Another week passed past my tenth birthday. All that was happening was grieving, while I was struggling to keep up with what little schoolwork I had. My father was buried next to my mother, in the graveyard with the Triton Family. She passed away when I was four, so I don't remember her too much. My father gave up everything to make sure I had family taking care of me. This death changed the course of my life. Life carried more weight than anything else past this point.
Two more weeks, and school was let out for summer. Chili, Cilan, Cress, Skyla, and Elesa ended up visiting me and Juniper.
"Hey, you holding up well Shawn?" Skyla patted my shoulder.
"Yeah. Thanks Skyla. Sorry for making you all worry." I struggled to get it out.
"Listen Shawn. You're like family to us. We've known each other for AGES." Cilan remarked.
"Yeah! We may not go to the same school and are separated by towns but we all care for you Shawn." Cress smiled at me.
"Yeah. Not to mention, you're the best trainer I know." Chili cackled out.
"You don't mean that." I snapped back.
"I mean, last week they visited Nimbasa and all they talked about was how you handed Chili's Pansear the biggest L." Elesa giggled out. "So where is your little partner, Shawnie?"
"Trace is napping in my room, I'll go see if he's up." I popped up and headed down the researcher room hallways to my room that had been converted. "Hey Trace. You up buddy?"
Trace shot up and chirped, running towards me, leaping into my arms.
"Mornin' buddy. Let's introduce Elesa to you."
As I rounded the corner to the room, Elesa almost gasped "A TORCHIC? WHERE DID YOU GET THIS CUTIE!" she bolted over and snatched him from my arms.
"Alder gave him to Shawn." one of the Junior researchers, Leon, called out from the Kitchen.
"Yeah. I heard a rumor that he might be Soul Bound to Shawn." Skyla smiled and ruffled Trace's feathers.
Chili laughed and quickly asked "Oh yeah. Before I forget, are you going to start your Journey soon?"
"Yeah! We were all wanting to ask. All of our parents have given their blessing to let us party together though the region while training." Elesa said, hugging Trace to her chest. "So, we all already decided to go together, but we wanted to ask you."
"I mean… I wasn't planning on starting soon, but I might be willing to." I ruffled the hair on the back of my head. "But I'd need to get John and Ella too. They were planning on starting with me. If you all are fine with them tagging along, I'm game to come with."
"Let's go see them then!" Cilan punched my arm.
I recalled Trace into his Pokeball and we headed downstairs "Hey, Juniper? I'm heading out for a bit to visit John and Ella! Be back soon!"
Jane, Juniper's second in command, called out. "Juni's out for an hour for a business meeting! I'll let her know when she gets back!"
"Thanks Jane!"
About five minutes after walking, we pulled up on John and Ella's apartment complex.
I hit the buzzer and said "It's Shawn." And the doors opened.
"Hey Shawn! How's it going to… day… Why are you with some of the Gym Leader's kids?" Isaac, the front desk worker for their apartment complex, was almost horrified.
"Oh! Isaac! These are some of my other friends. My pops has been friends with their parents for ages."
His eyes locked with mine. "You know they aren't allowed to leave the lobby without someone needing them in an apartment, you're an exception because you know the Illan's. They gave YOU permission, not them."
"It's fine. Hey, guys, you heard Isaac. Won't be long, I'll just grab Ella and John and we can head to the park."
"All good Shawn. We can wait here." Elesa smiled.
I sprinted down the hall to the back rooms, and rapidly knocked on the left two doors, since one was Illan family home, owners of the apartments, and the other being the Rivets.
Both doors opened pretty quickly.
"Yes?" "Hello?" Both parents chimed pretty quickly.
"OH SHAWN!"
"JOHN!" "ELLA!"
"Shawn's here!"
Both kids came rushing out, practically tackling me.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SHAWN?" John Rivet, my closest childhood friend, grabbed my head and ruffled my hair.
"You know Shawn's been dealing with his fathers funeral." Ella Illan, a transfer from Alola.
"We can talk about that later, I've got people waiting for me in the lobby."
"Oh? Who?" Ella inquired.
"You'll see 'em."
We began walking out towards the lobby, John asked another quick question. "So, Shawn, who are you thinking of being your starter?"
"I already have my starter partner, I thought you knew."
"BESIDES TRACE. Juniper always gives a pokemon to new trainers starting their Journey, regardless of if they already have one."
"I really don't know. I've worked with Trace for ages, and I don't know who to add."
"You ready to go, Shawn?" Skyla called from down the hall, as we almost arrived.
"No way. Is that who I think it is?" John glared at me.
"That is Skyla Azure, Granddaughter of Miles Azure, so if that's who yo-"
John slugged my arm "Yeah I know. Who is she to you?"
"Just a friend."
Ella chimed in, smirking "Uh huh, sure. Just like how John and I are Friends."
I pushed them both off me and picked up the pace. "You'll see what I mean."
They both just laughed.
"So, these are the legendary John Rivet and Ella Illan, huh?" Cilan called from the lobby lounge while digging through his bag.
"See, guys. I'm here with more people than just Skyla."
"Not what I- Wait… Why do you know my name?" John almost immediately put his guard up.
"Oh, my apologies, My name is Cilan Triton, these are my brothers, Chili and Cress, that's Elesa, and over there is Skyla."
John grabbed me and dragged me to the corner "Why are the gym leader's kids here?"
"They're friends of mine, and their parent's were good friends with my dad."
"What?" John stumbled back.
I stood up and stretched, and said "Alright, we're all here, let's head to the park."
A short time later we arrived at the park, after a relatively quiet walk from Ella and John both.
Once we made it, Skyla bolted to the swing sets.
"Can someone explain what's actually going on?" John finally snapped.
"Well-" I started
"We wanted to invite Shawn on our journey around the region, but he needed to talk to you guys." Cress took over quickly.
"Well, I promised you two that I'd go with you, so I needed to see if I can get them to let you two come with me. I don't want to leave anyone behind." I finished my initial thought.
"I'm in if you all will have me." John said immediately.
"Ditto. I'm not missing this chance." Ella spoke sharply.
"We-"
"HEL-!" Skyla's shrill voice pierced the air, and was quickly muffled.
I shot my eyes towards the swingset, and saw her hand sucked into bushes
Without thinking I broke into a sprint in her direction as John and Cilan trailed behind me, with myself gaining distance as I closed the gap to the bushes and jumped over them.
"SKYLA! I'M COMING TO GET YOU!"
"Tsk. Kill him, Toxicroak, do as you wish to do so.." A masked man held a gagged Skyla, in the back of a van, and waited for his Toxicroak to return.
"Trace! Let's do this!" Trace burst out immediately, as John broke through the bushes.
"Go, Bell!" his Beldum broke loose taking its place besides Trace.
The Toxicroak lunged at me, vaulting Trace and Bell, as I rolled back and planted a foot in the center of it's stomach, kicking upwards, sending it flying past as it turned midair to land, reeling from the impact, as I hopped back up.
Trace bolted past me and launched a Flamethrower like attack unprompted, hitting the Toxicroak, causing it to cry out in pain as it's skin cracked as the flames rolled past.
"Bell! HEADBUT!" John shouted as Cilan broke through the bushes.
Bell flew at the frog pokemon and crashed into it, as he slipped past.
"Pansage! Go! Helping Hand!"
"Trace! Burn it down! Ember!" Trace sent out the same flamethrower as Pansage sent vines to wrap the Toxicroak as it recoiled from the Iron Ball pokemon's attack.
The ember set the vines on fire, and burned the frog badly, as it fell unconscious.
Trace began to glow as I redirected my attention to Skyla's Captor, and charged as Trace ran alongside keeping up as I picked up the pace and planted my fist in the masked man's face, as Trace, now coming out of the glow as a Combusken planted its foot into his chest, causing a loud crack as he collapsed to the ground as the rest of the group escorted by Officer Jenny broke through the bushes as I pulled Skyla out and began rapidly untying her.
"Skyla! Are you hurt, do I need to ki-"
"FREEZE!" Jenny shouted, sending out her Growlithe.
"That man on the ground, Miss Jenny!" Elesa took charge as we were frozen.
Jenny sprinted over, knocked Trace back and quickly pinned the man as he whimpered in pain from the broken ribs.
Ella sprinted over to Skyla and myself sending out her Comfey that her parents had given her as a memory of Alola. "Grassy Terrain!"
"NO!" I yelled, but it was too late.
The Toxicroak popped up off the floor as Comfey released the wave of healing energy, and charged towards me with a glowing purple palm as Trace dove towards me taking the blow as I doubled over as if it had hit me, coughing hard as Jenny quickly called out commands "Growlithe! Bite! Hold it down!"
The fire dog was almost on top of the Toxicroak as I blacked out from the pain.