The idea for this fic was born in 2014, but I only found enough determination to make it a reality now. I don't remember how or why I started shipping Lucas and Mars. Maybe it just... happened?
Anyway, this is my attempt to turn the plot of Pokemon Platinum into a romance novel. Rated Teen for language and... I don't know, stuff?
I hope you'll enjoy this.
Luxray's victorious roar brought a smile upon Lucas' face. The lion had just finished the enemy Roserade off. That Grass-type Pokemon looked pretty tough, but a hard Iron Tail to the face proved to be its undoing.
After the red light brought the Roserade back to its Pokeball, its owner — a girl around Lucas' age — walked up to Mister Volkner, half-whispering, "Oh wow, you're so powerful. I guess I didn't try hard enough."
Volkner's palms rested proudly on his sides. "You shouldn't say that, baby. You did your best." He turned to the camera, extending his left arm palm-downwards towards the girl. "I just happened to be a few steps ahead."
The girl clapped her palms together. "It must be sooo tough being a Gym Leader. I mean, people like me constantly challenge you, and yet you stay so"—she blushed—"so..."
Volkner turned back to her, his left arm back at his side. "Collected? Is that what you wanted to say?"
The girl blushed again, nodding. "Yes! Yes!"
Volkner swung his right palm up like a flip mobile, tilting his head. "What can I say? Sometimes constant challenges do bother me, but I can't say no to such a determined face, now can I?"
"Cooooooool!" the girl shouted clapping.
"And that, boys and girls, is why Volkner remains one of the toughest challenges on many aspiring trainers' way to the Pokemon League!" a female reporter said off-screen. "Anyways, that's it for today's episode of Platinum Battles! That was Jubilife TV, and we'll be seeing you next week, same time, same channel!"
Lucas Mercury turned his TV off and got on his feet. There was a small ache, given how much time he spent sitting on the floor, but a few seconds later his knees became relaxed and ready to bend again. He took a long look around his room full of Volkner posters and even swung his right hand like a flip mobile.
"Can't say no to such a determined face, now can I?" He chuckled. "You go, man. You go. Kids they've got nothing on you." He grabbed his sides and exhaled loudly. Man... I can't believe today's the day. Eight years, eight long years, have finally passed. I wish I didn't have to wait, but eh, can't say no to Moms, right? He turned to the stairs leading to the ground floor. "Guess I better get—"
"LUCAS!" a young male voice screamed, and after a short footsteps thunder, Lucas could behold its source.
Well, there goes my morning... Lucas thought sighing inside.
Barry Lewis — the blond boy living not too far from him, — was wearing a stripped white-and-orange coat was now standing in his room. "Lucas, it's here! The day we've all been waitin' for! The day we can finally go on our very own Pokemon journey! Aren't you excited?!"
Lucas chuckled. "Hell yeah I am. It's been, what, eight years since that conversation with professor Rowan? He promised to give us our first Pokemon once we tu—"
"Yes, yes, eighteen, and guess what? That day is finally here, and we better hurry the hell up! The old man must be sick of waitin' for us by now!" Barry turned to the stairs. "Well, I'll be goin' now! GOTTA GO FAST!"
He disappeared, accompanied by more footsteps thundering. Then came a loud door slam, and everything went quiet.
Lucas sighed. Well then... I guess it can't be helped. He walked downstairs and turned right. "Morning, Moms. Are you alright?"
His mother was sitting on a purple pillow, looking very dumbfounded. Upon seeing Lucas, she smiled. "Yes, I do believe I'm fine. Yet." An awkward laugh. "I swear, Barry's visits will be the end of me. Look what he did to the front door." Another laugh.
Lucas looked at the front door. "Poor thing must've had it rough." He chuckled. "In any case, I believe my time to go... has finally come."
"Indeed..." Mrs. Mercury sighed upon uttering those words. "I guess it's time for you to go and find your own place in this world. I just hope you won't forget all the fun we had back in the days."
"What? You thought I'd be better off without you? Guess you never really knew me at all!" Lucas said walking to the front door. There, he gently patted its handle. "There there, little guy. I'm sorry about what that motorcycle did to you."
"You and your jokes sometimes." His mother said and laughed a bit louder than the last time. "Very well, I won't stop you. Have fun on your way!"
Lucas opened the door. "Will do!" And then he quickly walked through it and closed it, leaving his mother alone with the TV set.
Twinleaf Town, the place many people considered beautiful not in spite of its simplicity, but because of it. The air was clean, Starlies were flying in the sky, people were talking about cute Pokemon and wireless connection. The snow covering pines and small sections of the ground indicated: the town was coming back to life after a cold and windy winter.
Lucas was going north, towards Route 201, when he thought, Now... if my memory serves me right, professor Rowan promised to meet me at 8:00 am. Upon reaching the sign in the middle of the town he stopped to look at his wristwatch. The time was only 7:45 am.
Dude... I had no idea you were THIS excited to become a Pokemon trainer, Lucas thought with a small throat laugh before resuming his walk. However, once the sign was behind him, something bumped into him with incredible force, sending a poor boy to the ground and knocking his hat off his head.
Lucas carefully got back on his feet and groaned. He saw Barry laying on the ground with an angry expression on his face. His blond neighbor got up immediately and shouted, "Hey, what the"—he opened his eyes, meeting Lucas' cold stare—"Oh hi, Lucas! Finally up to gettin' yourself some Pokemon, I see."
Lucas sighed and went to pick up his hat. "Dude, no need to dash like that." He brushed dust off it and placed it on his head. "At this rate you may end up killing someone."
"Well, you're here, which means we can—damn, I almost forgot!" Barry shouted. The next moment he ran back into his home, slamming the front door shut.
Man, such fine wood is wasted on that brute... Lucas thought, lowering his head in pity. Yeah, sucks to be you.
He looked back at Route 201 and resumed his walk, but stopped near the border and turned around. Barry was running in his direction, this time with a huge, brown bag. Upon reaching his neighbor, Barry stopped and said, "Damn... huff... forgot my bag... huff... where would I be without it?"
"Well, you certainly wouldn't go far without money, right?" Lucas said and chuckled, looking at his neighbor's bag.
Barry tilted his head. "Oh well, now I'm ready, and that's all that matters." He quickly ran towards the meeting place.
Lucas shook his head with a smile. Whatever you say, man.
Route 201, 7:55 am.
"Aww, whatahell, man? He ain't here!" Barry shouted rapidly turning in different directions and tapping the ground with his shoes.
"Come on, man, chill. I'm sure the professor will be here any minute," Lucas said. He was trying to help his friend relax, even though it was as good as talking to a brick wall equipped with wheels and an engine.
Barry stomped the ground. "This is crazy! Is he takin' his time or somethin'?!" He then went on a long rant on how he couldn't wait, how it wasn't FAIR to make him wait and how much he wanted to become a Pokemon trained already.
Meanwhile, Lucas was just standing near the closest patch of tall grass and looking at his wristwatch. I wonder how long he's going to last?
Finally, after a long stream of curses and complaints, Barry stared at tall grass and said, "Okay, you know what? I'm tired of this! I'm goin' to Sandgem Town! I'll get my Pokemon even if that's the last thing I'll do!"
"Call me an idiot, but that's not a good idea," Lucas said turning his vision away from his wristwatch. "As far as I know, there's wild Pokemon in tall grass."
"So what? I ain't scared! It's Pokemon that should be scared of ME!" Barry said and assumed a runner's pose. "It's all about speed, isn't it? If you're quick enough, no Pokemon will jump you! It's simple!" He slid his right foot against the ground like a Rhyhorn ready to ram. "Anyway, enough talkin'! Watch me, the world! GOTTA GO—"
"Stop right there, young man!" a loud elderly voice exclaimed, making Barry freeze.
Right on schedule, Lucas thought and smirked. His wristwatch showed that it was indeed 8:00 am.
Professor Rowan — an elderly man with wild-looking white hair and long mustache, — was walking towards the boys with a grim expression on his face.
"Wha—Oh hi, professor Rowan!" Barry said and smiled awkwardly. "Me and mah friend were just... standin' here... waitin' for you and... well, ya see..."
Professor sighed. "Well, to me it certainly looks like you were trying to endanger yourself. Don't you know that tall grass is the Pokemon domain? You can't just go there without a Pokemon of your own!"
"Excuse me, professor. I tried to stop that door offender from bothering wild Pokemon. I suppose he won't calm down until he messes with every last thing on Earth," Lucas said looking at Barry with disdain.
Barry balled up his fists as his face turned beetroot red. "Quit jokin', dude! I need a hand here!"
"Are those two done fooling around yet...?" a cold, female voice came from behind the professor. Its source didn't make herself wait. It was a young girl wearing a long-sleeved red trench coat-dress and holding a briefcase in her left hand. "We don't have time to deal with a bunch of fools."
"Oh, Dawn. Y-yeah, you're right." Rowan coughed and continued, "Lucas, my dear boy. First of all, let me wish you a happy birthday. You're finally eighteen, which means you can start your own journey. I can tell you've been waiting for this."
"Oh wow, I didn't know you were a psychic," Lucas said smirking. He then looked at Dawn and grabbed his side. "I also didn't know you had such a fine assistant. Good day, babe. Nice coat you've got there."
Dawn didn't respond. Her stone-cold face didn't change, either. For a while they were just staring at each other. And then professor Rowan cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, here's my birthday present."
He took the briefcase from Dawn, placed it on the ground and opened it. There were three white and red orbs inside.
"Let me guess. I believe they're called... Poke Balls," Lucas said, got on his knees and took a look at the insides of the briefcase. He then looked back at Rowan, as if trying to read something written on his face.
The professor nodded in response and hid his hands behind his back. "Correct. And your day to take one of these has finally come."
Barry reminded everyone of his existence. "H-hey! What about me? When am I gonna be allowed to have my own Pokemon?!"
"After such display of reckless behavior, I doubt you can be entrusted with a Pokemon, young man," Rowan said shaking his head in disapproval.
"W-wait... b-but... DAMN IT!" Barry shouted grabbing his hair. He sounded so loud everyone in the skies could hear.
Oh boy... I guess I better do something, Lucas thought getting back on his feet. "Mister Rowan, as much as I believe there's enough wrongdoings on his record, I also think he can change for the better. So please, let him have his own Pokemon too."
The professor frowned assuming a pensive pose. Barry could do nothing but stare at him, his forehead sweating at an alarming rate. Finally, the elderly man opened his eyes and said, "Very well then. If you say so, then I shall let your friend have his own Pokemon as well."
"Really?! AWESOME!" Barry exclaimed and threw his hands in the air. "Oh Arceus, thank you!"
"Now"—professor Rowan cleared his throat—"how about you finally pick your Pokemon? I don't mean to rush, but I have a lot of important studies to conduct."
"Right, right," the boys said that in almost perfect unison. They then got on their knees and began examining the Poke Balls. There was a note under each orb, explaining what Pokemon was waiting inside and what said creature was capable of.
A piece of paper under the Poke Ball on the right side of the briefcase got Lucas' attention. He picked the orb and threw it in the air. The orb opened, throwing a white cloud on the ground. The cloud took on a shape of a small bipedal bird and subsequently subsided, revealing a blue creature with white face and sky blue torso.
"Piplup!" the creature shouted and assumed a proud pose.
"I believe my way is the right way, so I picked the orb on the right," Lucas said, got up and waved his hand. "Greetings, Piplup. Or should I call you... Stark?"
"Pip"—Piplip tried to give him a thumbs up—"lup!"
"So you like that name then? Nice," Lucas said doing the same thing. The presence of fingers made his attempt much more successful. "I recalled an article on Piplup and its evolutionary lines. With its proud nature and Steel-type at the final stage, it's only logical I name it after a man of attitude and technology. So yeah, from now on you're Stark."
Piplup repeated what it did upon leaving its Poke Ball. "Piplup!"
"Oh?! In that case, I... I..." Barry mumbled throwing glances at the remaining orbs. Finally, he picked the one on the left, stood up and threw the hand with it in the air. "I choose you, Banner!"
Lucas looked at the note that Poke Ball was on and said, "Oh, a Turtwig? Yeah, Banner suits a green giant that is Torterra."
"Not fair! Y'know my Pokemon better than I do!" Barry exclaimed and crossed his arms on his chest.
"Whoops, did I offend you? I guess I shouldn't have read professor Rowan's papers."
Barry clenched his teeth and groaned... but then he proudly grabbed his sides. "W-whatever. I picked a Grass-type Pokemon, so I already won. Your Piplup won't do jack against me."
"Oh really? How about we try 'em out?" Lucas said and smirked. "Let's see if a man of anger can beat a man of style."
Professor Rowan and Dawn went to the border between Twinleaf Town and Route 201. They watched as Lucas and Barry walked in the opposite directions. The former stopped near a sign with the route's number on it, and the latter paused close to a patch of tall grass.
The Pokemon Professor appeared quite curious while Dawn kept a straight — albeit still unfriendly, — face. "Is it really okay to give those Pokemon to them? I mean, look at those two. Foolish, reckless, irresponsible. How long do you think they're going to last?" She asked looking at the boys about to fight it out.
"Come on, don't be so harsh. They do look unfit for the task of discovering the world of Pokemon, yes. However, I have a feeling I didn't pick them out of everyone else for nothing," Rowan replied and looked up into the sky as if trying to find something.
Dawn rolled her eyes. "If you insist... I still would've thought twice if I were you."
"Okay, here comes the pain!" Barry screamed and threw his Poke Ball in the air. Just like in Lucas' case, the orb split wide open, releasing a flash of light quickly taking a form of a creature. This time the flash revealed a green turtle with a leaf on its head.
"Turt"—Turtwig stomped—"wig!"
"That's right! Turtwig smash puny penguin!" Barry shouted and balled up a fist the way all arrogant young men do.
Lucas adjusted his hat and said, "Pokemon League calls, so let's make this quick. Stark, Pound!"
Stark's right wing turned white as it rushed towards Banner.
Barry didn't make Lucas wait for a response. "Banner, Tackle!"
Banner went at Stark head on. Two attacks met, with the Turtwig's move overpowering Piplup's and sending the blue bird flying back to its master.
Well, that doesn't look good... Lucas thought and adjusted his hat again. "Stark, Growl!"
Stark bounced back and ran towards Banner with its right wing turning white again.
Lucas leaned forward in surprise. "Hey, what the—"
"Tackle!" Barry shouted and quickly pointed at the approaching Piplup, sending Banner running head first. This time Stark managed to deal some damaged by hitting the enemy's head. However, the headbutt quickly knocked it back to Lucas' feet.
"What's wrong, dude? I said use Growl!" Lucas said, obviously not happy with Stark's attitude. He hoped the Piplup would do as he said, but it ran towards the enemy yet again.
"Turtwig Smash!" Barry shouted and threw his hand forward with Banner going for a new Tackle attack.
Lucas shouted, "Stark, dodge!" He decided to try something else, but the Piplup disobeyed that command too. Another impact, and the bird flew right back to where it came from.
It attempted to stand up, only to be stopped by its master. Lucas got on his knees, taking a hold of his rebellious penguin.
"C'mon, dude. That's not a way to go," he said and gave his Pokemon a saddened look. "You can't just run around doing whatever you please."
The Piplup pouted, placing the tips of its wings on its sides. A proud bird it is.
Lucas smiled, removing his hat. "Listen, man. I know how much you want to win, but if you keep acting like that, we're only gonna bite the dust. Being reckless didn't work the first three times you tried it, so it ain't gonna work the fourth time."
Stark opened its eyes, and Lucas saw shame written all over the Pokemon's face.
"Just chill out, and let's work as a team," Lucas said. "You'll get to kick that guy's ass, I promise. All you gotta do is listen to me. We cool?"
The Piplup nodded, still appearing unsure.
"Ready to give up yet?" Barry shouted, reminding them of his existence.
Once Stark jumped on the ground, Lucas stood up, going back to being a daring young man he was. "Nah, I don't think so. How about you?" he asked.
"Not a chance! Banner, Tackle!"
The Turtwig started to run. This time around the Piplup didn't move a muscle, patiently waiting for its master's command. When Banner got close enough, Lucas said, "Stark, dodge."
Stark jumped out of the opponent's way. Lucas proudly nodded, watching Banner approach his feet. The Turtwig stopped just in time so as not to knock the enemy trainer off his feet.
"Over there! Turtwig Smash!" Barry shouted and pointed at Stark who was standing near a patch of tall grass. Banner attempted to hit the penguin again, only for the Piplup to dodge that attack as well.
Lucas smirked. "Nice."
Barry stomped and shouted, "Banner, tackle him already!"
Banner rushed forward with a straight face. The battle obviously wasn't wearing the Turtwig out as much as it was making Barry lose his patience.
"Stark, don't move," Lucas said and focused his vision on the approaching turtle. Banner was getting faster, more full of determination. The moment it got close enough, the boy shouted, "Now!"
SMASH!
Banner hit a pine growing near the spot Stark was standing at just a second ago. The impact caused Banner's head to start spinning. "Tuuuuuuur..."
"Now's our time," Lucas said and lowered his head, still looking at Banner. "Stark, Pound!"
"Piiiiiiiiip..." Stark cried out and rushed towards its opponent with a confident smile.
"Banner! It's comin' for ya! Dodge!" Barry shouted desperately. "C'mon, man, do somethin'!"
Unfortunately, Banner opened its eyes far too late to comprehend the situation and get the hell out of Stark's way. An excited Piplup gave it a heavy slap across its face, sending it flying to a closest patch. The Turtwig attempted to stand up... but couldn't.
"Banner...? Banner! NOOOOOOO!" Barry shouted and grabbed his hair in defeat.
"And that's... how you do it," Lucas said putting his hands in the pockets of his pants and giving Barry an arrogant look.
"Piiiplup!" the winner Pokemon cried and put its wings to its sides, eyes closed in a fit of pride and triumph.
"So, what did you think of the show?" Lucas asked bowing to professor Rowan and Dawn in a butler's manner.
The professor started clapping his hands. "Incredible."
Dawn didn't smile — she just tilted her head and said, "Eh, nothing special."
"Seriously?" Lucas asked with a smirk. "You, babe, are a piece of work, alright. Whatever made you so cold?"
Dawn turned to professor Rowan. "Professor, I think we should go now. We still have to research that Pokemon you brought from Kanto, remember?"
"Certainly," Rowan said, nodded and picked up the briefcase with only one more Poke Ball inside. "Lucas? Barry? That was an excellent fight. Your journey has only just begun, but you're already showing potential. Especially you, Lucas."
Barry sat on the ground and punched it, while his friend merely adjusted his hat for the umpteenth time.
"Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way. If you have any questions, you can find us in Sandgem Town. Farewell for now," the Pokemon Professor said and went towards tall grass with Dawn walking right behind him. The girl gave the boys an icy glare, and soon both she and her mentor vanished.
"You seen that?! What a bitch!" Barry shouted before pouting and crossing his arms on his chest.
The girl's got an attitude, alright, Lucas thought assuming a pensive pose. "Y'know, I think we should head back home for now. I'm sure Stark and Banner could use a break."
"Wha—Oh, you're right! Banner, return!" the blond boy pointed the Turtwig's Poke Ball at it. The orb fired a red ray of light, consuming the green turtle. "One day we fight again, and when that time comes, I'mma be the winner! GOTTA GO FAST!"
"Hey, watch it! There's a—"
SMASH!
Lucas instinctively closed his eyes as if feeling the pain Barry went through when he bumped into a sign with the route's number on it.
"...sign on your way..." Lucas finished talking and sighed, feeling kinda sorry for his friend.
"Argh, damn it!" Barry grumbled, quickly got up and prepared to run like nothing happened. "GOTTA GO FAST!"
This time he didn't bump into anything. Barry successfully reached the sign in the middle of Twinleaf Town, turned right and vanished.
Heh, poor fool, Lucas thought with a small throat laugh, moving the red-and-white orb in his right hand towards his Piplup. "Stark, come back."
Stark managed to smile before the red ray of light consumed it and sent back into the Poke Ball. Satisfied with how their friendship started, Lucas headed back home as well.
10:00 am. Stark was sleeping on one of the two pillows in the middle of the living room. Mrs. Mercury was washing plates, glasses and spoons, all while listening to her son's story about his very first Pokemon battle. Her serious face didn't show it, but the details of the fight between Stark and Banner excited her.
"In short, his recklessness ended up biting him," Lucas said in conclusion.
"Well, it sure seems like you had fun, sweetie," his mother uttered cleaning the last spoon up. A smile finally showed up on her face, revealing her interest.
"Yeah, you can say that."
"Isn't professor Rowan a really nice man? I'm so glad you know him as a genuinely understanding person and not as a stern, out-of-reach scientist the media present him as."
"I guess these media Chatots want him for themselves so they try to scare the viewers into not wanting to meet him in person," Lucas said and chuckled at his own assumption.
"Probably," his mother replied, finding his statement quite amusing as well. "Oh, by the way, have you thanked him for the Pokemon you got?"
The boy slapped his forehead, saying, "Damn, you're right! I totally forgot my manners!"
He ran towards the pillow his Piplup was sleeping on and gently shook the Pokemon up.
"Lup?" Stark cried out as if asking, "What?"
"Stark, we've gotta go to Sandgem Town. Ya see, your dear master forgot to thank professor Rowan for introducing him to a strong Pokemon, so... will you help that young fool set things right?" Lucas tried his best to look desperate, even though he didn't really have to. The Piplup laying on the violet pillow quickly stood up, ready to take on any wild Pokemon brave enough to cross its path.
And so, Stark and its master rushed towards the front door, leaving Mrs. Mercury alone with the rest of the house.
"Well now," The woman said upon cracking her fingers. "Let's do this."
Lucas and Stark popped out of the house like a pair of bottle caps. Even though he wasn't the type to run like hell, this time the situation asked for it. At least Lucas was sure it did. After all, being an ungrateful brat wasn't in his list of life plans.
I hope Rowan's not gonna be too mad with me... Lucas thought and smiled, thinking of what he was going to say once he got to Sandgem Town. First off, he would apologize for being disrespectful, for not valuing the professor's time enough, and for not understanding what that Piplup meant to Rowan before he gave it away to the young trainer.
Lucas' train of thoughts was interrupted by Barry walking towards Route 201 entrance. The next moment Barry turned around to face Lucas and Stark. Visibly afraid of a possible impact, he shielded his face.
Before the impact could happen though, Lucas and his Pokemon pulled up short. Their bodies stopped moving right when they were about to bump into their rival. The Piplup's trainer then proceeded to assume a prim pose.
"Oh hi, Barry. What are you doing here?" Lucas asked in an awfully causal manner, even though he was in a hurry just a second ago.
Barry, on the other hand, was excited. "Hey man, you gotta come with me real quick! I have a favor to ask of you!"
"Sorry, I'm kinda busy right now. Gotta go and show the professor some appreciation."
"No, seriously, man, we gotta go and do somethin'!"
"Well, it's gonna have to wait until I'm back from—"
"This can't wait, Lucas! If we don't hurry up, it'll be too late, I swear!" Barry shouted desperately, pulling Lucas' red shirt by a sleeve.
"Alright..." Lucas said with a loud sigh. "But it better be good. Where are we going?"
Barry hid his hands in the pockets of his pants and asked, "Say, have you heard a legend about a Pokemon that lives in Lake Verity?"
"Not sure. Why?"
"Well, I decided to capture that Pokemon, but..."
"But?"
"I doubt Banner's NEARLY strong enough to take on that Pokemon by himself, so I..." Barry replied and started scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "well, I kinda need your help."
"I see..." Lucas said and assumed a pensive pose, as did Stark.
"Please, man, don't make me BEG for it!"
"Fine, fine, chill. I guess I can spare a few minutes on tha—"
"Thank you thank you thank you!" Barry shouted and rapidly shook Lucas' right hand. "Alright, now follow me!"
He punched himself in the chest, turned around and proceeded to walk towards two giant pines forming an entrance to the lakefront. Lucas and Stark followed, seriously questioning the potential of their rival's idea to succeed.
They walked right between the trees, entering the area near Lake Verity. It was a huge pond with more pines growing on the opposite side of it. There were numerous patches of tall grass on a shore. Among those patches stood a pale, red-haired young woman in a gray suit and a white skirt. Her vision was directed towards the sky, so she didn't notice the friends watching her.
"Psssst! Hey, Lucas, who's that?" Barry whispered. For some reason he didn't want to attract her attention. "And what's with that outfit?"
"Hell if I know," Lucas replied shrugging and carefully observing the woman.
"Luuuuuup..." Stark said in a trance.
"Mesprit, 'The Being Of Emotion.' You brought joy into our world, taught us how to be happy. However, you also cursed us with the sickness called grief, a disease known as despair. Why you little...?" the redhead said clenching her hands into fists. "No matter... no matter. Once Master Cyrus gets a hold of you, he'll make sure you'll pay for that mistake. Oh, Master Cyrus... the world you want to create for us... the world of no contempt... no regret... no sorrow... no insanity... Oh Master Cyrus! You're simply the best! You're like the morning sun! No, a hundred suns! No, ten thousand suns!"
By the end of that monologue she sounded like a teenage girl in love. Lucas, having seen enough people like that, was chuckling. That Cyrus guy must be a major badass, he thought.
"Hey!" Barry shouted. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but the Pokemon of this lake is MINE! Keep your hands off it!"
Way to go, idiot. You blew our cover, Lucas thought covering his face in embarrassment.
"Huh?!" The woman said and quickly turned around to discover the friends standing near one of the entrance pines. "Who the hell are you?! Were you... sent here to spy on me?!"
"Nobody sent me to capture that Pokemon!" Barry replied. "I came here myself, and now I'm going to claim what's mine!"
Lucas heard the redhead draw a Poke Ball. "Not a chance!" she exclaimed, but after a short pause she said, "No, forget it. You're just a bunch of punks, after all. It's not like you can handle that Pokemon, anyway."
"Hey!" Barry shouted. "Why don't we see that right here, right now?"
I have to stop this... Lucas thought and grabbed Barry's shoulder. "Dude, calm down already." He started opening his eyes. "You have to forgive my friend here. You see, he's an idiot so he can be a little toooooooo—"
At that moment his eyes became fixated on the redhead's. In them he saw a flame, a determination to follow her ideal to the end — the feeling he knew well enough himself. Ohoho, what a babe. Now that's the look, he thought with a playful smirk.
Barry stood in front of him. "Man, whatahell is wrong with you?!" he asked.
"Nothing at all, my friend. I'm just enjoying the view," Lucas replied and walked past Barry.
"Hey! Wait!"
Lucas ignored him. He approached the patches the redhead was standing among and said, "So, if I got that right, you want to capture the Pokemon of Lake Verity as much as my friend here does. Why don't we decide who should get it"—he made a dramatic pause—"over a plate of beef and a cup of tea? Moms cooks beef like no other woman I know! Or, maybe, you prefer restaurants?"
The redhead turned away with her arms crossed. "Thanks, but no thanks," she replied and walked past him.
Lucas turned around and asked, "Hey, babe, what's your name? Can you tell me that, at least?"
She went past Barry without saying a single word, hid behind one of the pines and disappeared in a pink flash of light.
"First Dawn, now her! What's with girls acting so high and mighty on us?" Barry asked crossing his arms and stomping the ground in annoyance.
"Come on, dude, you're making it sound like a bad thing," Lucas said and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Anyway, I think we should—wait a second..."
"Oh, right!" Barry shouted, slapping himself for idiocy. "We came here to capture the Pokemon of this lake!"
"Yeah, sure, but—"
Barry formed a funnel out of his hands. "Hey, the Pokemon of Lake Verity!" he shouted. "Wake up! We came to capture you! Come out, so I can see you!"
He's impossible...
"Piplup-pip..." Stark said, and it sounded like, "What a fool..."
Suddenly, rounds started appearing on the water. Turning their vision to the source of these rounds, the three of them noticed a cave in the middle of the lake. A mysterious otherworldly sound coming from its entrance filled the air. Listening to it made Lucas and Stark feel like they were surrounded by a field of absolute harmony.
Their rival, however, didn't seem to care. As soon as a mysterious silhouette appeared above the cave, Barry shouted, "There you are!"
"Dude, I think we forgot something," Lucas said in a pensive pose. "Something essential to capturing wild Pokemon, eh?"
"Wha"—Barry paused for a moment—"DAMN IT!"
"Oh boy..."
"Pip..." Stark said with a sigh.
"Poke Balls! You and I only have one Poke Ball each, and these are already filled! We need more to capture more Pokemon!" Barry exclaimed and stomped the ground. "Okay, I know what to do now! GOTTA GO FAST!"
He teleported away, leaving Lucas and Stark alone with the silhouette. Before any of them could say anything, the mysterious Pokemon started to fade, forcing them to stare at it in silence. Finally, it was gone.
Upon recovering from that weird trance, Lucas adjusted his hat. Well, now we have even more reasons to go to Sandgem Town.
Because Lucas decided to flex his legs, it didn't take him long to reach Sandgem Town. Jogging has never been his hobby, but the more he had to run, the more he felt like it was becoming a habit. His Pokemon had a hard time following him, what's with its feet being so small.
"Sorry, little guy. I totally forgot about you," Lucas exclaimed returning Stark to its Poke Ball. When he finally got there, he saw Dawn. Seeing her not as annoyed as the last time surprised him, but he quickly concluded she started to get used to Barry's attitude.
"Oh, it's you. Hi. Your friend's already left," Dawn said in a monotonous manner, though there was a hint of anger in her voice.
Lucas tried to look surprised. "Really? Hm, that's odd. I thought he wanted to capture the Pokemon of Lake Verity," he said. He didn't see Barry running back to Lake Verity. Oh well, he probably forgot about it. As usual.
"Through this door, please," Dawn said and pointed at the entrance of the building they were standing near. Before he had a chance to say anything else, she walked inside.
Chuckling at her cold attitude, Lucas followed her.
The interior of professor Rowan's lab was a mixture of a library and a genetic research complex. There were a couple of glass containers and a few bookshelves chock-full of Pokemon-related literature.
Dawn and the professor himself were standing at the opposite end of the facility. To the boy's surprise, they were the only people inside. He wondered where everyone else went, but decided it wasn't important.
"Greetings, Lucas," professor Rowan said with a neutral expression. He definitely had to deal with boys like Barry a lot in his lifetime if that blond jogger's actions didn't affect him.
Having closed the front door, Lucas bowed down and said, "Oh hi, professor."
"What brings you here?"
"Well, you see, I forgot to properly express my gratitude for entrusting me with Stark."
Dawn sighed glaring at Lucas.
Lucas bowed again. "Soooo... yeah, I hope you ain't mad or anything."
"Well, you certainly should've been more polite, but that's okay. You came all the way here to apologize, and that already speaks volumes of what kind of a person you are. I forgive you, young man," the professor said and rose his head, looking right into Lucas' eyes. Though it made the boy feel uneasy, he was glad Mister Rowan considered his apology sufficient.
Upon clearing his throat, Rowan uttered, "Oh, by the way... can I take a look at your Pokemon? I would love to know how it's doing."
"Huh? O-oh, sure!" Lucas responded with a serious face. He and Stark walked up to the professor.
"Long time no see, Stark. How are you, my dear friend?" Rowan asked, lowering his head to look Stark in the eyes.
The Piplup attempted to show him a thumbs up, and even though it went about as well as one would expect, the professor nodded in understanding.
"Excellent. This Pokemon already seems to like you," Rowan concluded and rose his head, looking quite proud of the growing friendship between Lucas and Stark.
"Just you wait 'till we're back from the Pokemon League. I'm sure you'll see more than that," Lucas said with a smirk as Stark jumped back to his feet.
"Good determination, young man. As a reward, I'd like you to have this."
The professor reached into the right pocket of his coat and pulled out a small white square case with a transparent lid. Inside it was a white, 80 mm disc.
"A CD? What's this, a new lecture from yours truly?" Lucas asked and started examining the case and the disc inside of it. Rowan's hand covered the majority of his gift, so the boy couldn't see the whole thing. The parts Lucas did see didn't reveal anything about the nature of the CD. There was just a circle of pure white — no pictures, no logos, nothing.
"This isn't a DVD disc, my boy. It's a TM," the professor replied and handed him the case. The words at the top middle side of it said, "TM27 Return."
"Oh, a TM? Yeah, I've heard of those," Lucas said with a smile. "You can use 'em to teach your Pokemon moves they can't learn normally."
Rowan nodded and looked at Dawn. She walked to the professor's PC, took something out of a drawer under it, returned and gave Lucas a black cube.
"If you know what TMs are, then you should also know how to use them, right?" Dawn asked coldly.
"Of course I do, babe," Lucas replied, took the cube and placed it in his bag.
Dawn didn't reply while professor Rowan cleared his throat and pulled something else out of his pockets. Said items turned out to be a Pokedex and five small Poke Balls.
"Wouldn't want to go on a journey without these, right?" he asked.
"Obviously," Lucas replied with a smirk. "Thank you very much, professor."
"You're most wel—"
At that moment Rowan's phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and placed it to his ear. "Yes?" he asked. "Good day indeed... Sounds exciting, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I still have a lot of research to conduct... Same to you, Mrs. Mercury... Bye."
He ended the call and placed the phone back into his pocket, saying, "Your mother's waiting for you back home, young man. Make sure to warn her before leaving to your Pokemon journey."
"Don't worry, I will," Lucas replied, wondering what his mother could possibly offer to the professor.
"Now... Dawn, do you mind showing Lucas the town?"
"If I must..." Dawn replied and went past Lucas. "Follow me."
"Sure, me and Stark will keep you company," Lucas said and did a small throat laugh.
He, Stark and Dawn left the building and headed to the east of the town. As he had never been there before, Lucas was throwing glances right and left, examining the surrounding houses and trees. The Piplup was doing the same.
Dawn stopped near a building with red roof and said, "This here is a Pokemon Center. Drop by whenever your Pokemon are down on their health, and you should be fine."
"Sounds good enough," Lucas replied and nodded. He followed her as she went to a nearly identical building with blue roof.
"And this is a Pokemart. Here you can buy everything a Pokemon trainer might find useful," Dawn said. "Those items include: Poke Balls, medicine..."
At that moment Lucas turned right and saw the sea to the south of Sandgem Town. Water's movements reminded him of Lake Verity, the mysterious redhead and her words about a world without conflict.
"Hey!" Dawn shouted, bringing him back to reality. "I'm talking to you, Mister."
"Oh right, sorry..." Lucas said with a chuckle. "I just... recalled what happened when that idiot Barry and I decided to visit Lake Verity."
Dawn tilted her head and said, "Well, if you're so smart, then maybe I shouldn't even bother teaching you how to capture wild Pokemon?"
"Y-yeah, I think I can manage that on my own..." Lucas replied with an awkward chuckle, but quickly regained his confident standing.
"Suit yourself," Dawn said in a much calmer and apathetic manner.
Lucas gave her an open-handed gesture and asked, "Why do you have to be so cold? What even made a babe like you this way? Mind telling me a bit abo—"
Dawn immediately extended her arm palm-fist towards Lucas. "Stop right there," she said, pulled out a pen and drew a long line on the ground. "This here is a line between me and you. You are a trainer the professor saw fit to entrust with his Pokemon, and I'm his assistant. That's all we have to know about each other. Do NOT come knocking at the door of my personal life. Got it?"
"Eh, sure, whatever," Lucas replied with a sigh. "I'm much more into that redhead from the lake anyway."
"Whatever," Dawn said and went to the Pokemon Lab. "See you around... I guess."
"Bye-bye!" Lucas exclaimed and waved his hand. Now, let's see what Moms has in mind.
By the time Lucas and Stark got back to Twinleaf Town, his wristwatch was showing 11:55 am.
"Man, those Starlies sure are annoying, aren't they?" Lucas asked near the sign in the middle of the town.
"Piplup-pip," Stark said with a nod.
"From what I read, this Pokemon and its evolutions are pretty basic. Doubt I'm gonna catch one of those in the near future."
Stark assumed a proud pose in response.
"Yeah, so far I'm doing fine training you alone," Lucas said with a chuckle. "But we all know it's not going to last, right?"
Stark shrugged.
"But enough blabbering. Time to check out the house!" Lucas exclaimed, and the two of them went to his home. When the wristwatch showed 12:00 am, they opened the door and froze.
The yellow table on the left side of the living room was chock-full of various dishes. In the middle of it, of course, was a white diamond-shaped cake with eighteen candles. Several people — mostly neighbors, his mother and her friends, — were sitting at the table, looking at Lucas and his Pokemon.
The sight amused him, and he said, "Why didn't I think of it before?"
Mrs. Mercury stood up and walked to the front door saying, "Well, the party boy has arrived. Why don't you sit down with us?"
"Gladly," Lucas replied and took a seat. "Shame Mister Rowan and Barry won't be joining us here. The professor's busy while that fool is probably out there training his new Turtwig."
"Indeed," said Mrs. Lewis. "I won't deny it, my boy Barry has been in a hurry since the day he was born. When he came back after his first Pokemon battle with you, Lucas, he said so much and so fast it honestly worried me."
"And, unlike me, he probably didn't check on you before heading off, did he?" Lucas asked.
"Sadly, no," Mrs. Lewis replied with a sigh. "But I digress. Why am I bringing this up on such an occasion?"
"Eh, it's okay, Mrs. Lewis. Don't worry about it," Lucas said and looked at the diamond cake. "Now, what to wish for?"
"Be careful here, my dear," Johanna said showing him an index finger. "Wishes tend to come true, I know that from my own experience. Back when I turned eighteen like you today, I wished for a suave and brash young man in my life." She chuckled and added, "You're just like your father. I wonder when he's going to visit us? It's been, what, two years since he left? Said he had some business in Kanto."
"Yeah, Moms, you're right. I'll pick my wish carefully," Lucas said with a nod. He focused on the eighteen candles on the diamond cake, watched as the pretty yellow flames were slowly consuming them. Flames, he thought and suddenly recalled the Lake Verity episode again. He saw that redhead's eyes and the feeling of ideal loyalty in them. Oh babe... I had a glance at that world of yours, but guess what? I want more. Yup. I definitely want more than that. He titled his head and took a deep breath. I wish to witness the deepest part of your soul. And then he blew the candles, leaving none of them lit.
Everyone started clapping and screaming, "Happy birthday, Lucas!"
When they stopped, Johanna said, "Well, you made your choice, so you better not be regretting that later, young man."
"Don't worry, Moms," Lucas replied. "I knew exactly what I wanted."