Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 73: The course of forgiveness
After finally earning his Rising badge Ethan and Lance had exited the Dragon's Den on Gyarados having both witnessed Clair be shunned by the Dragon Master.
"And here we are." Ethan announced as Gyarados made his way to the end of the stream inside the cave. Both he and Lance jumped off Gyarados's head reaching land.
"Thanks again Gyarados, for taking us and all the way to the Dragon's Den." Ethan said with a smile as he returned his Gyarados to his Pokéball.
Lance upon reaching land pulled out his Pokéball and released his Dragonite.
"Dragoo!" Dragonite let out a stern cry.
Oh man, just seeing another Dragonite after that last battle's almost kind of scary... Ethan thought. "Hey there, Dragonite."
"Dragonite." Dragonite said waving over to Ethan.
"I need your assistance Dragonite, we're going to search for Clair, alright boy." Lance said as he climbed his Pokémon's back.
"Drago!" Dragonite nodded.
"Well, this is it Ethan, I've got to find Clair and make sure she's alright, despite everything that's happened to us she's still my cousin." The Champion told Ethan who of course understood.
"No problem Lance, any idea where you're going to look for her?" Ethan asked.
"We can find her much faster if we search from the skies I believe. An aerial view from outside the village would be sure to find her." Lance spoke surprising Ethan.
"You think Clair might have left the city?" Ethan asked not sure if he bought it.
"Of course, after all she already wanted to resign as Gym leader. I have no doubt she's already left." Lance said as Dragonite began to fly into the air.
"So long Ethan, I'll return to the city alongside Clair soon!" Lance yelled so Ethan could hear as he rose to the sky far enough Ethan could hardly see him.
Ethan reached into his backpack pulling out a Pokéball before tossing it. "Meganium come on out!"
"Megay!" Meganium shrieked happily before jumping to Ethan's side.
Ethan put his palm on her forehead welcoming her back. "Don't worry you haven't missed much Meganium... just Lance is searching past the city for Clair, he thinks she may have left once and for all."
The grass type took a minute to think about it before shaking her head insisting Clair was still in the city.
"You think so too huh, what'd you say we go and search for her?" Ethan asked.
"Meganium Meganium!" The starter agreed jumping up and down urgently twice.
I think I have a good idea where Clair may have went... Ethan thought as he remembered what just had occurred.
….
"You have not only dishonored our bloodline but also dishonored yourself. You are nothing compared to your sister Kris... you have changed since her passing for the worst and until you understand that you are no longer welcome in this family!" The old man yelled.
At his words Clair raised her head in shock before once again lowering it and nodding, not having any other words to say.
Lance barged in opening the sliding doors and turned to his cousin who turned to tears with her face lying on the floor.
"Clair!" He yelled going to her side, he put his arm around her back but she got up and ran crying out the door.
….
"Meganium, follow me cause we're going now!" Ethan yelled to his starter as he began to run as fast as he could.
"Meganium, Megay!" Meganium cried as she gave chase behind Ethan.
As he ran towards the city, he ended up bumping into someone knocking himself to the ground.
"Ow, Lenny!?" Ethan cried out as he looked over to the kid who was also knocked down.
"Heh, feels like we're always meeting like this!" Lenny chuckled.
"Yeah, and it's always my fault, so sorry." Ethan apologized as he helped the boy up.
"So, how'd it go back there?" Lenny asked. "If that eighth badge's any indication it must have gone well, right?"
Ethan looked down to the newly pinned badge to his chest before shaking his head no.
"I may have earned the badge, but your Great-grandfather sure made me work for it." Ethan explained. "But that's not the problem here, I'm looking for your cousin."
"Don't tell me, is Great-grandfather as mean as I hear some people say he is?" Lenny asked. "I hope he didn't hurt Clair."
Ethan sighed rubbing the back of his neck. "I, I wish I could say he didn't hurt Clair; she ran off somewhere crying I'm afraid."
"That's awful, never once have I seen Clair cry, she usually channels her sadness in other ways, as you've seen." Lenny said.
"So I'm going to go and look for her, Lance is on it himself but I'm going to help him." Ethan continued. "Isn't that right Meganium?"
"Meganium!" Meganium agreed.
"How'd you like to come with me Lenny, I know how much you care about Clair." Ethan said to which Lenny took a second to think about.
The kid turned from Ethan. "Sorry Ethan, but I just don't think I can do anymore..."
Neither Ethan or Meganium could believe it, after all Lenny had cared so much for Clair, was he also cutting her off.
"What are you talking about Lenny, how could you not care about the well-being of Clair!?" Ethan asked.
"Don't get me wrong, I do, and wish her nothing but the best, but it's just hard sometimes you know..." Lenny answered. "She told us multiple times she wants nothing to do with me and my brother, and although it makes me sad, I'm just tired of doing this over and over again."
"But you shouldn't cut her off Lenny, she's still family." Ethan pleaded which got a smile from Lenny.
"I never said I'm cutting her off Ethan. I have faith in my brother, and he has faith in you. I was worried at first you may have gone off on her but now I can see you really care about her well-being, so I'll leave it all to you." Lenny smiled as he began to walk away.
"Alright then Lenny, I promise I'll find her and help her to the best I can! She's not going anywhere!" Ethan promised as he waved goodbye.
"See you later, I'll hold you to your promise!" Lenny smiled as he began to run off to his home.
Ethan turned to his starter with a determined look. "You heard him Meganium, Lenny's placed his faith into us, that means we can't fail."
Meganium's eyes lit with equal determination and passion as she began to lead the way herself, with her Trainer following behind her.
From a far in a forested area outside the village. A woman kneeled down before a grave appearing to be paying her respects. She wore a black and maroon cape with beige shoulder pads, a two-tone blue and light blue skin-tight bodysuit, blue gloves with black bracelets on her wrist, and blue knee-length high heeled boots with black anklets. Ethan who was hiding in some bushes instantly recognized her as the lady he was looking for.
"Yup, that's definitely her, without a doubt, so Clair came over to Kris's grave site it seems, just like we imagined." Ethan whispered over to Meganium.
"Megay Megay..." Meganium whispered back.
The young Trainer could notice Clair had a look of sadness that didn't look the same as from when she was scolded by her Great-grandparent. Before he could put his finger on the difference his Pokégear began ringing.
"Crap that's too loud!" Ethan cried out instantly putting the Pokégear to silent. But to no surprise Clair heard it and got up from kneeling.
"Who goes there, show yourself!?" Clair asked looking around. She pulled a Pokéball prepared for the worst.
"Woah there, it's me, Ethan." Ethan said as he got up from the bushes alongside Meganium raising his hands palms facing up in a non-threatening manner. "I ugh, came to see you is all."
Clair returned her Pokéball and turned back facing her sister's grave as Ethan approached her from behind.
"I, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for how your Great-grandfather treated you, that wasn't right." Ethan said directly behind the Gym leader.
"Please don't bother..." Clair sighed. "You have nothing to apologize to me for..."
"Well, I'm sure you can tell now I hold no ill-will to you." Ethan replied. "I won't try and give you some half-assed clinical analysis like last time, I assure you."
"Then, are you here just to tell me that?" Clair asked to which Ethan shook his head.
"No, not just that, I just came to remind you, there are still people that care about you. Just because your Great-grandfather shuns you from the family doesn't mean that should matter to you, you still have Lance and Lenny and I'm sure many others."
"But Great-grandfather is the most powerful Trainer in the world, his word means a lot more than what anyone else possibly could. If he disowns me as his Great-granddaughter, then how can I face anyone in this family ever again."
"So, status means you have to leave?" Ethan asked. "Just because he stands at the top of the totem pole you have to take his word as final."
"It's not just his status... he was right about me..." Clair admitted. "Ever since the death of Kris I've turned away from the rest of my family, what right do I have to go back to them?"
"Every right, there your family and they'll forgive you no matter what." Ethan stated. "Even now forgiveness isn't the question, they were never mad at you."
"Well, they should have been, and even if they forgive me how can I forgive myself...?" Clair asked. "Since Kris I've changed for the worst and made everyone's lives around me harder, I mean, you've seen how I've done that with you..."
Ethan took a few steps forward standing side by side to the Gym leader standing in front of Kris's grave. "The course of forgiveness can be rough, but it's what leads to happiness, if you try and leave now blaming yourself then you'll never be at peace."
"Peace isn't what I desire, I don't know if I'll never be at peace, how could I after everything I've done... but standing at this grave, my biggest regret of all, how I've spoken about Kris all these years since..." Clair said with a single tear in her eye.
"I know... it was hard, but it was just how you delt with your grief. Everyone deals with grief differently..." Ethan began.
Clair dropped to her knees and clasped her hands together almost like praying. "But I genuinely felt that way for a while, I loved Kris, she meant the world to me... but when I found her there hung by that noose... and the note she had left behind... I was angry, angry how she could leave me behind like that."
"So, you closed yourself off..." Ethan responded.
"Yes, but deep down, no matter the countless things I've said... Kris." Clair said with streams of tears running down her face. "You'll always be my sister, no matter what I've said, I'll always love you..." Clair said wiping her tears.
Ethan dropped to his knees as well and put his hand on Clair's shoulder. "The first part to forgiving yourself is acknowledging where you went wrong... you're doing well Clair."
"But I already told you, I don't wish to forgive myself... I'm scum." Clair said.
Ethan tried to think about what he could say but only had one idea. He hadn't told anyone, but he figured it was time. "Clair, I want to tell you something, you're probably not going to believe me, but I want to get it off my chest..."
"W-what is it?" Clair asked focusing her attention back to Ethan.
Meganium walked by his side as she realized what he was about to say.
"Before you asked me why Kris means so much to me anyways, and the truth is I've met Kris before." Ethan explained.
"Well, I figured that..." Clair said before Ethan hushed her.
"Look, this is going to sound crazy, but it was about two months ago..." Ethan stated earning a look on confusion on Clair's face.
"What, what are you trying to say!?" She said almost looking angry. "My sister's dead Ethan, what are you saying!?"
"I know, I know it sounds insane and maybe even rude." Ethan said raising his hands in the air. "But I promise you I'm not trying to belittle you or Kris, I would never, so you can choose to believe me or not because I fully understand why you wouldn't."
Clair took a minute to think about it before nodding her head. "Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least hear you out..."
"It was back when I was in Ecruteak, I had just made one of the biggest regrets of my life, and just like you I hated myself for it." Ethan began.
"W-what did you do?" Clair inquired.
"W-well, it's not too important for what I'm trying to explain but, I lashed out on an old friend of mine trying to cut her off... but what's more important happens next." Ethan said. "A girl came to me when I was feeling down, she told me her name was Crystal, but most people could call her Kris."
"T-that's not possible, what'd she even look like?" Clair asked trying to decipher if Ethan was lying.
"She had teal hair, almost the same as you, she looked young, almost my age. And she was beautiful, sure, but more importantly she was really kind." Ethan said.
"Well, that does sound like her, but still, you can't seriously be trying to tell me she's alive." Clair said.
"No, I mean she disappeared right before my very eyes... and the next day when I asked about her to the Gym leader Morty, he told me that she passed, which I couldn't believe at the time." Ethan said.
"So, you're trying to tell me, Kris came from beyond the grave, for you?" Clair asked.
"Like I said, it's up for you to believe me or not, but if you don't feel free to hit me, slap me, punch or kick me, I won't try and stop you." Ethan said. "Meganium, don't do anything either, alright girl?"
"M-Megay..." Meganium uneasily agreed.
Clair raised her hand almost as if she was going to slap Ethan. As the boy closed his eyes and flinched, he was surprised to feel a gentle palm touching his cheek.
Ethan finally opened his eyes to see Clair with few tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Ethan, thank you for telling me that... you don't know how happy you've made me."
"That's what we want from you Clair, we want you to be happy..." Ethan replied.
Clair stood up and so did Ethan still watching Crystal's grave.
"Kris told me something when I felt very much like how you did... I'm a good person." Ethan told Clair. "And even if you may not feel like it, you're a good person as well."
"I wish I was Ethan, truly I do..." Clair sighed.
"Can you at least try and open up to your family, right now Lance is looking for you, it's not too late." Ethan said.
"I-I don't know..." Clair replied.
Ethan looked to his Pokégear and got an idea. He had talked so much of forgiveness, yet he had yet to forgive a certain person.
"Clair, so you know a bit about me yourself right, after all you know a bit about my father Allen." Ethan proclaimed.
"Yeah, sorry again for what I had said to you before about him-" Before she could finish Ethan interrupted her.
"Don't worry about it, I, I was mad at him, for the longest time, trying to cut myself off from him and I thought I was right to, he was always so distant, but I've realized now after meeting him recently he really does care about me, and I also realized over time I wasn't still mad at him, he told me not to come to Blackthorn since the Team Rocket incident back at Goldenrod, but I came anyway.." Ethan explained.
"You disobeyed your father's order?" Clair said.
"Yeah, and ever since coming here I've tried so hard to hide from him, so what do you say I give him a call." Ethan asked showing his Pokégear on his wrist.
"But why?" Clair asked.
"Because, if I can learn to forgive others and also myself, then so can you." Ethan stated as he dialed his father's number on his Pokégear. He was the one who just called him, and Ethan would be returning his call.
"Megay Megay?" Meganium said asking Ethan if it was the time.
"Yeah, I've thought about it for enough time and he deserves to know, if he doesn't already..." Ethan said petting Meganium on the head.
Meganium smiled and nodded her head. It was time.
Ethan dialed Allen's number and gave him a call to which Allen quickly answered.
"Ethan, is everything alright, I called you twice but both times you didn't answer." Allen said as his son prepared his words.
"Dad, you don't have to pretend anymore... I know you know the truth." Ethan responded.
There was a long pause before Allen finally answered. "I figured from our last phone call as much, so you did come to Blackthorn."
"I did." Ethan replied.
"But I told you it wasn't safe, you disobeyed me, Ethan." Allen said with an enforcing tone.
"I know what you said, but I felt differently..." Ethan answered.
"Where are you, we need to talk about this face to face." Allen vocalized.
"Sure, I'll meet you at the Pokémon Center later today, how's that sound?" Ethan asked.
"Fine." Allen agreed. "But let me ask you one thing, why are you telling me the truth?"
"I won't lie to you dad, despite you used to being my idol, in the past few years I've begun to hate you..." Ethan said which was something no father wished to hear.
"I-I see..." Allen replied.
"But you should know I understand now that I'm older you do care, you didn't want me coming to Blackthorn for safety's sake. And overtime I've also realized something, my hatred for you was skin-deep, and I needed to move past it. I was only ever mad at you because I missed you, so I forgive you dad. I'm not mad at you anymore, it's all beneath us now." Ethan remarked.
"We, we should really talk face to face... see you then..." Allen said as he hanged up the call. His voice almost sounded like it was breaking up right before.
"How's that for forgiveness?" Ethan asked to Clair looking up from his Pokégear after the call.
Clair turned away from Ethan not looking him in the eyes. "But... but you don't really mean that do you, you're just doing that to prove a point."
"Like I said, the course of forgiveness can be rough, but it's the first step. You have to take that first step yourself Clair." Ethan told the Dragon tamer.
Clair smiled and reached her hand out. "Would, would you hand me the badge I gave you?" She asked.
Ethan listened instantly and took off the pinned Rising badge leaving it in her hands and so began.
"Ethan, if not clear when I apologized to you earlier, I didn't really mean it, I said what I said since I was scared of Great-grandfather." Clair confessed.
"But I already forgive you Clair, I don't need an apology." Ethan replied.
Clair shook her head and smiled. "This isn't an apology, it's a thank you." Clair smiled as she reached and grabbed the chest of Ethan's jacket.
"What, what are you doing?" Ethan asked feeling confused.
"Since you've defeated me in battle, and also as thanks for cheering me up, I hereby confer this Rising badge to you, congratulations for your eighth badge Ethan." Clair said smiling as she pinned the badge back on to Ethan's jacket.
The boy chuckled and turned to Meganium. "Alright Meganium, I got the Rising badge!"
"Megay Megay!" Meganium smiled.
There we have it, loved writing this chapter and have planned for something like this the moment the plot entered Blackthorn, more chapters coming soon, I promise.