[A/N]: Hey there everyone! Let me start by apologising for this one being a few hours late, my life has been so damn hectic lately. In fairness, this is the longest chapter I've written for this story thus far. I had so many things to consider when building the interaction and plot points for this chapter, since every single character we see being written here is relevant for later and a few more details are given/become clear. Technically I never actually promise weekly updates because I don't want to let anyone down, but I'd imagine people are used to this updating as frequently as it does. For said people, I apologise for my lateness, I've just had a lot on my plate lately is all.
Anyway, with that slightly negative note out of the way, let's get to the usual info:
Guest review replies are at the bottom in the end notes. Also, I appreciate all your reviews peeps :D, I love feedback. Whether it's to do with me making grammatical/spelling errors or discussing the nature of the story itself; positive or negative, reviews help me to improve, and thusly to make the story better for all of you! Don't be shy, I promise I don't bite at all!
Anywho, enjoy this weeks (incredibly long) chapter! - [A/N]
My Pokenav beeped; I almost jumped since I was still slightly on edge. My heart continued beating fast, but I consciously tried to quell it, this call was important and I had an air of confidence to maintain.
"I hope ye got what I asked for lass." The first words said by the person on the other end, not moments after I hit the answer button.
You'd think someone in my position would be warranted more trust, but our leader was always concerned with results. I supposed it was only fair, we'd only managed to come this far as a group thanks to that meticulous eye for detail, but that didn't make it any less annoying being treated like some common-place grunt.
"Easy as pie sir, Devon-corp didn't suspect a thing." I answered, not daring to let my annoyance seep into my voice.
"Good. Report back immediately Shelly, we've a storm to brew..."
He could act serious, but even I could catch the happiness in his voice at such news.
"Already on my way sir." I said, confidence coating my reply.
With that, I clicked the off button on the stupid Pokenav.
I'd come out the other end of that disgusting tunnel and I was now standing on the edges of Verdanturf. A small township who's only attraction for visitors was one measly contest hall, if you could even call a building that small a contest hall.
Still, Standing outside the other end of Rusturf tunnel, I was left to ponder the current state of affairs. Our plans were accelerating; me working under-cover for this long in Devon-corp meant that I was mostly oblivious to developments within my own organisation. Perhaps the lack of knowledge on my part was a poor show for an admin such as me, but then again, information gathering without being caught did take up a lot of my time.
Imagine my surprise when Archie told me how big a group we had become. To think so many could share his vision for a better world, a world Pokemon would benefit from. That was just like our leader; sure he was scary when he was mad, but boy could he instil confidence. I always got chills at his speeches; men with such passion were a rare sight these days.
All the little sacrifices would be worth it eventually; we only worked in the shadows because our role in changing the world necessitated it. Small scuffles, like the one between me and the Whismur in that cave were inevitable. Due to either difference in opinion or fear, it was a fact that others would oppose us. But we'd show the whole world a utopia soon enough, then everyone would have to accept our place at the top of global affairs; Team Aqua, lead Pokemon-welfare group of the new age.
Just thinking about it had me giddy, though it didn't ease my guilt from earlier. I hadn't meant to hurt that Pokemon, it just got in my way and wouldn't move. It was being territorial and may have been pissed off that I broke some of the boulders in the cave to get through. But it wasn't like I was given a choice; those fools at Rustboro abandoned their hope of finishing the tunnel, so I had to make my own way. Though I was sure I'd lost the corporate lackeys chasing me well before reaching route one hundred and sixteen, I still wanted to be as cautious as possible. Until I'd reached the end of this cave, I didn't stop moving.
If I was caught our plans would be ruined, and when it came down to it, Archie's ambition was much more important than an injured Whismur. Plus, for fear of being caught, I didn't have time to take it to a Pokemon centre.
I could only hope that it's ear would heal; that Mizu hadn't bitten hard enough to hit the bone. It was vicious of her, even for a Mightyena. She'd always been like that though, nothing I could do about that. I'd just have to chalk it down to the sacrifices necessary for our plan, it was likely the best way to deal with the guilt, at least that's what I planned on telling myself anyway.
Still, mild internal drama aside, I'd been running that whole time to get out of that cave, I needed a moment to breathe and get my bearings. There was little chance of anybody from Devon-corp catching me now so I had the luxury of a moment or two at least, but not much more. However, I could have sworn I'd heard faint laughter just before leaving Rusturf tunnel, but given how far I'd gotten from my pursuers, it was either imagined or came from irrelevant people.
My guess was on my imagination, a year of under-cover work shakes even a mind like mine with paranoia.
Praise fucking Arceus that was done and dusted.
It took me about three minutes to pull my nerves, heart rate and breathing back to some semblance of normality. No sooner had I achieved that did I set off.
It was time to meet back up at HQ and get started on phase two.
"WALLY!" The voice shouted again, wrenching me from my shock consumed thoughts.
More than the Salamance came into focus this time; though I kept it in the corner of my vision out of fear, I could see now that someone was atop this beast. Scratch that actually; there were people, not just a single person on the back of that gigantic Pokemon. Three of them to be exact, an old guy, a man and a lady.
The lady, clad in a long, yet flowing, light green dress and black cardigan top dropped off the beast and landed on her low-heeled shoes. Honestly, I didn't know anyone that would dress so impractically for a flight on the back of a Pokemon, but her dress sense, oddly puffy-spiked hair style and pale-blue eyes reminded me of someone...
"There you are Wally!"
Her expression was full of anger, touched with what I thought was concern. What shook me from my analysis of her appearance however was the volume of her voice. Whoever this woman was, She was clearly mad. Apparently this had something to do with Wally, so I turned my head right to see what the green-haired boy made of all this.
I kinda wished that I hadn't.
Of all the expressions I had seen on Wally's face; Sadness, joy, determination and even embarrassment. This one was new. A strange, palpable mix of surprise, fear, and a hint of anger. How he managed to put all three in an single face alone I couldn't really say. But the people before us, especially this woman, was the cause for it.
Either Wally really cared for this person, hated them for some reason, or felt both at the same time. The outlandishly scary expression he was wearing told me that it was likely both. I pondered the possibilities; tracking the Salamance as it lowered into a resting position, even then it seemed dangerous.
But I didn't have to absently ponder for long.
"M-mom..." Wally stated through gritted teeth.
Mother?!
That woman was his mom?! It was odd news at first, but considering her hair cut style and her pale blue eyes, it dawned on me that this very well could be his mother. But if that was the case then the other two...
... His grandfather and his dad.
These were the people who brought in a dragon tamer to train a Pokemon like Forsythe. They were the ones that trained a Pokemon to be that strong in combat for one purpose and one purpose only: Wally's protection.
Oh. Shit.
I'd completely forgotten that Wally had been the one to run away with me during all this, I'd been too caught up in my plans for the future. But now the reality of it all was standing right here before me, riding on top of a fucking Salamance no less. I shrunk in size what felt like ten times. His mother was angry, livid even, and his grandfather was an accomplished dragon-type trainer who no doubt owned the massive dragon they'd flown in on.
I gulped.
"Wally, your coming with us. We're going back home right now young man!" His mother yelled with a force to match Forysthe for power.
For the longest time, Wally's head was bowed, I couldn't see his expression clearly and for a few seconds I thought he was just going to kneel to her wishes. But I was wrong.
"... N-... N-No" The reply came through locked teeth as the boy continued staring at his feet.
"Excuse me?" She asked my companion with a 'don't you dare' tone.
Wally wasn't one to be courageous, at least in social situations like this, I had to wonder where he drew the strength to even say no the first time. That was probably his limit though, it was likely he'd cave now and just go with them. Thinking about it, I supposed it was sa-
"I said no." Came the resolute response instead.
Holy sweet Arceus in heaven, do my ear's deceive me?!
That certainly wasn't what I was expecting, and judging from the look on his mother's face, neither was she.
"...Wally, I don't care what silly idea you have in your head right now, because you are coming home. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for someone with your condition to wander around?! You should know by now you can't run off like this!" She shouted louder than before.
She wasn't used to Wally's confidence, it was easy to tell from her voice faltering just slightly in the beginning. Though his self-assurance wasn't the only thing Wally's mother had to deal with now.
It was true that Wally leaving like this was technically advantageous to me because it saved me the trouble of letting him tag along. However, while a mother's concern was a touching thing, from my experience such a thing didn't exist, and it wasn't too long ago that my own mother was disregarding everything I'd been telling her. Like hell I was going to let this person just waltz in here and tell Wally what she thought he should be doing. Salamance be fucking damned.
Well, half-damned, I'm not so brave as to completely ignore that gargantuan Pokemon.
"... E-Excuse me, but he's been doing just f-fine if you ask me." I said, trying hard to maintain my resolve and composure mid-sentence.
For his part, my green-haired companion looked at me with surprise; despite still being visibly shaken, I could make out a small hint of happiness in his expression. Merely a shard of joy, but it did wonders for my confidence. Too bad that would be shattered by his mother's fierce reply.
"And just who the hell are you?!" She began, finally acknowledging my existence. "What gave you the right to tell me how my son was doing?!"
She took in my appearance, her livid stare alone would be fatal if a look could kill someone. Thankfully it softened just a tiny bit a moment later, but not by much.
"... Wait... Your eyes... You're that red-eyed kid Jennifer was harping on about! You're the one that saved Wally in Petalburg!"
Her attitude dampened even further after realising who I was, but she was still incredibly annoyed.
"Look, thanks plenty for saving my child. But he is coming back with us, it's for his own good you see an-"
"I'm not... I'm not coming with you mom. I-I... I'm fed up with being treated like I can't do a-anything!" Wally squeaked; he was upset under that outward show of bravado.
The green-haired muffin-top wasn't looking at the floor any more. There was a fire in his eyes now, a small flicker of determination. His mother considered him for a moment, obviously not expecting this show of defiance to go on as long as it had.
"... Is that what all this was about? Look sweetheart, I know that you want to do everything that all the kids your age do. But you have to realise that you can't... Imagine if we'd found you in a hospital or worse..."
I might be the most empathetically oblivious person around, but I'd been emotionally blackmailed all my life by the hag that called itself my mother, and I knew without a shard of doubt the card this woman was trying to play. Guilting Wally like that, even if it was genuine concern that motivated her, it just wasn't right. Sure Wally might have a disadvantageous illness, but so far it hasn't affected him even half as bad as she was making it out to be. I understood her need to protect him. It was a fair bet that Wally did too; yet she seemed incapable from seeing it from his perspective.
It was that kind of ignorance that just ticked me off, big time.
"You know..." I began, cementing my involvement, and therefore my fate. "... I don't think you've actually seen what your son can do." Yep, totally doomed.
"What?" Her eyes bulged out of the shock that I would even speak again.
It was almost like a demand, as if she was daring me to speak just once more so she could tear me asunder with Pokemon just behind her.
A dare I'd meet head on.
"Oh yeah, you couldn't know because you didn't see it, but your son." I gestured to the green-haired wonder at my side. "He travelled all the way here and defeated Roxanne in battle with not a single lick of help." I stated loudly, resolve solidifying.
She appeared to have a mental malfunction at hearing such information, and it seemed my declaration stirred the movement of her entourage. While she formulated her next response, both the old guy and the man got off the dragon. They arrived, sporting equally surprised and intrigued faces, as Wally's mother launched into yet another tirade.
"You did what?!" She shouted at Wally before continuing. "You're sick Wally! You have trouble breathing half the time and yet you thought it'd be a good idea to go barking orders at Gallade so you could fight a gym leader?!" Her yell eclipsed Whismur's screech in volume, which was impressive to say the least.
Not impressive enough to stop me from correcting her though.
"He didn't actually 'bark orders', Wally did something entirely different. Do you even know how he battles?" I said flatly.
I knew I'd bite some kind of bullet for saying that, and I was right to think so. No sooner had the question been asked did she turn to me, her face full of menace and rage.
"There you go opening your mouth again! I don't know who you think you are young man, but if you don't stop butting into my family's business I swear on Arc-"
"Lily. Stop." Came a new voice, the old man to be exact.
You wouldn't think such a soft-spoken command would have any effect, but Wally's mother went deadly silent.
"Y'know, I've been worried about our little Wally just as much as you, but you're going overboard a little." He spoke again, the worry on his face easing just a tiny bit for seeing calm descend upon her.
His presence was becoming more pronounced through speech alone, making me more attentive to his appearance as a result. The old guy was sporting odd clothing for someone of his age, well, mostly his hoodie was out of the ordinary. Everything else, like his black dress shoes, slack brown pants and semi-formal soft-blue shirt seemed normal enough. I couldn't really imagine why he thought a hoodie of all things matched that kind of clothing style, but then again it didn't really matter.
"He's been risking his damn life Darren, I'm not overreacting at all!" Lily shouted, interrupting my thoughts.
She spoke indignantly, as if the opposition from him was unwarranted.
"Sounds more like he beat a gym leader to me, but that aside, have you even been paying attention to Wally at all while you've been squawking?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.
Lily had actually been keeping an eye on Wally, but the question was more loaded towards her not noticing the changes in Wally's emotional state. Sure enough, when she began to look a little closer, his mother finally recognised the boy's expression for what it really was.
Nothing but pure determination.
Though he was shaken and clearly not used to giving any sort of rebellion, Wally didn't budge an inch thus far, at least not mentally. He hadn't said much at all and he wasn't shouting when he did have something to say either; the boy had kept his cool and was stating his case when he could, with me intervening in between. Honestly, I saw a little of myself in him right now.
Lily on the other hand seemed to realise this expression was just as much a plea as it was defiance.
"...Wally, pumpkin... I know you're probably really happy to have beaten a gym leader..."
Apparently all it took to quell her anger was a statement from the old man she called Darren and the realisation that her child wasn't rebelling for rebellion's sake, but she wasn't finished speaking just yet. Lily pulled her self down to Wally's eye level first before continuing her tiny lecture.
"... But you have to come back with us sweetie, we don't want you to get hurt is all..." Her voice had lost it's edge, she was showing signs of kindness again.
But it still annoyed me how his mother could think she knew better. The little muffin-top may have been sick and may have even been hurt a little on our travels thus far, but he was far from being in danger. Especially with someone like me around to watch over him. There was no way for me to know how bad Wally's condition used to be, however, he damned sure wasn't any where near as severe now.
"L-Look, I kn-know you mean well m-mom, but... I'm tired of being stuck in Petalburg, I wanna travel like other trainers do..." The boy said quietly, his expression easing just a tiny bit.
Sadly, Lily would have none of it. The kind approach had failed, now she'd likely switch back to using authority or asking someone else for their help in the matter.
"Thomas, help me out here! He's just not listening!" She shouted toward the other man.
Fucking bingo.
Though her request for assistance drew attention to the man called Thomas; whom until now I hadn't really noticed, he didn't appear to like the idea of helping to begin with. His dress sense was little more casual than the old grandpa, he'd just thrown on a pair of brown shorts, a white shirt and basic sneakers; though admittedly the white shirt seemed off when compared with his bright and vivid green, yet flat-hanging hair.
The man shifted uncomfortably, to me he looked like he wanted to agree and help, but he regarded Wally's expression a lot more than she did. Not that it stopped him of course, it appeared that Lily had him under her thumb.
"Wally... Your mother is right y'know..." He sighed in a resigned fashion.
"Exactly!" She grabbed Wally's hand. "Now let's go home."
This was about the point where Wally's confidence ran out; it was a good show on his part, but past this point he just lacked the will to stop her. Maybe he respected her too much, or perhaps he had begun to agree with her. It was impossible for me to tell really, however, that didn't make it any less... well... sad. Wally had been a ball of energy the whole way here, but now he just looked completely spent. It just didn't sit right with me, I had to do something to help him. Anything at all.
Which is why, for the second time today, I ran my mouth without even thinking about it.
"What if I looked after him?" I blurted out as she began pulling the poor boy with her.
Whoops.
The old man was the only person who didn't look at me like I'd gone mad. Well, he was, until Wally turned his head to reveal the happiest looking surprised face I'd ever seen.
"What?" Both his mother and father said in unison.
Your in too deep now Brendan, better to just push ahead and worry about the consequences later.
"Well, the way I figure it, you aren't happy with him wandering around on his own without proper care. I can look after him, that way he get's what he wants too."
It was foolish to say such a thing, I did after all have every intention of battling him and winning my way out of that agreement. But I'd put forward my thoughts in haste with the intent of helping, only to find I had the metaphorical gun pointed at my foot with the safety off.
Double whoops.
"And just what in the hell makes you think I'd tru-"
"Actually Lily, this young man's idea sits well with me." Wally's grandfather interjected. "You've been protecting him, but you've also been smothering him far too much. If he has someone to care for him in your stead who can move about the region, then the little scamp can have his dreams without worrying you. I think it's plenty fair. This young man has already saved him once and it's a fair guess that he's been watching over Wally up until now."
Her eyes boggled like she'd just been struck in the face with a Beldum.
"Th-that doesn't mean he can actually take care of him! I'm not going to just leave my child in the hands of some kid we barely know!" She shouted in protest.
"Lily, he saved Wally during an asthmatic collapse, I'd think he's quite capable. Besides, our little Wally seems to know him well enough." Darren stated blandly.
Personally, I couldn't believe my ears, the old guy was actually in favour of the muffin-top leaving with me. Speaking of said muffin-top, he clearly couldn't believe it either. Happiness had since replaced his earlier despair and it now danced across is face vibrantly; his cheer returning was a good sign, but we weren't out of the woods just yet.
"Tho-Thomas! Help me out here!" Man, she had a bad habit of shouting.
What I presumed to be Wally's father shifted even more this time, he appeared to be considering the situation, at least more so than his wife. I was beginning to suspect the only person so invested in keeping Wally at home was just his mother.
My suspicions were soon proved to be true.
"Actually Lily, Darren and this boy have a point. If someone can look after him while he's out travelling, then I don't have a problem with him leaving. He's overdue anyway; his peers left for their training journey years ago."
The look she gave after hearing that was akin to kicked Poochyena; it was difficult not to chuckle, but I managed to keep a lid on my amusement.
"You can't be serious Thomas!" She shouted at the man, anger fairly evident in the force of her speech.
It appeared Wally's father was as much intimidated by her as Wally himself was. He didn't look like he desired to push his point further; if anything he was ostensibly less resilient than my travelling companion. Evidenced by the fact that he seemed to get that tiny bit smaller after his wife raised her volume a few notches. That and the secondary fact that he started twiddling his thumbs (so that's where it came from) while staring at the floor.
"I think he is, and I agree with him Lily." The old man stated, calm as ever.
Her face was terrifying enough as it was and though she clearly respected his opinion, Lily was quite far from agreeing with this old guy. The proof of which was the massive increase in the intensity of her glare at him. Yet, for all that menace in her eyes, Darren was unmoved. Non-chalantly, he held her stare briefly; a merely casual glance at best, but she faltered. I couldn't possibly know the wordless understanding between them or how it had a occurred, but Lily didn't speak further.
Not that it did anything to soften her death glare.
"... I can't believe this..." She said, somehow managing to mix anger and exasperation into a single tone.
Personally, it was unreal how much influence that old man possessed, or even that he held back on using it in the first place. Wally's family was quite the mystery, but if his mother was any indication of how crazy they could be, it wasn't an enigma that I wanted to crack. Regardless of the riddle of his familial relations, Wally's mother was outnumbered now two-to-one. Which meant that my (completely accidental) promise to watch over the muffin-top was likely to be paid out after all.
For her part, Lily paced up and down in short bursts for the next thirty seconds. Seemingly coming to terms with being out-voted; though she certainly wasn't being out-glared. To the contrary, what I thought was the darkest stare she could give deepened further still. The full, terrifying and brutal majesty of which I got to behold when Lily turned in my direction, walking slowly toward me as her scowl grew darker and more malicious.
Since she was tall, Lily bent her knees just a tad when she reached me; making sure that our eyes were level and that I could see the murderous anger behind those soft pale-blue eyes of hers. Never-mind daggers, if the look she was giving could spawn any kind of weapon then it was fairly certain I was about to be hit with an orbital fucking laser. I wasn't shaking, not because of bravery, but the fact that she had me frozen in shear, fearful terror.
"... If anything happens to my little munchkin..." She whispered to me so nobody could overhear, holding my gaze. "... You'd better pray to Arceus that I never see you again. Because if I do, I'll re-purpose your spine for a coat hanger. Understand me?"
I gulped, nodded and almost shat my pants at the same time.
If it weren't for the fact that other people were here, I'd have probably soiled myself. Wally was so sweet and kind, but his mother. Sweet Arceus his mother. Lily had to be the source of Wally's determination, praise Arceus that he hadn't inherited the darker sides of that. In fact, I was fairly convinced not even that powerful deity of a Pokemon could save me from this woman if she wanted to kill me.
As she walked back I let out my held breath; hopefully I'd never have to deal with her again after this.
"Darren, if this backfires..." It was a quiet threat, but it was laced with malice.
"Yes, I know Lily. But I can see Wally's potential, this is a good thing." He deflected with a passiveness that could only amaze me.
"Hmph" She grunted as she climbed atop the resting Salamance.
Lily signalled for Thomas to follow suit and join her on the beast. Reluctantly, the man complied and sauntered over to the beast, climbing up it's side with a tiny bit of effort. Once he had done so, Lily returned her gaze to the old guy, the only on in their group not yet on the massive dragon Pokemon.
"Ok then. Jump on Darren." She spoke with haphazardly disguised annoyance.
"Actually, go on ahead with Aurelia, I'll ride back on Zacheriah."
"What? Why?!" Lily asked, not even attempting to hide her irritation this time.
"I have a thing or two I want to say to Wally before I go. Don't worry, I won't be long."
"... Fine." She huffed. "Aurelia, let's head off!"
Her shout roused a yawn out of the humongous Pokemon as it got up from it's resting position, spreading it's wings in the process. Without missing a beat, Aurelia flapped it's wings and took off; slow at first but gathering an impressive speed once it got high enough. My attention was solely captured on it's movements through the air until Darren spoke again.
"I'm sorry Wally." He said with a smile, while reaching for a chain around his neck.
"Huh? Why?" The boy asked in return, just as perplexed as I was for such an apology.
"Because I should have given these to you a while ago." He said, presenting two objects.
The first was a pendant, an oddly shaped piece of jewellery with an even more weirdly coloured gemstone inside of it. The pattern on the stone seemed unnatural and the rock itself was every colour of the rainbow. Apparently, Darren had been wearing it around his neck and underneath his shirt.
The second object was a Pokeball that the old man had pulled out of one of his hoodie's pockets. Much like the stone inside of his pendant, the Pokeball was oddly patterned itself. I'd never seen a Pokeball with a cloudy night sky motif on it. It even looked hand-painted...
"The pendant is an heirloom given to the eldest in the family, it's meant to signify coming of age and going on the usual pilgrimage that young trainers do." He began, interrupting my thoughts. "And this Pokeball contains our newest family member. She was meant to be your next companion, but my daughter didn't like the idea of her son having another Pokemon..."
His mild, contemplative frown could have meant a whole lot of things. However, I thought it suggested that he held Lily in high enough regard to abide by how she treated Wally most of the time, despite being unhappy with her decisions. Of course I could be wrong, but I didn't want to intrude and ask.
"But it doesn't matter now y'know. I had my doubts about whether or not you were ready for something like this Wally, but I saw it." He said, a grin edging back onto his features.
"What do you mean grandpa? What did you see?" My green-haired friend questioned in confusion.
"I saw the spark of determination I used to have. It takes a hell of a lot to stand up to Lily, I didn't think you'd do it."
Darren had that fucking right. Lily was the most horrify person I'd ever met in my life, and I'd only talked to her for less than ten minutes. Still, disregarding that, I focused back onto the conversation at hand. It seemed Darren had something he wanted to say to me as well.
"And you young man. Very impressive for you to do the same. I see great potential in the both of you, and with you keeping my grandson safe I've no doubt he'll succeed." He said, smile growing brighter by the second.
"... Anyway, take these Wally, it's high time they become yours now."
The old man passed on both the Pokeball and the symbolic pendant; funnily enough, said pendant fit Wally and his outfit, odd rainbow gemstone and all.
"Thanks grandpa!" The boy squeaked, briefly hugging him.
Darren withdrew, a wide smile still dominating his expression, as he took stock of both of us.
"Either way, I'll stop rambling like the old coot that I am." He began, pulling out a Pokeball and pressing the safety release. "And don't worry you two, I'll keep Lily off your backs." He continued, tossing the ball lightly on the ground.
A bright flash sprung from the impact point, causing me to raise my hands on instinct, deflecting the momentary glare. When the light show was over, another dragon-type was revealed. This time it was a Dragonite, and it was a whole heap kinder looking than that Salamance from before.
"Anyhow, I've places to be. Don't get into too much trouble and stay safe, ok champ?" He said, grinning all the while.
At least I knew which side of the family Wally's charming smiles and kindness came from; though it had definitely skipped a generation between the old man and Wally.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine grandpa! I'll make sure to visit you, dad and mom sometime!" The boy exclaimed, giving just such a smile in return.
"Good to hear it, I look forward to seeing how strong you get my boy!"
With that, the old guy jumped onto Dragonite's back and settled in.
"Zacheriah, take me back to Petalburg" He told the dragon calmly.
At least now I know where Wally gets his wacky names from too.
Darren maintained his calm, even as the Dragonite left the ground and began to soar through the sky in mere seconds. Obviously he was quite the dragon tamer to ride so easily through the air; me and Flygon couldn't match that kind precision going at such a speed in the sky.
As his grandfather left Wally let out a sigh, probably out of relief, which I gladly mimicked. Today had dragged on for a long time, being that it was now late in the afternoon. We still had Whismur to take to the Pokemon centre for a quick heal-up and on top of that I'd have to set up for some cruise tickets.
Not wanting to waste a minute, I decided it was time to get the ball rolling yet again.
"Wally."
"Yeah?"
"Let's get moving." I stated, beginning to walk.
"Sure!" came the enthusiastic reply from behind me.
His energetic demeanour had returned, which was certainly welcome. Given that, I was hopeful; before day's end we'd more than likely be well on our way to Dewford.
Second gym badge here I come.
[A/N]:Hey there reader! Now that you're here I can talk about a few things :3
Firstly, you'll notice that the Whismur incident wasn't actually random and convenient for the sake of writing, it actually had a purpose (and technically still does). Secondly, in this chapter you would have also noticed the introduction of team aqua, two of their prominent members and even the fact that they not only stole a valuable thing/bits of information from Devon-corp, but that Devon-corp knows that they stole such things. All the detail you see in the opening scene, right down to Mightyena's name (bonus points if anyone gets the reference) is critically important.
This story is to have multiple arcs, and the resolution of an arc involving team water-nerd is one such story pillar, but all my arcs actually will affect one another in some way. I plan for this story to be both long and awesome (with a nice amount of ralts/loverival-shipping thrown in for very good measure), so it logically follows that all the arcs will hold purpose for character/plot development and that they link up at points. This is something to keep in mind as the story goes on and as I reveal more about my version of events.
Anywho, team aqua stuff aside, it should also be apparent that Wally's family each have some of the traits that he possesses (but not all, he's actually the only person in his family who can psychic link or draw really well. He's also the only one with an illness). I also showed the source of Wally's naming quirk, or rather, his inspiration for naming his Pokemon the way he does. I'm aware in-canon Wally technically makes the mega-pendant himself (yes that pendant his grandpa gave him DOES house a mega catalyst stone), but to remove story complication I just switched things around a little. Speaking of switching canon around to make more sense though; the video game requires that Pokemon hold items to mega-evolve. While this is a good thing for game balance reasons, it kinda seems a little clunky for fic reasons, so I'm not sure if I should bother to keep it that way. I may just let mega-evolution happen regardless of hold items. If you don't like this idea, or if you have a better one for MegEvo, then let me know! I don't want to write it out if everybody would prefer it be in!
(as an aside for mega-evolution, Wally isn't aware that the pendant can mega-evolve something, and even if he was, he still wouldn't be able to do it right now. In fact, at this point, both he and Brendan have zero clue about what mega-evolution even is. This is to keep things interesting for later, you'll see ;D)
And yeah, Wally's mother is hella scary, hella terrifying.
Anyway, with my rambling out of the way, onto guest review replies:
Nameless: Hey there!, I'm really glad you thought so, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter too :D As for song titles, I'll give a hint for the second one: "Important details are usually italicised and bolded." You can find it within the text for the last chapter (it's not in the notes). Anyway, I'm happy to hear you're liking it! And don't worry, your english is fine :)
Before I conclude the reviews I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a particular person on DA who is stuck within the depths of Wally and Loverival hell with me. Sidekickpommy is a great person who's feedback really helps me to better flesh out the micro details within chapters, if you're reading this; thanks heaps for your help!
Anywho, I should leave it there peeps. I have work in the morning and I'm so very tired. Cheers for all your support thus far and have wonderful week! I'll see you all for the next instalment, and hopefully next time it won't be delayed a couple hours. - [A/N]