Hello, my wonderful readers! Happy Monday!
So, here's chapter two... which I am pretty proud of! I think you guys'll ((*really!*) like this one. And by the way, I just thought I'd let you know that this starts about eight days after the last chapter of TACDIF.
Enjoy!
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CHAPTER TWO: "Fashionably" Late
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It wasn't far, but it felt like he was walking miles.
Wallace finally reached the house and dragged himself inside, still somewhat in shock from what just happened. Blood dripped from his shirt onto the ground as he did. Some part of him recognized the half-full glass of water sitting by the sink, remembering the reason he'd woken in the first place.
Wallace's phone was down the hallway, on the nightstand beside his bed. He needed to call Lance. Needed to tell him, somehow. Wallace felt as though his feet were made of lead as he made his way to his bedroom.
He never made it.
Exhausted by a lack of sleep (let's not forget it was 1 a.m.) and weakened by the fight, Wallace had not taken five more steps when he collapsed and fell to the floor with a thud.
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Six-thirty.
If there was one thing Steven was, it was punctual. But it was six-thirty, and he still wasn't there.
Now, Wallace was different. He had a habit of being "fashionably late." But thirty minutes was far more than fashionably late.
And Lance was starting to worry.
He'd tried calling. Neither of them answered. He called both of their cells and then Wallace's house phone - nothing.
Glacia's eyes were watery and full of worry - even fear - for Steven and Wallace both. She'd known Wallace for awhile, and they were good friends. She was also very close with Steven, as she had been a member of the Elite Four for his entire tenure as Champion thus far.
Bruno's expression was characteristically stoic. Knowing him personally, Lance was well aware that Bruno was far more emotional than he let people see, and the Indigo Champion was certain that Bruno was in a turmoil of feelings at the moment. But his expression never faltered.
Flint was quite obviously upset. Caitlin seemed somewhat nonchalant, but Lance saw fear in her eyes. Will looked like he didn't know whether to be scared or angry. And all of the other Elite Four members in the room each had their own unique expression painted on their face as well.
Diantha's typical angelic smile was gone. Alder seemed angry, but scared, too. And Lance himself almost didn't know what to feel.
But Cynthia...
Cynthia was definitely the worst off out of all of them.
She was wringing her hands, her expression full of fear, and Lance thought he saw tears in her eyes. She was uncharacteristically pale, and though she didn't say a word, Lance knew there were a million awful questions swirling around in her mind.
Lance stood up from his seat at the head of the table.
"I'm going to Wallace's house," he said quietly.
Cynthia immediately stood up. "I - I'll go with you," she blurted out.
"No." Lance shook his head. He was preparing for the worst, and if the worst had happened, he did not want Cynthia to have to see that. "I'm going alone."
Cynthia bit her lip and sat back down. No one else questioned him. Taking this as permission, Lance continued.
"Stay here. No one leaves this building, am I clear?" A chorus of "yes" and a few silent nods answered him. "All right. If I don't come back..." He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If I don't come back, expect the worst."
And on that happy note, he whirled around sharply and left the room.
...
Serena gazed at Ritchie. He had a sweet face - it reminded her of Ash, but there was something... different about it. She smiled to herself.
For two awful days, Ritchie had remained unconscious. He wasn't any closer to death - this was a relief. But none of them knew when he would recover. If he recovered. Serena shuddered at the mere thought.
But he'd come to consciousness a few days ago, and even though he was weak and death was still a threat, it was an immense relief.
Brock had done the serious medical work, but Serena, knowing a little about it and being an excellent caretaker, had elected herself Ritchie's personal nurse. The thought kind of made her laugh, but it was true: she had been taking care of him since he'd gotten the injury. And he wasn't a bad person at all to talk to, either.
Ritchie was funny. He was sweet, and he was a lot like Ash, but more mature. Serena smiled. Like Ash's twin, almost. His redheaded twin.
Gently, absently, she reached out and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek. Then her fingers trailed over his hair, and she fingered the auburn strands.
"Nnngh..." Ritchie shifted in his sleep. Serena quickly drew her hand back.
"Ritchie," she said gently. "You awake?"
"Ungh... S... Serena?" He gazed up at her, his expression unfocused. "Y-Yeah..."
Serena reached into her bag and pulled out a small bottle. Tipping it forward and cupping her hand, she let a few small white pills tumble out. Serena handed one to Ritchie and put the rest back.
"Here. Painkiller."
He nodded, accepting it, and swallowed the pill.
Serena sighed, falling back onto the canvas floor of the tent she and Ritchie were in. She had hardly left the temporary structure in all of the eight days they'd been camped out here, choosing to stay with Ritchie the entire time. Since they only had one tent, a few of the kids had volunteered to sleep outside, but Serena and Ritchie slept in here - along with a couple of others. Misty, paranoid of bugs as she was, had wanted to sleep in the tent at first, but she changed her mind when Ash said he was sleeping outside.
Serena gazed up at the yellow fabric that made up the pyramid-shaped walls. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking.
"You know, you've got really pretty hair, Serena," Ritchie said suddenly.
Serena blinked. A slight blush tinting her face, she replied, "thank you."
He grinned at her - Ash's trademark grin, a little crooked, but sweet. There was a look in his eyes, though, that Serena had never seen in Ash before.
She smiled at Ritchie. "I think your hair's cute too."
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Lance's hands shook ever so slightly as he approached Wallace's house.
He didn't know what to expect in there, but he had some ideas, and none of them were pleasant...
Slowly, he walked up the steps to the front porch and rapped his knuckles against the door.
No answer.
He knocked again. Still nothing. Not even an "I'm coming!" from somewhere inside. Lance tried the doorknob. To his shock, the handle turned easily and the door swung right open.
Wallace was always careful to lock his door at night and whenever he went out.
The shaking in Lance's hands was more apparent as he walked in. The living room was empty. He checked the kitchen - that was, too, though there was a half-empty glass of water sitting on the counter.
Lance walked toward the hallway, and as he did, he saw a a trail of of blood on the floor leading from the hallway. His stomach did somersaults.
He stepped into the hallway, looked up, and froze.
"Oh, Arceus," he whispered in horror.
Wallace was lying, crumpled, in the hallway, in a puddle of blood. Lance raced forward, dropping to his knees beside the young Elite Four member. He grasped Wallace with trembling hands and turned him faceup.
Lance's eyes widened and his breathing quickened. Wallace's shirt was soaked red with his blood, and one of his ribs had snapped and now jutted through his skin, leaving a deep gash. That must have been the reason for most of the blood.
Blood had smeared Wallace's face and was still dripping from his left eye. He wasn't wearing his hat, so Lance could clearly see the deep gash near the back of his head, and the blood that soaked his hair.
Lance was shaking badly now. His face was white. "Oh, Arceus... oh, Arceus..."
He stood and quickly checked through all the rooms. The bed in the guest room, where Steven had presumably been sleeping, was empty.
And Steven was nowhere to be found.
Lance grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number, pressing the device to his ear.
"Hello? L-Lance?" Cynthia's voice trembled. She was definitely scared. "Wh-what did you find?"
Lance pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are not going to like this..."
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Cilan's eyes were dull as he stared at his brother's grave.
Iris stood beside him. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze - a reassurance.
He and Chili and Iris had buried Cress in the forest near Nimbasa City. Elesa was buried not far from there. Skyla had completely fallen apart upon finding her childhood friend dead...
Cilan's eyes darted over the area. The earth was freshly turned up; it had only been eight days since his brother's death and burial. They had carved a slab of wood from one of the many trees in the forest, and Iris had carved in the words.
In Loving Memory Of
Cress Griffith,
Beloved brother and friend.
You will not be forgotten.
The tears were coming again. Chili was already in tears, standing to Cilan's left.
Cilan stepped forward. He daintily set the flowers on the grave, right in front of the tombstone, grasping the older, wilted ones and tossing them to the side.
Cilan shivered. His eyes rimmed with red and holding back tears that threatened to spill, he turned and walked briskly back to the campsite. Iris followed.
Chili did not.
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Winona sighed. She was tired.
Stretching and yawning, the gym leader flopped herself down onto the couch. She was also bored.
It was just then that her phone happened to ring. Sighing, she pulled it out of her pocket and pressed it to her ear. "Yes?"
She listened for a moment. "...okay, why?" Another moment of listening. Then her eyes widened.
"N-no..." Winona breathed, horrified. "Oh, Arceus no."
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Gary's fists were tightly clenched as he sat on the ground near the tent.
According to their story, Cilan and Iris had been traveling with Ash's mom and a little girl - and his grandfather. But they had split up upon entering Nimbasa, just for a little while, so Delia and the Professor could find a place for them to sleep and Cilan could find his brothers.
Then Team Rocket had attacked, and neither Cilan nor Iris knew what had happened to Delia, Catie, or Professor Oak.
Gary just had to believe that they were okay. They hadn't seen any sign of them turning or after the attack, so they were clueless as to their whereabouts. But he had to believe they were okay...
"Gary! Gary!"
Gary looked up. It was May, racing towards him, clearly very excited. "Yeah, what is it?" he asked tiredly.
"I - It's... it's your grandfather!" she gasped. "Professor... Professor Oak!"
Gary sat bolt upright. "What?!" he cried.
May's face was bright and full of elation. "Professor Oak! A-and Ash's mom and the little girl, Catie! We were out looking for supplies, and we found them camped out in the forest, just like us!"
Ash looked up, eyes wide. "Wh-what?"
Gary's face paled. "Oh, Mew - Grandpa..." he muttered.
"Mom?" Ash asked in disbelief. "You found my mom?"
May nodded, grinning wildly. Ash shook his head and smiled. "No way."
Slowly, a smile edged onto Gary's face. "Oh, Mew. Grandpa, it's my grandpa..." His smile widening, he looked up at May. "Take me to him."
She nodded, grabbing his hand and leading the way out of their little clearing and into the trees, Ash right behind them.
Gary glanced back at the campsite. He saw Misty sitting there, knees pulled up close to her chest, gazing after him.
She was smiling.
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Cynthia's hands trembled as she pressed the button to hang up.
"Steven," she moaned. "Oh, Arceus, no... n-not Steven..."
"Cynthia, what happened?!" Glacia cried.
Cynthia looked up at Glacia. "S-Steven..." she whispered, tears shining in her eyes. "He's gone."
"Gone?" Garcia's eyes widened. "Y-you mean..."
"I don't know." Cynthia shook her head. "He found Wallace in the house. Broken ribs, covered in blood, unconscious, near dead." Glacia drew in a sharp breath, and Cynthia continued, her voice wobbling. "Lance said there was blood on the ground... a-and he couldn't find Steven anywhere..." She broke into sobs, and Glacia stepped forward, wrapping the young Champion in a hug.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay..." she whispered.
"What if... wh-what if he..." Cynthia broke off the end of her sentence. "I couldn't... I don't think I could bear if..."
"It's alright, Cynthia," Glacia murmured. "It'll be alright." She held the younger woman in her arms, supporting her.
But neither of them believed that. And none of the other Elite in the room believed it either.
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Professor Oak knew Delia was excited.
She was talking to Catie now, telling her more about Ash. Over the past several days, the young woman entertained the girl - as well as herself - by telling her stories, most of which were about Ash. Catie seemed to really like the stories, and she was always begging to hear more.
The Professor was happy for Delia, he really was. But a larger part of him was still wrapped in grief for Gary.
She was about to reunite with her only son. His only son was dead, and now his grandson was too.
He closed his eyes and turned away from Delia, seating himself on the soft grass. He didn't want her to see how he was feeling.
He didn't want to ruin her happiness.
When May, Max, Dawn, and Brock had stumbled into the clearing, it had been a surprise for both parties, to say the least. Upon seeing them, the kids had all gotten really excited - and somehow, they seemed even more excited to see the professor.
Professor Oak recalled how Max had tried to blurt something out, but May had shushed him. He recalled how Dawn's eyes had shone and how Brock had given the others a knowing smile.
Then they had rushed off, saying they needed to tell the others. That they needed to bring Ash to see this, to see his mom.
Delia was obviously beyond excited. The Professor wished he could share her elation.
But that would take a miracle. Bringing Gary back to him and restoring his happiness - that would take a miracle.
Finally, May arrived, breathless. Ash was right behind her.
Delia gasped. Then she cried out and ran forward, crushing Ash in a hug.
She was sobbing, holding him like she'd never let go. Catie was watching with curiosity. May was smiling, but there was something more to her expression...
"Hey, Professor Oak," she said excitedly. "There's, uh, something I think you'd like to see. Or, well, someone..."
Professor Oak frowned. He stood up, walking over to where May was standing and smiling slyly.
"And who might this someone be?" he asked, mildly curious, his eyes crinkling gently as he gave her a weak smile. He could think of only one person he really wanted to see, and that was impossible.
"Well, it might be me." A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Immediately, Professor Oak froze. His face paled.
No. It can't be.
May giggled.
"No," the Professor breathed, shaking his head. "No..."
He turned, and there was a young, brown-haired, fourteen-year-old boy, casually walking up to him. He had a huge smile on his face. "Hey, Grandpa," he said.
Professor Oak shook his head. "No. No, this... this is..." He reached out a trembling hand and gently touched the boy's face. "Oh, oh Arceus..."
Gary reached up and grasped his grandfather's hand with his own, pressing it to his face. Only moments before, Professor Oak had been certain he would never hold this boy's hand again, never caress this boy's face again, never again feel the touch of his precious grandson.
The Professor shook his head in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.
"G-Gary?"
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MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
Yep, I'm cruel. I ended it RIGHT. THERE.
But don't worry... I promise next chapter will be up soon, and believe me, it'll be SOMETHING all right! Even better than this one! I hope.
Well, I had fun with this... especially Cynthia's and Lance's reaction to the whole Wallace-and-Steven deal, and of course the Professor Oak scene was awesome...
But there's something else I have to mention. I have invented a new ship! It's called AmourTwinShipping, and it's... IT'S... wait no! Close your eyes and guess first.
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Okay. Now let's see if you're right. AmourTwinShipping iiiiiiiiiiiiis... Serena x Ritchie!
Get it? Because AmourShipping is Serena and Ash, and Ritchie's like Ash's twin?
I feel like since Serena obviously has a canon crush on Ash, but Ash TOTALLY belongs with Misty, Ritchie is the perfect pair for her! He's more mature and more thoughtful, so that's absolutely perfect! Don't you feel like they make the most ADORABLE couple?!
Anyway, I'm proud of myself for inventing this new ship. Maybe one day it'll be in a billion other PokéShipping fanfics and maybe on Bulbapedia and everyone will love AmourTwinShipping and think I'm so clever... But anyway!
I'll probably start putting up one-shots for this, maybe, probably. Heh. If I get around to it in between writing for TACAEJ and TRR and ACoW... hopefully I can find the time! And you they'll help me spread this AWESOME ship, right? RIGHT?!
Hehe, well... anywho...
And don't forget to review, either! I have a lot of people who followed or favorited but didn't review. :( ...but that's okay! :) I love reviews, but I guess if you don't want to, that's fine too. Anyway...
Hope you enjoyed! See ya next chappie!
Pikachu: "chappie"?
Yes. Chappie. ;)