A couple of weeks later, the group finally arrive in Ecruteak City. Due to Dillon's intense anger, he trained nonstop; thus, he beat Whitney on his first try. A few days later, Amy finally defeated Whitney on her third try. That weekend, Jane lost again in the contest, though she told her friends that she'd rather move on. They spent plenty of time in Goldenrod City, and she'll just come back if she needs to.
It's been awkward traveling with Dillon. He doesn't talk. All he does is train and sticks to himself. Amy and Jane feel the tension surrounding him, but Amy suggested to Jane to leave Dillon alone. Along the way to Ecruteak, Dillon caught a Machop, Jane caught a Vulpix, and Amy's Larvitar evolved into a Pupitar.
The day after they arrive in the city, Dillon leaves early in the morning, like expected. He heads off to train by himself. Usually, he'd train with his friends, but lately, he's been a loner. There is no contest hall in Ecruteak City; thus, Jane uses the time to practice contest strategies. Amy decides to train alone too. It's been really awkward with her traveling companions due to Dillon's silent anger. She doesn't know what he's going through, but she can tell he's hurting. Just what happened between him and Aurora that turned him back into this scary loner?
Late in the day, Amy makes her way back to the Pokemon Center. She hates her days lately. Everyone is just doing their own thing. It's like they're all just going through the motions of being together, but they stick to themselves. They're like three strangers traveling together. She hates it. This is not how they were like prior to Dillon going back to Kanto. A part of Amy blames her brother for the current situation, though she won't confront him. She's scared of him.
"Get the fuck out!" The slurred shout makes Amy flinch. Burn, on her shoulder, glances at her in concern. That voice was nearby. They went to train on the outskirts of town, so there are few houses nearby. "You're a piece of shit!" It's the same voice.
"Let's go, Burn." Amy doesn't like this violent shouting as well as the sound of crashing objects. She knows she shouldn't intervene in domestic disputes, but as an honorable girl, she will. Someone could be in serious trouble. Besides, meddling in this is way better than awkwardly sitting in a room with her angry brother and nervous friend.
"Cynda!" Burn nods.
The two run towards the shouting where they stop in front of a small run down house. They spot a bald man throwing items out at a blonde haired boy. "I told you to get out! You're just like your mother!"
"Dad!" pleads the boy who dodges another item. "Please! I wanna come home!"
"Fuck you and your momma!"
Amy can tell the man is very drunk. However, that isn't her concern. She knows this boy, and she's never seen him like this before. "Derek!" The boy freezes and a bottle hits him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Amy quickly runs up between him and the drunk man who has another item in his hands. "Stop!"
"Go away!" Derek shouts with his hand on his bleeding forehead. He never wanted anyone to see him like this, especially her.
Amy, though, shakes her head. "No way, Derek." Her angry eyes rest on the man's furious red ones. "Leave Derek alone!"
With blood in his left eye, Derek quickly shoves Amy out of the way of the man throwing a piece of wood at her. "I told you to go!" He scolds the girl while defensively on top of her.
To his surprise, her brown eyes are very determined. "No. I won't let him hurt you!"
"I'm fine!"
"You're not!" Amy exclaims as she watches the blood from his forehead drip onto her shirt.
Furrowing his brows, Derek tells her, "Stop being stupid! Go back to your brother and friend and your pretty little life!"
Amy grabs his shirt to keep him from leaving her. "You stop being stupid! You shouldn't have to deal with this angry man alone!"
"This man is my father!" spats the boy who manages to pry Amy off of him. "Leave us!"
The girl is shocked by this news. She knows nothing about her rival, but she never expected him to come from a home like this. As Derek manages to swat away an item thrown at him, Amy asks, "Where's your mom?"
"She left." he coldly replies.
Burn worriedly glances at Amy who doesn't know what to say. She pities the boy in front of her, though she also admires him. Regardless of his home situation, he's a very strong person, especially for his age. Taking in a deep breath, she has new determination. Thus, she stands up to run beside Derek. "I'm not leaving."
"Stop meddling."
"I won't!" Amy dodges an item and locks eyes with Derek. "You're my rival. I don't need anything distracting you!"
The boy finds his heart melting somewhat from her words. Looking back at his father, he swats away a pillow. This is a normal occurrence for Derek who grew up in a single parent household. His father is constantly drunk, which worsened after his mother left. Therefore, Derek is used to his father's drunken rage, especially since Derek left abruptly for his Pokemon journey.
"Just leave already!" shouts the boy as he turns to glare at Amy. He doesn't need anyone pitying him or looking at him differently. However, the moment he turns, a fan hits him in the back, knocking him towards Amy painfully.
She manages to catch him, and Burn uses flamethrower on the next few objects thrown at them. "I already said I'm not leaving." Amy's furious brown eyes gaze at Derek's face. Regardless of knowing him or not, Amy was raised to help everyone in need, even if they don't ask for it. Her parents taught her that if she can help, she should. Dillon, on the other hand, is a firm believer that everyone can handle their own problems, especially if they don't want help.
"Go." Derek's defeated voice pleads with her.
When he opens his eyes, Amy has never seen the sincerity in them like she does now. This is not the Derek she knows. He looks so small and weak. Shaking her head, she tells him, "Not without you."
"Ya heard her, Ricky! Leave and never come back! Just like yer motha!" slurs the furious man from the doorway who has run out of things to throw at them.
Amy watches as Derek tenses up. This isn't the tensing up where he's scared. No. It's the one she's often seen from Dillon in the past when he's angry. Derek turns to storm over to his father. "What?" seethes the boy.
The man won't back down. He never does. Standing tall, he glares down at Derek who is now directly in front of him. "Whatcha gon do about it?" taunts the man. He knows Derek isn't going to do anything. Derek fears him.
However, Derek shoves him hard. The man is big enough to catch himself from falling. "I still love mom more than you!"
"She left us! Yer just as stupid as her!" the man grabs Derek's shirt collar, making Amy and Burn rush over.
"Let him go!" exclaims the girl.
Chuckling, Derek's father replies, "Who're ya? His girlfriend?"
"I'm his rival!" Amy proclaims. "Let him go before we make you!"
"Stop it, Amy." Derek's calm voice makes the girl curiously look at him. With Derek's cold red eyes on his father's matching ones, the boy says, "I just came to see how you're doing, dad. I'm glad you're okay."
The man shakes his head and drops Derek roughly to the ground. "Yer just like ya motha. Yer both disgraces."
Amy is relieved to see the man go inside and shut the door, though Derek hasn't moved from the front door. Derek's head is hung low, and his shoulders are slumped. Amy slowly approaches him where she places a hand on his shoulder. The moment she does that, he angrily moves away from her. With his gaze now on her, Amy flinches. The last time she's seen eyes like these, they were when Dillon found out their father broke another promise.
"You shouldn't have meddled."
"I couldn't let you get hurt!"
"This isn't your problem!" exclaims the boy. "Not everyone is born rich and happy like you! Some of us have real struggles!" Derek despises the wealthy. While he needs to be a successful trainer to survive, the rich just do it for fun. There are no repercussions if they're bad trainers. Derek will go broke and hungry if he's a bad trainer.
As Derek storms away, Amy chases after him. She angrily grabs his arm, which makes him pull away from her again. "Stop acting tough!" He reminds her so much of Dillon; thus, she's unfazed by his scary demeanor. "We have a room at the Pokemon Center. There's an extra-"
"I'm leaving." the boy gruffly says while walking away. He already beat Morty for the badge here, but he wanted to see his father before he left.
Amy frowns as she continues following him. She really doesn't want to leave him alone right now. "Derek?" Obviously, he ignores her. "I challenge you to a battle."
"Not interested."
The girl reaches out again to touch his arm, and this time, he doesn't pull away. He allows her to grab him and face him towards her determined gaze. "Scared?"
Derek doesn't understand this girl. The whole town knows his father is a drunk who beats Derek. No one interacts with Derek because they fear his father. Everyone pities the boy. The moment Derek became 15, he left and vowed to only return for Morty's badge. He hates this town that only holds terrible memories for him.
After he left Ecruteak City, most people were too scared of the stoic angry teen to interact with him. Thus, he was able to just train and rely on his Pokemon for companionship. Amy, though, is unfazed with him. She's the closest person to him, which isn't saying much. As much as he wants to keep her away, she won't stay away. She continues to find ways to be involved with him, and over time, he's starting to let her in slowly. This is dangerous territory for him.
"No."
She is slightly disappointed, but she won't let it faze her. "So you're scared?"
Derek shrugs with her hand still on his arm. "I don't want my Pokemon too tired to travel." That'll mean he'll have to spend another night here as his Pokemon heal up in the Pokemon Center. The boy wants to leave as soon as possible.
"Too tired?" Amy's face breaks out in a grin. "Are you saying I'm gonna tire your pokemon out?" Does he finally consider her a rival?
Chuckling in amusement, Derek shakes his head. "No way."
Smirking at him, the girl's eyes challenges his now determined ones, "Then why are you so scared?"
Derek shakes his head. This girl just won't leave him alone. It's annoying, yet relieving at the same time. He doesn't want to be alone. There is only so much companionship his Pokemon can give him. Pulling out a pokeball, he says, "Don't cry again when you lose."
"That was one time!" Amy nods at Burn who runs in between them.
Pokemon Center
"Have you seen Amy yet?" asks the hesitant coordinator.
"No."
At least he responded this time. Sometimes, Dillon ignores them. Pika apologetically looks up at Jane. It's late. Everyone just returned from training except for Amy, though Jane isn't worried. Jane is just trying to find something to talk to Dillon about. She still has a crush on him, and she wants to help him return to the kind Dillon she misses.
"Dillon?" Well, she tested her luck because he doesn't respond this time. Taking in a deep breath, she prepares herself for the question she's been scared to ask him. Even Amy hasn't found the courage to question her brother. "Are you okay?" No response, but Pika's eyes plead with Jane to stop. "You're different."
The boy stands up to leave because he doesn't want to talk to anyone, especially about his feelings. The first person he let in after Ash left just betrayed him. Well, technically, she didn't betray him, but she's the reason for all of this. He's tired of giving out his heart only for people to forget about him and move on. Ash has already done enough damage to him.
"Dillon, wait!" Jane grabs his arm, making him roughly pull it away. "Why won't you talk to us?" The boy puts his hand on the doorknob. Out of frustration, Jane exclaims, "I know it has to do with Aurora Lightfield!" Dillon freezes, and Pika looks between the humans worriedly.
"Mind your own business." the cold response sends shivers down Jane's and Pika's backs.
"What happened? Why didn't you see her when you were already at her gym?" insists the girl. "Who is Aurora Lightfield to you?"
Annoyed, Dillon turns to angrily glare at her, and Jane flinches. She's never seen him like this before. It terrifies her. Gulping, she shies away from his eyes to glance at the side of him. Dillon approaches Jane until he's directly in front of her.
"Pika!" Pika sparks his cheeks warily at his trainer, who stops.
Bending over slightly, Dillon's mouth is close to Jane's ears, making her blush. She can feel his breath. It's too bad that this isn't the situation Jane wants because she's scared. She doesn't feel warm from his close proximity. Instead, she feels like she has chills. "Don't ever say her name again."
Dillon then calmly walks out of the room. When the door closes, Jane collapses on her bed and lets out a long breath she didn't know she was holding. Pika jumps onto the bed to nuzzle her affectionately. Dillon shouldn't have done that to Jane, but Pika knows his trainer is hurting right now.
"What happened, Pika?" Jane whispers as her heart rate calms down.
"Pi…" Pika's ears are flat. He does think Dillon is overreacting. The mouse has never seen Dillon this upset before. When Pika first met Dillon, Aurora was there to get him to open up and talk. It was always Aurora who was fearless around him and would challenge him. Jane doesn't have that type of character around Dillon.
With Dillon mad about Aurora, there is no one Pika knows who can reach him. Well, Misty can try, but Aurora was always the most effective. She's Dillon's age, and she's not related to him. Pika can't get Dillon to even acknowledge him if it's not about training. In Johto, the best person to speak to Dillon would be Amy, but she hasn't even attempted to question him.
Kanto
"Don't waste my time again." mutters the annoyed bluenette. He doesn't need friends, but Duke constantly talks to him like one. Every time he runs into Duke, Duke asks to battle. Connor isn't one to decline a battle, though it's been more of a nuisance lately if anything. Duke is no match for Connor who always easily defeats Duke.
Duke curiously looks at Connor. "What?"
"You're weak. I'm busy." Connor needs to focus on being a champion. He doesn't need to entertain Duke.
Duke is confused about how Connor and Allie are related. Allie is so much nicer, though she is a big tease. "That's not very nice, Connor."
"Look. You know how I feel about you. Get stronger if you wanna battle me again, but I'm done battling you." The Sinnoh native walks off, leaving Duke to disappointedly look at the ground.
Duke knows he isn't a strong trainer. He used to be so happy and strong as a person when he was living in Vermillion City. However, he doesn't know how to be a trainer. How did Aurora do it? She knew less than him, and she was more timid. Well, she met Dillon and then Granite. Duke is alone. He tried to make a rival out of Connor, but Connor wants nothing to do with him.
The blonde feels inferior. He already feels like he's not good enough, and Connor's words make him feel worse. Laying on the ground, Duke shuts his eyes in frustration. He's lonely. Growing up with many siblings, he's used to constant noise and people. He hasn't made any friends who want to travel with him. Plus, the only person he knows traveling around Kanto doesn't care for him.
Duke called Aurora a few times, though he doesn't want to come off as needy. She did everything just fine last year. He can too. He's supposed to be the strong one alongside her. Maybe it's because he's comparing himself? He's putting too much pressure on himself, and he's lonely. Duke thought traveling was supposed to be fun, but he hasn't had much fun lately.
Looking down at his pokenav, Duke sighs. Should he call his sister? He shakes his head. No. He's lonely. He's homesick. He feels like a failure, but the one place he feels happy is home. He has been avoiding home due to not feeling worthy enough to return because he's scared of disappointing his family.
Finding some courage, Duke quickly calls home before he can back out. To his surprise, the call is picked up almost instantly. "Hey, Duke!" It's Aurora's voice. Right now, the triplets should be in school.
"Hey." Duke tries to sound happy. He hopes Aurora doesn't notice.
"What's up? The triplets have been asking about you." Aurora smiles. She's currently on a break because Lt. Surge is taking on challengers.
Duke shuts his eyes. "I'm thinking about visiting home soon."
"Really? Do you have time?" Aurora knows Duke is struggling with defeating gym leaders. It's why he doesn't visit.
"I can make time." He needs the time to see them. It'll pick him up from feeling like this. He hasn't felt this low since his mother and Lacey passed away.
Aurora frowns. This doesn't seem like the Duke she spoke to a few weeks ago. "Is everything okay, Duke?"
The boy stiffens up. "Uh. Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
Aurora knows he's lying. She also knows Duke never likes asking for help. Duke hates relying on people. He prefers to be relied on. "When you come home, I'm gonna need your help with the triplets. Their grades are slipping, and I'm too busy with the gym and LayLay to be on them."
Duke smiles slightly. "I can help with that."
"I know." Aurora grins. "We're very proud of you, Duke. They can't wait to hear your stories."
The boy bites his bottom lip to prevent himself from crying. He really has missed home. Duke won't give up. He can't. He's already been through so much in his young life, so he can continue pushing through. Visiting home and talking to Aurora will definitely help with that because this call already does help him feel better. He'll come back stronger and more motivated.
"I have a couple for them." chuckles the boy.
Aurora sees Lt. Surge waving her down outside of the office. "I gotta go, Duke. Good luck! I can't wait to see you!"
"Bye, Aurora." Once the call is ended, Duke takes in a deep breath. He's more determined. No matter how he does, his family will always support him. Standing up, the boy heads into the direction of the Pokemon Center. Maybe he'll call Amy later and see how she's doing? She has always been a great confidant. Plus, they're both going through the struggles of their first journey together, though she does have Dillon and her new friend.