A/N: Hello again. For anyone that has read this little story of mine, thank you so much.

Just a little disclaimer I've forgotten: I in no way shape or form own Pokemon. They are owned by their creators, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Satoshi Tajiri. Any character that you don't recognize from canon (either game or anime) is of my own creation.

Enjoy reading.


"You useless shit!"

I felt myself thrown to the floor by my father, and I felt my vision blur and become groggy, with darkness covering my eyes. My body tensed for the pain that would come, and that pain did come. Every excruciating inch of pain came. He kicked me in the stomach first, then in the ribs… Each kick had my body screaming in pain, but I refused to make a sound. No, I would not make a sound…

I felt my face grimace in pain as he delivered the final kick to my torso, but I kept it hidden as best I could on the floor. After a few seconds, I felt nothing… No kicks, no punches, not even a stomp on my legs or face. I was surprised… I looked up to see the form of my mother, who was looking down… Shame and fear was on her face. I then looked around the kitchen to see if father was nearby. Surprisingly, he was not in the room.

Without a sound, I got up, clasping my torso with both hands. As conditioned as I was to these beatings, my body was still fragile. Mentally, I had learned how to block the pain, I knew how to stomach it without crying out in pain. It was a skill I wasn't especially proud of, but it had helped me throughout the years. Then, I heard my Mother come up and walk over to me.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I nodded silently and she helped me get up. The concern and sudden care that my Mother showed is something of a recent development. In the past, like father, I was nothing special to her, just useless space. I don't know what caused her to change her perception of me, I certainly didn't do anything to help. However, this recent development only came after my brother, Xavier, left…

Xavier… I thought, that name sparked some emotion from me. Some of anger, some of frustration, guilt, and shame. Three years ago, like Alexis, Xavier had left on his own Pokemon journey while I had to stay behind. Unlike Alexis, I have no fond memories of Xavier. What makes this worse is that Xavier and I are twins… And that unlike myself, Xavier had fulfilled his dreams of becoming a Pokemon trainer and had used his natural talent and aptitude with Pokemon to ultimately propel him into a midnight celebrity here in Kanto.

He was the winner of Indigo League, but there is a particular bad memory that I seemed to have repressed when he came back home after that. I decided not to chance it and focus on walking with my mother instead… I didn't want to think about my brother anymore.

"Hey, it looks like Xavier saved you…" My mother suddenly commented, nodding her head to my father, who was watching a Pokemon conference in the living room.

We walked close enough to be able to see what was shown on the TV without attracting my father's attention. From what I could see, it was a battle between two trainers… A few seconds later, a closeups on those trainers faces had happened, and one of them was indeed Xavier. He had a determined expression on his face, but his eyes… He seemed to be staring at his opponent as if he were ready to dismember them inside and out, or at least their Pokemon. The intensity at which he looked at the other trainer was a bit disquieting to see.

"Come on Claude, go upstairs, alright?" She requested of me as she squeezed my arms.

I nodded and scurried on upstairs as quick I could. The residual pain from today's beating had not allowed me to move as fast I'd hoped, but I had suffered far, far worse in the past. There were injuries I never thought I'd survive or even hope to live through. Today was awfully light and even… Regardless, I was thankful that for today, Xavier on TV would distract my father.

I reached my room and entered it, slowly closing the door as to not attract the attention of my mother or father. I then laid down on the bed, as carefully as I could to prevent my body from going through more pain. I started to space out to the ceiling and my mind started to blank out, but some thoughts ran through my head…

It had only been yesterday that Alexis had left the house and had set off her on her Pokemon journey. Even though the atmosphere hadn't really changed since her leaving, there was a certain sense of emptiness to this house without her. She was so positive, so loving, and she brought out the best in people, even from father. Without that positivity here, there was nothing to hold my father back… Even though today was lighter than usual, there was nothing to restrain my father from killing me…

That train of thought was enough to send me sitting up, even though my body protested against it. Without my sister as witness, my father could do anything he wanted without any repercussions. He could kill me today, tomorrow, or perhaps a year from now… And no one would care. If there was one thing, my father had the gift of lying to people… He could easily twist my death into an accident, and no one would bat a suspicious eye to that.

I laid down on my bed once again, at a loss of what to do. I knew that I would be out of this house in the distant future, assuming I don't do something to enact father's rage, but something inside me told me to run from home now. I tried to shut down that feeling, but it kept growing and growing. I knew that feeling was illogical, as much as I abhor living in the house, it was the only roof above my head, the only bed I could lay in, and the only house I could live in. There was nowhere for me to go to, no relatives that would be willing to take me in, much less if there are any relatives in the various cities of Kanto.

I laid down there for what seemed like an eternity, and then I heard footsteps on the stairs, my father and mother must've been coming upstairs. I sat myself up immediately, trying to ignore the pain that my torso radiated, and looked at the door, preparing for either one of them to come. To my surprise, they didn't… I heard the closing of one of the doors and silence right after.

The thought of escaping from the house ran through my mind again. Claude, this is stupid… This IS stupid. Stop thinking about it! I yelled mentally, but it wasn't working. I still had that urge to escape… I took a deep breath and walked to the closet door, opening it to reveal all of the articles of clothing I have and the old bags I used before I went to Pallet Town Junior High. The whole area was just an absolute mess so I closed the door, noting to look through it later.

I then turned to the bag that I've been using ever since I was 11 that was lying against the floor. The black backpack that my mother brought me a week before I started going to Junior High. The bag was surprisingly durable and sturdy for a bag meant only for school use, but it was starting to show wear and tear. The black shine that used to be on the bag was long gone and there were some tiny holes bottom, caused from my spiral notebook prongs becoming loose and piercing the fabric. Regardless, it withstood 3 years of being shuffled around, kicked around, or thrown to the floor whenever I was frustrated. I just wondered if it could withstand a journey, being out in the wilderness, or heaven forbid, being assaulted by a wild pokemon.

I opened it and all I saw was endless amounts of paper of various colors, mostly white, on the bag. I saw the calculator in the bag's hidden pocket that I needed for Algebra, and I took it out to keep it from being squished any further. I closed it, the front bag could be used for clothes, but the amount would be incredibly finite… I then felt the bag's smaller pockets, the ones on the left and right, both seemed to be empty but I opened them regardless. I saw nothing inside so I closed them.

This bag was definitely not a journey-able backpack. There was enough space for clothes but not enough pockets for food or any of the other amenities that a trainer needs… But, I wasn't planning on visiting Oak to become a trainer, so it nixes the need for extra pockets. I knew internally that it was a foolish decision, I was going to put myself in the path where there would be wild Pokemon everywhere, and I would be unable to defend myself if I were attacked by one.

But I can't take this anymore… I can't take living here anymore… I don't want to… I don't want to be confined to a place where I am nothing, a tool for my father to beat on… I thought, trying to convince myself that escaping would be a better option.

I sat down my bed again, letting myself space out. I had no idea what to do now… My heart wanted to escape, to just be able to go on a journey and at least try to recapture what Xavier and Alexis felt when they set on their journeys. However, my mind thought it was foolish to escape… I had no way to defend myself from wild Pokemon and I have no companion to travel with, just my bag, the clothes on bag, and my head.

I sighed, I genuinely had no idea what to do. I wasn't allowed near the TV downstairs and I certainly wasn't allowed near my sister's room. There was no way to quell my anxiety… Then, I caught a glance of a paper that was sticking out from the red notebook on my bedroom, the incredibly small bedroom desk next to my bed. I sat up from my bed and pulled the desk chair outwards, sitting on it and opening the notebook… I knew it was a silly idea, but nothing was going to stop my heart from getting what it wants, and perhaps even needs. I needed to do this.

I am going to write to my sister. I'm not sure if this was sensible, this felt indicative that it was a sign that my distant future would be me into an asylum. I was only doing this due to the fact that perhaps many birds have informed me that writing to the ones closest to you, whether or not there was an intention to send the correspondence to that party, was therapeutic and cathartic. I never thought much about it, but now... I desperately needed a release, and perhaps aimless writing would do the trick.

Dear Alexis,

How have you been? Has your journey been alright? Have you caught many Pokemon?

I'm sorry if it's beginning to be a series of questions... It's just, I know that a Pokemon journey is arduous, and I was just hoping if you were alright. Maybe I'm being overprotective... I know it's not been long since you have left, but a gut instinct inside me has told me that change is going to happen soon. I don't know whether that change will be good or bad, but I feel the tides of change flowing over this house. It has gotten the family all on edge and the atmosphere feels much more tense than it did before.

I'm hoping not to entice you to come back, but when you left... The house felt different. It felt empty, it felt hollow. It felt as if everything became a mere shell of itself. The light that once shone in this house is gone, the fire that once kept this house warm is gone... Replaced with emptiness and an icy, almost threatening atmosphere. Father... His stares have become more intense. He has become... More unhinged. Mother is trying her best, but... It won't be long until father... Until father decides to kill... Either me... Or my mother... I...

Alexis, I beg you, it's best if you stay as far away from this house as possible. I know he sees you, along with Xavier, as one of his golden children. He would condemn himself to hell were he to accidentally lay his hand on you. I'm sounding like an overprotective fool, but this Pokemon journey is the safest thing in the world from this family. Everything is falling apart... It doesn't seem like it now, but the cracks in the foundation are showing...

I paused at that last paragraph... I wanted to convey my plan of escape to her, but I had no idea how to write it out without sounding foolish. I put the pencil down and looked out of the small window, watching as time ticked and the light slowly shifted. There was still light, though it was beginning to carry an orange hue to it. It was almost sunset and night was fast approaching. I sighed... Night was my least favorite time of the day... It was... It was when... It was when unspeakable things happened... In the night, no one would be watching. No soul, neither pokemon nor human, would be watching or observing this house. Night was isolation, a cage...

I turned back to the paper in front of me, with pencil in hand. I needed to finish this letter.

Alexis, I have a plan... I know it sounds incredibly foolish, but I can't stand living here anymore... Time without you has made me realize that life as it is right now, is an endless cycle. A cycle of being put down, berated, and beaten... Alexis, it never ends. I can't be stuck as a toy for my father's amusement, I can't live here forever... It's something I should have done long ago...

I'm going to run away.

I don't know how, and I'm not even sure if it'll even work... But...

I immediately put the pencil down and took a deep breath. This wasn't the release I was expecting, and I definitely wasn't expecting that writing a letter would be at this extreme degree of difficulty. I knew what was wrong with it... I had too much to say, I'd inevitably end up repeating myself through the whole discourse and the letter would go on for too long. Plus, it's only been one day... As I had written the letter, I'd realized that Alexis' leaving had truly not settled in yet, there are emotions that are still scattered around, disorganized. No matter how much I convince myself that the effects of her leaving were realized, logic always won out in the end... And it won in the form of this unfinished letter. With a sigh, I grabbed the letter, folded it as neatly as I could. When the folded letter was in my hands, I was tempted to rip it in half... It was never going to be read, and neither was it going to be sent. It was going to be safer this way.

I succumbed to my temptations, and ripped the letter to pieces. At least this guaranteed that if my father were to walk to this room, he would find one less reason out of many to be angry with me. I stood up, pushing the chair towards my desk and walking over towards the small window... It didn't give me much of a view, as it faced opposite of route 1 and towards the abandoned church that was a long ways down from the road where we lived on... I tried to remember the name of it... St... Francis? Or perhaps it was Assissi... No, I remember now, it was St. Michael.

I opened the window blinders and tried to let some air in... As soon as I breathed in the fresh air, I heard a door slam. Immediately, my heart started to race and I felt adrenaline rush through my body. Instinctively, I closed the window as fast I could, putting the blinds back in place. Then, I quickly lay down on my bed and covered myself with the bedsheets... Trying to make myself look scarce as possible.

I began to shake in fear and nearly whimpered, but I had to keep myself under check. I tried to listen as I could under the sheets. I heard my father's angry voice with my mother's close after. With the muffled sounds, it was hard to distinguish what exactly they were saying... But I was fearing the worst... Father was going to come here... And he was... And he was going to... And...

That line of thinking was enough to send me sobbing, but only once... I pulled the sheets closer to me, and I tried to pull myself together. It was hard, the argument between my parents began to get more intense. I could hear father shouting at the top of his lungs, saying things not dissimilar to what he would say to me. That was not the end, for the argument became more intense, but my father started to quiet down. Then, I heard a sound of someone being punched... The sound immediately silenced my hollering mother, who didn't respond with a gasp, or any confirmation of pain.

In the next few minutes, all I heard was silence in this house. I could hear my frantic heartbeat, and there was nothing I could do slow it down. Eventually, the still silence was broken... I heard hard footsteps caused by the stairway, someone, either my father or my mother, was leaving.

"THOMAS!" I heard my mother's voice scream out my father's name... With sadness and anger in her voice.

It took a few seconds for me to process what had truly happened, but I realized what had just transpired... My father had left. I didn't know if it was permanent or temporary, but he had up and suddenly left the house. I don't know what caused him to react in some way, and I don't know why... Normally, when Father becomes angry, he doesn't leave... He takes his anger out on... Me... Or he drinks away his sorrow with alcohol...

After a few minutes, it felt safe for me to pull off the bed sheets. I didn't bother to remake the bed as I stood up. I was curious to find out what had happened... The lack of father's presence made the whole house safer, but I had no idea of the state that my mother was in. Against my better judgment though, I walked towards my door and opened it as quietly as I could. As I opened it, I saw my mother was nearby, but facing the stairwell. She stood still, but I couldn't see her face.

I gently closed the door behind me and tried to approach her... I had no idea how to make my presence known. I tried not to let my anxiety get to me and tried to brave the panic that was building inside. I inched ever so closer to her...

"Mother?..." I said softly to her, hoping to catch her attention.

It was successful, and she immediately turned to me. Her expression was harsh at first, but it had softened. She approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. Surprisingly, it was gentle, and she put her face at a level close to mine. I could see the weariness in her eyes, the sadness, and the anger.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice soft and cracking at the end.

I saw her sigh visibly, and look down. A habit that my mother did when she had to confess something... It had only piqued my curiosity even more, and truthfully, I was scared to find out what her and father were arguing about...

"Claude... It's about this year's vacation."

That last word made my breathing almost stop... Vacation... Vacation... Then, it clicked in my head. Every year, my family went on vacation to some exotic region or locale. It was too perfect, too true to be true. How could I have possibly missed this detail?

"Are you alright, Claude? You've spaced out." I heard my mother comment.

That statement alone turned me out of my reverie and internal euphoria. I tried to hide the feeling of victory, but the way she said the word... Were the plans getting canceled?

"What about the vacation?" I asked.

That prompted another sigh from her.

"I was asking your father that if we can take you to Hoenn to explore the region with Xavier... It's been two years since you last got to explore, and I really wanted to you to be able to see a new region, to see the sights. I know it's going to be with your brother and your father, but..." My mother rambled.

He had disagreed, I mentally finished. It was disturbing to me to know my father's line of thinking, but even with the presence of Xavier, he wouldn't want me there, even if I tried my best to be an absolute doormat, it wouldn't work. To my father, I was just useless space... A being that should not exist, a bastard in his eyes. Much like Alexis, Xavier was a precious treasure to my father. He was talented, a prodigy in pokemon battling, charismatic, strong, daring, brave, and everything I was not. I was the black sheep, the useless one from the three children.

Due to this, I harbored a strong resentment towards Xavier, but there was nothing I could have done that would have helped. I wasn't talented, I wasn't strong, and there was no way I could ever match up to Xavier. He held my father's attention, he had received his love, and most of all... He had truly become Thomas Sheffield's son. My father was a big influence on him, aside from battling and inheriting a few of mother's traits. Due to this, Xavier hated, no, detested me the way my father does. He too considers me useless, pathetic, annoying, and a waste of space. Before he had became a trainer, he often liked to make that fact known to me...

I sighed, much the same way my mother did... My mother... Like father, she too had considered me useless until Xavier went on her own journey. It was almost an overnight, but subtle change. She had slowly started to care for me, be my anchor when Alexis was unable to be. I had no idea what caused her to shift her perspective on me, but I decided not to think about it... I was grateful that she had given me some sort of love.

"I'm sorry..." My mother suddenly said.

I shook my head at that.

"It's alright" I didn't want to go anyway. I added mentally. I then saw her look at her watch and cursing under her breath.

"Sorry... Your father's probably coming back. I'm going to make dinner and let you off tonight. Just go back to your room, alright?" My mother then squeezed my arm and went downstairs.

I didn't have enough time to be able to acknowledge what my mother had said. It was a mad dash, the way she ran. Deep inside, we both knew that father was unable to stay out for long, he would come back. I went back to my room and slowly closed the door, trying not to make a sound. I sat down on the bed and lay down again...

I wanted to berate myself for forgetting that we went on vacation every year, during the summer, and this year would be no different. I remember some of those years distinctly now, especially the vacation two years ago... I was in a city, a large city, and it was all centered around this one tower, this large blue tower that looked beautiful, stunning... I couldn't remember the name of the city or the region it was in, but I remember that...

Regardless, this was too perfect of an opportunity. It was almost too good to be true, I was formulating skeleton plans to escape and alongside, my parents are planning to go to Hoenn, possibly in celebration of Xavier participating in the Ever Grande Conference.

I sat up and looked towards the window... It would be difficult, but I could taste freedom. I knew somewhere along the line, something was bound to go wrong, and most, if not all, possibilities could end up in my death...

But I need to try, it was foolish of me to think that way, but I needed to try...