Blair was down on his knees while his face was looking downwards. Tears splashed down at the grave in Pokemon Tower. He looked up at the tombstone, remembering what happened a year ago.
"Why did this happen?"
Memories came flooding back as he remembered… he remembered what happened since he left Cerulean City. He remembered the past year. At first he ran to Route 22, the trainers were easily beat by his trio. Blair couldn't have been happier with this start… it took him a single week until he reached the cave to Lavender Town. At first the cave was fine, there were some hikers, there were some Pokemon, there weren't any threats though. It was calm and peaceful with laughter and cookies. His tears unlocked like a flood as he remembered further. Leviathan came out of her pokeball to pay her respects and wrapped her tail comfortingly around Blair. At first he could only remember bits and flashes… and then soon the memories came as fresh as yesterday's. Rocks.
"Man, this cave is actually pretty boring. I went this route because I was hoping for some more excitement and training opportunities." Never has he said a line that he regretted more. There was a crack and Blair bumped into another wall like usual, just what he got for stubbornly wandering a dark cave without proper lighting. Then the cracking sound grew louder and suddenly…
"FREE!" Delilah broke out of her ball and slammed Blair away with her psychic power. Then they fell… large rocks came crashing down before the bug could do anything except save Blair's life. Crash. The rocks didn't stop falling for a while and when Blair finally came to there was only a large pile of rocks in front of him that Leviathan and Jet were working to remove with all of their might. He immediately started to try and move. Unaware his ear drums were bleeding, unaware of anything else. His hands became bloody as he worked desperately. Hours passed and then there was a single large rock that couldn't be moved. Sticking out from under the rock was a single wing… it was removed from the body.
"MOVE IT! MOVE IT! WE CAN MOVE A LARGE BOULDER! DELILAH!? DELILAH! DELILAH! DELILAH! DELILAH!" He shouted as they all pushed. Five seconds… ten minutes… two hours… they couldn't move the boulder. It was too late.
"DELILAH!"
Then footsteps slowly walked up from behind.
"I wanted to get the trainer but instead I got a worthless bug. Hand over your Pokemon and you won't have to suffer the same fate as… Delilah was it?"
"SHUT UP! You don't deserve to say her name!."
"Whatever… Rhydon Horn Drill!" The man unleashed a pokeball and the charging Rhydon came towards Blair however in the next moment there was a vicious roar. Leviathan's tail glowed and then struck the Rhydon hard against the wall. Blair finally got a good look at the man… he was in uniform. An all too familiar uniform. Blair's eyes started to glow green in the dark and he could now see perfectly.
"Aerial ace, ten feet up then dive bomb at a 45 degree angle to your right."
Despite not having night vision Jet trusted Blair's commands easily. The mans pokeball belt was snatched and Blair slowly walked forward. He saw it… the man tried punching him but it didn't happen yet. Blair moved his head and then grabbed the man's arm and flipped him over his back. The image of him doing so entered his mind easily and then he executed it. The man in uniform silently laid there. Blair slowly walked up to the large rock, ignoring the man on the ground.
"CELEBI! COME OUT! COME OUT HERE! YOU GAVE ME THESE EYES! I don't want them! CELEBI! TURN TIME BACK! SAVE DELILAH! CELEBI!" He deliriously shouted for Celebi to come… but Celebi never showed. He shouted until his voice was barely a whisper and he passed out. The next time he was awake he was in the Lavender town Pokemon Center clutching onto the wing of a Butterfree desperately. He slowly made his way over to Pokemon Tower. The mediums there were helpful and sorrowful with him. On the second floor her wing was burned and buried. Every day Blair visited the wing for a year… never leaving the town… never battling. It was the same story… every damn day. Now that Blair was out of his memories he stared up at the ceiling of the Pokemon Center. He exhaled slowly. Then there was a large explosion. The sound jarred him awake and he ran outside to see what was going on… the top floor of Pokemon Tower was blown out. A ton of men in uniform started running inside the building. Blair remembered this incident now… the incident where the esteemed Dr. Fuji known locally as Mr. Fuji was kidnapped. They got away and the only thing the police could find when they arrived was a shattered top floor and a Cubone crying over a Marowak with a bullet in its head. Before the police took too long from Saffron to get here on time… there were no exceptionally strong trainers in town. No local gym leader. His feet moved on their own.
"Leviathan, Jet… let's go." The door was barricaded. "BREAK IT DOWN!" Leviathan's tail glowed as the day she hit the Rhydon and slammed it against the door which flew back. Blair's eyes were glowing green as they did on that day. His heart pounded as he ran up the first set of stairs. Four trainers…
"Aerial Ace!" Jet flew forward, the trainers in response released their pokemon as defense in time but…
"Let's go! Crunch!"
Blair commanded both of his pokemon and swiftly disposed of the grunts on the second floor. On the second floor there were another 4 trainers… swiftly disposed of. Blair passed by Delilah's grave. On it read…
'Here Lies Delilah… My Savior and Friend. She was the best bug a boy could hope for. Rest in Peace with everflowing honey.'
They were no match for Leviathan and Jet's anger. They recognized the uniforms as well and spared no mercy. There was another explosion on the third floor. Blair kept running and finally made it… only two trainers to guard the path? Weird… however he soon knew why. On the stairs a single Marowak was swinging around a thick club devastating the pokemon around her. A cubone was hiding close by… Three men in uniform surrounded her with multiple pokemon.
"She's resisting too much, we can't weaken her to catch her!"
"Tch then she's worthless."
Blair saw it… the man pulled out a gun and then shot the Marowak dead on the stairs…
"JET AERIAL ACE!" Jet sped forward without a single thought. The man had his gun out and finger on the trigger… then pulled. Jet was too late and the Marowak was still shot.
"LEVIATHAN! BOUNCE!"
A crying Cubone came out and picked up his mother's thick club…
"Do you want to fight too?"
"CUBONE!"
Blair looked at him.
"I was late… I'm sorry. Cubone, bone club!"
1 2 3. All three men were down. Why were all the grunts men? Blair definitely knew there were women in the organization. Finally he made his way to the top story.
"COUGH IT UP OLD MAN! We know you know the secrets of Mega Evolution!"
"Never!"
"LET HIM GO!"
The six people in the room turned to Blair's voice.
"Huh, kid you and what army?"
"My friends each have the strength of an army." His eyes glowed green. Koffing on the left. Arbok on the right. Sandslash down the middle coming up…
"Cubone, bonemarang towards the right! Jet Aerial Ace there! Leviathan! Aqua Tail down the middle!"
Cubone grabbed the Thick Club and then with a small humph he threw it. Just as the Arbok was released the club hit its face and then slammed its head down on the way back. The Arbok was knocked out. The Koffing was caught unaware by the sudden move… as for the Sandslash… it never stood a chance.
"Golbat! Air Cutter!"
Blair saw Jet being hit by the air cutter and then seemingly time reverted again. His nose started bleeding as his head pounded.
"Jet! Strafe left and then shoot forward between their gap!"
The Golbat aimed towards Jet who went in between two men but instead they were the ones hit. Then on his way back he was behind the Golbat.
"Aerial Ace!"
"GEOTTO!"
The Golbat fell from the air after getting hit and as it stumbled Jet hit it again to knock it out. The last remaining grunt screamed as he ran out along with the four other grunts that were defeated. A single person stood there by Dr. Fuji. It was a woman with red hair wearing a mask. She laughed lightly.
"A twelve year old boy is what derails this entire operation?"
Blair stood there fiercely with bleeding eyes. She walked forward and he saw a million different images blurring together. He couldn't see what she was going to do. Finally she was right in front of him and then kissed his forehead before flicking it. He collapsed and she laughed as she walked by.
"I'll let you play hero this time boy. However if you keep doing so you're going to get hurt. I have some subordinates to punish so bye."
Blair's mind couldn't take more as he drifted off to sleep in front of the stunned Dr. Fuji that was still tied up. Leviathan quickly bit through the ropes of Dr. Fuji's binding which freed him successfully. The next time Blair woke up he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
"That was reckless young man."
"I know."
"You saved my life."
"That was secondary… they killed Delilah… I wanted revenge."
Dr. Fuji laughed lightly and dropped a flute onto Blair's body, and then he spoke,
"Sit up." Blair did so and Dr. Fuji put a necklace on Blair with a rainbow stone on it. "Now young man… I want you to always keep your love for Pokemon. Don't let this hatred consume you… instead rejoice in the memories you had with your precious Delilah. Move forward. You also have a Brave new friend to help you through things. I'm certain this little guy wants to go with you and get stronger with you on your journey."
"Cubone!" The cubone jumped on Blair's lap and stared up at him while holding his mother's club and wearing a skull slightly too big. The skull was replaced…
"Are you sure you want to come with?"
"Bone!"
Blair's tears started dripping down uncontrollably. His eyes were a dull green as he looked at the new friend. He grabbed a pokeball with a shaking hand… the Cubone entered it without any issues. 1… 2… 3… a new friend, no a new family member joined the team.
"Delilah… you were Timid but the bravest Butterfree I ever knew. No the bravest anything I ever knew. I hope this little guy can carry on yours and his mother's courage as he travels with me."
Finally the year long curse was lifted. A single white ball that was over Delilah's grave suddenly disappeared leaving only feelings of pure joy by the grave. She managed to pass on and her trainer was able to move on and not forget. Her time may be over but her legacy will forever live on in Blair and the rest of her odd family. Blair confidently walked down the pier out of Lavender town. He knew this was a way to reach Fuchsia City. One member lost… one member gained… Blair's journey was still just beginning.