Chapter 2

Dia loved Pearl.

But his love only extended to that of a comrade͵ brother͵ and friend. The two had been inseparable from the time they met͵ to the point where one was almost never seen without the other. They had been each others' comfort and joy; a partner to practice comedy skits with͵ a friend hang out with͵ a brother to confide in. Dia couldn't even imagine a life without Pearl. It would have been empty; incomplete; desolute. As a child͵ Dia had never been the popular kid. He had often showed up at his daycare centre wearing the same shabby clothes͵ carrying the same outdated bag͵ the same slow͵ dopey expression on his face. Nobody had envied him anything͵ and he had been perfectly content with that. Because since day one͵ Pearl had been by his side.

And yet͵ here was this girl nestled up to him͵ filling the spot in his heart where Pearl once resided.

As Pearl closed the door͵ a gust of cold air blew in͵ and Dia's conscience smote him. Maybe he should have at least offered a coat to Pearl first before letting him leave. Winter was fast approaching͵ after all͵ and the weather could be frightfully cold when it chose to be. He was almost tempted to leave Platinum to bring one out to his friend͵ but Dia was afraid he'd be disturbing Pearl if he did that.

He knew something was wrong with Pearl͵ something which bothered him so much that he was afraid to tell even Dia͵ his best friend. But he wasn't sure what. Pearl had been acting strangely towards him ever since he confessed his love for Platinum five years ago. Perhaps Pearl didn't realise that he had noticed͵ but he did. Why? Did Pearl love Platinum͵ too?

He had no idea what to think. All he knew was that if he didn't do something about it quick͵ he was going to lose his best friend very soon.

Thinking of all this gave him a pang of longing. Longing for their innocent childhood͵ the conversations they'd had as children͵ the antics they got up to as an unstoppable duo. The time when they only had-and needed-each other. Dia could still clearly remember the day they'd first met.

It had been Dia's first day in the daycare centre. Leaving the protection and warmth of his parents͵ and being thrust into a room full of strange adults and unfamiliar children͵ had drawn Dia into his shell. He stayed huddled in a corner of the room͵ refused to join any of the groups of playing children͵ and simply observed the other toddlers at their play. He wasn't a very social child at the time͵ and the idea of mixing with all those unknown faces unsettled him. He didn't want to talk to anyone.

Then͵ Pearl completely took the decision out of his hands.

"Hey! What are ya doing͵ sitting here all by yourself? Aren't you gonna play with the rest of them?" Pearl had asked curiously͵ popping up seemingly from nowere.

Dia had simply shaken his head. Pearl's approach had completely caught him unaware͵ and he realised he was too tongue-tied to formulate an answer.

"Why not? Are you scared?"

Dia nodded͵ somewhat shyly. "A little. I don't know anyone here. It's my first day."

"It's my first day͵ too͵" Pearl had responded cheerfully͵ plopping next to Dia with a small thud. "Hey͵ maybe we can be friends. You really shouldn't be scared of other kids͵ you know. You don't wanna be a fraidy-cat all your life͵ do you?"

Dia shook his head again. "No͵ but...I just don't know how to talk to people."

"Well͵ we'll have to fix that soon. By the way͵ I was talking to some of the other kids earlier͵ and I heard that the masters blue sky Pipin and Purin are coming from Johto to today to perform for us. They're famous comedians! Do you like comedy?"

Dia shrugged. "I haven't seen much of it."

Pearl's eyes had widened till they were round as saucers. "What? But comedy's amazing! Never mind͵ you'll see later when the comedians come. Come on͵ let's go wait for them."

When they had arrived͵ they displayed such as array of wit and humorous jokes that the entire daycare centre had to hold their sides from laughter. Never had Dia imagined that comedy could change an entire atmosphere so quickly and easily. Instead of being sullen and shy͵ he was now rolling on the floor with laughter. Even to this day͵ he could still remember their jokes͵ especially his and Pearl's favourite: the one about the Red Gyarados. After the comedians had left͵ Dia and Pearl had made a solemn vow together to one day be great comedians͵ just like Pipin and Purin. Pearl would be the funny man͵ and Dia would be the stooge. It would just be the two of them͵ working hard together till they finally realised their dream.

Sadly͵ this all changed five years ago.

Dia looked down at the slim͵ slender girl cuddled against his chest. Ever since they had become an item͵ Pearl seemed to have lost his passion for comedy͵ forgotten their pact to rise in the world as great comedians. The energy and zeal which he used to have as a twelve-year-old was subdued͵ and he no longer reprimanded Dia for eating too much as he did in the past. This creature was a very different thing from what he'd first met in the daycare. And Dia had no idea what had brought it on.

Perhaps he should just follow Pearl to make sure he was okay.

"Missy. I'm going out for a while to make sure Pearl's alright͵ okay?" Dia told Platinum͵ slowly withdrawing the arm around her shoulder.

She looked slightly disappointed͵ but nodded consent. "Alright. Pearl's been acting really strange sometimes for a whle now. I'm worried about him too. Bring him back later when you find him͵ okay?"

Dia nodded in reply͵ gave her a soft kiss on the forehead͵ and picked up two coats before leaving the house. Guess movie night was going to be a little different that day.

Dragging on his coat͵ Dia trudged off into the frosty night. In the small heaps of snow here and there͵ he could faintly make out a set of footprint indentations leading from the house and out the gate͵ footprints that Dia assumed belonged to Pearl. Pearl couldn't have gone far in such a short time͵ so he had to be somewhere close by. Perhaps he was at that gag shop around the corner; he loved going there.

"Hey͵ brother Dia! Can you teach me how to battle sometime?" a young child called.

Dia smiled his slow smile at the child. "Of course͵ Tommy. If you want͵ I can help you catch your own pokemon too."

"Sweet!" Tommy breathed͵ before padding away. "I have to be home now or momma will scold me͵ but I'll come back tomorrow! See ya!"

This was Dia's life now. Twelve years ago͵ Dia had simply faded into the background at the nursery. Now͵ five years after quelling Dialga and Palkia͵ he was famous for his actions and known throughout Twinleaf as a great trainer.

He wasn't sure now if he would prefer being known as a great trainer͵ or as a great comedian. He knew the old Pearl would have scolded him for losing sight of his original goal if he were there͵ though. But he wasn't. And neither was the current Pearl.

"Where could Pearl have gone in such a short time?" Dia wondered͵ walking a little faster. Pearl left only barely five minutes before he did͵ so he couldn't have gone too Pearl really had gone to the gag shop. Deciding to try his luck͵ Dia rounded the corner leading to it.

And stopped dead.

Just two metres away from him͵ Pearl lay sprawled on the ground͵ with blood oozing from his head.