Star in the Storm, Chapter 16

Everything Changes

The Pallet Lab was abuzz with noise early the next morning. Wary of cramming so many people into the modest dining room, Professor Koreyu and Rowan Chimera had moved the entire gathering outside for breakfast. Pika and Bryar bickered over who would have the honor of flipping the pancakes and ended up spilling syrup all over the kitchen floor, as well as breaking several dishes. Last Drake had seen, Rowan was staring wide-eyed at the mess in her house while both Pikachu and Meganium apologized profusely.

Nobody had noticed a fiery-haired, twelve year-old boy slip away and make his way onto the laboratory roof. Now, with the wind whipping at his face and arms, Drake retrieved his harmonica from his pocket and ran the edge of his shirt across its worn surface. Fireball sat silently at the boy's side, red armband scarves flapping in the breeze.

"You know, Fireball," Drake said as he polished his harmonica. "There are some times I wish we had never left Charicific Valley."

The Charmander's stormy grey eyes smoldered. Because of its fierce facial expressions, many people thought Fireball was perpetually edgy. Drake knew that wasn't the case. It was just that smiles didn't seem to fit right on Fireball's face.

Drake often thought Fireball had the soul of a mighty Charizard confined within the body of a small Charmander, not unlike its mother, Dragonet, before it. If Charm had gotten the level-headedness and peaceful nature of its family, Dragonet had received amazing strength and a forceful warrior spirit.

Fireball said few words, and when it did speak, its sentences were always to the point. "Your wanderer's spirit would have never allowed it," it replied to Drake's earlier statement.

Drake grinned at his Charmander friend. Giving his harmonica one last shining, he thought about playing "A Real Master," the song he had sung bits of for Roary the night before. As one of his own compositions, "A Real Master" had always been one of Drake's favorite songs. In fact, it was the very song he had played in order to guide Lody and her friends safely into the Valley.

But thinking about Lody was too painful.

Bringing the harmonica to his mouth, Drake proceeded to play the song he had been in the middle of last night, one by the name of "Everything Changes." Drake had played for a long time after creeping back to the roof at the conclusion of the adults' midnight meeting.

Drake Flamefoe was an avid harmonica musician and frequently played for hours on end without realizing it. More often than not, he would play deep into the night, even after a cacophony of Charizard snores drowned out his harmonica. The only one who never fell asleep while Drake was playing was Fireball. Fireball never fell asleep before Drake did, or at least Drake didn't think it did.

Rumor had it that Fireball's warrior mother, Dragonet, had taught him to sleep with one eye open. Drake, of course, had never confirmed this himself, but had learned not to form expectations of his Pokémon friend. Dragonet had taught Fireball many things before she lost her life to poachers in the Valley.

When Fireball was still very young, Dragonet had borne the Charmander off to a secret part of the Valley for several years. When Fireball returned, it was as skilled as its mother in combat and fluent in Human speak. Unfortunately, Fireball had lost its ability to communicate in Charicific or any PokéDialect at this time. Feeling poachers would be more wary of a talking Pokémon, Dragonet had forbidden her child to speak anything but Human.

Now, as Drake played, his notes felt heavy and leaden in the air. With a sigh, he broke off the song entirely and leaned with his hands back against the rooftop.

Fireball's tail flame flickered, not from the wind, but from its human friend's unease. For a pair who were not Pokémon and trainer, Drake and Fireball shared a very close bond. "You wish we'd never come here, to Pallet Town," Fireball said, voicing Drake's thoughts. "Why, Drake?"

The boy shrugged offhandedly, but Fireball's probing stare forced him to go on. "It's not Pallet Town, Fireball," he said honestly. "We've been to many towns like Pallet before, and I never minded any of them."

The Charmander nodded slowly. "Then what is troubling you –is it hearing Kayley Mindstar's name once more?"

For a moment, both boy and Pokémon were silent, Fireball in waiting, Drake in a flood of memories.

It had been so long since he had last heard the name Kayley Mindstar, yet that one name had turned his entire life upside-down years ago.

Drake's father, Ashkoa Flamefoe, had spent his childhood in Pallet, the town of his birth. Upon turning ten years of age and becoming a Pokémon trainer, like most boys of the time, Ashkoa had selected a Charmander named Blazer as his first Pokémon. With his outgoing disposition and extensive knowledge of Pokémon, Ashkoa was often whispered to be Pallet's most favored trainer, the one most likely to earn the town another spot in the Champion Hall of Fame.

Ashkoa and Blazer, as everyone expected, were off to an extremely good start. They were well into their Pokémon journey when a newcomer arrived in Pallet Town.

This new trainer, a feisty girl named Kayley Mindstar, had heard of Pallet's shining reputation for producing promising new trainers. Since she had no hometown for which to claim allegiance to, she chose to make Pallet her own. Though others were wary of her sudden appearance, Kayley was eventually accepted as a trainer of Pallet, even though she had possessed no connection to the town beforehand.

Like Ashkoa, Kayley's favored Pokémon was a Charmander. From their very first meeting, an intense rivalry ensued between the two trainers. Ashkoa never felt as seriously about this rivalry as Kayley, teasing her only in playful jest and even letting her defeat him at the Pokémon League. But as the two trainers grew older and older, Ashkoa began seeing less and less of Kayley Mindstar.

Ashkoa trained hard and won many battles, whereas Kayley's name slowly disappeared from the record-book of promising young trainers. While Ashkoa was off defeating as many Gym Leaders as possible, Kayley had begun to lose connection with Pallet Town itself.

Once, after both Ashkoa and Kayley had turned twelve, he had met the other trainer in Pallet once again. The girl had been ranting on and on about "sacrifices" and something called the "Keeper." Ashkoa, of course, did not understand a word of what she was saying. Over the years, he grew increasingly concerned about Kayley and her strange new secrets.

As time passed, Ashkoa became a highly-skilled trainer. He and his loyal Charizard, Blazer, could make many formidable opponents lay down their PokéBalls and surrender, simply on sight!

After a while, Drake was born and Ashkoa was forced to postpone his Pokémon mastery dream for several years. When Drake grew old enough, he traveled with his father to many exciting Pokémon matches and distant battle arenas. With his father, young Drake met more famous Gym Leaders and Pokémon battlers than most trainers could ever hope to see in their entire lives.

Finally, Ashkoa challenged the current League Champion. In an intense battle that had young Drake sitting on the edge of his seat, Ashkoa Flamefoe defeated the most powerful trainer in the League, thereby claiming the title of Champion for himself. Though he had only been a toddler at the time, Drake could still see the look of elation upon his father's face as clearly as if he had only won yesterday.

Three days of exhilarating bliss followed. Enthusiastic parties were thrown in Pallet Town, and Ashkoa's name was carved into the League's prestigious Hall of Fame. Even as a mere toddler, Drake had glowed in pride for his father.

Then, on the last of those three days, a strange person came to visit Ashkoa Flamefoe. Drake had instantly sensed something uncanny about the stranger and had hidden himself under the kitchen table. When Ashkoa had found him there, hours later, Drake was shaking so badly that his father had to carry him out.

With a troubled face, Ashkoa informed his son that something had happened to Kayley Mindstar, a trainer he had thought disappeared long ago. Telling Drake not to concern himself, Ashkoa took his son to Liza of Charicific Valley, an old family friend. Promising Drake he would return as soon as he found Kayley, Ashkoa left his son in the care of the Valley.

Drake never saw his father again.

When he grew old enough, Drake often asked Liza if his father had found Kayley yet and would be coming back soon. Liza never answered his questions directly, just got a worried look on her face and told him to go play with the Charizard.

After a while, Drake stopped asking questions. And a while after that, he went off into the world with his new Charmander friend, Fireball.

In the meantime, many fanciful legends had sprouted up about Ashkoa's sudden absence. The title of Champion had been given to another, and Ashkoa's name was forever branded next to the title of "Three-Day Champion." Some thought Ashkoa Flamefoe had left the Pokémon League to seek even greater challenges across the ocean. No one knew the truth, save Drake, Liza, and Fireball, whom Drake had confided in.

There might have been a time when Drake had wanted to be a Pokémon trainer like his father, but whatever remained of that wish disappeared along with Ashkoa Flamefoe. Instead, Drake became a wandering musician, traveling the regions for songs and keeping an ear out for any mention of his father or Kayley Mindstar.

And now that it had finally come, Drake was experiencing extremely mixed feelings upon its arrival.

Some of it was anger, yes. Drake was angry with his father for leaving him to go off on a wild goose chase for Kayley Mindstar. And if Ashkoa Flamefoe were still alive and well, Drake would be even angrier that he had not come back to Charicific Valley for him. But Drake had always hoped this would be the case, for the alternative was far worse.

Drake could forgive his father, in time. But not if Ashkoa was gone.

But then, it was not his father he had found at last, but Kayley Mindstar. Did Kayley know Ashkoa had been looking for her right before his disappearance? Drake shuddered to think that Kayley might have played a hand in it herself.

Ashkoa Flamefoe had been a very powerful trainer. There were many, Drake supposed, that wanted Ashkoa out of their way. For all he knew, Kayley Mindstar was a conspirator. Or was Kayley simply a pawn Ashkoa had used, given as an excuse to abandon his son? Drake scoffed at this idea, but some part within him still feared the worse.

Drake, after all, could barely even remember his father's voice.

"Fireball," he said softly, breaking the silence between them. "Fireball, when this is all over, will you come with me to visit Kayley Mindstar?"

The Charmander gave Ashkoa a slow nod of its head, nothing more.

"I appreciate it, Fireball," Drake grinned, feeling revitalized by the simple gesture. Without hesitation, he began to play the same song he had broken off before, the one about changing. Some people thought the song sounded sad, but Drake danced over the notes as lightly and spiritedly as he had ever played before.

He was so involved in his playing, in fact, that he failed to notice a soft pattering of footsteps on the staircase below.

"That's a beautiful song," a familiar voice said as Drake finished at last. Sea-green eyes sparkling and red bandanna flapping in the wind, Charm sat down between Drake and Fireball, gazing out above the rooftop.

"I can see why you come up to the roof," Charm said after several minutes. "It's so peaceful. You can see all of Pallet Town from up here."

Drake nodded with a smile, following Charm's gaze. Even in the thirty years since Ashkoa's time, Pallet Town still remained the small, idyllic village it had always been. Time had done nothing to change the dirt paths and picturesque houses that lined the gently sloping hills. Shading his eyes, Drake looked far over the horizon in the direction of the Viridian Forest, which bordered Pallet to the north.

A wide line of trees had been chopped down years ago, creating a crooked scar of a path in the middle of the forest. Drake knew that this path made it easier for travelers to move to and fro between Pallet and Viridian, but just the sight of such defacement made him flinch.

The Kanto and Johto regions had long been famous for the beauty of their wildernesses and the wide variety of Pokémon they hosted. Now, with the introduction of pesticides and booming industry, what had once been held as so precious had been thrown away without a care. The Safari Zone, one of the last refuges for rare Wild Pokémon, was shut down nearly two decades ago, and Pokémon that were once common, such as Spinarak, Weedle, and Caterpie, had dwindled to sparse numbers hiding in secluded woods and meadows.

Drake had never thought much of Pokémon trainers, and he didn't particularly enjoy watching Pokémon battles. But sometimes, he wondered if the Pokémon trainers of the past had unconsciously helped to raise environmental awareness through their need for Pokémon. Now that the trainers were declining, so were many of the Pokémon.

Charm was still a moment longer, watching a scraggy flock of Spearow make its way across the sky. "I believe I recognized the song you were playing before, Drake," it said finally, turning its gaze away from the horizon. "Is it called 'Everything Changes'?"

"Yeah," Drake confirmed. "I learned it from another traveling musician like myself. Not a harmonica player like I am; a singer. She sang the words to me first, and I picked up the tune on my harmonica."

"Do you still remember those words?" Charm asked curiously. "I'd like to know what they are."

The boy smiled at the Charmander, for Drake Flamefoe never forgot a song, whether it be tune or lyrics. In a clear voice, he sang, keeping his eyes out on the distant forest-lined horizon. When he reached the final three lines of the song, before the chorus, Drake's voice slowed and quieted to a heavy whisper.

"Every little step that you embrace,

One road ends, another begins and

Takes you to a better place."

Breaking off, he looked at Charm and Fireball, managing a weak smile. "It's a very pensive song, don't you think?" he said in a light voice.

"Indeed," Charm agreed. "But not melancholy. Keep moving on and things will get better. Has that been true for either of you? Drake and Fireball?"

"Change can be for the better," Drake shrugged. Looking out to the distant forest, he added, "Or for the worse. What's true is that we can't always keep it from happening."

The gray-eyed Charmander nodded its head slowly. "Your future is what you make it, Uncle Charm," Fireball stated. "You accept the change at times or you fight it at others. There isn't always an obvious road to follow."

Charm took in all they had said with a blink and a cock of its head. "I think both of you are more thoughtful than you let on," it teased gently. "I just want you to know, everything you've done for Lody and the others is greatly appreciated. And Drake, what you have done for so many of Charicific Valley's inhabitants also has much value."

Putting an arm around Fireball's shoulder, Drake let loose an easy grin. "I'm just as grateful to you, Charm," he said. "Me and Fireball both."

Untying the red bandanna from around its neck, Charm laid the cloth upon the roof and began to sort through its folds. In time, the Charmander emerged with a small, glittering object not unlike, Drake thought, the badges trainers were awarded at the Pokémon League.

"This," Charm said, placing the small object in Drake's palm, "is the Scarletflame Emblem. I've had it for many years, and would be much obliged if you would take it."

The boy scrutinized the sparkling orangey-red badge carefully. Looking back to Charm, he smiled crookedly. "I thank you for your offer, Charm, but I am not a Pokémon trainer." With a bow of his head, he extended the Emblem back to its original owner.

"Oh, Drake! The Scarletflame Emblem isn't a Pokémon badge!" Charm laughed, shaking its head. "There are only six such Emblems existing in the entire world! Whoever wins all six unlocks a very special surprise. Emblems, Drake, can only be given to those who have proven themselves worthy, whether they are human or Pokémon."

With a kind smile, Charm gently pushed the Emblem back to Drake. "So do take it, with my gratitude," it said to the boy. "As I took it from my trainer, Kayley Mindstar, before me."

Drake felt like Charicific Valley's biggest Charizard had just knocked him flat on the ground with its enormous tail. "Kayley Minstar was your trainer?" he asked in a shocked voice. "Oh, Charm, you've been at Charicific Valley for years! How do I miss out on these things!"

A garbled shout from below interrupted Drake's dizzying revelation. Forgetting its bandanna, Charm rushed back down the stairs, Drake and Fireball hot on its heels.

Bursting out through the door, Drake spotted one of Charicific Valley's fleetest Charizard, Tindertorch, engaged in a rapid conversation with Rowan Chimera. After only a few short words in Charicific, Rowan's eyes grew wide, and she hugged the surprised Charizard gratefully around the neck.

"Lody's been spotted!" she yelled loudly. "In the Johto region, at Mahogany Town!"

In a flash, Roary Ketchum was out front and center, Picassy on her shoulder and a cry in their throats. "We're up and ready for action!" she announced, pumping a fist into the air.

"Pic, ic!" Picassy crowed, waving its arms about triumphantly.

Behind them, Amulet emerged, eyes shining and step steady. "We've found Lody, we've really found her," she said, with the first smile Drake had seen on her face in a long time.

As Roary, Amulet, and Picassy seated themselves on the Charizard Stray for the long ride to Mahogany, Drake and Fireball were approached by an anxious Rowan.

"There isn't enough room for all of you on Stray," she said. "And Tindertorch is exhausted. Would you mind, Drake and Fireball, if you had to wait for the next Charizard in?"

Drake turned to his Charmander friend. Both of them shook their heads simultaneously. "We'll get up there soon enough, right Fireball?" he asked, clasping hand-to-paw with his friend. "Because the Charizard at Charicific Valley…"

"Are the biggest, quickest, and strongest in the world!" both human and Pokémon proclaimed together.

And in the meantime, Drake thought, he would steel himself for Kayley Mindstar. For after Lody's return, he would meet Kayley at last.

"Your future is what you make it," Fireball had said to Charm. Drake just hoped he had the sense not to screw it up.

Notes:

"Everything Changes" is a real Pokémon song (I think the only place you can find it is on the 2BA Master CD, though) and it is most definitely copyrighted. Once again, I acknowledge this and am not attempting to plagiarize.