anymore.
Thoughts of his friend encouraged Gary to push himself out of the bed, abandoning the magikarp to the mountain of covers. His legs rested over the edge a moment, and as he plopped down against the cool hard tiles of his floor, the little boy cringed. The floor here was nothing like the curly warmth of carpet that consisted of Ash's room. The strands would tickle the bottoms of Gary's feet and slip between his toes in the ticklish of ways, and even though he'd just been over the day before, the brunette couldn't help but miss the feeling. His feet pattered along then as he stepped forward, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Gary stopped in front of the dresser with the rectangular mirror hovering above, its border etched with tiny grass pokemon, hand carved. Pale and generously freckled skin stuck out in the reflection, down until the starting hem of pokeball patterned pajama pants. He stretched his arms up high over his head, lifting onto his tip-toes with a great yawn as he did so. Auburn locks sat with a natural messiness atop his head and Gary effortlessly ran his fingers back through it, brushing his bangs over the peak of his brow with a palm, revealing the striking emerald tone of his eyes they once concealed beneath it. The top drawer pulled open with ease and Gary retrieved a few items; a blank tank top, royal purple shorts and a fresh pair of socks. He tossed them over his shoulder back towards the bed, sending the socks skidding across the mattress and tumbling into the floor all the way over on the other side. An irritated huff of breath came from the boy's nose and he stomped around, his hand catching on the wooden bar rising up from the right corner, ascending to the bend of the canopy. Gary flung himself flat onto the bed then, scrambling for his other clothes. His fingertips wriggled while his feet squirmed, attempting to lengthen his reach. Rather than walking back around, the ginger continued to struggle but when he finally grasped the fabrics, Gary's expression elated within his victory and he leveled with the floor again.
A small chanting had begun just beyond the window, the voice muffled though clearly discernible. The repeating sound caused Gary's brows to raise and his eyes to roll quite dramatically while he approached the glass, shorts clasped in his hands. Just as expected, the annoyance was coming from none other than the red, white and blue creature that Ms. Ketchum kept around all the time, who at the current moment was mindlessly sweeping back and forth along the driveway. His boney legs were spread awkwardly, and what Gary could only assume was uncomfortably too, as he waddled his body along. His expression appeared content as it always seemed to be—but Gary had to find it rather strange that anyone be so thrilled to be up at the break of dawn. The only other person he knew who enjoyed being awake that early in the morning was his grandpa—and that was enough said.
"What a couple of weird-ohs." Gary emphasized by a shake of his head. He quickly changed his bottoms, buttoning them at his waist and they fell loosely around his scrawny hips. By the time he lifted his head back up, his eyes readjusting to the sunlight pouring through the parted curtains, Mr. Mime had since then stilled his broom. He stood down there, turning his head frantically from one side to the other with wide eyes. Gary cringed at the sight and he mumbled under his breath. "Forget about weird, that guy is just plain ol' creepy." At the conclude of his sentence, the figure across the streets gaze deadlocked with the boy through the window, the look sending a tremor so powerful up Gary's spine that he toppled over into the floor. His breath quickened and hesitantly he lifted his head, peering through at the bottom edge of the window only to find the Mr. Mime pointing accusingly towards him now, his mouth flapping. His arms flailed over his head, while his pointy feet stomped the ground. Gary stood to his full height then, starring down at the deranged pokemon. "What a freak!" He shouted, watching as Mr .Mime grabbed his own head, then shook his gloved fists. As the antics continued, the boy's lips curved up into a crooked grin. Can't get me from here, he was convinced, and proceeded to lift the tips of both his thumbs to his cheeks. Gary stuck his tongue out, wiggling his other fingers in a quick and mocking manner, but as soon as the Mr. Mime stomped over the end of the driveway, Gary gasped and bolted away from the window immediately, just barely snatching his shirt and socks off the bed before taking off into the hallway, shouting. "Simon!"
Gary reached the bottom of the staircase in record timing, the assistant having only a second prior bounded towards it. He took a sharp left, having only one arm through the sleeve while his head struggled to find the center hole. He collided head on with the grown man, causing himself to plant backwards onto his butt. "Mr. Oak!" Simon worried, kneeling beside the boy with his hands out, as if he were examining a vile back at the laboratory. "Are you alright?" His touch to Gary's shoulder was an uncomfortable one, and after finally pulling the black fabric over his head, he elbowed the man away.
"Gary." The brunette corrected again, harsher this time. "My name is Gary." He returned to his feet, unrolling the tank top down to cover his belly. He glared up at the man, his green eyes darkening ever so slightly. "And yes, I'm fine. I was just—" Gary's eyes faltered suddenly and he stammered. "Just making, making sure that you were still here is all." He shook his head then, tilting his nose up as to demonstrate his superiority and when he crossed his arms, he quickly changed the subject. "What's for breakfast?"
The moment the two stepped into the kitchen, Gary's senses recoiled and he whined. "Again?" At the far end of the table sat a blue container, sectioned off into three individual sections. A small biscuit occupied the largest divot, its innards consisting of a colorless meat patty, and a neatly cut chunk of egg with a sliver of cheese on top. The other sections were filled with a handful of round hash-browns and what Gary assumed was gravy. He reluctantly took a seat before this so-called meal, his feet hovering just above the floor, swinging subtly between the legs of the chair. He starred down at the food disdainfully, his stomach churning in both hunger and nausea. Gary picked along the top layer of bread, watching the already cooled contents crumble down the walls of plastic. He sat quietly a moment, searching for his voice.
"When's Marina coming back?" Gary finally asked, in regards to his previous nanny. Every day the past week, he had been forced to resort to processed meals, courtesy of the professor's freezer. It made Gary feel ill at even the thought of his tastebuds grazing the contents. For one of the richest men he knew, Gary thought for sure his grandfather could supply him with something at least semi-edible. At least with Marina around, he could get something ordered in. Professor Oak on the other hand, he just didn't have the time to be bothered with his grandson, which was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the same old thing every day of the boy's life. When it came to general care and affection, Gary Oak was dirt poor.
"Didn't the professor tell you?" Simon inquired as he began shuffling through a large stack of papers on the marble counter, not once turning to face the boy.
"Course he didn't." Gary interrupted, mindlessly toying at the edge of the container with a heavy frown. "Gramps has been up there for days. He never tells me nothin'."
"Oh." Simon retorted monotonously, dabbing the tips of his fingers to his tongue before flipping a few more pages in. "Well Marina was let go, Gary." He emphasized with a snark. "She won't be coming back any time soon. So you'll be stuck with me, unfortunately."
Gary huffed, his expression shaping into a scowl. "What about food? What am I supposed to eat?" His tone was defensive and he shoved the plastic tray away with his forearm, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
Simon tsked, shaking his head. "Your grandfather has survived this long on those microwave breakfasts; I think you'll be just fine for a few weeks."
Gary grumbled hatefully under his breath, resting his chin upon his hands while his elbows perched on the table. His little legs swung faster and to fight off the unwanted tears that began to form beneath his eyes, he scowled. He was a growing boy, right? How was he supposed to get strong if all he got fed was garbage? He closed his eyes, stifling the tears while his mind wandered across the street, where Gary could already smell the sausage Ash's mother was undoubtedly preparing that instant for their late Saturday breakfast. His stomach grumbled loudly at the thought and he slouched farther in his seat. Ms. Ketchum would cook for me…Gary sighed sadly, then looked up at the red wall clock. It was half past ten, a little earlier than his usual arrival. Typically Gary didn't make it over on the weekends until the afternoon, but he had the feeling his neighbors wouldn't mind an earlier visit. As a rule of thumb, Ms. Ketchum could never allow one go hungry.
With the screech of the chairs hind legs, Gary excused himself from the table.
"Where are you going?" The assistant raised his voice, only turning as there was no immediate response. "Mr. Oak." His tone demanded. "I asked you a question."
Gary rolled his eyes, mocking the man quietly as he made his way to the front door, plopping down to put his sneakers on. "I'm gonna go to Ash's." He replied then softly, securing the knots of the laces.
"No," Simon spoke as if the very word were law. "Your grandfather wants you down at the laboratory before noon." He tapped the papers on the edge of the counter, aligning them before rolling them up. Gary was already up on his heels, his eyes having swollen up red again. There were many things you could tell Gary Oak, but refusing to let him see his best friend was not one of them.
"But—but I want to go play with—"
"All this complaining is quite unbecoming of Professor Oak's young disciple." Simon interjected this time, treading towards the door with the papers tucked under his arm.
"You've been playing with that boy too much lately as it is." Simon added as he gripped the doorknob with a free hand. "When you start working like your grandfather, you won't have time for those petty little games anymore." Gary starred up at the man with his mouth agape, but wordless. Little did Simon nor his Granpa know, that this was exactly the thing he feared. A future without Ash? Why, what would be the purpose in it?
"Now go get in the car, we don't want to keep the professor waiting."
They were down the road in a matter of minutes, leaving the house behind to the streets of Pallet. Gary shuffled around in the backseat, abandoning his seat-belt so he could lamely rest his forehead against the car window, watching as Ash's home went further and further from his sight. Once he could no longer see it at all, Gary sighed and his attention dropped to the road outside of the car. His emerald eyes lingered blankly upon the grain of the road as the wheels crunched over it and up above the sun beamed down upon the earth, highlighting the greenery of Pallet Town in an ethereal glow. Rays of light broke through the overcrowding trees covering the mountainside overhead- at the very top, the laboratory could be seen. The area was far more secluded than the town down below, and along the outskirts of the property, a river of crystal blue guided the way. Gary's eyes shimmered as he watched a school of goldeen swim by, their horns protruding from the water. One soared up high, splashing with such force that droplets of water propelled from its scales, dampening the ground surrounding them. The little boy watched in awe, his heart longing to embrace the current. Maybe grandpa will take me fishing today…
The car came to a sudden halt, sending Gary sliding forward in his seat. He braced himself against the side of the door, gripping tightly. He cocked his head up then, his sights being met with the spiraling steel gates at the entrance to the lab. Simon rolled his window down, outstretching his arm to the red button on the speaker box. A muffled voice crackled back through and Gary pressed himself into the back of the front seat, suddenly eager to reach the top of the hill. "What he say?!" He chirped, poking his head through the gap between the top of the seat and the car wall.
"Grampy!" Gary shouted, waving his hand towards the box as though the Professor could see.
"Ah, Gary it's good to hear from y—"
"So I was thinkin we could go and fish today!" He added enthusiastically behind a wide smile. "Maybe even Ash can come with—"
Suddenly the speaker box was crackling furiously and in the midst of all of the crashing somewhere behind it, Gary could hear his grandpa clearing his throat.
"Listen Gary," He finally spoke and the boy could just barely hear him. "Something has…come up. I'm gonna be a while longer and I can't have you up here at the moment." Gary's features pooled downward and he remained quiet. "But I promise I'll take you out tomorrow, your grandpa is swamped up here."
"Yeah right." Gary spat sourly.
"Just take a ride around with Simon." encouraged.
"I don't want to." He whined. "I wanna go play with Ash."
The remark went disregarded and the feint sound of a wheeled chair rolling across the floor was all Gary could make out. "It'll be good for you to get out of town for a change." The professor added, disengaging from the conversation. Gary's tiny fists balled together and if his grandfather was sitting close enough, he wasn't sure he'd be able to fight the urge to clock him right in his nose "Yeah, well you would know, huh?" He snapped, plopping back into the seat with his arms crossed and bitterly he turned away. It took all he had not to say something else when all his grandpa did was sigh.
"Take him up towards Viridian, I'm sure there's something there to keep the two of you occupied for a little bit. Just be back by—" The sound of glass shattering across the floor caused the Professor to grumble off a curse and when his voice came through the intercom box again, his tone grew harsher. "I can't talk right now Simon, I'm going to have to let you go."
Simon rolled his thumb and index finger against his nose in agitation, lifting his oval glasses slightly as he did so. He took a minute before adjusting the front mirror, tilting it at an angle where he could see the boy in the back, no more thrilled than he it seemed. "Guess we'll be going shopping." Simon stated before snapping his mirror and his glasses back into place.
The drive easily turned into an hour and still there was nothing more surrounding the area but more trees and wildlife. Gary had since dozed off, curled up on the right side of the vehicle, out of Simon's sight. Though when his forehead thumped into the glass he jolted awake, sitting up immediately with a groan. He massaged the top of his head with a palm as his eyes began to readjust to the light and where exactly they were headed. "Are we there yet?" Gary murmured, focusing on his side of the road now. The lack of buildings around answered the question for him.
"It'll be around another hour or so, you know how long it takes to drive down there." Simon responded, flicking the blinker on. Gary kicked the center console with his sneaker. "I wanna go home." The assistant rolled his eyes, running a hand over the top of his receding hairline. "That's your grandfather's point—you stay at his house far too much."
Gary's heart sank, his expression wounded and he withdrew back against the car wall. "It's—it's not my fault." He spoke defensively. "My mama and papa are on vay-vay—"
"Vacation." Simon finished dryly.
"Yeah…" The boy pouted, unsure of himself as he slowly twisted the green and yellow charm at the end of his necklace. He leaned his head against the window again.
In truth, Gary had been within Professor Oak's care for what he believed to have been a mere handful of months, when in reality, the beginning of summer had marked two years of their absence. Despite the odds of their return, Gary still waited—hoping. Making excuses for them as to why they were taking so long, and for why his grandfather was never around either. The Professor seemed to be swamped with research every single day, he was a very busy man after all and of course Gary recognized this, but seeing how always seemed to make time for Ash even during her late shifts, it filled the ginger with resentment. There was no excuse for his neglect and little by little Gary began to acknowledge this himself. Even so, he kept his faith upon the odds that some day one of them would actually be there for him.
He gazed out of the window solemnly, watching as the trees blurred on by. His emerald eyes trailed up to the deep blue of the sky and the cotton-candy clouds that filled and stretched along its body. A flock of pidgey flew overhead, tweeting and squawking with the wind beneath their wings. Gary sighed, feeling the sunshine soak in and warm the bareness of his skin, silently wishing that he was rolling through the blades of grass in direct line of its rays back in Pallet, with Ash.
Gary awoke again, this time to the sound of the front door slamming. He sat up quickly, turning around to take in the surroundings, noting easily that they most certainly were not in Viridian City yet. He caught a glimpse of Simon scaling down the left side of the car, a corded object with a long snout in his hand. He plugged the gas pump in, jiggling the handle slightly to make sure it stayed put. Gary moved again, pressing his knees into the leather seat. He looked out of the back windshield, observing the small buildings aligning the left side of the street. The town wasn't recognizable and Gary wondered passively if they took a wrong turn this time. Simon wasn't the most coordinated driver, even he knew that.
A logged cabin sat at the far end of the strip, decorated with wind chimes and patterned ribbons covered with gems. Several sculptures were positioned amongst the rocky terrain that bordered the building and a crooked sign adorned the front, reading Madaline's Antiques. "That's a strange name." Gary commented to himself, strange enough that he had to check it out before he died of boredom in the backseat. He fiddled with the door handle while his gaze remained fixated on the current destination of interest and the longer he stared, the greater his curiosity became and when the door didn't immediately open, Gary growled. "Let, me, out!" The boy demanded, jarring Simon's attention back into the car. Gary flipped the lock finally, nearly toppling out onto the ground as he made for his escape. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts, walking casually around the back of the car like he hadn't seen Simon but right as he noticed the man approaching him, Gary's eyes widened and he took off towards the cabin.
"Gary Oak!" The assistant hollered as he stepped forward, lamely tripping over the cord of the gas pump.
"Smell ya later, Simon!" Gary retorted, waving his hand sheepishly as he bounded for the shop.
The bell overhead chimed as Gary stepped inside, his sneakers meeting with a kaleidoscope view of Persian styled carpets. Rich burgundy, gold and ebony twisted and spiraled amongst the material, making the boy rather light headed as he starred down upon it. Above his head hovered a ceiling fan spinning on low, its mirroring mate on the opposite side of the room. Faded tie-dyed fabrics were strewn up along the ceiling, stretching out towards the wooden logged walls, dipping down here and there with tiny strings of plastic jewels dangling off from them. Upon first impression the boy was a bit put-off by the decoration but as with most children, his curiosity would have the best of him.
Gary pressed forward into the seemingly vacant area, slowly observing the shelves lining the walls, stacked with books and foreign knickknacks. Tables occupied the area in-between and at the center of the floor sat a circular table, draped with a royal blue fabric. Atop its body sat a spin-rack covered with jewelry. He approached the table, gliding his hand cautiously along the curve of the table, his emerald eyes falling on a thick and worn book resting on the edge. Pokemon Folklore, the title stated and Gary traced his fingertip over the leather cover. His brows furrowed in confusion as he flipped a few pages in, taken aback by the large and incoherent words that the papers spat at him and the deeper he went into the book, the more lost he felt. A bird born of fire met his eyes halfway in and if he wasn't already confused enough, the familiarity of this beast would see to it that it remained on his thoughts. Its silhouette was red and its wings outstretched far above its head and extending from the ends of the feathers thick flames curled into the corners of the book. It looked as though the page itself was burning up and when Gary's focus met with the wide-open eyes of the bird, he quickly shut the book and returned his attention elsewhere.
A red charm twinkled and turned above his head and unsure as to why the jewelry stole his focus as it did, he pushed his weight against the table with one arm reached up with the other. It would just figure the one Gary wanted was hanging at the very top of the rack. He struggled for a moment but when he finally hooked the bracelet with his index and middle finger, he struck a prideful grin for tugging it down on his own, only to bring the whole stand crashing to the floor with it. Gary cringed and quickly squatted down, frantically piling the jewelry in his arms hoping and praying no one would come in and find him. A woman cleared her throat suddenly, causing the boy's heart to leap and plummet and before Gary could form a coherent response, she continued. "I hope you plan on paying for those, young man."
"I—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was only tying to—"
From around the back counter the woman revealed herself, making her way towards the mess. She wore a white blouse, its collar riding low from one shoulder to the other, exposing her chestnut colored chest a little more than modestly. A long skirt covered her legs and the teal material swished and swayed with every step that she took. Sandals took to her heels and from around her neck an ocean blue charm sat against the snugly fitted band, and upon closer inspection Gary could see it was a water droplet. Thick brown curls sprouted from her scalp and piled around her head and shoulders bountifully and when she knelt in front of Gary with a smile, she pushed a few stray strands behind her ear. Her slate colored eyes were sharp and when the young boy looked at her, she spoke softly and began hooking the items back onto the metal rack. "I was only kidding." She reassured. "Just help me pick up the rest of these and we'll call it even, whaddaya say?"
Gary gave her a defensive look and a snide retort. "Nothin' to worry 'bout lady. I got lots of money." A wide grin shaped his lips as he continued to boast. "My grandpa could buy this whole place."
"Is that so?" The woman inquired, half smiling herself.
He affirmed this fact with a steady nod. "Mm hm. He's 'prolly the most richest man in the whole world." Gary snatched the last bracelet up, gripping it tightly in his palm. "But I only wanted this one anyway."
She shook her head, fending off the small sputter of laughter that parted her lips. Her gaze shifted down upon Gary as she stood, hefting the rack back onto the table, watching as he began to wander off again.
"What's your name, sweetie?" The woman asked, causing Gary's expression to sour and he stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Gross!" He whispered harshly under his breath at the pet-name, then turned to face her. His brows raised confidently and he pointed towards himself with a thumb for emphasis. "Gary Oak—the Gary Oak of Pallet Town."
Her smile expanded and she crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Well Mr. Gary Oak, didn't your parents ever tell you not to go wonderin' off on your own like that? It's not safe for little-"
"I don't have any of those." Gary bit back and he glared down upon the hand-knitted quilts on the table to his left.
"What do you mean by that?" She spoke with concern and carefully she stepped forward. "Don't tell me you're really out here all by yourself. Your mama must be right outsi—"
"I don't wanna talk about it." Gary grumbled back and the woman pursed her lips in silence, letting the subject go for the moment. Her attention fell back upon the bracelet wrapped around the little boy's fist and how his thumb grazed over its shape nervously, and when the sound of his question reached her ears, she took a moment longer to stare at the charm.
"What's your name?" He spoke harsher than he intended to.
The woman smiled, answering simply. "Madaline."
Gary looked up at her. "Like on that sign?"
Madaline pursed her lips in a tight smile, giving a nod of her own. "Yes sir."
He averted his gaze then, falling to silence again as he continued to fidget.
Madaline tilted her head, eying the boy peculiarly. Gary's auburn locks fluttered gently atop his head due to the breeze coming from the ceiling fan. The tips of his bangs tickled along his nose and his features scrunched slightly as he brushed them away. He shifted his emerald orbs down upon the burgundy bracelet, who's body consisted of three strands braided together, parted by wooden barrel shaped beads and at the very end of the double-string, two brown beads dangled like orbs. Gary rubbed the pad of his thumb over the charm then moved it away, revealing to Madaline the fiery winged creature carved on front.
"Do you know anything about Moltres?" The woman asked suddenly, approaching Gary.
He looked up at her with half interested expression. "A Mol-what?"
She tilted the pendant and its glossy coat shinned. "This right here." She tapped on it and Gary shifted his gaze down. "The watch tower of the South, the Guardian of Fire—the Pheonix." Gary starred at Madaline bemusedly, however intrigued and she continued happily. "Moltres is one of the three legendary birds of the Orange Islands."
"It is said that the flames of her wings and those of her crown are eternal. That even under the pressure of one thousand oceans, Moltres' flame could not be dimmed." Madaline's focus strayed up to the ceiling as she found herself lost within her own story. "The fire bird represents the endurance and purity of our hearts, and those rare few that burn with a love as inextinguishable as her fire, no matter how far asunder they may stray. That light is always there, bound by these invisible threads called fate."
Gary's brows furrowed in thought as he rolled his finger along the charm. "I don't understand." He admitted after a moment and Madaline squatted down beside him, cupping her palm under his small hand. "It means—" Her voice softened. "It means that people come and go, feelings change- but there are a few, very special ones, who you are connected to forever. No matter the distance, no matter the hardships—their bond, their friendship—would last a lifetime, perhaps even longer." She sighed gently, tilting her slate eyes up to the little boys. "And if you ever feel a spark in here for someone—" She pressed her hand to his chest. "You never ever let that light go out."
Gary's heart tightened and a hue of pink flushed his cheeks as the image of Ash came to mind. "You mean those butterflies?" He forced the words out.
Madaline's smile stretched from eye to eye this time and she placed her free hand to Gary's upper-back. "You know them, huh?"
Gary nodded bashfully. "With—with my best friend."
"Well they must be very lucky then." Madaline stated genuinely, earning the shake of the ginger's head. His chest sank at the memories of his former family and then to the boy who was seemed to always be there by his side no matter what the days brought, nor how poorly Gary sometimes treated him. Gary met the woman with somber eyes."No, I'm—I'm way luckier to have him."
"I'd say you're both fortunate."
The bell up front chimed suddenly, causing Madaline and Gary's heads to abruptly snap up. The door flew back against the wall with a warm burst of air and as if he heard his cue to ruin the moment, Simon appeared. "Gary Oak." The man grumbled lowly as he marched himself into the store, readjusting his glasses and his gasoline stained suit.
"I thought you said you were alone?" Madaline managed right before the man jerked his tie down with a grunt and stomped the rest of the way over.
"I hope you enjoy telling your grandfather about how you just ruined his fifty thousand dollar car." Simon pursed his lips, glancing down to his tailored ensemble. "And my three thousand dollar suit."
Gary rolled his eyes. "He can just buy a new one."
Simon mocked the boy rather childishly before gripping around his arm just below his shoulder. He squeezed tightly, dragging Gary behind him as he headed back towards the door, completely disregarding the woman. Gary whined, tugging back relentlessly but no matter how hard he fought, Simon continued to drag him along.
Madaline hurried her way after them both, stopping the assistant dead in his tracks once she maneuvered in front of him. She crossed her arms and stood her ground, unwilling to let him pass. "I suggest you let him go, sir."
Simon sized her up in the moment, but with little more consideration he let Gary go. The last thing he wanted was for this particular quarrel getting back to the professor- risking his job was a line Simon wasn't quite ready to cross.
Gary rubbed the side of his arm where his skin had turned red but before he could focus too long on the remaining pain from the phantom grasp, he reluctantly began to untie the bracelet from his wrist.
A saddened smile took to Madaline's lips as she watched the boy struggle to remove the band.
"No honey," Her words came gently and when she placed her hand over Gary's, she gave a light squeeze. "You take it."
"We're not paying for that garbage." Simon grumbled.
"It's on the house." She stated, her focus not once wavering from Gary. "It's all yours."
"T-thank you…" Gary stammered and even though he wouldn't care to admit it, he had actually started to cry.
Madaline watched the two of them break for the steps, and as the wood creaked beneath them a sense of empathy filled her heart. The way the boy walked with his shoulders slumped and his head bowed, it made her sad in a way she couldn't quite place. However when he dared to glance back at Madeline, she instantly replaced the sadness in her heart with a flash of light that transcended through her teeth.
"I'm sure Ash will love it." The woman's words echoed in Gary's ears and the moment he realized he hadn't even mentioned his dear friends name, he was high-tailing it straight for the car.
Simon had resumed his scolding just as soon as the engine began to hum and when he ripped the suit of his coat off, he tossed it blindly into the passenger seat. Gary was huddled up in the back again twisting his gift between his fingertips. The hairs on the back of his neck still stood attentively as he wondered how exactly that woman had known Ash's name. It was unnerving, to put it lightly and it made question after question run through his head but as soon as Gary parted his lips to speak, Simon threw his right hand up.
"I don't want to hear another word out of you." His voice came harshly. "Thanks to you, we won't be making it back till dark."
"But I didn't—" Gary protested.
"What did I just say?" Simon turned around in the seat, starring at the boy with his beady little eyes. Gary gulped and looked away.
"I don't want to hear it." Simon added as he pulled the car out onto the road. "Professor Oak is not going to be happy about this."
"All you've done since you're been here is cause trouble and I for one have had enough." His words were sincere with spite and with his focus through the windshield now, he concluded his thought. "It's about time you went back wherever it is you came from, if you ask me."
At nearly sunset the car was finally turning up the driveway, rolling over the gravelly path and up to the front door. Simon hit the brakes, putting the car in park and he placed both hands on the steering wheel, sighing drearily. Gary was curled up on his side, laying out across the backseat asleep. The assistant shook his head in a disapproving manner and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Mr. Oak." He barked, jarring the boy awake. He sat up with ruffled hair and he rubbed his eyes.
"Are, are we home now?"
"Yes." Simon confirmed, as if it wasn't obvious. "I just got off the phone with your grandfather. He says he'll be down here in time for supper."
"Yeah?" Gary asked sleepily, seeking out the man in front. "What are we havin'?"
"He didn't specify, he just said he'd be ordering something in." Before the boy could hope to get another word in, Simon continued. "But he needs me up at the lab right now, so you better hurry on inside." He flipped the car lock and motioned towards the front door. "Go on."
Gary spotted the damage running down the side of the vehicle as Simon backed it out. Its onyx coat was noticeably chaffed by what the boy guessed had been the gas pump thrashing around after the man had fallen over it, but Gary couldn't say he really cared all too much about it even then. "It was your fault anyway." He mumbled under his breath, watching as the car disappeared around the bottom of the mountain. His emerald orbs cast away then, lingering amongst the house across the street. The outside lights were already turned on and the carport was empty, giving the boy a sinking feeling that Ash wasn't going to be back until sometime during the night.
After grabbing a can of soda from the fridge, Gary curled up on couch in the living room. He rummaged within the seat cushions for a moment in search of the remote, turning the television on as soon as he found it. The box flashed and color filled its flat screen. Gary flipped absently through the channels, slowly reclining back into the tough furniture with his feet dangling over the edge. The house felt unbelievably cold and empty, it was quite evident that visitors were a rarity around the Oak household. Gary took a weary look around the place while he sipped quietly from the grape flavored can. The floor creaked suddenly and the little boy could feel a breeze picking up, lightly fluttering his auburn bangs along his nose. He swallowed roughly and withdrew his legs, huddling up closer to himself while his gaze focused on the staircase just down the hall. He heard the wooden floor beckon a second time and he whimpered, laying down on the couch with his head shielded by an armrest. Gary stretched his arm up and quickly snatched the wool blanket down from the top, covering his small frame with the thick material. He quivered beneath it while his arms clutched for something else that wasn't there. He peeked up for a moment, contemplating going after his golden magikarp, but he knew just as always—he was far too afraid to travel upstairs by himself. Gary frowned deeply in resignation and snuggled his head back into the sofa, quietly longing to be amongst the homely atmosphere Ash and his mother provided.
The phone chimed and Gary's eyes snapped open irritably. He sat straight up on the couch grumbling bitterly to himself at the sudden disturbance and the fact that he couldn't seem to stay awake for more than ten minutes at a time. He rubbed his eyes roughly thinking about how much of the day he'd wasted, all the hours he could have been playing with Ash instead, and how easily they were whipped away. There just never seemed to be enough time.
Gary answered the phone finally, catching it on the second series of rings. "Where were you?" It was Simon and with little regard the boy rolled his eyes to the back of his head at the unpleasant, nasally tone. He hated that man. "I was in the bathroom." Gary white-lied, rolling his fist against his groggy eyelids while a yawn overcame his lungs.
"I see." The other voice crackled dryly through the other end. "Well I've got some…unfortunate news."
"What is it now?" Gary grumbled, already knowing the answer.
"It looks like your grandfather won't be making it home in time to have dinner after all. He's being held up here in the lab and we're lookin' at an all-nighter again."
Gary kneeled on the couch, parting the blinds behind it. His eyes fell with grief seeing that the sun was hanging by its very last limb. He felt like crying again.
"Are you there?" Simon asked and the boy sniffled.
"Yeah…" He wiped his nose with the back of his hand as he sniffled. "How come grandpa never calls to tell me he's going to be late?" Silence. "What about food, huh?" Gary pressed on, and the more he said the angrier he became. "I haven't had a thing all day. I'm … I'm hungry.""
"He's going to send some pizza dow—"
"Tell him not to bother!" Gary snapped and slammed the phone into the wall.
The crisp evening air whistled around Gary's ears as he rushed out of the house, his sights set on the house next door. His sneakers pattered roughly against the ground as his pace quickened, and soon he found himself past the gravel walkway that lead out into the street. Untied laces snapped against the sides of his shoes and ankles as he ran and the closer he got to Ash's front porch, the hotter his eyes began to burn. Was it from the wind that struck his eyes, or the tears he fought back earlier that day returning? Regardless of the reason, he rubbed his arm roughly over his scowling face, keeping whatever it was that he was feeling at bay.
When Gary approached the stairs of the front porch a light blinded him as the door opened. A familiar release of laughter sounded from behind the silhouette that now blockaded the entrance to the Ketchum household and when Gary tried for the first step, he completely miscalculated the distance and fell forward into them. At the sound of his yelp, which he'd be embarrassed for later, the figure waiting beneath the door frame revealed itself.
"Mime, Mime!" The pokemon shouted as he paced towards Gary, arms flailing above his head in a panic.
The sight of Mr. Mime cause a jolt of terror to strike Gary and when he bolted back onto his feet, he ignored the lingering main in the joints of his legs. "Get awat from me, you freak!" though the boy only recoiled at the sight of that rounded and pink-toned face. He stood quickly, ignoring the jolt of pain in the joints of his legs. "Get away from me, you freak!" Gary shouted as he ran passed the clown and right into Ms. Ketchum instead.
"Oh goodness!" Delia's eyes widened. "Gary, oh sweetie—are you alright?" She continued to worry. "Mimey what have I told you about scaring the children?!"
"W-What? What, no he didn't scare me..." The ginger scoffed and before Delia could get her hands on him to further console, Gary was brushing her off with a cold shoulder.
"And what are you doing out so late by yourself, young man?!" Her voice came again as though she hadn't heard a word the boy said. "I'm sure your grandpa must be worried sick."
Gary's eyes rolled full circle and just out of the corner of them, he caught a glimpse of messy ebony hair and a small, but bright smile. He found his heart skipping again and all but whispered his best friend's name. "Ash!"
"Gary!" He called back happily, wrapping his arms around the brunette in a snug embrace. Ash sighed heavily into the crook of Gary's neck before finally pulling back with a wide grin. "I missed you all day, but oh! I've got a surprise for you, hang on!" Just like that, he was running back into the house, rummaging through the contents on top of the coffee table that was just around the corner in the living room. "Ma, where did you put those tickets?" He hollered, causing Delia to sigh with a smile.
"They're still sitting on the couch honey, right where you left them."
Ash returned in seconds, his arms tucked playfully behind his back, concealing the surprise he'd already partially given away, but the other boy didn't seem to notice and stood cluelessly as he twirled the bracelet inside the pocket of his shorts.
"We're gonna go down by the big tree for a minute, mama." Ash stated as he thumped down the steps, motioning for Gary from behind.
"Oh Ash, why can't you just do that inside? It's dark honey, I don't want you to—"
"Ma!" He interjected with a laugh. "Don't worry so much."
Delia gave a defeated sigh, watching her son head out into the front yard, with Gary following closely behind. She turned to face her pokemon friend then, who appeared to still be discouraged by his failed attempt at consoling Gary. He stood with his back slumped, arms drooping at his sides. Delia patted him on the shoulder, exchanging a sympathetic look before ushering him back inside.
The boys maneuvered around the garden along the front of the house, following the path of stepping-stones, keeping in range of the light beaming off from the porch. Ash hopped from one stone to the other playfully, peeking over at Gary through his peripheral. His head was bowed in silence, staring blankly down as he strayed off into the grass. He didn't seem at all like his usual self and at the sight, a frown stole Ash's lips and he moved closer to his friend.
"Gary?" He inquired gently. "What's wrong?"
The ginger kept his attention on the ground and merely gave a quiet shrug.
"Oh…" Ash murmured and his enthused expression almost faded but when he remembered why he brought Gary beneath their tree-house, his energy immediately returned. "Well, about that surprise—" He continued, shuffling around in front of Gary, keeping his arms locked tightly behind his back while he smiled. "You are gonna flip." Ash emphasized with the raising of his brows and then he cleared his throat. "S-so, " Ash's voice came timidly now and he lightly twisted his heel into the dirt, casting a bashful look up to the other boy. "After mama and me got back earlier, we got some papers in the mail and—" He crinkled them, shaking his head in a dazed and still unbelieving manner. "I didn't think we were gonna win them but mama kept calling and—gosh you won't even believe—"
"Out with it already." Gary snapped.
"S-sorry." Ash apologized weakly, rubbing a hand over the back of his head with a crooked grin. "It's just that—" He started shaking his head again, while his stomach began to rumble, stretching his grin seemingly from one ear to the other. Unable to control himself, Ash jumped suddenly and snatched his arms out from behind himself and stretched them towards Gary, waving the papers within his hands. Gary's emerald eyes squinted in the dim light and at that moment, Ash questioned why he thought it was a good idea to reveal his surprise out there in the dark but before the other boy could even ask what it was, Ash was shouting the answer.
"We got tickets to the Pokemon Stadium Battle Championships!"
Gary grabbed one of the slips and held it up close to his face, gliding his fingertips along the crisp blue border, while scanning over the small printed words and the boldletters on top. "How did you get these?" He finally spoke, continuing to eye over the paper. "My grandpa couldn't even buy them. They were all sold out." He lowered it then, focusing his attention on Ash who looked more than thrilled to answer.
"Well y'see there was this show on the radio giving away things and I heard that they had tickets for the battle stadium and I got my mom to—"Ash paused to correct himself. "I mean I wanted to call but I'm too little so Mama called a zillion times and then we finally won the whole lot! Isn't that great?!" Ash bounced gleefully. "I know how much you wanted to go and now we get to go together!"
A small sound cracked from Gary's throat as his lips parted for a 'thank you', only for the other boy to pick right back up from where he left off. Gary crossed his arms and he frowned as he listened to his best friend ramble on but at the mention of a certain someone, his defenses heightened and his features etched into an angered pout.
"Your dad?" The ginger couldn't hide his distaste. "You really think he's gonna be there?"
Ash responded with an eager nod and smile. "Yeah! And I wanna be there to watch—"
"If he's really back in town, why hasn't he let you know, huh?" Gary eyed the other boy angrily.
"He's just been busy, Gary. You know bein' a pokemon trainer is tons of work. But I know he's—"
"He's not here, Ash."
There was a pause. "He's going to win all those battles and then finally come home. Even Mama said she knew he'd be there. And if your parents get back in time they can go too, we got extra tickets." Ash smiled.
Gary balled his fists tightly, mangling the paper within his palm. He grit his teeth as Ash went on and not another moment later, he was shoving the other boy roughly, knocking him flat on his back. "He's not coming back Ash!" He yelled, throwing the crinkled ball into the grass. "They aren't coming back."
Ash looked up at Gary with tears swelling within his dark eyes. "But mama said—"
"She's a liar!" The ginger's voice cracked, then sank several octaves lower. "They all are…they're never coming back."
The sound of sniffling caught Gary's attention then and his heart caved as he turned to face his best friend lying upon the ground. Ash curled his knees against his chest, while hot tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. His small body rocked subtly from one side to the other and instictively the other boy was lowering down to him.
"Please don't cry." Gary pleaded, inching his way in closer, wrapping an arm around Ash's waist. "I-I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't mean—I just," He sighed heavily. Ash's body shook with soft cries and he turned his head away from Gary, refusing to acknowledge that fact. His father was coming back, and nobody could ever convince Ash otherwise.
Gary rested his forehead against the other boy's shoulder, listening to the whimpering that still expelled from his tiny lungs. Guilt consumed him and desperately he clung to Ash, wishing to stop the crying. He absolutely hated seeing his best friend cry. "I'm sorry." He repeated then, genuinely. "I…" His lips quivered. "I got something for you today too."
Ash gave a hard sniff, then slowly turned to face Gary as he began rummaging inside the pocket of his shorts. "Yeah?" The ravenette perked up slightly, wiping his swollen face.
A small smile curled Gary's lips. "Yeah."
"I got it at some weird shop." The bracelet fell around Gary's fingers and he held them up to Ash, tilting his hand to where the charm glistened within the light. Ash's eyes lit up with delight.
"Oh, cool!" He exclaimed, gripping onto the ginger's arm to bring it in for a closer look. His smile widened. "Thank you, Gary. But wait—" He pressed his finger onto the charm, scratching a fingernail lightly over the carved lines. "What is that? Is it a Pokemon?"
"Yeah. I think the lady said it was a Mol-…Moltrays, or something." Gary rolled his eyes and Ash gave a firm, acknowledging nod. "She said to give it to someone who gives you b-butterflies." A blush began to warm Gary's cheeks and he swallowed. "She said…she said that sometimes people leave and they don't ever come back, but when you feel those warm butterflies for someone, you shouldn't ever let that person go." He squeezed Ash a little tighter. "This fire bird means that we'll be friends forever, Ash." Gary's words wavered and a stray tear poured from his eye. Ash stirred suddenly and he shifted his body, locking his gaze with the emerald of the other boy's.
"Of course we will be, Gary." He reassured, with a hint of hurt lingering in his breath. "You're the bestest friend anybody could ever have. I wouldn't- I wouldn't ever leave you." Ash encased Gary's hand with both of his and held it against his chest.
"You… you promise, Ash?" Gary murmured, and the ravenette moved his body in a little closer.
"Forever."But truly how long was 'forever'…?
In case anyone is wondering...yes. I did make up the whole thing about Moltres haha. The first person I ever showed this to way back when (who didn't know much about Pokemon at the time) told me she thought it was a canon thing I was writing about. Talk about feeling flattered haha.
Reviews are appreciated!