Chapter 3: "Time After Time"
Two years have come and gone since Ember and Rockwell's first Halloween together. She has since become a teenager, while Rockwell is now a fully grown young adult Manectric. For both personal reasons and because the two could barely fit comfortably in the same bed together, Rockwell gets his own bed across the room from Ember's. "Oh yeah, super soft! Just the way I like it, heh," he comments about his new bunk acquisition, sprawling himself across it. "Glad you like it, boy. I helped pick it out for you, after all!" she reminds him, smiling. He also gets clothes befitting his final adult size, which closely resemble what he used to wear as a pup, except even cooler overall.
Between then and the next year, Rockwell learns much from keeping good on his continued promise to help Ember with her homework, especially during the studious weeks preceding tough tests. By the time of her fourteenth birthday (and Rockwell's third the month before that), Ember checks out a book on Pokémon training from the local library. She keeps the book a secret as usual, since her parents have a problem with the epic sport of Pokémon battling, their considering it a blood sport of cruelty toward animals, savage competition, and whatnot. After practicing the basics together whenever her parents were out of the picture, they move on to more advanced procedures in time. "Excellent Rockwell! Now, thunder wave that tree, then follow it up with a shock wave straight into the target's center!" Ember commands him, to which he follows up with both techniques perfectly executed in rapid succession, impacting the tree only millimeters apart from another. "HA! How was that?" Rockwell states, flicking his tail and sitting beside her to rest a moment. "It was great! If you were any better, you'd be virtually flawless!" she lauds him. Later that week, they meet with her uncle after school and explain the situation with her parents' restriction on Pokémon battling. "Hmm… that's definitely a problem. Are you sure you're both seriously considering pursuing this newfound passion of yours?" he asks them. Both nodding at his query, he pauses to think before continuing, "Well, I'd be willing to keep this a secret between just the three of us and anyone else you two trust with this knowledge. I agree that your parents are far too overbearing. Being highly legalistic and restrictive does NOT equate being a true Christian, no matter what they might say to justify such behavior." "I couldn't agree more. I really hope someday, they learn to just live and let live with us. It's our lives, not theirs to control. Right Rocky?" Ember declares, to which he responds with a rousing "yep." "Now then, you two had better get back to practicing. There's a local tourney coming up if you're interested in joining it. It's a 1v1 Pokémon battling one, so you don't have to worry about it being a six-on-one fight or anything potentially unfair," her uncle explains. "Well Rockwell, wanna join it? I believe in us!" she asks him confidently. "Ember, I'd be delighted to!" he responds, smirking noticeably. Training hard for another hour, they get stoked enough to have her uncle drive them to the local Pokémon stadium. There, they sign up for the aforementioned tourney happening that upcoming weekend. "Great, it's on a Saturday. My parents usually don't let me go anywhere on that day, at least not alone," Ember reveals with a sigh. "Well you won't be alone. You'll be with Rockwell and I. They should allow that," her uncle says. "You'd do that for us? Gee, thanks a lot Uncle Charlie!" she rejoices, hugging Rockwell merrily.
When her uncle drops her off at her home for the day, she and Rockwell review a pamphlet containing all the rules binding the tourney. They discover the rules as being all of the following: no more than one Pokémon per tournament, no legendary Pokémon, no one-hit knockout moves, no stat-boosting items, no more than five items per round, and the most annoying rule of all, no more than four different moves may be used in a single round. Violating any of those rules results in an instant disqualification from the tourney. "Dang, that last rule'll be tough. I'll have to be smart about what I have you use. In a pinch, though, don't be afraid to act on your own. Okay boy?" Ember remarks. "Sure thing Em. I won't let you down!" he assures her, barking softly in concordance. They spend the rest of their spare time that week planning a great strategy out, studying all the various Pokémon types and their strengths/weaknesses, and teaching Rockwell some new moves of types other than electric for maximum coverage. "Remember Rockwell, ice fang is a great move to use against those annoying ground-types. It's also good for grass- and dragon-types. Flying-types are already covered by your natural electric typing, though, so no need to use it against them unless it'd be more advantageous to do so, like against this Jumpluff creature here," she explains, pointing at a picture of one in her Pokémon guidebook from the library. "Got it!" he replies, nodding. They also shop at their local Pokémart for useful items, both for Rockwell to hold in battle and for Ember to use on him during the tourney if needed. Her uncle willingly picks up the somewhat expensive tab for them. "You won't be disappointed Uncle! I'll pay you back with the prize money if we win," she promises. "Hey, this one's on me. You two go out and get 'em tomorrow! I'll be rooting for you both from the sidelines!" he says, wearing a big grin on his face. "Oh my… thank you! Thank you so much!" she thanks him, giving him a hug. "Hey, no problem! You're very welcome Ember," he tells her.
At last, the big day arrives. Both Ember and Rockwell are excited and eager to have a shot at the joint title of tournament champions, and they are sure to show up early enough so they can practice their techniques in a private training room. "Okay Rocky, in five minutes, we're gonna go out there and show 'em what we're made of! Are you ready?" she asks him. "Ready as I'll ever be, Emmy! This is it, so let's do it!" he chimes, wagging his tail firmly. Once Rockwell changes into his battle clothes (a specially made plain T-shirt and pair of shorts provided by the establishment, since no participating Pokémon were allowed to wear conventional clothing during a tourney), they then say a short prayer together before leaving the room. Entering the arena, they listen to the announcer introduce each trainer and their Pokémon by name, Ember and Rockwell being the last on the list to be announced. Apparently, the tourney consists of five rounds, starting with thirty-two entrants and narrowing steadily from there to sixteen, then eight, then four, and finally two before the champions are crowned.
For the first round, Rockwell faces a rival Vaporeon. "Pf, I've got this in the bag already!" he mutters to Ember before walking into the arena's center, so confident he doesn't even bring a held item with him. "3… 2… 1… GO!" "Rockwell, discharge, now!" Ember orders. Instantly, Rockwell gets in position, charges power, and unleashes a powerful discharge attack at the Vaporeon, nailing it before it can even react and paralyzing it on contact. "Wow, this is a wild one from the word go folks!" the announcer shouts over the intercom. The Vaporeon yelps loudly, trying to recover back to its feet and using bubble beam back at Rockwell, which he easily avoids due to the distance between him and his opponent. "Finish them with any move you want!" she tells him before he ends the round easily with a well-placed thunder fang to the back of the Vaporeon's neck, fainting it into submission. "Round one complete! Way to go Ember and Rockwell!" the announcer proclaims, each of them taking a quick bow for their strong performance before waiting for their shot at the next round.
The second round of the tourney proves to be a little trickier than the first, with the opposing Pokémon being an eviolite-holding Grovyle – an electrically resistant grass-type. Taking his place in the arena's center, Rockwell waits for the round to begin, to which Ember immediately orders him to thunder wave the speedy creature. Now paralyzed, the leafy reptile is much easier for him to catch. "All right, flame burst on him, Rockwell!" Ember shouts. Taking a moment to power up, Rockwell unleashes a fiery wave of pain upon the Grovyle, doing serious damage to it. "Good, now finish it off!" she adds, Rockwell doing so easily with a fire fang to the lizard's spine. "Looks like this was a one-sided affair! Great match!" the announcer blares. "Nice job boy! Keep it up!" Ember praises Rockwell as they excitedly anticipate the start of the next round.
In round three, Rockwell faces off against a Slurpuff – a pesky fairy type. Right after the battle begins, the Slurpuff powers itself up with calm mind while Rockwell thunder waves it as per Ember's recommendation. "Remember Rocky, calm mind boosts its special stats, so hit it hard physically if you can! Thunder fang, now!" she yells, Rockwell responding perfectly with a strong electric bite to the Slurpuff's side, causing it to flinch in pain and stumble in its footing. "Good, it's distracted trying to recover! Use another one!" she commands him, this time getting an even stronger thunder fang from him and weakening the Slurpuff greatly. However, the battle's not quite over yet, as it recovers its footing and unleashes a boosted dazzling gleam at Rockwell, which he partly dodges, though not completely. "Ah!" he cries in pain, shaking if off and awaiting Ember's next request. "All right, hit it before it can attack again! Quick attack, NOW!" she shouts. In response, Rockwell delivers a powerful quick attack into the Slurpuff, knocking it back some distance from the ram and fainting it. "Phew, that was close. Here Rocky, have a sitrus berry!" she rewards him, presenting one in the palm of her hand and feeding it to him. "All right, just two more rounds to go now! Keep it up!" reminds Ember, petting him and getting him pumped up for the semifinal match.
"All right folks, this is round four: the semifinal! Nobody wants to lose now having come this far," the announcer states, Rockwell and his latest opponent, a Diggersby, taking the spotlight in the arena. "Great, a ground-type. We know how to handle these though! Right Rocky?" Ember asks him. "Yup: ice ice baby, heh heh!" he retorts with a chuckle. Immediately when the round starts, the Diggersby digs a hole underground while Rockwell is confounded at this initially. "All right, be prepared to jump-dodge this pest when he surfaces. He'll try to ram you, though, so be careful! It's super-effective against you, using the book's terminology," she warns him. Surely enough, the wayward overgrown rabbit plays a literally dirty trick on Rockwell, pretending to surface in front of him and lure him into jump-dodging before charging ahead for real and ramming him head-on. "Ow, that stings!" Rockwell cries painfully, shaking off the hit as best he can and charging back at the Diggersby at full speed, nailing it with an ice fang. "Take THAT!" he barks. The Diggersby is partially frozen by the attack, struggling to maintain its battling stance, but not before Ember orders two more follow-up attacks of similar caliber. Weakened significantly, she attempts to have him finish off the big bunny, but not before its trainer uses a full restore on it. "Dang, that sucks. Ice fang it some more boy!" she tells him, to which he does several more times, evading any counterattacks (except for a random quick attack, which fails to inflict too much damage to Rockwell) and forcing the opposing trainer to use two consecutive hyper potions. Just when it seems they have the battle won, though, something unforeseen happens: the ground starts shaking wildly all around the arena as a powerful earthquake is unleashed at Rockwell by the Diggersby. Leaping at just the right time, Rockwell avoids the worst of the attack, though not all of it, which harms him fairly significantly and prompts Ember to use her own hyper potion on him as a general precaution. "Just one more ice fang boy! Now!" she alerts him. To this, he charges at the Diggersby, barely evades a quick attack by it, and uses its own momentum against it, since it must recover from the forward motion while Rockwell ice fangs it to the back of the head, knocking it unconscious for good and standing victorious over his fallen opponent. "Yeah, woo!" Ember cheers, running over and hugging Rockwell. "Just one more round! This is it! We can do it!" she informs him, boosting his confidence once more and healing up any residual damage with a regular potion. After this, they wait during the intermission to discuss their tactics for the final battle of the tourney.
"This is it! The final round! Who will emerge victorious after all the work they've done up 'til now? Let's watch and find out, everyone!" the announcer opens up the final round with, Rockwell (who is currently carrying a magnet for a hold item, slightly boosting his electric attacks) and his final opponent, a Mightyena, taking their positions in the arena's center. "Rocky, open up with a thunder wave and follow up with your strongest electric attacks. This beast looks dangerous. Keep your distance whenever possible just in case," Ember tells him, taking her seat on the sidelines. "3… 2… 1… GO!" is heard over the intercom as the announcer officially begins the battle. Rockwell charges and unleashes a thunder wave pulse at the Mightyena, which attempts to dodge it, but fails, becoming fully paralyzed on the spot. The Mightyena's trainer heals it with a paralyze heal, though, allowing for it to become mobile again and attempt to bite Rockwell hard in the side. It misses, and Rockwell attempts to unleash a thunder attack on the rival canine. However, he misjudges his opponent's position and just barely misses them, leaving him wide open for a vicious counterattack in the form of the Mightyena's crunch. "YOW!" Rockwell yelps, bleeding. The Mightyena snickers at him, wearing a sardonic grin on its face. "What's wrong little Manectric? Are you hurt?" it sarcastically asks him. "Y… yes, but I'm not done yet! Not even close!" Rockwell retorts, unleashing a strong thunderbolt straight into the Mightyena, hurting it badly and giving Ember the opportunity to heal Rockwell with a super potion. "Gr…," the dark-type snarls, taking the hit, its nerves stinging sharply throughout its body from the shock. Rockwell thunder waves the Mightyena again, and gets mocked once again from the creature: "Such a noobish strategy paralyzing me like that. Fight like a REAL canine you whelp!" At this, Rockwell notices some of his blood still on the Mightyena's muzzle as it licks it off its face, almost as if to be enjoying it sickly. He growls loudly, takes an attacking stance, and goes into an attacking frenzy, unleashing thunderbolt after thunderbolt at the Mightyena, never missing a single one. The Mightyena struggles to remain conscious, barely managing to consume its attached sitrus berry and attempt a futile counterattack, with the far more nimble Rockwell easily avoiding it. "Finish him boy! You can do it!" Ember shouts, standing upright ever since she first healed him with the potion moments earlier. Though the opposing trainer uses a full restore on the Mightyena, Rockwell continues to paralyze and/or thunderbolt it until the legal number of twenty-four allowed thunderbolts in a single round has been reached. The other trainer has exhausted their supply of healing items, leaving the Mightyena vulnerable to a powerful thunder attack, which Rockwell ensures he does not miss this time around. As a bonus, it succeeds in paralyzing the Mightyena even further, to the point where it is virtually immobilized. The Mightyena on the brink of unconsciousness, Rockwell decides to give it a taste of its own medicine by crunching it right back, same as it did to him before. Although not very effective, it is more than enough to finish off the savage canid.
"What an incredible comeback! Let's hear it for our newest tournament champions, Ember McLain and Rockwell Manectric!" the announcer proclaims, the two of them excitedly taking their place at the winner's podium for a brief media interview. "We're here live at the Pokémon stadium in downtown Amity Park with the latest tourney champions, Ember and Rockwell. Tell me, what does it feel like to be the youngest pair of entrants to win a tournament in the history of Amity Park Pokémon battling, and on your very first attempt, too?" the news reporter inquires of them, holding a microphone between their faces. "Uh… well, it actually wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it'd be. Rockwell did a fantastic job following my orders exactly, and improvised on his own well a few times, too. Isn't that right, Rocky boy?" Ember remarks, smiling lovingly at Rockwell, stroking him gently on the head, and patting him a couple times gently on the muzzle. "Yeah, it sure is! I had lots of fun, and gave it my all, even in a pinch! You did a great job commanding me when I needed it too, Emmy. I couldn't thank you enough for being my trainer and best friend for life!" he explains, licking Ember affectionately on the cheek and hugging her, his tail wagging vigorously. "Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Let's hear it once more for Ember and Rockwell!" the reporter responds as the steadily growing crowd behind them cheers wildly at their performance and victory, including Ember's Uncle Charlie. After receiving their prize money of $5,000, a stunning 24 karat gold-coated steel trophy in the shape of a Pokéball (worth over $2,500), and their names forever commemorated in a mahogany plaque on the front wall of the stadium's entrance foyer, Charlie drives them back to Ember's home and discreetly drops them off down the street some distance, allowing them to sneak inside via Ember's window and hide their prizes before eventually meeting her parents properly at the front door.
"We're back home now!" Ember states loudly, ringing the doorbell twice afterwards until her mother answers it, shortly followed by her father. "Back home indeed, it seems," David says, looking at Ember and Rockwell with much suspicion. "Uh, yeah…," Ember states nervously, shirking her parents as she makes her way toward her room, before her father reaches out and grabs her arm with one hand and Rockwell's tail with the other. "Just where do you think you're going?" he questions as he slowly tightens his grip on them the more they try to struggle free. "To bed. It's getting late, you know," she answers honestly. "Very good. I'm glad to hear that. After all, the youngest Pokémon champions of Amity Park would do well to catch up on their rest after such a long grueling day!" he remarks sarcastically. His face then twists into an unforgiving look that says: "You two are in so much trouble, you have no idea!" "Wait, you already know? How?!" she surprisingly asks, eyes widening at the possible implications of their punishment. "You two were on the local news report earlier tonight. Everybody knows about you now. Even most of those at church probably do now," Mary explains, sighing at the thought of further ecclesiastical consequences the next morning. "So? It's our life. What're you gonna try to do about it, hmm? You can't control us. You should know that by now," Ember reminds her parents. During all this exchange between Ember and her parents, Rockwell remains unusually quiet, not wanting to say anything more impulsively that could expand the consequences for them both. "Such impetuous assumptions! We have far more control over your lives than either of you would likely ever admit. Show some respect for the first time in your lives!" David demands. "Sure, whatever. Can you please let us go now?" she comes back with. "Only after you both understand that will I release you," he assures them. Nodding in admittance of that supposed fact, Ember and Rockwell are released and allowed to go back to their bedroom for the night, though they would have double the household chores for the entirety of the upcoming week. "Gee, your parents sure are strict. Even more so than I already knew," Rockwell tells Ember, lying down to rest after partially undressing for the evening. After doing the same, she replies, "Yeah, but at least they don't issue spankings to us anymore. That stopped for me after age ten. Let me tell you: my dad would hit me so hard sometimes, I couldn't even sit comfortably for days afterwards." "You're telling me. When I was a pup, my parents would do the same to me, even my mother at times, though she was weaker than my father, naturally. I got into much mischief back then, too, so you can imagine how often I got hit. Everywhere from across the muzzle to the back, chest, sides, stomach, and especially the butt most of all. I'm not even including the abuse my siblings would sometimes dole out to me unjustly. Never would've thought that of all people, it'd be YOUR father that'd be the last one to spank me in my life. He's the only human that has that distinction to me," he reveals. "Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are. Oh well… let's just pray he doesn't try to hit us anymore. That's the biggest thing I've hated about my parents my whole life, and I'm sure you'd agree. Let's get some sleep now. Tomorrow'll be a long day, starting with church early in the morning. Goodnight Rocky! Love ya always!" she responds, rolling onto her side facing him before closing her eyes and resting. "Love ya always too Emmy!" he whispers before heading to sleep himself, curling up comfortably in his bed.
Throughout the next three years, Ember and Rockwell drastically increase in their overall battling skills, never losing a single tourney at the local Pokémon stadium and racking up an increasingly impressive winning streak. They also earn much valuable money, saving most of it up for something big and special someday in their own personal shared bank account, which her faithful Uncle Charlie managed for them. They stored all their trophies and medals in a small side room at her uncle's place, their glory lining the shelves and walls, proudly proclaiming their many victories to all that observed them firsthand. Their accomplishments became something of a local legend, their names household words to many Amity Parkers (as they were often called). Besides themselves, nobody else could be more proud of them than Uncle Charlie. In fact, for Ember's sweet sixteenth birthday (and a month after Rockwell's fifth), he had a great surprise planned for them both: the gifting of them with their own personal electric guitars. "Ooh, this one's bigger than the rest! I wonder what it is!" Ember exclaims with the large present still unwrapped upon her lap. Opening it, her eyes widen greatly in astonishment after noticing her brand new guitar revealed at last. "Oh Charlie… it's perfect! Thank you so very much!" she shouts, leaping to her feet and hugging him tightly. "My pleasure Ember, heh!" he responds, smiling wider than he has ever smiled at her ever since he witnessed her birth as a child. "Your turn now Rockwell," he adds. "Huh, lemme guess…," Rockwell starts, opening it slowly for dramatic effect and having a similar reaction to Ember upon noticing it is another electric guitar all his own. "Wowie, we can start our own little band now together Ember! Thanks Uncle Charlie, you're the best!" he states, yipping in sheer joy and hugging Charlie for himself. "Again, you're both very welcome! I hope you guys become epic rock stars someday! I have a good feeling you will if you dedicate enough effort toward it as you have your Pokémon battling!" Charlie assures them.
The very prospect of becoming future rock stars absolutely enthralls Ember and Rockwell, so much so that they eventually spend even more time honing their guitar and vocal skills more than their Pokémon battling ones, while still not completely neglecting the latter. "Hey Rocky, remember when I told you how much you rocked that air guitar of yours? Well, back then, I never would've imagined I'd actually be seeing you rocking a REAL one!" Ember explains earnestly, giggling at the sight of his doing so very well at one of their weekly guitar practicing sessions. Naturally, they had to sneak this away from her parents during their visits to her Uncle Charlie's each Saturday. Once, when Charlie suggested the idea of taking formal guitar and singing lessons to them both, they replied together in unison: "Nope!" They were highly confident in their own God-given talents, and sought to practice them until they were exceptionally talented in both categories. They played all of their favorite guitar-based songs at first, including such classics as Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield," Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer," Heart's "Never," and Bryan Adams's "Run to You." They also occasionally covered the vocals, but the main emphasis in playing them was the guitar parts. Over the course of several months, they had developed their skills to a significant level, so much so that they strongly considered becoming street performers for fun on the weekends, just to see how many people agreed with them and Uncle Charlie that they were indeed great at what they did.
Their first public performance came on a clear summer afternoon in mid-1997. They made sure to wear sunglasses and light jackets to further obscure their identities, as well as clothing nobody else close to them except Charlie knew they owned. That way, any familiar passersby would likely never notice them for who they really were; the fact that they were also local Pokémon battling celebrities further compounded that. Performing decent amateur covers of their favorite rock artists, they attracted quite a crowd by the end of their session, earning well over $500 in handouts for their show. The crowd was cheering so wildly for an encore, they decided to perform one final song: Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." Aptly titled, this would be the beginning of what was destined to become a star act consisting of Ember and Rockwell at its core, and nothing would stand between them and their eventual ascension to superstardom. Arriving back home later that night, they stayed up a little later than usual (with the light's off, of course) discussing their future plans together, the possibilities seeming virtually endless. "Rocky, how I felt tonight performing in front of a live audience, with everyone cheering for us… for me… was amazing! I feel more confident about myself no more than when I'm in that kind of supportive environment. Part of me is still nervous about screwing up, but the other part of me craves more… more approval and attention from the teeming masses," Ember describes to Rockwell, her face ever aglow at the mere idea of global fame and recognition. "I get what you're saying and all, but remember Ember, don't let it get to your head. It's unhealthy to constantly beg and demand for the attention of others, especially strangers," he wisely warns her, though she seems to be in a dreamlike trance as he does. "'Remember Ember…' that's a clever rhyme! I'm gonna do something awesome with that someday, I swear…," she thinks before noticing Rockwell's attempting to regain her attention again. "Oh, what? Sorry boy, I was just daydreaming a bit is all. I hear you though. I'll try my best not to let it get to me too much. Tell ya what: if you ever think I'm becoming too gloated and into myself and attention-seeking, feel free to correct me, okay? I should listen. Hopefully…," she proposes. "Fair enough, we're agreed here. All things considered, I'm proud of where we're at now, and even if we never became much more than this in our lives, I'd still be forever grateful for what we did share together. God help us to never forget these better days of yore long ahead of now," he hopes. At Rockwell's request, they say a joint prayer together asking for God's strength to lead them judiciously in the years ahead of them, wherever life leads them, before bidding each other goodnight and falling asleep.
Beginning a few weeks after Ember began her junior year at her private Christian high school, she encountered a boy her own age named Jonathan that seemed to show a passing interest in her. She occasionally reciprocated the special attention with a playful wink or smirk, but was personally prepared to play hard to get. Romantic attraction was no small thing to her, and she took it very seriously, as one should. One day, after school, they decided to meet up together for the first time and hang out at his place, but not until notifying her parents about what was happening. Rockwell, staying behind, congratulates her and offers her a small piece of advice over the phone: "Take your time, don't feel rushed, and just have a good time together, keeping the other person's emotional feelings in mind." She vows to do so to her utmost ability, hangs up, and walks to Jonathan's home with him. There, she introduces herself to his mother (and later his father when he arrives home from work), then has an engaging conversation with him for quite some time on his living room couch. Next, they play a couple board games, Ember winning both of them, and share a healthy light snack of grapes, carrot sticks, and water before parting ways for the day. "So, how'd it go?" Rockwell asks her curiously immediately following her returning back home. "Well, very well, actually! I had lots of fun," she answers with a bright expression lighting up her face – a rare countenance that he usually only saw himself bring out of her. "Really? I'll have you know I'm glad to hear that. I'd like to meet him sometime, if I can," he replies. "Oh, I've already planned on that. Tomorrow after school, I'll have my mom pick you up and drop us off at his place again. It'll be great, I'm sure!" she tells him, smiling widely. Looking forward to that, they spend the rest of the day discussing anything and everything Jonathan that Ember discovered about him thus far.
Surely enough, they stick to their plans the next day, meeting up together with Jonathan at his stately uptown abode. "Welcome guys! Ember's told me a lot about you, Rockwell. Heck, most of the time, you're all she really talks about!" he greets them, chuckling after the part about Rockwell. "Is that so, Jonathan? Why am I not surprised?" Rockwell remarks sarcastically, nudging Ember's side with a sly smirk. "Ha ha, it's true, I admit it!" she confesses, giggling briefly. While there, Ember has Rockwell display some of his electric moves in the safety of his broad open backyard. "Whoa, that's totally cool, dude! You rock!" Jonathan tells him. "Correction: I rock well! Get it, 'cause my name's Rockwell?" Rockwell explains cleverly. "Totally, ha!" Jonathan agrees, laughing out loud along with Ember. "See what I mean? He's so funny sometimes, my Rocky!" she points out as she hugs Rockwell. "Aw, thanks Emmy!" says Rockwell with a warm grin. The three of them proceed to have a fun-filled afternoon together, recounting many childhood and puppyhood memories from years past, telling silly jokes, and playing games of all kinds (yes, including some of the so-called "forbidden" video games), prompting Ember to ask Jonathan, "Why's it that your parents allow you to play video games and listen to some modern music while mine restrict it severely as if it were the work of the Devil himself?" Pondering her query thoroughly, he responds, "I'm not completely sure, but I'd say it's because supposedly, liking ANY of the 'things of this world' somehow makes one more prone to evil, or something like that. It's kinda asinine thinking, in my opinion, but they might know something about it we don't. I've never personally had any issues with mainstream entertainment myself, though." "I see… here's hoping someday, they'll come around and see things my way on this issue. Doubtful as it may seem…," she states and sighs loudly, looking at Rockwell sullenly. That night, Ember openly describes to Rockwell privately her feelings about Jonathan that she has started to manifest, including her hopes, dreams, etc. "So Rocky, what do you think? Do you think he really could be the one?" she inquires slightly nervously. "I'm not fully sure just yet, but I'd say it's a strong possibility! For your sake, I hope whatever happens between you two is for the greater good. Only time will tell," he responds. "I sure hope something good happens. I've… I've never felt anything like this before! Not even with you. It's that special!" she exclaims, both of them saying "goodnight" and praying silently together, him for her and Jonathan to turn out all right regardless of the eventual outcome and her for Jonathan to "please be the one" and such.
However, the first time Jonathan decides to visit Ember's home at his suggestion and her discretion, the event proves to be a disaster, with Jonathan getting involved in a heated argument with her parents, particularly her father, over major differences between them, mostly about video games, music, and even Ember's struggle to maintain individuality apart from her parents. Her father ended the dispute decisively by literally running Jonathan out of the house and slamming the door violently behind him, banning him from the property indefinitely and harshly scolding Ember for inviting such a "brazenly hotheaded young man" into their household and whatnot. "You blame me for his behavior? How… how could you ruin my ONE chance at impressing him here like that? You must both really hate me!" Ember screams, emotionally wracked and retreating back to her bedroom with Rockwell, locking the door behind her and bawling her eyes out for the next half hour straight. "Oh Ember… I'm so sorry this happened…," he attempts to comfort her, lying beside her on her bed and licking away her tears as they come one by one. "Oh Rocky…!" she utters, bursting into tears again before she could even finish her statement and burying her face shamefully under her pillow. Angered at the sight of his broken master before him, Rockwell decides to take matters into his own paws, leaves her room, and confronts her parents about what happened earlier. "How could you guys treat your only daughter like that? She tries her hardest to make you happy sometimes, and it's never good enough for you two! How good is good enough, huh? Tell me!" Rockwell challenges them with an intimidating snarl. "Stand down, boy. Lest I have to put you down myself," David warns him, brandishing an old revolver of his and never forgetting the time he was once shocked into submission by a younger Rockwell several years before. Noticing the threat and receiving the message unquestionably, Rockwell slowly backs away, shaking his head and grumbling, "So that's how it is around here, is it? I understand that clearly now. And to think, I actually considered you both to be better than that." Retreating back to Ember's room, he locks the door behind him and lies near to Ember once more, nuzzling her. "Feeling any better now? I tried to talk to them, but, well… you know how that always seems to go," he reveals sadly. "Hey, at least you tried. Thanks for always being here for me Rocky, even when nobody else would!" she informs him, wiping away a few final tears (for now). "Let's just… just go to sleep. I feel exhausted and drained after all that. I'm sorry," she continues, changing into her sleepwear before going to bed for the evening, Rockwell following her lead shortly thereafter.
Tomorrow does not prove to be any more forgiving for Ember than yesterday was, with her failing to reconcile with Jonathan about what had happened the day prior. "Sorry, I had no idea your parents were THAT extreme. Your dad in particular is an absolute monster, and that's the truth, no matter what kind of person he thinks he is," he tells her, giving her the cold shoulder from then on and ignoring her indefinitely, as if he had never even known her at all (and did not want to know her again, either). Later that same day, Ember has another long bout of crying with Rockwell by her side. This time, even he cries a little, feeling deeply saddened by Ember's emotional state. "So that's it then. He's just gone, like that? He must not have really cared about you like you think he did if he can't even be friendly with you away from home," Rockwell tells her. Ember does not respond verbally, but rather nods slowly and goes through another three Kleenex tissues before finally regaining her composure enough to speak again. "I'm so many things right now, Rocky. Sad, angry, confused, disappointed, hopeless… this must be what people mean when they sing all those breakup songs out there," she says in a steady soft voice, unusual for her being alone with her faithful canine companion. "I suppose it is. Remember to keep your head up high and be strong, though, no matter what it takes. You WILL get through this! We will. Together!" he assures her, smiling slightly and placing his right forepaw on her shoulder. "Th… thanks boy. I couldn't get through this quite the same without you, that's for sure!" she replies. Getting on her feet again, she walks toward her window and stands before it, staring out it with a blank expression. Rockwell trots over beside her, sitting down and sighing. "What now?" he mutters weakly. "Rockwell, have you ever contemplated running away from home before?" she asks after a long silent pause. "Yeah, once when I was little, but I could never actually bring myself to doing it. Why do you ask? Wait… you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" he asks, glaring at her with a look that says: "You cray girl?" She nods slowly at him, getting her sneakers and lacing them up on her feet. "You gonna come with?" she murmurs with a girlish smirk. "Of course, but first…," he says in a low voice, putting on his own shoes and approaching his nightstand. There, he gets a pen and writes a short note for her parents when they inevitably discover their absence the next morning. Upon finishing it, he tapes it to the backside of their bedroom door and confirms he is ready to go. "We'll return eventually, right?" he questions anxiously. "Of course, but hopefully this'll shake 'em up a bit inside. Make 'em suffer for how they've made me feel lately," she informs him. Slipping through the window one after the other, they close it tightly and make their way silently across town to where her Uncle Charlie lives.
All is quiet at the house when they first arrive, which is understandable considering the time of day (it is almost 11:00 PM now). Fast asleep, Charlie hears the doorbell ringing in the middle of the night. "Ugh, who could that be at this hour?" he thinks, getting dressed quickly and answering the front door. "Ember? Rockwell? What're you two doing here now?" he says in a surprised tone. "Running away," she tells him. "Running? From what?" he continues, raising an eyebrow. "From her parents, and for the record, it was her idea. I'm just playing along!" Rockwell interjects, flicking his tail gently against Ember's right leg. "Yeah, right. Anyway, can we stay with you a while? Perhaps a day or two at most. We really don't mean to trouble you like this, but I really need to get away from home right now. My parents are being absolute jerks about something dearly important to my heart," she explains. "Is that so? Why am I not surprised?" Charlie states, shaking his head. "Come inside. Tell me everything that happened," he requests. The two promptly enter the house, walk downstairs, and take a seat on the large couch there together. Once Charlie joins them and takes a seat between the two, he listens carefully as they detail everything that transpired recently, from the stuff about Jonathan to her parents' overt insensitivity toward her feelings, as well as her father's threatening behavior with Rockwell. "This is getting worse than I've imagined it was… I'm no visionary, but I'd say that someday soon, if this isn't dealt with appropriately, it's all gonna come to a head in due time. I guarantee it. Please strongly consider reconciling with them somehow, whatever it takes," Charlie counsels them. "I'll try. That's all we can do in life, you know?" Ember remarks, petting Rockwell across the way. "I'll help her out with this however I can. God help us too," Rockwell vows, looking heavenward for a moment. They discuss their plans a little longer before heading to bed in the auxiliary bedroom back upstairs.
While at Charlie's, they practice their guitar and singing skills more, making much progress on the current song they are covering – Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Ember particularly appreciated the lyrics, as she related to them, particularly with Rockwell in mind. When they do finally arrive home, she tries to tell her parents her true feelings about the things most important to her, including her wavering faith, and while her mother seems to show at least passing interest in aiding her daughter (being a fellow female), her father insists on putting unnecessary pressure on her, blaming her for the majority of her failures and sorrow in her life. Naturally, she withdraws from them even more, leaving only Rockwell and God to truly comfort her. In the coming months, her father's refusal to hear her out would ultimately prove to be a terrible mistake on his part, as it would be the primary impetus leading to a series of wild events in the life of Ember and Rockwell alike, the exact ramifications of which being unimaginable. Truly, from this point onward, only time could tell what lie in store for the dynamic musical duo.