Part 4: What's The Point?
Omniscient POV
Later that evening, Jordan and Ryan sat down and watched TV. The young boy and his lucario watched a pokemon battle on an exclusive sports channel.
"Did you ever get this channel back in Oklahoma?" Ryan asked as he sat down on the couch.
"No" Jordan responded. "I never heard of a channel called 'PokeSPN'. Must be exclusive to this part of Seattle."
"I wonder if Rex and Pika Jr. got this channel in Australia."
"Rex!" Jordan thought to himself. "If I cancel the trip, he'll never forgive me, and Pika Jr. might electrocute me."
Ryan looked away form the TV and looked at Jordan, who was lying down on his bed, with a depressed face, and his left hand on his forehead. Ryan was starting to worry about Jordan. Then he thought about reading his mind.
"No!" the young lucario thought to himself. "I shouldn't read his mind. That's a bad habit and an invasion of privacy. I should just ask him." So then, Ryan got up from the couch and walked over to Jordan, and put his paw on Jordan's right shoulder.
"You okay, Jordan?" the young lucario asked his human brother. "You don't look so happy."
Jordan brought his hand down and inhaled air through his nose. Then he exhaled it and said to Ryan, "What's the point in all this?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's the point in this camping trip? I mean… it's just pointless and mindless violence! That's all we are just doing! Fighting. I feel like… this is just… sin and vanity.
"Jordan, I don't think this is a sinful thing. I mean, there isn't any killing. It's… like a sport, like soccer or boxing."
"Okay. Maybe it's not sin, but it is still vanity. There's no importance to it." Then Jordan sat up and crossed his legs. "Ryan… I think we should cancel the trip."
"What? No! Jordan, I think you're looking at it the wrong way!"
"Ryan…, please just leave me alone."
Ryan was about to say 'no' when he heard a thumping sound on the bedroom door. The young lucario approached it, and as he opened the door, he saw a man wearing brown dress shoes, black trousers, a red polo shirt, and a white lab coat. The man's hair was as brown as Jordan's hair. Ryan was happy to see this man.
"Dad! It's so good to see you again!"
"Touché, Sport!" the man responded as he rubbed Ryan's head. Then he knelt down on one knee, and Ryan hugged him the same way he hugged Jordan, and deliberately and slowly wagged his tail. The father hugged Ryan back. Then the father stood up and rubbed Ryan's head. "How's it going, buddy?"
"Fine, for the most part." Ryan's smile soon faded.
"Are you okay, Ryan?" the dad asked sympathetically. "You seem down."
"I'm not the one whose down. Jordan is" Ryan replied as he turned around and looked at his human brother, who was lying down on his bed again.
"Maybe I can help" the dad said as he came in and sat down next to Jordan. "Hey, Jordan. How's it going?"
"Fine" he replied with a sigh. "Hey, Dad."
"Jordan, what's wrong?"
"Jordan doesn't want to do the camping trip anymore, because he thinks its pointless" Ryan answered.
"Is that true?"
"Yes, Dad. I just think… this is just a waist of time."
"That's not true, son" the dad replied. Then he turned to Ryan, who was now standing in front of the bed. "Ryan, can you bring your compass to me, please?" he said as he pointed at Jordan's desk, which was across from them.
"Sure thing, Dad" the young lucario responded, and he walked over to the desk and picked up a small hand compass that was next to Jordan's computer. Ryan opened it up and saw a small picture of Jordan in red pajamas, Ryan, as a riolu, wearing a red collar, a treecko, and an eevee. All four looked very happy, and in the background was a Christmas tree. Ryan brought the compass over to his human father, and gave it to him. The dad then showed the picture to Jordan.
"Do you remember when this picture was taken?" the dad asked.
Jordan looked at the picture and smiled. "It was Christmas morning, the year before last. Ryan was able to talk just like a human, and it was his last Christmas as a riolu."
"That Christmas changed… your lives."
(Flashback)
The whole family was gathered in the living room. The mom was sitting on the couch enjoying hot cocoa, and Jordan, Ryan, and their dad were sitting next to the Christmas tree.
"Alright, Ryan" Jordan said. "This is your last present. It's from Dad."
Jordan handed the little riolu a small box that was covered in green wrapping paper and a red ribbon. Ryan tore the paper off, and revealed a small brown box. Then he removed the lid and peeked inside. When he looked, his face lit up like the lights on the tree. Then he pulled out a small hand compass that was as big as his blue paw.
"Remember when you said that you wanted to be an explorer?" asked the dad. "Well this is a tool that they use. And Jordan told me that you wanted something like this. Do you like it?"
"I love it!" Ryan said. Then the little riolu ran up to his human father and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Dad. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Ryan" the dad said. Then he turned to Jordan. "Alright, Jordan. It's your turn to open your last present."
Then Jordan pulled a package out from under the tree. The package was as big as a shoe box, and it was covered in red wrapping paper and a green ribbon. He tore the paper off, and revealed a cardboard box. Jordan then opened it up, and he and Ryan peeked inside. They were both surprised at what they saw.
Inside the box were two poke balls and a navy blue pokedex with a poke ball decal on the case.
"Dad…" Jordan muttered as he brought the pokedex out of the box. "Is this…"
"An actual pokedex? You bet it is."
"Dad… I don't know what to say. Thank…"
"Don't thank me just yet, son. Why don't you test that pokedex out, first?"
"Okay, Dad" Jordan said. Then he turned to Ryan and pressed the 'ON' button on the pokedex. Then he scanned his riolu brother.
"Riolu: the Emanation Pokemon. Being sensitive to an energy field called Aura, it can emanate signals to its allies, especially when sad or frightened. Having superhuman strength and stamina, Riolu is naturally athletic."
"Wow" Jordan muttered. "My first pokedex entry."
"Pretty cool, isn't it? Why don't you pull out your poke balls, now?"
"Okay." Jordan pulled the two poke balls from the box, and tossed them onto the floor, away from the Christmas tree. As the poke balls opened up, one pokemon came out of each. Jordan and Ryan were amazed by the sight of both pokemon. One of them was a little, light green gecko with a dark green tail and yellow eyes. The other was a cute, brown fox with long, white fur on his neck. Jordan grabbed his pokedex and scanned both of them.
"Treecko: the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Having tiny spikes in its hands and feet, it can climb high trees and walls. Treecko is said to live in massive forest areas."
"Eevee: the Evolution Pokemon. Eevee can adapt to any environment that it is in, thus making it its habitat. It can also evolve into one of seven evolutionary forms."
"Wow! Dad, where did you find these pokemon?"
"I found them in the forest two days ago. The little eevee here was helping the treecko find shelter. They seemed like very good friends. When I found them, I offered them a home, and they took my offer and let me capture them both."
"Do they have names, yet?"
"No. I wanted to let you name them."
"Thanks, Dad." And with that, Jordan knelt down on both knees and asked the treecko and the eevee to come to them. "Let's see. How about I name you…" he said as he pointed at the treecko. "…Kyle. Do you like that name?"
"Treecko!" the little treecko said enthusiastically.
"He said that he loves that name" Ryan said.
"Thanks, Ryan" Jordan said. "Now. How about I name you…" he said as he pointed at the eevee. "…Max. As in like 'maximum possibilities'."
"Eevee eevee!" the little eevee shouted with excitement as he performed a backflip.
"Ryan, I don't need a translation for that." Jordan then stood up along with his father. "Dad, I don't understand. Why are you giving me a pokedex and two additional pokemon for Christmas?"
The dad then put his right hand on the fourteen-year-old boy's left shoulder. "Because next year, you'll need them."
"Wait. Dad, are you… letting me be… a Pokemon Trainer?"
"Yes. I want you to explore the pokemon-inhabited region of Washington and Canada. I know that you and Ryan want to have an adventure, and that you two want to help me with my studies. There is still a whole lot about pokemon that the world doesn't know. You two can store as much data as you can in your pokedex, study pokemon, and you can have some fun on the way by training and battling pokemon. So here is my question: do you want to go out there and explore the pokemon-inhabited land?"
Jordan was overwhelmed. He had no idea what to do next. Then he looked down at Ryan, Kyle, and Max. Jordan then smiled and looked back at his dad.
"I'll do it. Thanks, Dad." And with that, Jordan hugged his father. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Jordan."
Jordan pulled away from Dad and knelt down towards his pokemon. "We may want start practicing, guys. We may want to be ready for our first pokemon battle."
The little riolu, treecko, and eevee agreed.
Then Ryan looked at his compass that was opened up.
"I think it needs a picture, little bro" Jordan said to him.
"I agree."
"So do I" the mom said as she brought her camera out. "Why don't you three gather around Jordan, and you all sit in front of the tree?"
Jordan sat in front of the tree, cross-legged. Ryan came up to Jordan and sat on his right leg, and Jordan wrapped his hand around Ryan's right arm. Kyle and Max stood together, with their back to Jordan, Kyle on the left side and Max on the right. The mom knelt down and pointed the camera at the fourteen year-old, his riolu, and his new treecko and eevee. They all smiled, as the picture was being taken.
(End of Flashback)
"Maybe I should have been more thorough with this" the dad said to Jordan, who was now sitting up, with his back on the pillow. "Jordan, we know that these are God's creations, right?"
"Of course we do, Dad" Jordan replied. Then he looked at Ryan, and rubbed the young lucario's head. "One of them is right here."
"Jordan, God wants us to know more about what He has created. And remember what Reverend Peter said at church last Sunday?"
"He said that God has a plan for each and every one of us" Ryan responded.
"Thank you, Ryan" the dad said before he turned back to Jordan. "Jordan, if this is God's plan for you and Ryan to explore and study what He has created, then I believe that canceling the trip would be the wrong thing to do."
"Dad's right, Jordan" the young lucario said. "You're like the team captain and I'm like the goalie, on one of God's many teams."
Jordan stared down at Ryan's compass. He looked and saw that the red needle was pointing right at him. He thought of it as if Jordan was heading south, and he was supposed to go north. Then he looked at his dad and his brother.
"You're right, and I guess that the gym battles and the tournaments are another way to meet new pokemon, and to have lots of fun along the way." Jordan then closed his eyes, and bowed his head. "Thank you."
"So the trip is still on?" Ryan asked.
"Definitely" Jordan said as he gave Ryan a light punch on the arm.
"Thanks for your help, Dad" Ryan said to his human father.
"You're welcome, Sport."
Soon the dad left the room, leaving only Jordan and Ryan.
"You're such a good brother, Ryan" Jordan said.
"Thanks, big brother" the young lucario said. Then he held out his right paw. "Can I have my compass back, now?"
"Sure" Jordan said as he gave the compass back to Ryan. Then the two looked out the window that was behind them. They looked past the horizon, and saw a mountain. Ryan stood in front of the window and held his compass forward. He and his human brother looked at it, and saw that the red needle was pointing towards the window, towards outside, and towards the mountain.
"We're heading in the right direction" Ryan said.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes:
I made changes to where Jordan's Dad and Ryan meet up, especially the tail wagging part. I honestly think I messed up on that part because it shouldn't be too much of a surprise for someone who is partially a dog to wag its tail. That's why I think I messed up on chapter 3. Also, before the flashback, Jordan mentioned that that was the last year Ryan would celebrate Christmas as a riolu, meaning that he was going to evolve the next year.
Anyways, Read and Review… PLEASE!
