When I opened my eyes, I was greeted with the blinding sight of fluorescent lights against a white ceiling. My first instinct was to sit up and look around. In the chair next to the bed I was in was Miguel and Elizabeth, snuggled up next to eachother and out like a light, and at the end of my bed, Nurse Joy... speaking with my mother,

"M-mom!?"

Everyone seemed to wake up or register my presence in the room, and there was a flurry of questions that made my head spin,

"Oh my god you're okay!"

"We were so worried about you!"

"How are you feeling? Light headed? Dizzy!"

"How could you do this!?"

I placed my head in my hands and heard Nurse Joy shushing everyone. She quickly explained that my left eardrum was ruptured, I wouldn't be able to hear very well on my left side for a few days. Other than that she said my body and mind was just exhausted from the travel and showed I was in copious amounts of shock when I arrived here a day ago. She called my mother using the info on my Trainer ID, and let me know that Vulpix was just in shock and the Charizard was subdue'd, it not letting any humans touch it, but was healing. Nurse Joy then excused herself and so did Miguel and Elizabeth, the two promising to be back in a few minutes... that left me looking sheepishly at my mother.

It was silent, the two of us just staring at eachother for a while... I figured I'd break the silence, "Mom I-"

"I don't want to hear it." Her tone was flat, not angry, but upset, "You should have told me you were leaving, it would've been better than a note! And not only that but I don't think you've been completely honest with me, you look like you just came out of a battle, and though I'm happy you caught yourself some Pokémon, let alone one a very strong one, I don't want you fighting in the war!"

"I'm not!" I blurted out, somewhat harshly, "I'm just a Pokémon Trainer! Albeit I'm not a very good one at the moment, I got my Pokémon and myself into some trouble and I don't know much about Training. But me and Jess- me and my Vulpix are learning! We were just training up on Route 103 when... when..." I trailed off... the battlefield, the Charizard, its dead Trainer, his other two Pokémon who now are buried next to him, the six soldiers who tried to kill me and Jess and the Charizard... the bodies, the battle, the burials, it all came swarming back into my head in a sudden instant before all I could think about, was how it was my fault.

I burst into tears, tearing at the sheets of my hospital bed, "It's my fault! It's all my fault! They died protecting me... the cat and the mole Pokemon, and the Charizard! He killed them because, because, he had too! I was no use... I was no use! It's my fault!"

I must've been at least slightly coherent over my sobs because my mother rushed forward and cradled me in her arms,

"I wanna go home mom. I wanna go home."

"We'll go home sweetheart, we're going home."

Later that day I was released from the Pokémon Centers human care side, and so was Vulpix and the Charizard. I had to go into the room and talk to the Charizard, tell him that the people helped him and he was free to go... truthfully, I had no idea where he was going to go, and had no idea his hulking figure would follow myself and my mothers car back to Littleroot. For just a day he was flying surprisingly well. I sat in the back seat with Jess and Miguel, Elizabeth sat up front with my mother. I was also surprised that they asked to tag along with us, and I was definitely not opposed to the idea of more friendly faces coming along.

We arrived in Littleroot a little while later and the Charizard landed next to my mothers car with a thump that jumped almost everyone,

"Why don't you put him back in his Pokeball?" My mother asked,

"He's not mine." I said bluntly, holding his Pokeball up, it was the only one out of the three I kept since he was the only survivor, I buried the moles and the cats with them, "It's not my place to return him. Besides, he'd probably just freak out."

Without another word I walked into the house and went up to my room, Jess jumping up on my bed and looking up at me,

"Vuuuu~?"

I looked down at her deep brown eyes and collapsed onto the bed with her, sobbing quietly into her neck. She merely started licking my hair, and I heard the Charizard growl from outside my window.

Looking up I stood and opened my bedroom window, seeing the Charizard sitting on the garage roof and looking into my room. (He was too big to come inside).

I picked up Jess and set her on the garage roof, and then crawled out onto it as well. The sun was setting already, the majority of the day spent traveling back to Littleroot. I heard Miguel, Elizabeth and my mother chatting quietly down in the kitchen.

I looked up at the Charizard and held out his Pokeball towards him, "This is yours. I dunno what to do with it exactly... but I mean, you can have it, or trash it or break it, It's up to you really."

The Charizard held the Pokeball in one of his smallish hands. He looked down at it and growled rather depressingly. He then set the Pokeball back in my lap and grunted.

Enough was said. I'd hang onto the Pokeball until he was ready to do whatever it was he was gunna do. I then looked down at Jess and sighed,

"I'm sorry Jess... I guess our Journey's over."

She merely nuzzled herself against my chest as we watched the sun set. I suppose this wasn't all too bad. I caught a Pokémon, made it to the next town over, made some friends... who am I kidding? I was sixteen years old and as clueless as a ten your old. I spent a good third of my journey being scared and or crying. I had no idea what it was to be a Trainer... It was pathetic... I was pathetic.

The following morning I woke up in my bed, Jess snuggled up under my armpit, and the Charizards head sticking through the open window, leaving my room to be exceptionally chilly. I grabbed my phone and tapped the screen... it was seven o'clock. I shrugged and nudged Jess awake and got out of bed to put some warmer clothes on.

After throwing on my high tops, jeans and a t-shirt with my fleece. I motioned for Jess to follow as I opened the door to my room and headed downstairs. In the upstairs hallway, the guest room door was closed so I assumed Elizabeth and Miguel were in there, and my mothers door was just cracked open per usual. Walking past them both with Jess close behind me I went down the stairs and outside, heading down the street.

I had nowhere I wanted to go in particular, just being out and about worked fine for me. As I walked past the garage the Charizard gently, or as gently as he could, floated down to the ground level and started plodding along behind us. Roughly five minutes of walking through Littleroot aimlessly I turned around and looked at The Charizard,

"You can walk up here with us you know. You don't have to be back there." The Charizard merely grunt and snorted a plume of smoke in my direction, "Okay, be that way."

I continued on my walk, just casually strutting down the street when eventually I found myself crossing paths with a man in a labcoat,

"My goodness! That is quite the Charizard you have there! And a healthy young Vulpix too! You must be a rather good Trainer."

I turned to the man, his words jumping me out of my thoughts, it was Professor Birch,

"Oh! Professor, how are you? Uh. Thank you but you're wrong, this Charizard isn't mine but the Vulpix is, she's my Starter... but I'm actually, haha a pretty pathetic Trainer."

The professor looked shocked and then burst out laughing, "Pathetic Trainer!? There's no such thing boy! Being a Trainer at all in these times makes you anything but pathetic."

I shrugged, "Well my journeys already over Professor..."

He gave a sympathetic smile, "Your mother called me when you left home... what was it now, about a week ago? Just short of a week? Regardless, she was worried about you. Did she come bring you home?"

"N-no." I started, "I... I volunteered to come home, after... well." I looked up at the Charizard and it gave a depressing growl, to which Professor Birch motioned for me to follow,

"Tell me about it over some coffee."

The only sounds were the rattle of the several machines in the professors lab. I had just finished telling the Professor a moment for moment account of my journey thus far. I looked down quietly at the cup of coffee before me resisting the urge to starts sobbing,

"Sounds like you've had quite the traumatic experience lad."

I nodded slowly, "I don't think I'm cut out for this Trainer stuff."

He shrugged and took a sip of coffee, "Training wasn't always like this... it never was like this. It's the damn war." He stood and started rummaging around in a filing cabinet, "I can't say anything to you to make it better lad, nor can I tell you to Carry on or stop your Journey. None the less," he pulled a small metal red and black item from the cabinet, "If you find the strength to continue your journey, moreover find a purpose to go on the Journey itself. I support you, and this will help you." He placed an item on the counter... a pokedex, "Journey's usually are good at helping the Trainer discover who they are, what they are meant to be. I am a firm believer in fate, and you discover who you were born to be on your Journey. Already lad I can tell... yours will be a tough one, but you play a very important role in the world." He paused as he sat, "You're sixteen years old, thankfully, due to you being older and mind being more developed, you won't be mentally scared for life due to this endeavor. I will admit though... it's going to take some time for you to heal from this event." The professor paused yet again and sighed, "If it were ten years ago, there would be an uproar about this... in today's world it'll be covered up."

Silence lingered between us once again for quite some time before the professor clapped his hands together, "Well! I wish you luck on whatever you decide to do lad. I'll let you be now."

After a brief goodbye I headed back home for some breakfast followed by Jess, a Charizard, and carrying a PokeDex in my hands.

Professor Birch waved happily as the Trainer headed back home with his Vulpix and Charizard in tow,

"I do hope he finds his way."

The Professor sighed and headed back into his lab, making his way back towards his cup of coffee, when his phone rang. He scooped up the cup of coffee and took a sip whilst pulling his phone out of his pocket and flipping it open,

"Ello?"

"Did you convince the boy?"

The Professor nearly choked on his coffee and scowled, "Who... is this?"

"Professor Birch; did you convince the boy to carry on with his journey?"

The Professor looked around his lab suspiciously and then stomped his foot, "Who is this!? I demand an answer!"

"You know who I am Professor."

Birch turned around in shock, now face to face with a man in a blue uniform, a tall white and green Pokémon standing next to him,

"C-commander Chandler!? What are you doing here? And... how do you know of the boy? He has been through a very traumatic experience you know-"

The man in the blue uniform, Chandler, smiled, "I've been watching him carefully since his father told me about him."

Birch's eyes went wide and he balled his fists, "You leave the boys father out of this! Their family is barely held together as it is! His father was extraordinarily helpful during the Rayquazza event! He-"

"Is a hero," Chandler's smug stare continued to pierce the Professors soul, "I know who he is, and where he's gone. But you must know how strong the boy can become."

The Professor clenched his teeth and stomped his foot, "I won't let you exploit what a gift he has! If you intend for him to be dragged into a war...?! Chandler you're better than this!"

The commander laughed, "Oh Birch, he can end the war! And you're going to help us get started."

Chandler grabbed Birch by the arm and pulled a pistol from his coat, "Gardevoir, bring us back."

The Pokémon merely hummed and the world started to get purple and hazy,

"Damn you Chandler! Let go of me! Let go of me-!"

They were gone, the only sounds left in the lab being the machines ticking away and the drip of coffee falling from a spilt cup to the floor.

The next few days passed quickly, and on the 5th day of being home, Breakfast was actually a nice change of pace. When I came downstairs my mother was already cooking pancakes, and Elizabeth and Miguel were sitting at the dinning room table sipping coffee.

I sat across from Miguel and Elizabeth, Jess heading into the Kitchen and jumping up on the counter and nearly sticking her nose in the cooking pancakes. Much to my surprise, my mother just started scratching behind her ears,

"So how you feeling man?"

I turned my attention to Miguel who had an eyebrow raised in my direction,

"I'm good." I started, "My ear feels kind of funny but sounds are starting to become audible."

He nodded slowly in response, "I'm glad! You looked like hell when you came into the Center." He laughed somewhat awkwardly,

"So how'd you meet the Charizard?" Elizabeth asked, her chin resting in her left knee, leg tucked up onto the seat,

"His Trainer died." I was getting used to the retelling of events, I had relived the scenario in my head for the past few days more than once, and their shocked looks we're of no surprise either, "I read the news when I got down Route 103, there was a battle there, the Eastern Army has a group of soldiers who fly on Charizards into battle, and a lot died on 103. This Charizard was mourning his Trainer, he was still defending his corpse." I looked out the dinning room bay window and saw the Charizard lazily sitting in the backyard, staring up at some Taylow's flying by, "I'm not sure why he's following me... but I released the Trainers other two Pokémon once the Charizard let me near his body."

"Oh?" Miguel said with some enthusiasm, "What kind of Pokémon?"

"I'm not sure. One was a mole with huge claws, and the other was a pink cat with a gem on its forehead... they are buried next to their Trainer."

"O-oh... they died in their Pokeballs? That's-"

"No," I said bluntly, now patting Jess who had walked over, "They were okay when I released them, they were sad over their Trainer too."

Neither Miguel nor Elizabeth said anything, both understanding where this was going. I sighed and rubbed my eyes, not sure if I was wiping sleep or forming tears away,

"When me and Miguel went through the desert," Elizabeth was staring at the table, "Our guide was killed, as you know. And... you know it was an eye opener. Our whole journey, the first five months of it, Pokémon fought in battles, yeah, but we never even considered the concept of them fighting... us, humans." She sighed, "Our guide released his Pokémon when the Western Army soldiers found us, and they just... attacked." Miguel wrapped his arm around her as she continued, "It's crazy when you realize the power Trainers can have, if your Pokémon and you have that close of a bond, they'll kill for you... that's why this war really started I think... I think something happened. Someone lost control of their emotions and used their power as a Trainer to lash out... and once they had, they ruined it for everyone else. People saw that if this Trainer could, the others could and what was stopping them? And so the Western Armies ideals were formed, Trainers are dangerous, we don't need your kind. All the other stuff about the economy and education is just garbage to make their cause seem more just. No, they feel threatened by Trainers, Trainers have a certain power they do not, thats why they want us to be abolished."

No one said anything as Elizabeth finished speaking. Even my mother in the kitchen had stopped cooking to listen. Eventually, normality resumed and my mother brought in breakfast.

It was a light hearted breakfast, Miguel and Elizabeth told more tales of their short time being a Trainer and my mother laughed and asked questions. I fed Jess and the Charizard, who with each day has been healing rather impressively, his wounds mere scars, and his attitude improving slightly.

When I came in from bringing out food for the Charizard, my mother was the only one sitting at the table, from the sound of running water and dishes being passed around, I assume Miguel and Elizabeth were helping out again,

"Come sit with me for a moment."

I complied without a second thought and sat across the table from my mother,

"What's up?"

Her lips were curved upward ever so slightly into a smile, as if it was a smile of sadness, and she looked older... much older than she definitely was. Her hair was tied loosely in a Ponytail, she had bags under her eyes insinuating a lack of sleep, and she folded her hands over one another gently on the table,

"Why is it you left to be a Trainer?"

I couldn't answer that one. It was just something I wanted to do, it was something I told myself I had waited my whole life to do... I guess it was because...

"I don't think I had any choice Mom." I said plainly leaning my arms on the table, "In just the two weeks since I have left home... I've learned a lot, about the world- well the country, the places I've been, people I've met, the Pokémon I've seen has only be a fraction of all of them, same with the country and the world... I've gotten over some things. I can live by myself, travel almost anywhere, do a lot of things... it's crazy really how in just two weeks I feel like I'm a bit of a different person." I paused and continued, "Professor Birch told me that he was a strong believer in fate... and I don't know if I am, but I feel like I was meant to go, and see the things I saw, so maybe... maybe I could do something about it."

- Two Days Ago

I hadn't left my room for three days, after speaking with Professor Birch on the events that had so recently transpired, my mind started tormenting me. People in Littleroot looked like the soldiers I saw die, normal Zigzagoons playing in the fields beyond town reminded me of the pink cat which died shielding me from gunfire, Knifes looked like the claws of the mole Pokémon, it was ridiculously easy for me to just relive the event in my mind at the slightest similarity.

So I locked myself away. Jess stayed with me in my room for about a day, but then nudged her way out my door to wander. She would always come back every hour or so and try and nudge me out into the world, but it never worked. Even the Charizard left his silent vigil atop of the garage and roamed around Littleroot freely... and despite that, I felt like they abandoned me.

They obviously weren't as effected as I, they didn't care... and it was that, that woke me from my slumber. The Charizard lost his Trainer for the love of Arceus, there was no way he wasn't grieving. On the night of the second day, I went to the guest room and asked Elizabeth if she had a physic Pokémon,

"Uh, yes I do, a Swoobat, why?"

"Is it true they can talk to you via your mind?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Um... yes, and even out loud by projecting their thoughts, but... why?"

I paused and shrugged, "I'd like to ask the Charizard a question."

Elizabeth released her Swoobat and introduced me, asking him to politely share his physic powers for me to accomplish my desired task,

"Hello, I am Swoo the Swoobat."

I blinked, "Wow. Hi, My names-"

"I know who you are, I've read your mind. Shall we talk to Cayde?"

I blinked again, "Who is Cayde?"

"The Charizard."

I climbed out my bedroom window and onto the roof, the Charizard sitting there per usual during this hour. I walked up to him with Swoo right behind me and politely waved,

"Uh... hello, Cayde. I heard that's your name."

The Charizard, or Cayde, quickly got to his feet and growled,

"He asks how you learned that."

I turned to Swoo and nodded, "Oh, well this Swoobat here told me."

"He's upset that I read his mind and memories from inside the house... it wasn't hard, your thoughts are quite loud."

I quickly separated Swoo and Cayde and sighed, "Can I just ask you something Cayde?"

He growled to which Swoo informed me, "He says he will answer your questions."

I took a deep breath and clenched my fists, "Why did you protect me, and why are you still following me?"

Cayde looked at me for a moment, almost confused as if why I would ask such a ridiculous question... he then growled and grunted for a moment before looking to Swoo,

"Cayde said, it was because of your eyes. Cayde doesn't like humans, but out of all the humans he had to be captured by one when he was a Charamander. Through the beginning of his relationship with this human, he caused trouble, hated to be a trained Pokémon... but eventually he learned that his Trainer, had eyes unlike any other humans. It was the way they shown, the way that they looked as if they were filled with courage and determination despite the sub-sequent gaze of uncertainness most saw at a glance... they were eyes that were trusting, calm. Cayde had never seen a pair of eyes on a human like his Trainers until you found him in his darkest moments, and it is because of that he protected you, and still follows you, you remind him of his Trainer." Swoo paused and continues, "Cayde knows you are not his trainer, but because you buried him and his companions, as well as defended him from the green suits rather than handing him over to them, he said he owes you... and frankly has no where else to go."

I crossed my arms, "What is it you see in my eyes?"

Cayde let out a response again which Swoo translated, "Fear. Youth. Confusion. But beneath it he sees your heart beating through your actions, you have courage inside you and the will to act, it just must be uncovered."

I smiled, "I'm glad you at least believe in me... Cayde... are you still grieving?"

"Cayde says part of him always will be, but he is focused on the fight ahead. He knows that you are scared and confused, but he says he can see it in your eyes that you have a battle that has yet to be won."

Oh how right Cayde was. There was a battle yet to be won, the one for Trainers, no one was fighting that battle except for the Eastern Army, and they were losing. But that wasn't my fight... mine was with myself, and what I was going to do with my life.

-Present day

"I'm not saying I'm going to fight in the war... but someone has to do something to stop it... so I may be chasing Wild Swanna, but I'm going to find something or someone that can tell me how. And I guess that's why I left mom... not just because I wanted to be a Trainer, but because if I don't try and stop this war my way, who will?"

My mother sighed, "I suppose no one because they're not as crazy as you are... sixteen years old and you are so much like your father."

"What was Dad like?" The question just sort of flew out of me before I could stop it, my mother didn't seem to mind though,

"He was a Trainer... a strong one. I know he wasn't home very often because of his work, and then when you were older the Military... but he was so dedicated to the people of this country, Hoenn. He had plans, he had dreams... I just wish he were still around."

I paused... but couldn't help myself, very slowly I asked, "Is Dad passed mom?"

She wouldn't make eye contact, but she gave me an answer, "I'm not sure... he's never returned though... you can look him up online though, they'll have more information. I just ask that you read it all with a grain of salt, because your father was a great person."

I raised an eyebrow, "Was he famous? Who was Dad?"

"After Wallace and that boy Brandon, who your father knew very well, he was the Champion of Hoenn."