Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 74: No more secrets
After finding the disgraced Gym leader Clair finally mourning the loss of her sister Ethan tried his best to form a bond with her and help her through his troubles to which she surprisingly heard him out.
"So here we are." Ethan said as he entered the city parameters along with Meganium and Clair by his side.
"Did... you call my brother?" Clair asked to the boy.
"I figure you should, take the first step Clair." Ethan told the Gym leader. "I mean he's still looking for you."
"Alright then." Clair said as she took a few steps in front of Ethan before turning around.
"Anything the matter?" Ethan asked.
"It's nothing, one last time I just wanted to thank you... for everything." Clair said taking two steps back before turning around and heading off to her gym presumably. "I've got to head back and give Lance a call, bye."
"See you!" Ethan said as he waved his hand bye. He then turned to his starter with a happy look on his face.
"So, we're finally hear at the Center." Ethan said as he took a glance towards the Pokémon Center to the right of him.
"Meganium." Meganium replied curorious to how Ethan would feel, meeting with his dad again.
….
"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..."
….
"I guess they'll be no more secrets between me and my dad Meganium, let's go." The boy said as he entered the Center.
"Welcome to the Pokémon Center how may I help you?" The Nurse Joy at the front desk asked as Ethan walked up to her. Upon realizing who he was her face contorted with confusion. "Wait a minute, weren't you hear a little earlier?"
"Oh, ugh, well, some stuff happened since then." Ethan said rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd like for you to take a look at my Pokémon please, here they are."
Ethan reached into his bag pulling out all his Pokéballs excluding Meganium's and Gyarados's.
"Togetic!" Togetic exclaimed spinning around Ethan.
"Amphar, Ampharos!" Ampharos squealed.
"Espe!" Espeon purred.
"Hera Hera!" Heracross screeched.
"Hey guys, you all know what to do, go follow Nurse Joy and she'll take care of you guys." Ethan told his Pokémon as they followed behind Nurse Joy to a back room.
"They'll be in perfect shape in about a few hours, be back then." Nurse Joy said with a smile turning back as she walked to face Ethan.
"Thanks for that." Ethan replied. The Pokémon walked in a single file line behind her but Meganium ran back towards Ethan looking worried.
"Megay?" She asked in a wonderous tone.
Her Trainer knew what she was trying to ask and could feel her concern. "Don't worry about me Meganium, if anything happens I've still got Gyarados with me since he didn't battle."
"Meganium!" Meganium said shaking her head no crossing her two vines.
"Alright alright, trust me Meganium, everything's going to be fine, I'm just going to talk with dad for a bit, and then when we're done I'll return for you guys, believe me when I say I'll be fine, kay girl?" Ethan said petting the Herb Pokémon on her scalp making her smile.
Meganium quickly scurried back walking behind Espeon as the team followed Nurse Joy into the back room.
"Now I've just got to wait for dad to get here..." Ethan quietly said under his breath, but to his surprise felt a hand touch his shoulder startling him.
"Looks like you won't have to wait much longer Ethan, cause I'm right here." Ethan scared turned around seeing his dad. Never did he think he'd be relieved to see the man but here he was.
"Whew, it's just you..." Ethan sighed.
"Just me?" Allen said placing his hands on his hips. "You shouldn't be so calm kid, you're in big trouble you know that?"
"I'm sure, can we talk about it over dinner though, I'm starving..." Ethan said opening the door to the Pokémon Center which caught his dad a bit off guard.
"Um... well, I guess we can." Allen shrugged as he followed behind his son.
Right after there meeting at the Center, Ethan and Allen went over to a restaurant which sold only stew, but Ethan didn't care, he was hungry.
"Here you two are, please enjoy!" The waitress said placing two bowls of stew at their tables. The place was a small establishment with only three tables. Ethan and Allen sat apart from each other on the table taking glances at their meals.
"Tentacruel ink stew huh." Ethan said picking up a spoonful and putting it in his mouth. It tasted oddly bitter not to mention also salty but the boy didn't care. Ever since starting his journey the boy rarely got to eat real food so he wouldn't complain.
"This is so good; it has a pretty good aftertaste!" Ethan exclaimed which made the waitress who was attending another table smile.
Allen took one spoon fill before almost gagging on it. He slid his bowl over to his son not wanting another taste of it.
"So... like I said, we really need to talk." Allen said as Ethan continued eating.
"Yeah, sorry for lying to you all this time." Ethan said taking a break from eating to talk with his dad.
"Can you just, can you just tell me why, why did you feel the need to lie to me, or to disobey me, you know what I said was serious?" Allen asked.
Ethan looked down not able to see his dad in the eyes as he answered. "I don't know, I guess I didn't want... this."
"What do you mean, this?" Allen replied confused.
"Well, firstly I did want to go to New Bark Town along with mom, I wanted to take care of Bayleef and help her recover steadily from her injury, but something happened." Ethan stated.
"I know, she evolved..." Allen muttered.
"No not that, I mean, sure she evolved but it was only through that I realized something." Ethan answered. "It was my journey, and I wouldn't let anyone halt it."
"But at the stake of your starter's life?" Allen said. "I know you're not selfish Ethan."
"You didn't let me finish, at first I was really going along with what you told me, but Meganium refused, and mom told me I should go, as long as I made sure Meganium slowly got back into battle at least." Ethan explained. "It was through that I realized my resolve."
"So, you have your eighth badge now, you know what that means, right?" Allen asked changing the subject making Ethan nod.
"Yup, I've got to go back home, right?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, you have to leave immediately, what would you have done if you got into another encounter with Team Rocket?" Allen asked. "You're so impulsive, I didn't just tell you to stay behind cause of Meganium you know?"
"You mean you wanted to have me stay home to keep me safe, I figured that already." Ethan responded.
"At the end of the day I was right, really Ethan, what would you have done if you got back into a situation like back during Goldenrod. Team Rocket's still around and their dangerous, and you now know what happens to people who go against them." Allen said trying his hardest not to raise his voice.
"Yeah I know... I know..." Ethan sighed. He turned to his bowl and took another spoon fill of Tentacruel stew.
"Are you even taking this seriously Ethan?" Allen asked a bit irritated with his son.
"Sorry, I don't want to sound like I'm not taking this serious, but at the end of the day I've got five other Pokémon who can battle for me in case I encounter Team Rocket, so I never found it to be a problem, at least a real one." Ethan replied.
"Well it is Ethan, and that's why you've got to leave, you've already got your eighth badge, isn't that enough?" Allen asked.
"I already told you I am, in two days from now Professor Elm's going to be coming by helicopter to take me back home, does that work with you?" Ethan asked.
"Better than nothing." Allen exhaled. It was silent between the two for about a minute before the waitress came back.
"Everything alright? Can I get you boys anything?" She asked with a pen and notepad.
"I'm fine, you Ethan?" Allen asked to his son.
"Nope, thank you." Ethan replied.
"Alright, I'll check back on you guys in a minute." The lady said walking away to another table.
With their silence broken Allen continued on with his questions.
"You know, you forgot to answer me one thing Ethan." He spoke.
"What is it?" Ethan asked finishing his first bowl.
"You never told me why you felt the urge to lie to me, about coming to Blackthorn and all." Allen uttered.
"Shouldn't you know why, for this very reason, I knew you'd probably try to stop me from taking the badge." Ethan answered which didn't drop the look of disappointment from his dad.
"Ethan... I'm your father..." Allen spoke speaking softly. "You don't have to lie to me, ever, you should know that."
"For the longest time, it didn't feel like that." Ethan admitted, he was facing his father eye to eye when he said that but stopped as he spoke those words.
"Back when we spoke on the phone, you said you realized that your hatred for me was skin-deep." Allen began. "But is that really true, what do you think of me now, Ethan?"
Ethan didn't know how to respond. He didn't feel any hatred or contempt for the man at all but at the same time didn't have an answer, he just sat there with a blank face.
"Ethan!" Allen said slightly raising his voice bringing the boy back.
"S-sorry..." Ethan apologized.
"How do you feel about me now, answer me?" Allen said in a more stern tone before Ethan finally prepared an answer. "Just get everything of your chest, alright."
Ethan had imagined this moment for years at this point, he used to imagine giving his father a piece of his minds but what he said before was true. He didn't hate the man sitting before him, instead of reciting what he had imagined for so long he instead came up with something new.
"You're my dad, but that doesn't mean you control my life." Ethan said pointing his spoon at his father. "I'm going back to New Bark Town on my own accord, and not because you told me. This doesn't mean I hate you, but you need to understand just because you're my father doesn't mean you can just come back into my life and think you can own me."
Allen was now unable to look Ethan in the eye as he thought of what to say next. "But... you know what I do, having to support the family, and having to face criminals like Team Rocket all the time..." Was the only thing he could utter, an excuse.
"I get that, but now that I'm a Trainer it's my time to experience that, alright, I'm not a kid anymore." Ethan said taking the last spoon fill of the second serving of Tentacruel ink stew.
"Fine... I get it..." Allen said with his voice losing all its sternness. He tapped his finger alongside the table before continuing with his sentence. "Do you think... things can ever return to how they were?"
"That's for you to decide." Ethan answered without hesitation. "What do you think, dad?"
"I..." Before he could finish the waitress came back with a check after taking the two bowls from the table.
"Here's your check, it's five thousand Poké Dollars." The waitress said as she left again to another table.
"Ugh, at least it's cheap..." Allen sighed laying his back against his chair.
"You want to pay?" Ethan asked, the check was on the middle of the table but he slid it towards his father.
"Woah woah, hold on, didn't you say you're not a kid anymore, it was your choice to come here, so pay up." Allen said suddenly giving a sly grin.
"Y-you know what, fine." Ethan said pulling out five thousand Poké Dollars and slamming it on the table. "Here, let's go."
"Let's." Allen said getting up from the table, as he followed behind Ethan he began to ponder from the answer his son had given him.
Will things ever be the same between us... He wondered.
Kind of a short chapter but I suppose it fits here, Ethan finally has that talk with his father he wasn't able to have which I think works here since the two don't have the best history together...