Disclaimer: Authoress on Fire does not own any fraction of the Pokemon franchise or any songs mentioned in this story, and only owns her OCs.
{Are you three ready?}
[Yessir. I think Nat should start, since it started with her brother. Right, Dan?]
[Uh...yeah.]
{Natalie, you agree?}
[Sure, if Drew and Dan say so.]
Natalie Oak.
Seven Years Later, in Pallet Town.
The morning I found out my big brother Gary was dead, my neighbor/best friend, Daniel Anderson, ran into our kitchen in his sleeping clothes.
It was a pretty regular morning. My big sister, Daisy, was helping our grandpa's lab assistant, Tracey, wash the breakfast dishes in the kitchen before Tracey and I went to the lab. I was sitting at the table, still eating my cereal and watching TV from the portable set we kept on the table.
Without knocking, Dan suddenly ran into the kitchen from the back door, wearing an oversized red tank top and red basketball shorts. He threw his Pokegear on the table, in the middle of a call, and took the TV to change channels.
"Dan!" Daisy cried, nearly dropping a plate.
"What's wrong?" Tracey asked, looking confused.
I practically choked on my cereal. "Dan, what are you doing?" I'd been watching a really good battle on TV, and hated not knowing who'd win.
"Channel 20!" His twin brother, Drew, shouted from the Pokegear. The call was on speaker, apparently. "Sinnoh Now! It's Gary!" Drew was at their father's house in Fuschia City for the month, or else he would've been in there with Dan. "Nat, you ain't gonna believe this crap on TV!"
Dan punched the channel down button furiously, not speaking to any of us. Usually, he would only ever speak to his brother.
"Gary?" I hadn't heard from Gary in weeks. He was in Sinnoh, studying fossils to help Professor Rowan with his research.
Dan finally found the channel, sighing and standing up. He turned the TV so me, Daisy, and Tracey could all watch the program.
"...This just in, from the Sinnoh region," The news reported stated. "Last week, an avalanche occured on Mt. Coronet, burying much of Routes 216 and 217. Only one person has been confirmed to have been on the mountain at the time; 17 year old Gary Oak, grandson of Kanto's famous Professor Samuel Oak."
Daisy gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "No...Gary, no..."
"The young man has not yet been located, although a search team has been working tirelessly to find him."
"Oh my God." Tracey looked almost sick to his stomach. He was good friends with Gary.
I tuned out a lot of the rest, until the screen cut to an interview with a young man with greenish platinum blonde hair, and striking green eyes.
"I told him it was a terrible idea to go during the summer," He said, sounding regretful. "I told that stupid kid the snow was gonna start melting, but does he listen to me? Hell no! I just hope his poor grandfather and sisters'll be okay. Especially the younger one, his little sister loves Gary to death. Lord knows that family's been through enough trauma..."
I recognized him. He was another guy assisting Professor Rowan with his research, named Aaron. Gary and Aaron had been working together on something for a few months, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was.
"Nat?" The interview was over. The next thing I heard was Drew's voice. "Are you all still there? Hello?"
"...Yeah." My voice was tiny and weak. I could hardly believe what I had just heard. "We're still...here..."
Dan looked at the three of us, frowning in sympathy. Dan was a really sweet kid, and he hated to see us so...shocked.
I'd just turned 14 years old, and my older brother was dead. I had just talked to him on the phone a few weeks before. Just a week ago, I'd gotten the birthday card he'd sent me...
"I'm so sorry, I just...thought you ought to see it. " Drew's voice pinged with regret and sadness.
Daisy calmly walked over to the small TV on the table, and turned it off.
"It's...alright, Drew. Dan, I think you should go on home...and probably get dressed."
Dan gathered up his Pokegear, and ended the call. He mouthed one word at me before rushing out, the closest thing he had yet come to speaking to me:
"Sorry."
Mark.
3 Hours Later.
That morning, I woke up to a phone call and a one-night stand still sleeping in my bed.
I groaned, sitting up. My Pokenav was on the bedside table, dinging away. I answered the call, keeping my voice low so as not to wake up the other guy.
"Wha?" I answered groggily. I stole a glance at my alarm clock; it was ten-thirty in the morning. Pretty early for me.
On the other end, I heard sniffling. "Mark..." It was Daisy, and she...she was crying.
"Dais? Whassa matter?" I asked, yawning. "Are you okay?"
Daisy sniffled again. "M-Mark..." She said again. "It-it's my little brother. Did you s-see the n-news?"
"Sweetie, this call is what woke me up," I told her. "What's with Gary?"
"Th-that damned mountain in Sinnoh...Mt. Coronet. There was an avalanche, and...Gary was supposed to have been up there, and n-nobody's seen or heard him since, an-and Grandpa got the c-call this morning after the n-news...oh, God, Mark..."
My heart lurched. Daisy had already lost Lee to that mountain...and her parents died, right after their sister was born...dammit, that sweet girl did not deserve all the death surrounding her.
"...How're the others taking it?" I murmured. "Natalie and the Professor?"
"Nattie w-went to the lab r-right after we f-found out...Gr-Grandpa, too...but Nattie's been with...Gary's pokemon..." I heard a loud sob come out.
"Do you want me to come out there to Pallet Town?" I asked softly. "I could-"
"I can't let you sink to asking Jane for money again. We...we'll be fine..."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Anything else I could do?"
"N-no, I just...I needed to tell s-somebody...thank you, Mark..."
"Anytime, Dais. You know I'm always right here." I eased myself off the ratty old futon we'd slept on, and flinched at the groaning springs. "I'll call you later to check up, okay?"
"Alright, Mark...bye."
I hung up the call, and put my Pokenav over on my dresser. I slipped into the bathroom to look at myself.
Jesus, last night was rough...There were hickies all over my neck, and one at my collarbone that made the line between "lovebite" and "violent bruise" rather thin.
Ever since Lee had died and I finally moved out of my parents' house, I'd fallen into a really bad pattern of partying and sleeping around. The only one of my family aware of it was my irritating baby sister, Maggie.
Maybe one of the girls will let me borrow some concealer... Maggie was more likely to have what I needed; we were both tanned from surfing at the beach, but our older sister, Jane, was just about as pale as our mom. I couldn't let our dad see me with hickies when I came in for work.
The thought of Maggie made me panic. Oh shit, is she coming over today?! During the summer, Maggie liked to come over and battle me before I went to work at our father's resturant. She liked to stay sharp, for the pokemon contests she loved so much.
I sent her a quick text, asking her to bring concealer because I was a combination of too lazy and too poor to buy any, and then hopped in the shower.
My next priority was gonna be getting that other guy the hell out of my house, because I was not about let Maggie come in to a naked twenty-something year old in her brother's bed. I have very little class, but dammit, it's there.
AOF: This has actually been finished for days now, but I chose today specifically to put it up so I can give my friend, Lazy Quark, a hella fine birthday present.
AOF: I already told you, but I'm glad to say it again! Happy birthday, bro! :D
