Andrew sat down on Cheren's bed. Cheren stood in front of his dad's old tv, fiddling with the antennae.
"Try changing the channel!" Cheren suggested, he was tired of the old piece of junk. Andrew picked up the remote and pointed it at the tv.
"Which one?"
"It's coming on seventy."
Andrew changed the channel. The screen flickered, displaying a fairground.
"Yes!" Cheren hurried to the bed.
He sat down, watching intently.
A female reporter was onscreen, talking about the upcoming challenge against the champion.
Alder appeared in the background, chewing on some kind of sandwich. Cheren's face lit up. Alder noticed the camera and ran over.
His grinning face filled the screen.
"Hello, Unova!" He yelled. The boys watched together for an hour before Cheren's mother called them down for dinner.
Cheren begrudgingly left the room. He paused in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder.
Alder sent out his Volcarona.
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Cheren kicked a tree. He grunted but ignored the stunning pain.
He'd marched all the way out onto Route 5. His temper tantrum drew the attention of several passersby but no one interfered.
He sat down against the tree and rubbed his temples.
Who did he think he was? He thought about his dad, crying in his chair.
Was he told the same thing?
Did Alder look him in the eye and tell him to give up on his dreams.
Cheren's balled fists were turning white. His eyes turned up towards the sky. The sun was still high.
It was getting cloudy. He noticed Andrew approaching. He watched as he came to a stop and sat down in front of him.
"Hey, Cheren."
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Cheren stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He ran out into the woods, ignoring a flock of Pidove he startled on the way.
The stones and sticks stung his bare feet.
Patches of moonlight peeked through the canopy of trees above.
"Cheren!" His father shouted from the house. "Come back!"
He pushed through brush, small branches cutting his arms.
He ran for a few minutes, coming to a stop at a river. He slowly caught his breath.
Who did his father think he was? Cheren sat down.
Encouraging him one day, telling him it's pointless the next. How useless could a father be?
He watched the river run for a few minutes. He heard footsteps and tensed up.
"Cheren?" Andrew appeared from the brush behind Cheren.
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"What do you want?" Cheren asked. Andrew shrugged.
"Just checking on you, I guess. We never get to talk." Cheren leaned back against the tree.
"I'm not in the mood, to be honest with you."
"Are you in the mood for Bianca?" Andrew pulled his xtransceiver from his pocket. "She told me to tell as soon as I found you. We both know how she gets."
Cheren sighed.
"What do you want to talk about?"
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"Are you okay?" Andrew asked.
"Leave me alone," Cheren hissed.
"Hey, you know dad didn't mean any of that," Andrew sat down next to Cheren.
"Whatever."
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"Come on," Andrew said. "Who cares what that old guy says."
"I don't care what he said!" Cheren shouted. "I don't care."
"You look like you care, I care." Andrew tapped his finger against his leg. "I don't get why he would say something like that. Maybe he's just a jerk. He wasn't like that in the desert… Well, I guess he kind of was."
"Maybe he's just telling it as he sees it," Cheren said. "He watched us put our all and wasn't impressed. Maybe our whole generation of trainers is worthless. Maybe I'm worthless."
.
"I wanna be someone! I can't just stay in this stupid town and grow old!"
"But, you are someone," Andrew said absentmindedly. "And you're like ten."
"You know what I mean!" Cheren threw a rock into the river. "Why does he act like just because he couldn't do it, I'm just doomed to be a failure." Cheren buried his face in his hands.
"Who cares what he thinks,"
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Cheren looked up at Andrew.
"But dad—"
"Dad doesn't know what he's talking about half the time!" Andrew was shouting. "Who cares what he says!"
"He's the champion. He probably knows what he's talking about."
Andrew scoffed.
"It's because he's the champion. Don't you see? He's scared!"
"What?"
"He's trying to demotivate you, so he doesn't lose his spot. He thinks he can scare you!" Cheren blinked. "Cheren…"
"You're the most incredible smart person I know." Cheren got up.
"You don't know that many people." Cheren smiled. Andrew crossed his arms.
"I know plenty of people." Andrew got up as well. The two of them exchanged banter as they returned to Nimbasa.
The boys went home.
"Cheren!" Bianca pulled Cheren into a hug. "That stupid old guy was such a jerk! Why did he say that?"
Mary and Kenya stood behind her. Cheren and Andrew met them outside of the Nimbasa pokemon center. Andrew and Kenya shared a nod.
"I can't believe the champion is such a jerk," Mary commented. Kenya grunted. Cheren pulled away from Bianca and looked the group over.
"Thanks."
"What?" Bianca raised her eyebrows. Cheren smiled.
"You guys are my best friends. I'm just… Glad I've had you with me."
"Me too?" Mary asked. Cheren scratched his head.
"I don't really know who you are but sure, why not."
"Me too then?" Kenya blurted out. Andrew rolled his eyes.
"Nah, I don't think I like you." Cheren smiled at her. Kenya mumbled something to herself, Andrew elbowed her.
"Hey!" Juniper appeared, walking up the street. "I was hoping to find all of you!" She waved dramatically. The kids watched as she approached. She stopped in front of them. "How are you kids doing?"
"Aren't you the pokemon professor?" Mary asked. Juniper beamed.
"That's me." Her eyes shifted through the group, pausing on Andrew. "I wanted you to know how proud I am of the three of you." She patted Cheren on the back. "I'm so proud to have the three of you as my assistants."
"Assistants?" Kenya asked.
"Yeah," Bianca said. "She gave the three of us pokemon."
"I didn't tell you that?" Andrew asked.
"I'll be on my way now," Juniper said. "I'm on my way to Mistralton right now. I'll see you kids soon." She walked away.
"I'm so tired," Kenya mumbled. The group split up.
Mary and Bianca went to the diner. Kenya went to the pokemon center.
Cheren had his pokemon healed and headed back out onto Route 5. The sun was starting to disappear on the horizon.
"Cheren, wait up!" Andrew followed after him. Cheren stopped and turned around. Andrew was out of breath doubled over.
"What's up?"
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"She's not coming back!" Nathan rushed across the room, shoving Andrew. "It's all your fault! You stole my mom!" Nathan stormed out of the room. Cheren watched him disappear downstairs.
"You're Andrew, right?" Cheren appeared at Andrew's bedroom door. He stared intently at him. Andrew was seated on the edge of his bed, crying. "Why are you so gloomy?"
"I wanna go home." Cheren slipped into the room.
"My mom said you're gonna be living here for a long time. I guess we should be friends." Andrew hugged his knees to his chest. He put his head down. "Hey, don't you want to be friends?" Cheren sat down on the bed next to Andrew.
"Just leave me alone." Andrew shifted away. Cheren frowned.
"I heard your brother," he said. "He was really mad." Andrew sniffled, wiping his eyes. "I think it'll be okay."
He awkwardly patted Andrew on the back. The two of them were silent for a few minutes. "Um. Do you want to go play in the woods?"
Andrew raised his head.
"There's a Scraggy I've been trying to catch for a few months."
"I guess." The two of them headed out of the house. Nathan was on the couch.
He looked up at the two of them. Andrew avoided eye contact.
The two of them spent the afternoon finding and chasing a Scraggy around the forest.
Bianca caught the Scraggy, interrupting their chase. This was Cheren's first encounter with the girl.
The three of them later enrolled in Juniper's temporary trainer school. Over the few years the classes lasted.
The three of them grew as close as siblings.
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Andrew wiped his brow.
"I wanted to see you before you left."
"Again?" Cheren smirked. "Is this gonna be a trend?"
"I hope you do it, Cheren. I hope you beat that Jerk, Alder."
"And I hope you beat Drayden."
"I guess that's it," Andrew admitted. "See you later." Cheren nodded and headed out with a new sense of determination.