Yo, Tendou Souji here.

About the updates, I think can only update this story weekly at best as like any other person, I've school and homework.

Also, I shall be taking my SPM(equivalent to O-Levels) examination this year.

All that aside, here's Chapter 2.

Pallet Town could only be described as very being rather plain but plain enough..., at least in Seishiro's opinion. It is not that much of a tourist destination but more of a Trainer's destination. The lack of hotels and basic tourist attractions spoke for themselves. Trainers would come to take their first Pokemon and then they would be off in a flash without even taking some time off from their busy schedule to appreciate the greenery and beauty that surrounded the place. For the first few moments of their journeys, the fresh Trainers would be somewhere off in their fantasy world. They had finally become Pokemon Trainers and would soon bask in the sunshine of glory. That was what most Trainers had going through their minds when they started their journeys. However, it does not take too long for reality to set in. They would soon realize that the real world was not as simple as they had earlier perceived as they were leaving the comforts on their home and stepping out into the wilderness. They would face many perils ranging from unpredictable weather to infamous criminal organizations. All of this coupled with the fact that they were not mature yet, especially thinking-wise, would, more often than not, cause them to abandon their dream to rise and stand on top of the upper echelons of the world. Seishiro Syuusuke, a relatively new trainer himself, had only one word going through his mind when he thought off all those unfortunate souls.

"Pitiful."

Speaking of Seishiro, the sapphire-eyed boy was pleasantly strolling the streets of said Town, humming a tune of a soft ballad at the same time. Though he looked relaxed, he still took notice of the surroundings. There was a signboard that he had passed awhile ago which had the words 'A Tranquil Setting of Peace and Purity' etched onto it. Seishiro did not fully agree with the 'purity' part as in his opinion, people often abused the word 'purity' as a way to mask their past mistakes. He halted in his movements to gaze up at the reddening sky. All he saw were the ever-present clouds of different sizes and shapes, the setting yet equally beautiful orange Sun plus a flock of Pidgeys, most likely returning to their nesting grounds. Nothing out of the ordinary, that is until he saw a rainbow-coloured orb light darting across his field of vision. He lazily rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not hallucinating. When he opened them, it was gone. True to his character, Seishiro just shrugged it off.

"I haven't even started my journey and yet that Pokemon chose this specific time to make its presence known to me," Seishiro soliloquized. "Heaven can be rather whimsical at times."

Just as he was about to resume his walk, a soccer ball rolled to a stop near his feet. Thinking of amusing himself, he lobbed the ball into the air with his right foot. As the ball began its descent and was about touch the ground behind him, he casually used his left heel to lob it back into the air. Once again, gravity kept its hold on the ball as it was attracted back to the ground. This time, Seishiro caught the ball with his right index finger, twirling it around like a basketball. A faint smile adorned his features as he remembered the times he used to play soccer at the temple he previously lived at together with his grandfather. His reminiscence was cut short when his brain registered sounds of a scuffle. Sighing, he turned his head to the sources that interupted his peaceful moment of silence. He saw a couple of kids, both probably between eight to nine years, picking on a smaller boy who was on the ground with his face buried into his knees and ear canals shut off by his tiny fingers in an obviously pathetic attempt to block out their insults. Taking a deep breath, Seishiro again lobbed the still twirling ball high into the air.

"Tweet, tweet~t," he whistled.

This action had the desired effect as both the bullies stopped their... bullying and looked around for the source of that whistle. They finally set their sights on Seishiro, who had his eyes narrowed at them. Seishiro calmly raised his right leg in an 'L' postion, the ball bouncing on his thigh in the process. In a flash, he kicked the ball with such speed and accuracy that it rocketed past the bullies, narrowly missing their heads and sending them flying back a couple of feet due to the sheer velocity that it was moving. The ball then bounced off a tree, leaving a rather deep mark, and into the air. The miniature bullies regarded their current situation with shock clearly present on their faces. They were just minding their own business, picking on the Ketchum boy when suddenly this stranger came out of nowhere and shot a 'rocket' at that them. They were scared out of their wits. To make matters worse, the stranger was heading towards them.

"L-let's get out of here!" both of them screamed in unison as they ran like the wind.

Seishiro watched them ran like the cowards they were. Without taking his eyes off their retreating forms, he boredly raised his arm to the side and unclenched his fist, revealing tha palm of his hand. The ball that he kicked accurately landed on his palm as if it were magnet. He then moved it so that it neatly settled under his armpit.

"Savour your shame... and goodbye," he called out smoothly to the bullies.

Seishiro did not get to revel in his moment of glory for very long as he felt a tugging of his pants. He calmly turned around and looked down. It was the boy, whom had been bullied, that entered his field of vision. Said boy had amber brown eyes, raven-coloured hair and was donning a simple white T-shirt, red shorts plus a pair of brown sandals. He probably looked about five to six-years-old, give or take a year. He was shyly looking at Seishiro with much awe and admiration. Him shifting from one foot to the other and biting his finger signified his shyness.

"Um...," the boy stuttered, "thanks for saving me, M-Mister."

Seishiro abruptly turned away from the shy boy. "You misunderstand me, I did not do that to save you," he denied. "I just have zero tolerance for people who pick on the weak for no apparent reason. Also, I wanted to make sure whether or not my soccer skills are still up to par. That is all."

The boy looked rather downtrodden and suddenly found the ground more interesting. "I-I see," he choked out, "b-but still... thank you for saving me anyway, M-Mister."

Seishiro shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seeing that you have enough energy to stand up and speak to me, would you be kind as to divulge the reason why those boys picked you of all people as the subject of their amusement?" Seishiro challenged him.

The amber-eyed boy still refused to look up from the ground. "W-Well...," he started, "I was trying to c-copy a shot that I had seen on T.V." He added, "I have been doin' that since this morning and then Mikey and Tyson came. They started callin' me names but I just kept practicin'. T-Then, they p-pushed me to the ground and said that I'm a loser and will never be able to do that s-shot. That's when you saved me, M-Mister." The tears were now freely flowing from the boy's eyes. "M-Maybe I s-should just give up. I'm-"

"Pathetic," Seishiro stated.

Seishiro's exclamation caused the teary-eyed boy to look up abruptly. "W-What?" he rasped.

"You heard me, you're pathetic," Seishiro repeated. "You have the mentality of a loser and a quitter. You're thinking of throwing in the towel just because of a few insults. Give me a break. I think you deserved those insults. You'll never get anywhere in life with that kind of attitude."

The young kid just stared shockingly at the teen. "E-even he's insulting me," he thought sadly. "Why does e-everybody keep picking on m-me?" His crying started to pick up volume.

Seishiro calmly knelt down so that he would similar to the boy in terms of height. "However, there is still hope for you," he assured the boy. Seishiro then raised his hand and started to affectionately caress the boy's hair.

This action caused the boy to cease his crying and look at Seishiro through red and puffy eyes. "Huh?" he sniffed.

"You are still young. You have time on your side. It is not to late for you to change your mindset," Seishiro reasoned. "My Grandfather said this, 'Imitating others is not bad, for it is how we recognize ourselves'." He then held out the soccer ball towards the boy. He added, "If you have your mind set on accomplishing something, then you should see it through the very end. Don't give up halfway. You'll live to regret it."

The boy stood there silently as he absorbed Seishiro's words. Wiping away his tears, he smiled a little before accepting the ball. "T-Thank you, Mister."

Seishiro nodded and rose. "Now then, since you owe me a favour for comforting you, would you be so kind as to tell me the location of the Ketchum residence?" he requested.

The boy stared back at Seishiro until a look of realization settled on his face. "That's my house, Mister," the boy exclaimed.

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Seishiro drawled. "You must be that cute six-year-old son the Professor was talking about. Isn't that right?"

The boy blushed. "Y-Yes it is, Mister. M-My name is A-Ash Ketchum," he responded timidly. He asked back, "What's yours, Mister?"

Seishiro fixed a mysterious look on his face as he stated, "Ten no michi o Iki, Subete o Tsukasadoru otoko." (1)

Ash scrathed his head in confusion. "I don't understand a single thing you just said, Mister," he complained.

"Well...," Seishiro started, "you are not supposed to understand it as your brain isn't mature yet to comprehend the full meaning behind those words. I doubt this will help but the meaning behind one of the words that I said just now was 'Heaven'. Go look up the others in a dictionary. You might even get smarter."

Ash shook his head in exasperation and annoyance. "I still don't understand those big fancy words. I-" He paused. "Hey, did you just call stupid, Mister?" he fumed.

He opened his eyes, intent on giving the stranger a piece of his mind. It was then he realized that the stranger was walking away from him. "W-wait, where are you going, you big meanie?" Ash called out to Seishiro.

Seishiro just absently waved his hand without turning to face Ash and kept on walking. "Whether you choose to stand there like a statue all night long or guide me to your house is none of my concern. Either way, I shall find your residence, with or without you," he cooly stated.

The raven-haired boy drew a sharp intake of breath. "H-hey, d-don't leave me. I'm scared of the dark," he exclaimed as he ran after Seishiro.

They had both been walking for several minutes now. The sky had long ago abandoned its red and orange hue and became a blanket of darkness. Both Seishiro and Ash had not spoken a word to each other since Seishiro had casually mocked Ash's intelligence. The six-year-old was walking a few steps behind Seishiro. He never his took his eyes of the black-haired enigma for a single second. Ash wanted to hate him, he really did. However, he could not find it within himself to do so. Though Seishiro did insult Ash in a way, the teen also comforted Ash when he was crying. No one except his mother and Professor Oak did that. Ash allowed a small smile to occupy his features. He had just found another precious person. That thought left him feeling extremely giddy and warm inside. He also noticed that throughout their short walk together, Seishiro had been staring up into the sky.

"Um..., excuse me, Mister 'Heaven'?" Ash asked.

Seishiro halted in his movements but said nothing. Ash took this as a sign he can ask his question.

"Why do you keep staring at the sky so much? Is it that interesting?" Ash questioned.

Seishiro did not respond to Ash's question. Instead, he pointed his right index finger up into the sky, causing Ash to look up. On cue, a star sparkled into existence, followed by another and another one after that. Soon, the blanket of darkness was decorated with millions of stars. Ash stared at them with glowing eyes.

"Wow, they're so beautiful," Ash observed.

With his index finger still pointing up into the sky, Seishiro stated, "My Grandfather said this, 'When one is lost, always seek the stars for guidance'."

This time, Ash simply nodded even though he did not understand that phrase as well. If he had a choice, he would rather stay stupid than be insulted for his lack of intelligence.

"Have we reached our destination?" Seishiro inquired.

Ash took a moment to examine his surroundings. "Yes, we have," Ash confirmed.

In front of them was a cosy two-storey house with a stony path leading up to it. It had a red roof and two windows on the second floor and one on the ground floor. It was made of both traditional and modern material, mainly wood and concrete. There were various types of plants planted around the house like roses, morning glories and daisies. A huge flowering tree, a sakura tree to be exact, could also be seen beside the house. All in all, the house synchronized perfectly with nature.

Seishiro dusted himself and made his way towards the house with Ash in tow. Soon, they were both standing in front of an elm-carved door. Drawing in a deep breath, more out of fatigue rather than nervousness, Seishiro rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door creaked open, revealing a young woman. She looked like she was still in her 20's and had shoulder-length brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail and amber eyes just like Ash's. She was wearing a simple pink blouse and a black knee-length skirt. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her with an air of kindness and humility.

"Good evening," the woman greeted Seishiro with a smile. "My name is Delia Ketchum but you may call me Delia. Not Mrs. Delia though as it kind of makes me feel rather old. It is a pleasure to meet you. You must be that mysterious boy that Professor Oak was tellin' me about over the phone."

"You are correct in your assumption ma'am," Seishiro agreed. "I am he who walks the path of Heaven, the man who will rule everything. I am-" He then abruptly turned around and pointed at the sakura tree. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past the tree, seperating some of the pink petals from the tree. The wind picked up again as it blew the falling petals towards the three spectators. In one fluid motion, Seishiro spun around to once again face Delia, catching a sakura petal in between his right index and middle finger. As he presented the sakura petal to her, he completed his sentence as he said, "-Seishiro Syuusuke."

Ash once again stared wide-eyed at Seishiro. "Wow! That was some cool special effects, Mr. 'Heaven'," Ash squealed in delight.

Delia agreed with her son as she clapped her hands. "My, my, you sure are a mysterious and enigmatic one," she giggled. "It is as if the whole world is revolving around you."

Seishiro smirked. "You no have idea, Delia," he whispered in a vague tone.

"Hahaha, that last one rhymed," Delia laughed. "Why don't you come in? You must be pretty tired. I was just preparing dinner."

Seishiro smiled and nodded at the kind woman.

The first thing he noticed as he stepped into their humble abode was the living room. The furniture, consisting of a couch, two sofas and an apothecary table were neatly arranged so that they were facing a fireplace. The fireplace was made out of smoothen rocks that were cemented together rather than glass tiles. A lot of picture frames occupied the top of the fireplace. The kitchen was situated at the end of the house while the staircase to the second floor took its place at the top corner of the east wall. Speaking of walls, they were painted with a soft brown tone. The wall lights gave out a faint glow, blending in well with the brown-painted walls.

Seishiro tiredly removed the black scarf around his shoulders, unbuttoned his unique vest and hung them on the coat rack next to the door. He then made his way to the couch and uncharacteristically plopped himself on it as if he were a couch potato. He took a deep breath as he let his body sink into the soft couch. As the fatigue gradually left his body, he hoisted himself up and decided to explore the house of his hosts. He went to the fireplace first. He lazily browsed through the picture frames until one perked up his interest. He picked up his object of interest to examine it closely.

Delia was present in the picture together with a slightly younger Ash who was seated on her lap. Both of them were smiling happily. They were not alone though. Standing beside them was a young man who looked about the same age of Delia. He had the same raven-coloured hair as Ash, but it had a lighter shade. He was wearing a plain white shirt under an unzipped red and black long-sleeved jacket that had some weird tribal designs on the bottom hem of the jacket, a black belt, blue jeans and a pair of red and black sneakers. He was also donning a white cap that was so low, it was impossible to see his eyes. He had his arm draped across Delia's shoulders and was flashing a 'V' sign at the camera. Like the two other occupants of the picture frame, he had a wide grin on his face.

Seishiro placed the picture frame back into its original position and switched his attention to the other two occupants of the room. Ash was busy colouring a drawing of a Charmander with an orange krayon while Delia was busy chopping some carrots. Both of them had carefree expressions on their faces. Even though that was the case, Seishiro could see a bit of hurt in their eyes. Seishiro assumed that it was because of the man he saw in the picture. He further deduced that the man was most likely Ash's father and he must have gone away, most probably on his own journey in order to support his family. A noble cause but hurtful as well. Still, Seishiro could tell that both Ash and Delia were fine with it as the man was only thinking of his family's future.

"Ouch!" Delia hissed from the kitchen.

Seishiro swiftly strode into the kitchen once he heard that cry of pain. Once there, he noticed that Delia was slightly squeezing her left index finger. Silently, he looked over her shoulder. It was then he realized the source of her pain. She had a shallow incised wound on her finger. Blood was flowing out rather profusely. It meant that she might have cut a blood vessel.

Seishiro frowned. "Go and get a bandage for that cut," he advised her. "Just take it easy for now. I'll prepare dinner."

"Oh, no," she objected. "I can't let you do that. It will discourteous to ask a guest to cook for the host. Besides, it's only a small cut. It's no biggy."

Delia then reached out for the knife to resume chopping the vegetables, only to have her attempt shattered as Seishiro quickly grasped her wrist. She once again turned to him to insist that she was fine but stopped when she saw Seishiro looking at her intensely. It was as if the temperature had gone down a few degrees.

Seishiro calmly shook his head. "It is a biggy for me," he said firmly. "My Grandfather said this, 'A knife can only bring happiness when used in cooking'. However, a knife is useless when its wielder is injured, no matter how minor the injury may be."

Unlike her son, Delia understood Seishiro clearly and nodded.

Seishiro nodded back. "Now then, clean up and get a bandage for that cut," he repeated. "Leave the preparations to me."

Once she had left the kitchen, Seishiro took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles and began cooking his masterpiece.

Thirty minutes later, Ash and Delia, whose finger had already been cleaned and bandaged, were seated on the dining table. The heavenly aroma that was coming from the kitchen had both of them brimming with anticipation. Never in all their lives had a wonderful aroma stimulated their sense of smell. Though Ash knew it was rude, he could not help but drool like a Growlithe. Finally, Seishiro stepped out of the kitchen with two plates of his mystery food. He placed one plate in front of Delia, one plate in front of Ash and swiftly made his way to the coat rack to retrieve his Pokedex from the left breast pocket of his vest. Both Ash and Delia stared at the food in front of them. It looked like it was a tofu/noodle dish.

"Um..., Mr. 'Heaven'. What is this?" Ash asked.

"The dish is called 'Curry Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry'," Seishiro simply said as he sat on a sofa and activated his Pokedex. "Bon appetit."

"Ohh...," Ash mouthed as he and his mother resumed their staring at Seishiro's cooking. Finally, their eyes lit up with happiness.

"It looks delicious!" they exclaimed in unison.

Seishiro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Save those compliments until after you've tasted my cooking," he suggested.

"Okay!" they happily said as they dug in.

"T-This... is SUPER D-D-DELICIOUS!" Ash yelled with joy as he took his first bite and immediately took his second.

"My baby boy's right," Delia agreed. "The texture, the aroma, the taste. All of them are mixed together in perfect harmony. They are further accentuated by the spices in this dish."

"Ah, so you noticed it," Seishiro stated as he picked up the stylus and tapped the 'MAP' button. "You must have a very good sense of taste."

Delia smiled at that compliment and resumed eating.

Sooner than later, both of them had eaten their fill. Their plates were completely 'cleaned' off. Not a single cube of tofu or a strand of noodle was left. Both mother and son had also fallen asleep with blissful faces. After Seishiro had washed the dishes, he carried the two sleeping beauties to the couch and draped a blanket over them. Satisfied, he sat back down on the sofa and stared at the burning logs in the fireplace. Silence descended upon the household. The only source of sound and light that was present were the burning logs and fire. He flipped open his Pokedex to check the time. It was 12.00 a.m. Nodding to himself, he finger-combed his hair, stood up and walked out the door.

Once outside the house, he made his way to the sakura tree. When he reached it, he just stared at it. He could not help but be amazed by it. The shape of the flowers, the colour of the flower petals. They all give him a sense of... inner peace. The wind picked up a little, sending a few petals floating down. Seishiro caught a lone petal and gazed at it in his palm with a peaceful expression. He sighed as he remembered his past.

A seven-year-old Seishiro, clad up in a jinbei (2) and wearing a pair of geta (3), was busy sweeping the compounds of the shrine which was also his home. Since only he and his Grandfather lived there, he did all he can to lessen his Grandfather's burden. After all, the elderly man had cared for Seishiro for as long as he could remember. It was about midnight at that time. Thankfully, the stars provided sufficient light. He paused for awhile to wipe off a few beads of sweat on his brow. As he was about to resume his sweeping, a sakura petal floated down in front of him. Intrigued, he bent down and picked it up. He examined it before setting his sights on the 'pink' tree, as he had dubbed it, at the far end of the compound. Silently, he walked towards it. He stopped at about three feet from the tree and observed the falling petals.

"It's lovely, don't you think?" a voice sounded from behind him.

Seishiro turned his head a little. From the corner of his eye, he could see that his Grandfather was standing right behind him. The elderly man had snow white hair, moss green eyes and quite a few wrinkles on his face. He was wearing a white hanten (4) and a grey hakama. Like Seishiro, he was wearing a pair of geta. Despite his old age of seventy, he had the posture of a young adult. In between his fingers was a custom-made kiseru (5).

Seishiro bent his head respectfully towards his Grandfather and stared back at the tree.

"Do you know what this tree is called, Seishiro?" the old man asked kindly.

"No, I don't, Grandpa," the boy admitted.

Seishiro's Grandfather chuckled heartily. "Always so direct as always," he teased. "This tree is known as the sakura tree, Seishiro."

"Sa-ku-ra?" Seishiro repeated.

"Yes," the elderly man confirmed. "The sakura tree... or cherry blossom, has been regarded by many as a symbol of peace and hope. Besides that, it is said that the sakura tree symbolizes the bonds between a person and his or her precious people."

"...Bonds?" Seishiro mummered.

His Grandfather nodded. "Legends state that should a person present a sakura flower to a precious one and receives a sakura flower in return, their destinies become intertwined with one another. An unbreakable bond and connection that lasts through time shall be formed."

Seishiro nodded and a peaceful silence descended upon both of them.

"Seishiro," his Granfather spoke up. Seishiro looked up at his Grandfather. "Whenever you see a sakura tree..., no, anything that's related to sakura..., I want you to remember me."

"...Are you going somewhere, Grandpa?" Seishiro asked.

"You know as well as I do that I am not long for this world," he said in a solemn voice. "I am not asking anything drastic from you... but I simply request that you reserve a place in your heart for me. That is all."

The thought of his Grandfather's death always unnerved Seishiro. He saw the old man everyday. They would eat breakfast together, go fishing together and even participate in the yearly festivals together. To take that away from him was equivalent to stabbing his heart with a knife.

A lone tear ran down along his cheek before dripping off his chin. "I-I p-promise, G-Grandpa," Seishiro sniffed.

His Grandfather smiled and hugged his grandson. "Here you go Seishiro," he said as he placed an item Seishiro's small hands. "Keep it with you always."

Seishiro unlatched himself from the hug and looked at the item in his hands. It was an amethyst-coloured crystal but it was shaped like a sakura flower. It was too big to fit in the palm of his hand so he held it with two. There was also a rope attached to the crystal. This meant that he was holding a charm/necklace in his hands. He looked up to thank his Granfather but he was gone.

Sighing sadly, Seishiro stared at the crystal necklace that was too big to fit in the palm of his hand.

Seishiro stared at the crystal necklace that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. He then placed it back around his neck before turning around to go back into the house. He spared one last glance at the sakura tree.

"Grandfather..., you'll always be in my heart," he said softly.

Dawn came by not before long. By this time, Seishiro had already awaken from his short slumber and freshen himself up. Delia and Ash were still sleeping so he took care not to make a lot of noise and risk waking them up. Seishiro was never good at goodbyes so he did not want to deal with one right now. After a simple breakfast of pancakes and toast, he buttoned up his vest, tied the scarf around his neck, slung a grey sling bag, which had bought earlier, on his shoulders and exited the house.

As he was nearing the entrance/exit of Pallet Town, he tapped the Pokeball on his belt, releasing Noctis just a few feet in front of him. They both said nothing to each other as Seishiro was heading towards Noctis. When Seishiro walked past the Umbreon, Noctis turned around and walked beside Seishiro, still remaining silent. Just as they were about to step out of Pallet Town, Seishiro stopped. Noctis walked a few feet ahead and sat on its haunches, waiting patiently for its Trainer.

Seishiro gazed at Pallet Town from the corner of his eye. He thought of the people he had met from Professor Oak to Delia to Ash. Specifically, he thought of Ash. He then raised his eyes to look up into the sky.

"So, he is supposed to be my successor?" he asked no one in particular. "Heaven, Heaven. You truly are extremely and irrevocably whimsical."

The pair of Trainer and Pokemon walked silently down the road, towards the rising Sun, along the path of Heaven, where many challenges await.

(1)- Walking the path of Heaven, the man who will rule everything.

(2)- A traditional Japanese clothing worn by men, women, boys and girls during summer.

(3)- Japanese footwear that resembles clogs and flip-flops.

(4)- Short winter coat.

(5)- Japanese smoking pipe.

Done. I think this chap turned out quite well.

Read and review. :)

I'll be takin' a short break to study for my monthly exams. Sorry.

See you until then.