Team: Percy (Pikachu), Fleance (Nidoran), Desdemona (Caterpie)

Chapter Eight: Preparations

William walked out of the Pokemon center, the doors automatically sliding a part for him.

Upon his first real look at Pewter City, William found that it was a place very similar to its gym. The ground was all paved a deep brown color; there wasn't a tree or patch of grass in sight. The buildings had rock-roofs and brown bricks. Only the red Pokecenter was different.

People who walked by tended to be wearing at least one article of clothing that was brown. They were also throwing him glares. It seems even though a day had passed, the town wasn't over the loss of Brock's Sandshrew. Percy, who was perched on top of William's head seemed a little nervous at all the attention the two of them were getting.

William sighed, and he started to walk away from the Pokecenter. But he wasn't a few steps away when he head the doors opening back up and his name being called.

"William – wait up!" William paused and turned around. Valeria was emerging out of the Pokecenter, and she was waving at him. William got a better look of her than yesterday, when he wasn't completely awake, and noticed a few more of her physical characteristics.

She had a pretty marble colored skin, but it looked smooth and soft to the touch. Her eyes were violet, and then seemed to sparkle in the sunshine. Her blond hair was frayed, like the branches of a tree. Small strands of red occasionally were in them, but it was a bright, vibrant red, not a natural hair color. Val's body was small and petite, but she was just a little smaller than William. Even her nose was tiny.

Today she wasn't wearing her scrubs. She was instead wearing a white t-shirt with a tight pair of fitting jeans. A black duffle bag was swung over her shoulders, and she had a pep in her walk.

"Hey – what are you doing?" William asked.

"I did it!" She said excitedly. "I finally quit my job!"

William was slightly taken back by her enthusiasm and intimacy, they had only spoken once yesterday and it had been when he was heavily medicated.

"Oh…why did you do something like that?" Val smiled kindly at him, like he wasn't getting a joke she was telling.

"You met my boss, Nurse Joy. She's kind of a hard-ass." Val then laughed unexpectedly. "Besides," she said when finished laughing, "I really want to see the world, you know? I'm going to go exploring."

"Oh, well that's cool," William said. "Good luck – are you becoming a Pokemon trainer too?"

"Not in the sense you are," Val said, shrugging. "I got a few Pokemon, but I'm not going to use them to battle trainers or gym leaders or anything else like that. Just got 'em for the company and for the protection."

William nodded, and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So, are you going to challenge Brock today?" Val asked.

"Nah – kind of want to train up my Pokemon a little more first. I won't be able to use Percy in the fight since he can't do much damage. My Nidoran, Fleance, is ready, but he's just one. So, I'm going to train my Caterpie up a bit."

"Oooh! You have a Caterpie? What's his name?"

"Her – and she's Desdemona." William said simply.

Val nodded, but she didn't go anywhere. She stayed put, and William felt like he owed her a question now.

"So…where are you going to travel to?" Val smiled, and William knew he had asked the right question.

"I kind of want to see all of Kanto," she said. Before William could say 'oh, that's nice', she elaborated.

"I'm going to Cerulean City first, but I'm not planning on staying there long. I really want to get to Vermillion City, I hear the harbor is beautiful this time of year."

"Oh yeah, I hear it is too," William responded, even though he had no idea if it really was. "Um, listen…Val…it's kind of dangerous out right now. I mean, I overheard two guys talking about some Team Rocket members spotted near Mount Moon inside the center. Do you want to wait for me to challenge Brock, and then…I don't know…travel with me?"

William was half afraid she would laugh at him, but she only smiled.

"Thank you for the kind offer William, but I really must be going. I am expected somewhere actually."

"Oh…are you sure?"

Val nodded once, and said simply,

"Quite." She turned to go, but she paused.

"Where are you going to train? Viridian Forest?"

"No way!" William said. "You couldn't give me 6 Dragonites to train there!"

Oh my Arceus he thought, what a lame joke…

But she laughed at it anyway, and then she started to walk away.

"Well, good luck with your battle against Brock, William! I know you'll do great!"

Several people walking by threw him especially nasty looks, but William didn't notice. He turned away, and started heading for Route 2.

"Piiikaaa," Percy said to William, in what sounded like a teasing voice.

"Oh, be quiet," William grumbled. But, he was blushing slightly.

Brock was scratching his Onix's spiked horn on its head. He was amazed at how few people in the world knew that Onix's horn was its favorite spot to be scratched. Most people didn't even know Onix's liked being scratched – they assumed because Onixi were rock Pokemon they didn't feel being scratched.

Today though, Onix was not being made any happier from the gentle, yet firm hand that itched it' favorite spot. It was still sad – it was still in mourning. It had lost a friend.

Brock too was shaken up. He had lost Pokemon before to accidents, but never in battle. Never like that.

He shuddered at the memory.

Brock Flint Toughen was sitting on the rocky ground of his gym. He wore a green tunic with brown khaki pants. His hair was jet black, and spiked at the front. His skin was olive tone, and he had piercing green eyes.

Onix, his favorite Pokemon, was curled around him, his head gently resting in Brock's lap. Brock sat there, unconsciously scratching the Pokemon's horn, contemplating his so far short life.

At the age of 16, Brock learned how his father had really died. Brock's grandmother had watched the gym challenge that had killed Flint. She did not describe it as a "horrible accident" as everyone else did. She saw, in a short instant, the horrible look in the man's eyes that had order the attack that sent Flint's Onix flying backwards and on top of him. She saw the smirk on his face when the giant snake-Pokemon landed on top of Flint Toughen. But it was gone in an instant, replaced with a look of confusion and fear. But Brock's grandmother knew it was an act — a front to hide his dark deeds.

Brock's grandmother saw Jimmy Oak for what he was before anyone else did.

At the time, Brock was two years old. For fourteen years, he lived thinking his father had died from a heart attack. People were always careful what they said about Flint in front of Brock. Even his mother had lied to him. But his Grandmother – she couldn't stand. She had been Flint's mother. Someone had to know and talk about the truth. So finally, shortly after turning 16, she told Brock the truth.

She did so with great fear – worrying it would ruin Brock's dreams of becoming a gym leader. It didn't. Instead, it made him want to even more. It was in honor, he said, of his father's memory.

Brock went through the next years of his life studying rock Pokemon. His grandmother died when Brock was 19. She was the last person supporting him to move forward with his career dream. His mother didn't want him too.

But Brock did not give up. A year later, when Brock had just turned 20, he managed to pass the Gym Leader's Certification Test, and get his Degree in Rock Pokemon. He was allowed to reopen Pewter City gym.

Eleven months had passed since that opening day ceremony. Brock was able to move out of his house and into his own home with the salary he got. He became a man – just like his father. He felt that his father would had been proud of him.

"Why are you doing this?" Brock's mother asked him finally on opening day in tears. "You say its for your father, but he's dead! What's the point Brock – what is the point?!"

"Its gone beyond wanting to preserve father's memory mother," Brock said respectfully. "I'm doing this because I want to."

Since the gym had opened, the two of them hadn't spoken. Brock's mother had told him she couldn't bare the thought of losing a son like the way she loss her husband. So, she chose to block him from her mind. She got a job at the Pewter City Museum, and had since made no effort to reach or contact him. She said the whole thing would blow up in his face, and he would come crawling back.

But within weeks of becoming gym leader, the spirit of the town picked up. People who had previously argued against his future career plans came to respect him. A few even worshipped him. Brock brought proud back to the once dying town.

And then yesterday had happened.

The town was in mourning like a citizen had passed. But for Brock, Sandshrew was much more than a citizen. Much more than a Pokemon. Much more than a friend.

Sandshrew was family.

Onix groaned softly as Brock drew his hand away.

"We got another challenge soon buddy. Don't worry…I won't screw up again this time."

Onix bumped his head against Brock lovingly, and Brock managed to smile.

But his smile quickly vanished as he thought of his mother again.

Even after the death of his beloved Sandshrew, she hadn't come to see him. She hadn't called him.

She had not come to comfort him.