Home is where the heart is
Prologue- I Wish He'd Just Leave Me Alone
A cluster of sounds permeates the cool evening air. The trickle of a fountain, a hint of music from a nearby bar. The tapping of my shoes against the cobbles, the whisper of wind through the trees. I feel at peace. I wish I could just stop my journey to the league and stay here forever, but I know that Barry would just lord it over me every time he sees me. Unbearable, he is. Always trying to be the best, always rushing to beat me to the punch every time he can. He's impatient, arrogant, and pushy, but at least I'm a better trainer than him.
My reverie is interrupted as I reach the hostel. A place where trainers coming to challenge the city's gym can stay, and prepare for their upcoming battles. Sounds of laughter and camaraderie drift from the dormitories, of bonds shared through a love of Pokémon. If only I could share it with them.
I climb the stairs to my private room, take off my hat and jacket, and collapse on the bed, staring at the dimly-lit ceiling. It's been a week and luckily Barry hasn't arrived yet- I'm hoping he's been side-tracked since our last meeting, and I can get ahead of him before the next gym battle. I yawn loudly, and before I can muster the energy to get up and take off my day clothes, I promptly fall asleep.
I've known him since I was a child. He was really my only friend growing up in twinleaf- Barry and I used to be inseparable. But as time went on, I matured while he seemed to stay the same as ever. His attitudes of arrogance and impatience only got worse when we finally got our hands on some Pokémon. Always itching for a battle, always bragging about his wins and making excuses for his losses. We drifted apart after a while, though the real issue came when I decided to take on the league. So far, he's beat every gym before I have treating it like a race or a game, determined to prove his superiority over me. And even after I beat him every time we battle, the fact that he's getting his badges faster seems to make that irrelevant in his mind. He's still the same arrogant brat that I once knew, but the independence of a 16-year-old has just made him the worst kind of insufferable. I wish he'd just leave me alone.
I awaken to the gentle tweets of a Starly outside my window. Soft morning sunlight seeps through the blinds and dances across my face. There's a commotion downstairs- a battle taking place. A new trainer must have arrived. It's tradition that every new trainer to the hostel must prove their worth by battling their way through the resident trainers. I'll probably be expected to get involve, so I roll out of bed, still in my day clothes from yesterday. There's a shout from downstairs- the new trainer must have won. The voice sounds familiar somehow.
"Lucas! Lucas, get down here! You've gotta battle the new kid!" A voice calls from below. That's my cue. I throw on my jacket, gather up my Pokéballs and run down the stairs.
I freeze.
Standing in the foyer, a cocky grin on his face- there he is. He's grown since I last saw him, but of course he's the same. Tousled blonde hair, relaxed, arrogant stance:
Barry.