Chapter 24
Evan's POV
My eyes told me what my heart dreaded. My parents were sitting at the table with a criminal, discussing my whereabouts. I never thought I would see them again, and, in a sense; I never wanted to see them again especially not like this. They had caused me so much pain. A pain that could have always been avoided.
My parents never spent much time with me. They always seemed to occupy with my younger brother. He was a little pest. A disease that kept being overlooked, but my parents don't see it that way. They saw him as a young flower to be nurtured. They don't see him for what he really is, a weed that needs to be cut back with the clippers of the reality that he won't always get what he wants. I went so far as to not even mention him to any of my friends. Aside from Jason, nobody who is close to me knows about the little brat of a brother.
Because of my brother, I never thought my parents would care enough about me to come all this way to the Kalos region. Somehow, deep down, I knew that I was wrong about my parents. I guess you could say it had to do with the whole "blood is thicker then water" saying, but even with all of their faults I loved them very much.
My father picked up the manila folder and opened it to its first page. His eyes skimmed left to right as he analyzed the contents.
"I'm sorry Mr. Lestrade but this is completely ludicrous. This is even worst then the report of a UFO coming down and abducting him right out of his clothes like what some of those tabloid trash reporters have written. You really expect me to believe that according to the scientific evidence that some mythical fairy tale has caused my son's disappearance?" my father said angrily as he rose menacingly from his chair. He cast a small glance in my direction before returning his gaze to Lestrade.
"Yes I do, and you better start believing because we even have a key witness." Lestrade said just as menacingly. "We also have the documentation that says that it is possible for this particular fairy tale to have some grain of truth to it," he added.
"Then please, bring in this witness of yours so we can all hear the lies for ourselves." my father conceded vehemently.
Lestrade waved a signal to a camera in a corner of the ceiling. A few minutes later, a guard admitted in Zariff.
"Oh so you're big bold witness is nothing more then a mutt. How fitting." Zariff growled lightly at my father's sarcastic remark, but otherwise let it go. "So you're the one who 'cursed' my son. What did you do? Slip him some mojo juice when he was asleep?" he asked rhetorically.
"No, but I did curse him for getting in my way. I will not apologize for it either." he said defiantly. My father and mother stared in disbelief at the fox Pokémon.
"What? Never heard a Pokémon reply to your snide remarks?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Anyways, I met your son little over a month and a half ago. I was minding my own business hunting my dinner, when he interfered. He grabbed my tails and caused me to lose my dinner. Therefore, I cursed him. And here we are."
"So, if I were to believe you, which I don't, where is my son?" my father asked.
"Right over there." Lestrade said, pointing in my direction.
"That Eevee is my son?" my mom asked in shock.
"Honey, I know you believe in all of those old legends and fairy tales, but that is not our son. It's a freaking animal for crying out loud!" my dad exclaimed.
"But look at him, look at his eyes. They are the same as Evan's. What are the odds that some random Pokémon would have the same eye coloration?"
"Honey, it's not him! I can prove it." my dad replied.
"Eevee, sit." He commanded. I stood there looking at him as if he was crazy.
"If you ever call me that again, I will kick your butt from here to Johto and back." I growled.
My father was exasperated. You could almost see the anger rolling off him like heat from a radiator in the winter. Suddenly his face changed from anger to shock as he looked down at me.
"Evan! My poor sweet boy, we found you!" my mother yelled as she flung herself from her seat.
"How could you understand me? I thought y'all couldn't understand me?" I mumbled through my moms embrace.
"Normally you'd be right except that our, uh, company developed a translator to allow us to speak with our main work force. Of course it is only experimental, but we thought this would be a good test." Lestrade answered.
"Can we turn him back to normal?" my mother asked in between sobs.
"I have the power to change him back." Zariff confirmed.
"Then what are you waiting for? A written invitation? Get hopping." my dad demanded.
"No. I will not change him back, and there is nothing you can do, or say that will change my mind. You are lucky you are even here to see him. Now take that vermin and leave." Zariff replied adamantly.
My mom broke down into more sobs and my father's face flushed red. He clenched a fist, but didn't bring it to bear. Zariff left the room with a grunt leaving me with my parents and Lestrade.
Mist's POV
I watched in horror at the scene that was unfolding. The whole conversation had been relayed to us through a small black box in the ceiling. Lestrade began to talk again, but I couldn't concentrate enough to hear what was being said. Dark sat beside me in order to comfort me.
"We won't let them take him. We will fight if we have to." he assured.
"Dark, we are going to lose him. Those are his real parents. We can't just take him from his family like that." Dark nodded sullenly in agreement. There was a low creak as a door slid open.
"Now that that little drama is over with, we can get back down to business." Zariff said as he came through the door.
"Why did you do this? You had no right to do this to him or us!" I yelled.
I would have attacked except that I was surrounded by humans, and probably wouldn't have gotten too far.
"I had every right to do this to you! I had to repay you for what you have done! At first catching you, all was a game, but then I saw what you took. You are only getting the very thing that you did! You could say I'm getting an eye for an eye. A kit for a kit." the Ninetales raged.
"This is about Flare? He is my natural born son! He was bound to be born, because of our mixed lineage! You assumed that he was kidnapped and resorted to crime on the innocent! You are a monster!" I yelled.
I jumped at him with all my might. Before I could so much as tickle him, I was smacked into the ground by a human with a long rod.
"Get them out of my sight. I'm tired of listening to these lies." he whispered angrily.
The sound of about five Pokéballs resounded in my head as a pair of strong arms surrounded me. I struggled slightly but found myself to emotional and physical strained.
Evan's POV
"So now that we have established where your son is and what he is. It is time we get to business." Lestrade said as he placed another sheet of paper on the table. My father glanced at it suspiciously showing no intention of picking it up.
"What is it?" He asked in a deadpan tone.
"It is your reimbursement contract. We are willing to pay for any services that you might require, as well as one million dollars if you keep this quiet. We really don't need any bad publicity." Lestrade said.
"I'm sorry Mr. Lestrade, but no amount of money will persuade us to keep this quiet. Your Pokémon took our son's humanity. You stripped him of his dreams, and you expect us to turn around and pretend that nothing happened?" my mother asked.
Lestrade nodded curtly. I was sure by now that all formality and civilized manner was gone. Lestrade bolted up out of his chair and motioned at the camera. Several guards armed with assault rifles came barging in with their weapons ready.
"I am going to have to ask to go with these fine gentlemen. They will lead you to where you will be staying until you change your mind. We will talk later." he commanded.
"What about the kit, sir?" one of the guards asked. Just throw him in with that other kit." He answered swiftly. My parents and I were forced out of the small room and into a hallway.