Inner Strength: Time Heals
Part 2
I opened up my eyes. What just happened? Was that a dream? I sat myself up on my bed and looked out the window to my side. The world seemed peaceful, nice and sunny, not even a single cloud in the sky. For a place that was supposed to be at the verge of war, it seemed just too cheery.
Maybe it was just a dream, I thought to myself. Turning away from the window, I slid myself off of my bed, shivering as I felt those cold tiles against my feet. Looking over to the side of my bed, I saw the glass flower that my grandfather gave to me. At least that part was not a dream.
Walking up to the flower, I picked it up. It had not changed, it was still just as glossy as before, the only exception being that there was a small black spot on it. I thought it was just some dirt so I tried to wipe it off with my paw, but it stayed there. I looked closer, moving the flower closer to my head, but as I moved the flower the black spot seemed to move as well.
Blinking, I felt like an idiot. It wasn't dirt, it was a reflection. Turning my head, my eyes grew wide as I realized what the reflection was of. It was the black Pokédex, laying there on the floor, only this time it was not broken.
Placing the flower down on the floor, I made my way over to the Pokédex and picked it up. I turned it over in my paws, examining it further. There wasn't a scratch, a crack, or anything showing that it was broken before.
"Was . . . was this part of the dream too?" I asked myself, still looking at the Pokédex. Then I remembered how I hurt myself while trying to clean it up. Placing the Pokédex in my other paw, I examined my finger. It had a very small red dot, a scab.
The world seemed to collapse around me. That wasn't a dream, it was real!
"No, no! That's just…coincidence," I tried to reassure myself, tossing the Pokédex down as if it was on fire. This was all too weird for me; I needed to stop talking to myself. Perhaps my uncle could shed some light for me.
I hurried myself out of my room, not even bothering to close the door behind me. It did not take me long to find my uncle. The old man was huddled again against one of the television monitors.
"Mayor McMullen gave his speech late yesterday, talking about the many robberies that have been happening worldwide. He urges citizens to keep track of their money but to not panic with it and to try, and I quote, 'to avoid another depression'. The mayor reassures citizens that federal officers are being vigilant and that it is only a matter of time until these criminals are behind bars, but he does ask that citizens continue to stay indoors or to stay in large groups when walking about."
Walking up to my uncle, I tugged on his white coat. The motion seemed to have startled the old man, nearly jumping out of his skin from my simple tug. My uncle clutched at his chest, looking down at me while shaking his head. "Oh, Xander. Boy, you shouldn't sneak up on me like that."
"Sorry, Uncle," I said, returning my gaze to the television. "What are they talking about?"
"What? Oh that's just nonsense, nothing to worry about," said the old man, reaching up towards the monitor and turning it off with a press of his finger. My uncle sighed and sat down in a nearby seat, turning to face me. "So I can see you're up and awake now. Did you sleep well?"
"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about, Uncle." I said, stepping back a bit to look up at the old man.
My uncle's eyebrows rose slightly, showing a hint of surprise. "Oh? Well what's wrong, Xander? You know that I am here to listen."
I let out a soft sigh. "I know, I know. I just . . . keep having these weird dreams."
"Another weird dream?" asked the professor, turning himself back to his desk, seeming to dismiss that I was talking about something important. "Well you have to remember, Xander, that these are just dreams. They're not real and they don't affect you. We all get quite confusing dreams at times."
I nodded my head. "I know, I know, but this one felt so real. It had this guy that had this black cloak on and this hood that covered his face."
As soon as I said that, the professor stopped whatever he was doing. He didn't turn to face me, but just stayed held in place. "Did . . . did this 'guy' tell you what his name was?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "He said to call him 'Artemis'."
For a few moments everything was quiet. The old professor just stayed at his desk, looking down at nothing. I would've taken him for a well painted statue if it wasn't for his breathing.
After what felt like an eternity, my uncle took a deep sigh and turned back to face me. His eyes looked wary, as if he suddenly aged another twenty years from just sitting there.
"I suppose I have a lot of explaining to do," started the professor. "However, before I do, tell me what Artemis told you in this dream."
And so I told him about my dream. My uncle listened intently, not even blinking as I talked. He seemed to believe everything I said, even the parts that I would've considered to be questionable. Once I was done, my uncle finally blinked, showing me how truly worn out he was.
"So . . . it seems like he wants another experiment," stated the old man, leaning back in his chair. "Xander, did Artemis offer anything to you? This could be something to drink, something to eat, some sort of object, anything?"
I couldn't help but to stare back at my uncle in disbelief. "Do you . . . you actually believe this? I thought you said it was just a dream."
"Please, Xander, answer my question."
With a sigh I shook my head. "No, he didn't get me anything." Then I paused, reconsidering my words. "Well wait, never mind. He did give me a Pokédex."
My uncle urged me to show it to him, so I went back to my room to retrieve the device and show it to him. The old professor looked at the black Pokédex with great curiosity, turning it over and opening it up. I watched my uncle examine it, blinking as the device turned on and said my name. Once the Pokédex was done talking, I asked the professor, "Uncle? What is going on?"
Again, the old man sighed. He closed the Pokédex and set it down on his desk. "Me and Artemis go back. He used to be one of my assistants during my younger years in being a professor. He and I learned much from each other, much more than I would have learned had I worked with anyone else." And he continued on, telling me about his past with this old assistant of his. He told me how they experimented on Pokémon, trying to turn them into something "better". My uncle told me how they kept pushing their limits, even harming some Pokémon along the way. "After that I just wanted to stop, I could not bear seeing another life ruined, but Artemis wanted to continue on. He said that he wanted to try these same experiments on other humans. As soon as I heard that I shut everything down; I released the Pokémon we had on standby and I euthanized the ones that we failed on. This enraged Artemis and he left my office that day, since then I have never seen him."
"So then this is all real," I said, mainly to myself. "But what does this have to do with me? Why did Artemis choose me to go . . . go 'save the world'?"
"That is thanks to your grandfather, I am afraid," stated my uncle. "I am sure you have found this all out on your own, but I am not your actual uncle. The only person that you have come in contact with all this time that is actually related to you is your grandfather, the Lucario."
"So Grandpa is actually my grandfather? But I'm still confused, how does this have to do with anything?"
"If I remember your grandfather's story correctly, he spent a large portion of his time with a female trainer, your grandmother. He fell in love with her, however he was a Lucario and she was a human. Somehow Artemis found out about this and offered to help Lucario." Again, the old professor sighed and leaned back in his chair. "While he was human, Lucario helped your grandmother give birth to your father. However, Lucario turned back into a Lucario shortly after and ran in fear of what your grandmother would think. Your father was raised in this same town you are in right now; he even became a trainer like his mother."
"Wait you talk to trainers all the time, did you see my father?" I asked, hopeful.
The old man nodded. "Yes, I did. I even gave him his first Pokémon. I keep in touch with him from time to time."
My mouth almost watered at hearing this. "Y-you keep in touch with him? And you haven't told me!"
"I wasn't allowed to, Xander," explained the professor.
"What do you mean? Did your mom ground you or something?" I said, crossing my arms.
"Xander, please," said the professor, rising up a hand. "Let me explain. Your father also eventually met Artemis, but not the same way Lucario did. Artemis turned your father into a Pikachu who, in turn, found a female Pikachu. Shortly after, you came into existence, Xan." The professor lowered his hand and placed it on his lap. "Your father went on quite an adventure while taking care of you. He did some amazing things too, but in the end Artemis split you two apart. He told me and everyone else to never tell you about your father."
"Artemis . . . Artemis did this?" I asked, my body starting to shake. "Artemis made sure I could not see my father? But why listen to him? What is the worst that he can do?"
"Xander," repeated the professor. "You do not know how powerful Artemis has become. The feats he has accomplished simply astound me! He has learned to somehow ignore the laws of physics, erase full memories from people's minds, and of course turn someone into something else completely. I knew that if I had said anything to you that he may harm me and others here and if not he might have taken you away. I did not want that to happen."
"But then why?" I pleaded. I wasn't so sure about this Artemis guy being as strong as my uncle claimed him to be, but my main concern was with my father. "Why keep me from my dad? Has my father ever called to ask about me?"
The old man shook his head. "When Artemis split the two of you apart, he erased your father's memories. He doesn't remember ever having you at all, I am afraid. As for why Artemis did this in the first place I am not too sure. I think it had to do with your father's journey being a Pokémon trainer. Artemis, for whatever reason, did not want to disrupt your father's journey. He must have thought that if you were in the equation that your father would've stopped his journey altogether."
My mind sort of shut down after the professor said "he doesn't remember ever having you at all". I didn't even bother listening to the explanation. My dad doesn't remember me . . . he doesn't even know me, doesn't even know that he has a son. Then I remembered what Artemis told me in my dream. Know that you will meet your father. So then I will at least be able to see my father!
"You said you spoke to my dad. When was the last time you talked to him?" I demanded.
The professor blinked. I suppose my sudden change of topic caught him off guard. "I just talked to him two days ago, actually."
At that I wanted to jump in front of the old man's face. "Where is he? Where can I find him?"
"Xander," breathed the professor. "Your father is on the other side of the world right now. It will take you weeks, if not months, to get from here to there. Plus, I'm not even sure if you should embark on that journey just to find him, for did not Artemis tell you specifically not to look for him?"
I wanted to say something, but then thought against it. Do not search for him for you will not find him; instead let him come to you. Artemis' words echoed in my head. "But I got to find him! I want to at least see him at least once," I begged.
"Artemis told you that your father will come to you, not the other way around. The best thing to do is to simply wait," said the old man.
"But what if he's wrong? What if I just sit here forever and never get to see him by the time this war goes on? What then?" I let out a pout and crossed my arms. "I'm going Uncle. You can either help me or ignore me, but I am going either way." The professor opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, anticipating what he was going to say. "Look, what else do I have? If this Artemis is right about the world going into some huge war, where am I going to start? If I just stay here then I won't get anything done, if I leave then at least I know where to start." I took one last breath and looked up into the old man's eyes. "Please Uncle. All I have been doing my whole life is just . . . sitting here. I haven't been able to see the outside world or anyone outside of this stupid laboratory! Please Uncle, let me go."
The professor looked back into my eyes. It seemed like we were in some sort of staring contest for the longest time, but finally he blinked and let out a long sigh. "You remind me so much of your father. I suppose it does make sense that you want to leave so badly." He turned on his chair to face his desk. "Alright, you can go. I can give you all of the items you need, but only on one condition."
"What would that be?" I asked, my arms still crossed.
"You cannot go alone. Your father started off his journey by himself, but he was human. You, on the other hand, are a talking Pichu. You will gain quite an amount of attention if you were just wondering around in the middle of towns and public areas. You need to have someone go with you."
"Someone go with me?" I asked, mainly to myself. "But who would want to go with me?"
The professor seemed to chuckle at my question. He scribbled down something onto a sheet of paper on his desk, and then turned his head towards me. "Oh the Bayleaf outside simply cannot stay away from you. She is a very good fighter and I am almost certain that she will be more than willing to accompany you wherever you go."
Didn't think about Mom, though I would've thought it would be a little awkward to have her around me everywhere. But the professor was right; whether or not I liked it I would need some kind of help along the way. I only know so much about the world that, knowing me, I would get lost or maybe even hurt.
"I will go with him as well."
Me and the professor turned around, spotting my grandfather at the front entrance to the lab. "Grandpa? How long have you been there?" I asked.
"Long enough," the Lucario stated, taking a few steps towards us. "I came by to see if my grandson had already lost his birthday present, but I overheard you two talking and couldn't help but to listen."
The professor leaned over his chair. "Lucario, Artemis has-"
"I know," said my grandfather, waving the old man's sentence away. "If my grandson is going to be thrust into danger, then I want to be there with him to protect him." The Lucario walked up to me, taking in a deep breath and kneeling down to be at my level. My grandfather looked at me with those aged eyes of his, as if trying to tell me some far and distant story of his. "I messed up with my first child . . . I don't want to do it again with you."
I blinked, taking in what my grandfather had just told me. He left my dad when he turned back into a Pokémon . . . he must feel so bad about it now. Finally, I nodded to the Lucario. "Of course you can come, Grandpa." With that, I stepped forward and hugged the tall being, thankful that he was so willing.
We stayed embraced for a few moments; just holding onto each other . . . then the professor cleared his throat. "Well good. The more, the merrier!" he said, interrupting our family moment. "Xander, just let me get a few things for you to take. Wait here just a moment and I will gather the items."
My grandfather released me, setting my back down in front of him. "While the professor is doing that, I need to go talk to someone before we leave."
I blinked, tilting my head to the side. "Who would that be, Grandpa?"
The Lucario sighed, shaking his head at me. "I'll tell you later. It's just . . . since Artemis talked to you and told you everything, then maybe I can talk to . . . I will tell you later." And with that the Lucario got up and walked out of the lab.
It didn't take the professor to come back with the items he was talking about. The old man came back with a very small, green backpack which was filled with energy bars, instant meals, water bottles, a few match boxes, an extra small tent, and three Pokéballs. "What are these for?" I asked the professor, pointing at the Pokéballs.
"Well Bayleaf is in one of those, the other two are empty."
"You want me to catch Pokémon?" I asked, rising up an eyebrow.
"Well . . . you just never know, Xander," explained the professor, trying to defend himself. "It's best to be prepared for something that never happens then to not be prepared for something that does happen."
I just shrugged from that and closed the backpack. "Oh! Do you still have that Pokédex?"
The old man nodded, walked over to his desk to pick up the device, and then handed it to me. "This is a very odd Pokédex. Keep hold of it, Xander."
I nodded my head, placing the black Pokédex into one of the pockets in the backpack. Once the backpack was zipped up and everything was inside, I hoisted it over my shoulder. Much to my surprise, the backpack fit perfectly on me. It was small enough to fit my size and yet big enough to hold all of the items I needed . . . though I could not think of a plus side for how heavy the food and camping supplies were.
Then I realized something. I was holding camping supplies in my backpack. "Uncle," I said. "Are we not going to just drive over there or take a plane? Whatever happened to that helicopter you always talked about?"
The old man shook his head. "Well, due to what has been happening lately, I had to give up the helicopter. As for why you are going on foot, I'm afraid that there is no other way. I no longer own a vehicle, but the next town is not at all too far from here." The professor walked back over to his desk, grabbed something, and then set it down on the floor in front of me. He unfolded the item he had; quickly showing that it was a large map. "You are right here in Pallet Town," he said, pointing at a spot on the map. "You need to head north from here and you'll make it to Viridian City." The professor traced his finger along a path on the map, stopping at the spot that I could only assume was Viridian City. "There you can stock up on supplies and-" as soon as he said that, he looked up at me, as if remembering something. "Sorry, I keep forgetting your . . . um . . . 'situation'. I would try to stock up on supplies there, but I highly encourage you to try and stay away from any kind of human contact."
"Why?" I asked, sitting myself down. Man that backpack was already getting heavy.
"There are people out there that you cannot trust, Xander. If they see a wild Pichu just walking in front of them (a wild talking Pichu for that matter) then the wrong people could attempt some bad things, maybe even try to capture you. In fact, now that I think about it, perhaps it is best for you to go around the city, just to be safe."
"Alright but then where do I head after that? Where exactly am I trying to get to?"
"Well if you are trying to find your father, then you have to make it to a town called Marble City. It is a very small town, but if you can somehow find a way to get onto a plane, then you could land in Antonio City which is the closest you could possibly get by plane," explained the professor.
I looked around the map in front of me. "I can't find either of those cities, Uncle."
"Well that's because they're not on this map. This is a map of the region we're in right now," explained the professor. "Once you get to an airport, you should be able to buy another map. Well . . . that is if you can get into an airport."
"And what do I do if I can't get into an airport?" I asked.
The professor scratched his head. "Well . . . then try to get on some other mode of transportation. If not that then you will have to walk all the way over there, a feat that took your father years to accomplish."
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
The professor sighed then pointed back down on the map. "I suggest that you go to Pewter City and try to get on a plane there. If that doesn't work, then you'll have to travel over to Cerulean City. There they have a bus that can take you over to Fuchsia City where there is a boat that will take you out a good distance, but even getting on that bus may be a feat in itself for you and Lucario. If none of that works, then your best bet is to walk the entire trip, or at least until you find some way to get on some sort of transportation."
Now it was my turn to sigh. Maybe this was all going to be harder than I thought. "Alright, I will see what I can do," I said. I leaned myself forward to try to pick up the map, but my backpack was refusing to let me move. The professor couldn't help but to chuckle at seeing my efforts, eventually leaning down to fold up the map and hand it to me. With a groan, I took the map and took off the backpack.
"You might need some money for your trip, especially now," stated the professor, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a few bills and handed them to me. "Pokémon or not, people will listen when there's money involved. This may not be much, but it's something."
I looked up at the professor and thanked him, taking the money and putting it into one of the pockets in the backpack. After placing the map in the pack as well, I quickly remembered about my grandfather's present. Running over to my room, I swept up the glass flower. I was about to turn and head out of the room when I noticed something on the flower.
Before inspecting any further, I looked behind me. There was nothing behind me, so this could not have been a reflection again. Looking closer at the flower, I could see two feint lights: one being red while the other was yellow. The lights seemed to be . . . vibrating? Flashing might have been a better word, but these lights didn't seem to flash. It was as if they were moving back and forth, towards me and then away from me. I rose up the flower to my face, looking closely at it. Were those voices I heard?
Suddenly the flower brightened up, seeming to explode in pure white light. Then, just as soon as it happened, it stopped. Taking a few moments to let my eyes adjust to normal light, I looked back at the flower. Now it just looked like it was glass, no more random lights in it. I would definitely have to ask Grandpa about this later.
Returning to the professor, I placed the glass flower in my backpack.
"Xander," said the old man, reaching out to place his hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know what Artemis has planned for you. You might have to do some things that you may regret; you can still change your mind."
I shook my head, turning from the professor to zip up the pack. "I have to do this. If not to 'save the world' it is to find out just a little more about myself. Maybe, just maybe, if I do find my dad, then I could piece things together." I turned back to face the old man. "You have lied to me all of these years, refusing to tell me who and what I really was. If I do this, then maybe I can find out the truth behind all of this."
The professor sighed and nodded his head. "Very well, Xander. I suppose all I can do is wish you luck."
I nodded back and hoisted the heavy backpack over my shoulder, strapping my other shoulder on. From there I turned around and headed towards the door, but before I opened it I heard the professor call out.
"Xander! His name is Ash, Ash Ketchum."
I blinked. So that is my dad. Ash Ketchum. And with that I walked outside.
*Insert explanation about how rushed this was here.*
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