Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur came down from their room the following morning, only to find no meal waiting at the table. Instead, Brandon and Delia sat together; obviously waiting for their arrival.
"Uhh Mom? Where's breakfast?" Squirtle asked.
"No time for that today, boys," Delia answered.
"WHAT!?" The trio shouted simultaneously.
"That's right. You'll need to conserve your appetite," Brandon instructed. The children exchanged confused glances towards one another.
"What do you mean? What's going on?" Charmander asked.
"From what I've gathered in my previous observations of you, you don't work together, even though you do live together," Brandon stated. Confusion continued to loom. "The training will be difficult. Each of you still has conflicting feelings and a general lack of trust towards one another. This must be addressed before the training can begin. Otherwise, you'll do nothing but argue instead of help one another. Trust me when I tell you that you'll need each other's support when the real training begins. The exercises I have planned today should help you to reach that level of acceptance towards one another," Brandon explained. "But, in order to receive any sort of benefit from this, I'll require your full devotion and attention. You must promise me you will stick with this plan until the very end of it. If you can't, I will not train you. Simple as that." Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle this time exchanged glances of mild anxiety. "What is your answer?" Brandon asked.
"I accept," said Bulbasaur with mild confidence. He turned to Squirtle.
"Me too," said Squirtle. He turned to Charmander, who hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
"I'm in," said Charmander.
"Very well. Let's get started," Brandon declared. He handed Delia a large basket and whispered instructions in her ear. She left the house without a word. Brandon led the three children out of the house in a single-file line straight through Pallet Town and out to the outskirts; passing the tree that Charmander and Tracie sat under along the way. After walking several miles, they stopped in a dirt field where an ominous sentiment of sorrow consumed the group. There was nothing in the area except the charred remains of an old house and several burnt trees scattered around the vicinity.
"This will be your first trial. In order to eliminate the inner turmoil you each have inside yourselves, you must release the dark energy contained within your hearts that cloud you from connecting to your soul. When your heart and soul are connected, you will be at peace with yourself and can receive inner enlightenment. Close your eyes, concentrate on something that angers you; something that fills you with rage. It does not matter what it is, nor will you have to tell anyone. Just focus on that anger. Let it grow within you until it has nowhere else to go but out. Finally, when you're ready, release that hate-filled energy out of you in one tremendous burst!" Brandon instructed.
Charmander stepped forward first; letting complete darkness consume his sight as he tightly shut his eyes. He took a slow, deep breath. The most difficult part for him was deciding what he wanted to get angry at. He was angered by so many things. He pictured Mrs. Ketchum, his brothers, Serena, and Tracie all surrounding him in the dark void; each of them glaring at him in disgust; insulting him and striking him down. Charmander clenched his stubby fingers into fists. His feet dug into the ground, and his tail flame grew. Charmander pictured The Invincible Brothers calling him names, just as they had done in the plaza before. Little. Baby. Freak. The very sound of their laughter caused Charmander to grit his teeth and shut his eyes even tighter. Finally, he pictured a home. A wonderful, peaceful little village with an older version of himself standing in front of it; an interpretation of his father.
Suddenly, Charmander saw Brandon pick up the home in his hand, and crush it to pieces; symbolically denying him from ever returning to it. This angered Charmander to the point of his tail flame growing three times its normal size. The tremendous heat and glow caught Squirtle and Bulbasaur off-guard as it spread to the sidelines where they were standing. Charmander could feel a burning ball of energy within him; the same kind he felt that day that he unleashed that burst of flame on Kim. Charmander opened his mouth at last and unleashed another vortex of fire as his cries of anguish sliced through the air. The fire persisted for several seconds before Charmander ran out of breath. He kneeled over and gasped for air. Bulbasaur and Squirtle rushed to their brother's side and helped him stand.
"How do you feel, Charmander?" Brandon asked.
"I feel…..good….," the tiny lizard confessed. Despite his immediate exhaustion, he genuinely did feel better. Releasing all of his built-in rage and frustration all at once; it tired him out. But he no longer felt the same nervous sensation in the back of his neck he always did when facing Mrs. Ketchum or Brandon. It was as if a demon had been freed from within him at last. Charmander placed his hand to his yellow chest and for the first time, he could feel the gentle thumping of his heartbeat. Charmander grinned proudly. He looked around and was astonished to see all of the trees his flames had set fire to.
"That was excellent. I could truly sense the power and fury within your flames. Well done," Brandon praised as he pat Charmander on the head. Brandon turned to Bulbasaur. "It's your turn next," he called.
Bulbasaur took a heavy gulp and walked away from the group to the same spot Charmander stood. He followed the same procedure as his brother, and tried to visualize something that angered him. He pictured The Invincible Brothers and the awful things they did to his family; but found himself only depressed instead of angry. Just when he was about to quit, Bulbasaur pictured something else. A person he knew. This person always irritated him with his arrogance, his shouting, and his reckless actions. Bulbasaur remembered all the arguing that went on between them, and remembered seeing him get hurt from stepping in to a fight. As much as he felt ashamed of it, Bulbasaur couldn't deny that he found the darkness that clouded his heart by thinking of Charmander. All the memories Bulbasaur had of sitting by and watching Charmander argue with him, Squirtle, Serena, and their mother. It was enough to stir up his own dark energy.
Bulbasaur ferociously dug his paws into the dirt as his entire body twitched and jolted about ferociously. The group saw sparks hovering around the tip of the bulb on Bulbasaur's back. Soon, the small light particles grew and began to spin around ferociously. They dove into the bulb and lit the inside of it up with an ominous, white glow. The light poured from the bulb until finally, it shot straight out with tremendous speed in a concentrated, cylindrical beam that launched like a rocket into the sky. When the beam finally faded, Bulbasaur collapsed to the ground; just as exhausted as Charmander was before him. Squirtle, Charmander, and Brandon rushed to his side.
"What was that!?" Squirtle asked.
"It was the result of Bulbasaur unleashing all of his dark energy of his heart in one burst. Although he wields the naturally gentle element of grass, he was able to harness the energy of the sun into a powerful burst. Congratulations, Bulbasaur. You just performed your first Solar Beam," Brandon explained. Despite his grudge against Bulbasaur, even Charmander was impressed by the display.
Squirtle did not have quite as easy of a time with the trial. He concentrated deeply but could not harness enough anger to truly feel any sense of power within him. He pictured The Invincible Brothers at first, but only ended up reminding himself of his own cowardice. Squirtle tried to use the frustration he felt towards himself for failing to stand up to the Invincible Brothers. Taking in a deep breath, Squirtle attempted to mimic Charmander's fire blast, only to release a gentle assortment of bubbles instead. Charmander had to stop himself from bursting into immature laughter over his brother's failure. Squirtle kneeled down and cradled his head in his stubby blue hands. Why? Why am I never strong enough? He wondered to himself.
"Squirtle, on your feet!" Brandon called out. Squirtle stood up and turned around to face Brandon; his eyes glistening with self-pity. "What happened?" Brandon asked.
"I…I don't know, I just can't," Squirtle confessed.
"Why do you doubt yourself!?" Brandon shouted.
"I just, I-I don't know…," Squirtle stammered.
"Stop shutting yourself down!"
"Huh?"
"You tell yourself that you can't do it or that you don't have the answers. Stop limiting yourself to failure! You must learn to strive for the peak of your ability!" Brandon explained. Squirtle lowered his head and stared at the dirt beneath his feet in shame. Brandon kneeled down to his level and pulled a small item out of his pocket. He extended his arm in front of Squirtle. The blue turtle noticed a pair of sunglasses in Brandon's hand. Squirtle took the pair of glasses and examined them closely.
"What are these for?" Squirtle asked.
"Put them on and try again," Brandon instructed.
"O-okay…,"Squirtle hesitated. He placed the sunglasses over his eyes.
"Now take your breath." Squirtle inhaled deeply, then exhaled.
"Close your eyes and shut out the world around you. Detach yourself from everything you see, hear, and feel," Brandon continued. Squirtle could imagine himself floating in a void of darkness. The eeriness frightened him. He took a deep breath, but out came bubbles once again.
"Try it again, Squirtle. Concentrate harder," Brandon ordered. Squirtle went through the motions several times, only to yield the same result. Brandon shook his head in disappointment. He kneeled down and looked into Squirtle's eyes through the sunglasses. "You're trying to force the power to release itself, but you're not fueling it with anything. You need to find your anger and condense it within the dark energy of your heart into expendable energy. You're not getting angry enough," Brandon explained.
"I'm trying to but I just can't," Squirtle replied.
"Yes, you can. Have faith in yourself. Think of something that infuriates you! Try it once again!" Squirtle rehearsed his breathing and entered his dark void once again. This time, something was different. Squirtle watched a swirling dark cloud slither around him like a snake. He felt a chill as it brushed against his skin. Squirtle remained perfectly still; feeling frozen with fear and unable to move. Suddenly, Squirtle saw a blinding light cutting through the darkness in the distance in front of him. When the light faded, he saw Mrs. Ketchum standing alone and watching him. She kneeled down and reached her hand out for him with her friendly, familiar smile. Squirtle started to run over to her, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the dark cloud begin orbiting around Mrs. Ketchum ferociously. Squirtle watched in horror as the dark cloud formed into a demonic face of yellow eyes and a jagged mouth. Squirtle called out to his mother,
"MOM! LOOK OUT!" he yelled. Squirtle could feel tears forming in his eyes as he watched the shadowy beast engulf Mrs. Ketchum in darkness. This was it. Squirtle had found his anger at last. The idea of losing his mother. That was the trigger he needed. Squirtle could sense the warm energy twisting and swirling furiously around in his chest. The energy rose up his throat and erupted out of his system through his mouth. What he released was not what he was expecting though. Unlike Charmander's tremendous flame or Bulbasaur's inspiring burst of concentrated sunlight, Squirtle released a vortex of pure water high into the sky that dispersed at maximum altitude and showered gently on the earth below.
"Remarkable! That's how it's done, Squirtle!" Brandon cheered. Squirtle looked up at him in genuine surprise. "That was the combination of your previous attempts, but fueled with your true inner strength. Be proud of your accomplishment!" he said. Squirtle nodded and quickly noticed that he was still wearing the sunglasses Brandon had given to him. He removed the pair and handed it back to Brandon, but Brandon rejected them.
"Keep them. They're your's," Brandon clarified.
"But I thought-"
"If they help you channel the power within yourself, then hold on to them," Brandon elaborated. Squirtle grinned with gratitude.
With the first trial complete, Brandon led the troupe further out into the wilderness a few miles until they reached a lake the glistened as the sunlight bounced off the surface. It was the most serene and beautiful place the kids had ever seen.
"Now begins your second trial," Brandon declared.
"What do we have to do here?" Bulbasaur asked.
"Face away from the lake, and allow yourself to fall back into the water and sink beneath the surface. With the darkness now gone, your heart and soul should be able to connect. You should be able to see your heart in the void you enter within your mind. Make contact within heart, and you should have a vision of your greatest desire. If you can decrypt the vision and understand what your greatest desire is, according to your heart, you'll be ready for the final trial," Brandon explained.
"And if we can't…?" Squirtle hesitated.
"Then you simply will not be able to complete the final trial at all," Brandon answered. Squirtle swallowed heavily. "Now, instead of taking turns, you will fall in together. When you've touched your heart and seen the vision, the water will push your body up to the surface and bring you back to consciousness," Brandon described. "I wish you luck."
Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur lined up side-by-side and faced away from the lake on the shore. The trio shut their eyes and allowed themselves to fall backwards simultaneously. They cut through the water's surface with an echoing splash and slowly submerged themselves beneath the surface to lose themselves in their thoughts.
Charmander opened his eyes and found himself inside a dark void. He was standing on a platform checkered with black and white tiles. He saw a spiraling staircase extending upward from the platform. Charmander sprinted up the staircase for several minutes before finally reaching the top where a large, round manifestation of orange light awaited him. Is this my heart? He wondered. He extended his hand towards the orange ball of light and when he made contact, a powerful jolt of electricity surged through his veins. The tiny lizard's eyes burst with white light. A series of split-second images flashed within Charmander's sight, in rapid succession. He saw so many images of mysterious events that he had no time to process or interpret.
At the very end of the epileptic clip show, Charmander saw a shadowy silhouette of a majestic, winged creature standing atop the highest cliff of a canyon at sunset. The creature roared and fired a magnificent burst of orange flames that blended with the mandarin sky. When the creature turned its head to face him, Charmander woke up and emerged from the water; gasping for air desperately. Charmander had received his vision and knew exactly what he wanted most.
Squirtle entered his void and encountered a staircase. He climbed to the top and saw his heart take shape in the form of a circular aqua light. Squirtle touched the light and felt the electric shock paralyze his body. Hundreds of subliminal images raced before Squirtle's eyes. He saw a trend of shadow silhouettes coming in a variety of shapes and sizes. The turtle didn't recognize any of the people in his vision. The flashes stopped with Squirtle standing in a deserted field under a sky obscured in storm clouds. A foreboding breeze blew as he saw Charmander and Bulbasaur standing apart from one another and facing away with their heads tilted down in shame. Squirtle was startled by a sudden boom of thunder and looked up to the stormy sky in time to see a lightning bolt strike down directly on top of him.
Squirtle was blinded by light but strangely, he felt no pain from the lightning strike. When his sight returned to him, he was in a completely different environment. He was standing in a pleasant meadow on a warm summer's day. He heard his name being called by a voice in the distance. Squirtle turned around and saw his brothers running away from him while smiling and motioning for him to chase and catch up. Squirtle sprinted in their direction and saw Pallet Town in the horizon just over the hill with his family and the same silhouettes from before standing together in a crowd. But before he could get a better look at any of the mystery figures, the turtle was subjected to another blast of blinding light and returned to his physical body as he passed up through the surface of the water. He too was left deprived of oxygen.
Bulbasaur followed the same process as his siblings and touched the emerald manifestation of light that represented his heart. After being subjected to his montage of cryptic messages and symbols, Bulbasaur found himself standing in a scarred, ash-covered corpse of a forest with burned trees and scorched plants everywhere. It reminded him of the field he was standing in when he completed the previous trial. After walking a few paces, Bulbasaur found a lone stump sitting in the dead center; spaced away from the rest of the dead forest that circled it. Bulbasaur placed a paw on the stump and instantly, a ring of light exploded from its center and upon opening his startled eyes, Bulbasaur saw the entire forest bursting with life and full restoration around him. His single touch had revived the entire land. But before he could marvel in his achievement, Bulbasaur awoke and resurfaced from beneath the lake.
"Welcome back. I take it you each received your visions?" Brandon asked. The three nodded together and exchanged blank glances at one another; wondering just what each one of them saw within their heart. "Now then, it's time to move on to your next trial," Brandon declared as he began to walk away from the lake and back up onto the path.
The group proceeded deeper into the forest and wandered for a mile before reaching an open field surrounded by trees in all directions. Four large rocks laid still in the grass. Brandon instructed his three students to each sit upon a rock.
"This final trial is actually quite simple. You are to meditate and listen to the spirits of the forest. Synchronize your breathing with the blowing of the wind and the beating of your heart with the rustling of the brush. If you can become one with nature, the spirits will come to assist you," Brandon explained.
"Assist us with what?" Charmander asked.
"Now that your hearts have told to you what you want most from your lives, you need to determine how you will go about achieving that desire," Brandon clarified. The disciples fell silent and concentrated.
Charmander struggled to maintain his focus due to his rising and persistent hunger. He found himself constantly opening his eyes and looking around. Even Brandon was locked in his own meditative trance. The orange lizard paid special notice to seeing Bulbasaur and even Squirtle deep in their subconscious thought. Charmander would not allow himself to fall behind. After much patience, Charmander finally re-connected to his soul. He found himself in the dark void that had since become familiar to him, in front of his heart at the top of the staircase. But, instead of touching the heart, Charmander could see a new vision just from looking into it and felt himself transported inside. Charmander found himself standing in the narrow corridor of a maze with walls of mirrors in all directions. He walked down the hallway into a dead-end and approached one of the mirrors. Charmander saw his own reflection as he placed his hand to the mirror, but quickly saw it fade and morph into Squirtle as if Squirtle himself were looking into the mirror. Strangely, the mirror reflection of Squirtle did not mimic Charmander's movements. Instead it stood there, staring directly at Charmander; frowning with disappointed eyes. It was difficult for Charmander to watch. He moved away to one of the other mirrors, and saw the reflection transform into Bulbasaur with the same discouraging expression. Charmander continued to examine mirrors and found reflections of Serena, Tracie, Brandon, and Mrs. Ketchum. Charmander was growing terrified and turned around to walk away from the dead-end, only to find that suddenly, mirrors were now blocking all pathways and sealing the tiny lizard in a complete circle.
Charmander panicked as the room began to spin and everywhere he looked, he found nothing but disappointed faces of the people he knew. Enough was enough. Charmander was determined to get off this Merry-Go-Round. The orange lizard swung his right arm and punched one of the mirrors; shattering the glass. Charmander looked down at the shards of broken glass on the tiled floor and noticed that the reflection that was pieced together within the fragments. It was something completely unfamiliar to him. It looked like the dragon creature from his earlier vision. Only now it was an ominous black color with red eyes, an aqua blue chest, and jagged, navy blue wings. Puffs of blue flames were emitting from the creature's mouth. Suddenly, a bright light emerged from the opening Charmander created by shattering the mirror. Charmander sprinted towards the light as quickly as his legs could carry him and when he reached it, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting back on the rock in the forest, sweating from the intensity of his state. He didn't entirely understand what his heart was trying to tell him. All he could piece together was a magnificent power; one he apparently craved deeply. However Charmander was going to obtain it, the means to do so had something to do with his connection to his family and friends, as well as that horrifying creature. But what? What did it all mean? Charmander didn't have all the answers, but he did have one. He had to obtain the power of that dragon creature no matter what. However, he wasn't going to hold himself back any longer. He had to make things right before he was to pursue this path.
Squirtle's vision into his heart brought him into a hall with three individual doors in front of him. Charmander and Bulbasaur walked past him and each entered a door. He called out to them to get their attention,
"Hey! Bulbasaur! Charmander! Wait for me!" Squirtle called out. But neither of his brothers seemed to hear him. Squirtle ran across the room and tried to open Bulbasaur's door to follow him, but found it to be locked. He ran over to Charmander's door. Locked as well. Squirtle pounded on each door and shouted out for them. "Guys! Come back! What's going on!?" No response. Squirtle was all alone. Off to the side was the third door. The turtle looked down to his hand and saw he was now holding a key. When did he acquire this? Squirtle walked over to the door and used the key. The lock's inner mechanism clicked and the door was opened to reveal a radiant light. Squirtle entered the new room and engulfed himself in the light, only to find himself back on his own rock in the forest. His vision had ended. Squirtle felt confused when reflecting upon his vision. He knew for certain that he wanted his family to stay together. So why was his heart telling him he apparently needed to separate himself from them? Could he really trust what his heart was saying? Was it possible he was being led astray? The young turtle wasn't sure if he was ready to take that chance.
Bulbasaur fell much deeper in his trance than his brothers. He looked into his heart's vision for the future and teleported himself into a dark, cavernous tunnel illuminated by torches mounted on each of the tunnel's walls and lit with dying flames. Bulbasaur followed the tunnel of lights on a path that seemed to be curling perpetually to the right. As the bulb creature continued walking, he also felt the elevation of the floor shift. The dirt path seemed to be angling into a staircase. Despite his growing fatigue, Bulbasaur kept trudging and climbing through the mountainous cavern tunnel.
Just when Bulbasaur was ready to collapse, he saw natural light emanating in the distance. Finally. He had reached what appeared to be the end. Bulbasaur walked through the light, only to become entangled in a web of vines and roots sprouting from all directions and twisting together. Bulbasaur fought and wrestled with the vines until he finally broke free and reached the other side. Pushing branches aside, Bulbasaur found himself standing atop an enormously tall tree in a lush, green jungle. The view was breathtaking. Nothing but treetops and blue sky for miles. The air smelt fresh and a gust of cool air took flight and brushed across the bulb creature's body. From what he gathered, his heart was describing some sort of arduous climb waiting for him in order to reach what he wanted most. But he didn't know what it meant to stand at the top of it all.
The bulb creature looked down from his treetop and to his left, saw an ocean with rocks at the shore. Standing on those rocks and looking back up at him with a smile was Squirtle; waving to him pleasantly. Bulbasaur smiled and waved back. He turned to his right and saw Charmander standing atop a rocky mountain. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Yet, he was smiling modestly. When he opened his eyes and met Bulbasaur's, he gave his brother a 'thumbs-up.' Comforted, Bulbasaur looked upward to the bright blue sky and directly into the sun shining high above him. Blinded by the intense illumination, he opened his eyes and found himself back on his rock in the forest with his brothers and Brandon. Bulbasaur immediately began interpreting his vision. He understood the climb, and was noticing a recurring connection to nature across all three trials from his utilization of the sun up until his vision of standing atop the jungle's tallest tree. But just what was nature trying to tell him?
"Well," said Brandon, "it would seem that you have each successfully communicated with nature."
"I guess so," said Squirtle.
"Right," said Bulbasaur.
"Uhh...yeah," said Charmander.
"Good. You have successfully completed the three trials. Now, your real training can begin soon. But for now, there is but one last matter to attend to. Follow me," Brandon instructed.
"Awww, not more walking," Squirtle groaned. The boys retraced their steps all the way back to Pallet Town, but stopped on the hillside where they saw Delia and Tracey waiting for them with a picnic set up and anticipating their arrival.
"Mom!" Bulbasaur and Squirtle yelled together in unison as they ran over to greet their mother happily!
"Hello boys!" Delia greeted back as she hugged them. "How was your trip?"
"They did very well today," Brandon reported. "Their real training can begin soon."
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you boys!" Delia praised.
"Yeah, way to go, guys!" Tracey added.
"I bet you must be starving by now, right?" Delia guessed. The three nodded eagerly. Before long, the entire group was gathered around, enjoying their meal as the sun began to set.
"Brandon, there's something I've been wanting to ask you," Bulbasaur announced.
"Ask away, Bulbasaur," Brandon responded.
"When you came into the house to rescue us yesterday, how did you know we were in trouble?"
"After I left you three in Mrs. Ketchum's care months ago, I had to report back with my comrades before resuming my mission here. When I returned, I kept a close eye on you to make sure you weren't in harm's way. I wanted to step in when I saw Charmander picking a fight with those boys in Pallet Square the other day, but it was too risky to blow my cover by appearing before all of those people. I was curious as to why they were so interested in Tracey's sketchbook, so I trailed them after the fight had been broken up. I discovered that they're in league with agents from an organization back in the city who had come all this way searching for me. They had hopes that Tracey and I had met since he's been all over the world," Brandon explained.
"Is that true, Tracey?" Squirtle asked curiously.
"Uh-huh. I've been to all sorts of places and managed to draw some pretty incredible stuff!" Tracey confirmed.
"The agents believed that if Tracey had met me, he would've kept some record of our meeting in his sketchbook that they could use to track me down," Brandon added.
"Why does this organization want to find you so badly?" Delia asked.
"Let's just say that I heavily disagree with their ideals. But I'm just a pieceof the puzzle. They mainly want you three. They're incredibly crafty and stealth is one of their strongest angles. They must've hired those boys you met in order to do the dirty work because they didn't want to risk being captured and having their identities exposed if their attempt was unsuccessful. The organization must've viewed those three as disposable if they couldn't prove themselves useful. There's no telling what will become of them now because of their failure. For me, disarming and restraining them was easy enough since they don't have anywhere near as much combat experience as I do. However, I must admit that it was clever of them to use Serena to find you three. If I hadn't been watching you all this time, they probably would've gotten away with their kidnapping and nobody would've noticed except Mrs. Ketchum. By the time she would've reached the authorities, Bulbasaur and Squirtle would've been long gone," Brandon described. Bulbasaur and Squirtle gulped heavily.
"I can't even begin to tell you just how much we appreciate what you've done for us, Brandon. You've been a life saver," Delia praised. Brandon raised his palm in rejection to her compliment.
"Please. I'm simply doing my job. Besides, I still have much work to do," Brandon corrected.
"What do you mean?" Bulbasaur asked.
"Since I came out of hiding to help you and revealed myself to the enemy, those agents will undoubtedly strike again," Brandon theorized.
"But you scared the pants off the Invincible Brothers!" Squirtle argued.
"Maybe so. But they're not the ones I'm worried about. I'm more concerned with the possibility of the agents coming for you directly since they now know where to find you. They may not have succeeded initially, but they still have the upper hand. That's why it's essential I teach you how to control your powers. When they do come for you, if I fail to stop them, you'll at least be able to protect yourselves and hopefully the people of Pallet Town as well in the event that they try to exploit the vulnerable nature of the townspeople and use it against you," said Brandon. A mutual agreement of silence was made among the kids. "Now that you know what's at stake, I need your word that you'll give me the most of your ability in your training. I need you to receive as much benefit as possible from my teachings," Brandon declared. They agreed.
The picnic carried on as the sun continued to set over the ridge and light began to fade. Charmander moved away from the group and sat alone to watch the sun. Delia joined him when she noticed his movement.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
"I had a lot to think about today. I've got some things I wanna say now. Will you listen?" Charmander asked.
"Of course I will," Delia answered. Charmander curled his thin orange tail around to his lap and stroked it gently with his hands. He took a deep breath.
"I'm just going to start the only way I know how right now," Charmander began. "I just wanted to say that I'm….sorry for the way I've been acting. I'm sorry I've been such a pain to ya all this time. It's just that I've got a lotta questions about my home. I wanna know where our dad is and why he couldn't keep us. Just once. I just want to meet him once. That's all. I wanna go to that city we came from and see what I can't see from here; I wanna take back my memories of that place. I'd be lying if I said that things here haven't been great. You've given us so much and I'll admit that it does feel good to see the guys…Squirtle especially, so happy here. I realized today that maybe, just maybe…I really can be happy here too. But, I just want those answers first. Then I'd come back here, y'know?" said Charmander.
"I'm sorry too, Charmander. I never meant to be so hard on you. I was just confused myself," said Delia.
"You were confused?" Charmander asked.
"Yes. Believe it or not, I understand your frustration very well. You see, something important was taken from me long ago and I've had to live for so many years, knowing that an important piece of my life is gone and that I'll probably never be able to get it back. It's so hard to go on living sometimes, knowing that. But I find ways to get by. That's why I care so much about you three." Delia could feel her eyes beginning to water, but continued to speak anyway. "I look at you boys as a chance to fulfill that void. To replace the piece of me that I lost. I know it's wrong of me to be looking at you and your brothers as something you aren't, but when you've been alone as long as I have, you find that your heart just keeps finding ways to remind you of what you want most, no matter how much you may try to hide or ignore it. But if you can't listen to your heart…. you lose sight of who you really are," Delia described. Charmander sat and listened quietly. He had never seen his adoptive mother open up to him like this before. He never knew of her pain. Yet she understood his pain. His guilt skyrocketed as Charmander could feel a heavy lump forming in his throat.
"I was wrong about you," said Charmander.
"What do you mean?" Delia asked.
"I've just been so angry because I thought I didn't belong here. I just thought that nobody believed in me and that you were just tryin' to control me. I just wanted someone to see that I'm my own person and that I don't want someone to live my life for me. But I've never been good at explaining myself like this before…," said Charmander
"Maybe you just have trouble trusting other people. You've never been on your own like this before so you must be feeling heart-broken towards your father for him letting go of you like this, aren't you?" Tears began to flow down Charmander's cheeks as he nodded. Delia pulled him closely to her chest and hugged him as she placed his head under her chin and stroked the back of his neck gently as he sobbed.
"It's alright now. I promise you that you're safe here. I swear on my life that I will never hurt you. But you take as long as you need to in order to trust me; because I'll never give up on you, Charmander. No matter how much you grow; no matter how you change; no matter if you can think of me as your mother or not when I think of you as my son; no matter if you hate me or not. Just know that I'll never stop loving you," said Delia.
"Things will be different from now on…Mom. That's my promise to you," said Charmander.
"This will be a fresh start for the both of us," said Delia.
