This chapter, which is the longest one so far of Worlds Apart, is dedicated to my brother. Tomorrow is his birthday. Happy birthday, bro, and good luck.
Actually, come to think of it, it's rather fitting that this chapter is titled A Birthday To Remember, when it's being dedicated to a real-life birthday boy. Ah, never mind. Enjoy!
It wasn't long, however, before Zen found it increasingly difficult to follow his own advice.
It had been easy enough to tell himself not to wish each day away. However, now that he found himself facing yet another long winter in Valentina's poorly-insulated home, the Riolu boy had a hard time not begging Arceus for time to pass more quickly.
Slowly but surely, his sanity was slipping away. The Riolu boy would not only pace around his room, but would even do jumping jacks in order to release some of his built-up energy. He was sick and tired of being cooped up indoors, that was for certain.
The time between Zen's requests for freedom grew longer and longer. Every denial was even more demoralizing than the previous one had been. He eventually realized that maybe if he didn't ask Valentina for the chance to leave the house, she'd be more likely to allow him to visit Rizal. To give him his freedom.
The months went by, and Zen felt his body becoming longer and lankier. The occasional aches he felt in his joints and muscles suggested that he was experiencing a growth spurt. He didn't mention this to Valentina, mainly because he didn't want her to think he was looking for sympathy.
But then again, she's given me plenty of sympathy before. I don't think she would be too unhappy if I mentioned it. But what would she do about my growing pains, exactly?
A year passed, and there was now no doubt about it: Zen was a few inches taller than he'd been the previous year. And, given that he was only eight years old, there was still plenty of time for him to grow.
An increase in courage, however, did not accompany the increase in his height. Every so often, he'd recall the dream he'd had last year featuring his father, and his eyes would grow wet with tears at the thought of how his parents had paid the ultimate price to protect him.
Valentina, however, remained just as obstinate as before. She was still a very kind woman, but Zen could tell that she was just a little too protective of him. She seemed weak with fear at the chance of something going wrong.
On the few occasions when the Riolu boy posed the question, she would once more shake her head. This time, however, there was a hint of something in her eyes.
Exactly what that something was, Zen had no idea. No meant no, of course, but perhaps it was a special kind of no, perhaps with a little more nuance to it.
Another year went by, during which time Valentina, to her credit, did her best to keep Zen occupied. She would homeschool the Riolu boy, telling him stories about the history of the Hisui region, stories that he'd never even heard from his parents.
She explained that most of the people and Pokémon in Hisui were first-generation settlers, meaning that they didn't have any family here when they'd set up their homes. As naturally curious as he was, Zen couldn't help but ask what had brought Valentina here.
The lady was evasive, which shouldn't have surprised him too much. She would simply say, "I'm not comfortable talking about that. Maybe when you're older." And then Zen would back away from that topic, not eager to displease Valentina.
On Zen's tenth birthday (he'd told her the date some time ago, and she'd evidently kept it in her "mind file" of him), Valentina smiled as she woke the Riolu boy up early.
"Get up, sleepy birthday boy! I've got a surprise for you today!"
Zen chuckled groggily, seeing that it was still dark outside, though it couldn't be more than an hour or two from sunrise. It wasn't like Valentina to wake up at this time; he'd grown accustomed to her sleep schedule after well over three years in this house.
He got out of bed and skipped into the kitchen. That's one of the many benefits, as well as one of the few drawbacks, of being a Fighting type: Having a lot of energy.
For the most part, over the last couple years, this trait had worked against him. But it would not be that way today.
Valentina was flat-out beaming when she sat down across from Zen at the kitchen table. She looked as though she could barely hold back excellent news; despite being a grown woman, she bounced up and down in her seat.
"What's the surprise?" Zen asked her, rubbing the last bits of sleep out of his eyes. "It had better be good, you sure woke me up early."
"It is a good surprise, Zen. But first, happy birthday; I made you a cake."
Now that the Riolu boy thought about it, he thought he could smell something warm and sweet. He hadn't been focusing on that sense before, but Zen would be shocked for some time. How could his keen nostrils not notice it?
The two of them indulged in every kid's dream: Having cake for breakfast. But the next surprise Valentina offered him was even sweeter.
"I've got excellent news for you, Zen. Today, you can go and play with Rizal in the forest."
The Riolu boy felt his tail wag as it sank in. His tongue hung out of his mouth, but not from heat or exhaustion; rather, from sheer happiness.
"Really?" he asked. After so long, it was hard to believe his requests had been answered. He pinched himself just to make sure that this wasn't a dream.
"Yes, really," Valentina replied, chuckling. "I told Mr. Nale about you, but he seemed to already know. It was risky for you to leave the house before, but I think it should be safe for you to go outside today. As long as you don't venture too far, that is."
A number of emotions coursed through Zen's veins in that moment. There was excitement and euphoria, since he'd finally gotten what he wanted the most. There was also a bit of anger, since it had taken so, so long. But, given that it was his birthday, Zen was determined to let the former set of emotions win out.
"Thank you so much!" the Riolu boy exclaimed. Although he'd eaten a good amount of cake by now, he still felt as though he'd have the energy to frolic around in the forest for hours on end. He could have run a marathon, even.
"It's my pleasure to give you a little more freedom" Valentina responded softly. "I will admit, I felt terrible forcing you to stay inside all this time. I thought it was for your own good."
Zen saw a tear form in the lady's left eye. He didn't mention it, but it seemed as though she were trying to hold back the waterworks.
"Of course, I was wrong. I had thought that by being so protective of you, I was helping you. It was my mistake."
Not for the first time, the young Riolu thought there was some other reason that Valentina had been so determined to shield him from any risks. But if he asked about it, he didn't think his owner would be forthcoming.
And why should she be? It's personal.
"It's okay," Zen replied, sniffling. "It really is. There's no reason for me to hate you for it. You just wanted to hold on tight, and there's nothing wrong with that."
Valentina embraced him after that, and the two hugged it out for about ten seconds. After that, Zen's tail wagged back and forth once more, and his eyes grew wider. He smiled at his owner.
"I'll see you later," he told Valentina. "I have a playdate with Rizal."
Yes, he might have been a little old to be using that word, but Zen was too excited to care about something like that. He sprung up out of his chair and headed into the yard.
"Rizal!" he exclaimed, expecting to see a Zorua race towards him. When this didn't happen at first, it occurred to Zen that maybe the other boy had evolved since the last time they'd seen each other.
A Zorua evolves into a Zoroark at a certain age, of course. But what does Zoroark look like again?
Despite this, the Riolu boy felt certain that he'd know Rizal when he saw him. So he called out his name again.
Sure enough, a Zorua came scampering through the small thicket of trees. He was noticeably larger than he'd been three years ago, so he had to duck in order to pass through. But eventually, the two were face to face again.
"It's been so long…Zen, right?" the Zorua boy asked.
Zen couldn't help but roll his eyes. "One would think that you'd recognize my golden fur anywhere. I mean, how many Shiny Riolu live in these woods?"
"Fair enough," Rizal replied. "Which is why it's so surprising to see you again. I was afraid you might…you know."
A chill ran down Zen's spine. Whether or not Rizal had meant to do this, he'd brought to mind a rather unpleasant memory, to put it mildly.
Does Rizal know about my past? I hope he doesn't, because I don't really want to talk about it yet.
Nonetheless, on the outside, Zen shook it off.
"I'm okay," he insisted. "But can we talk about something else? I don't want to think about death right now."
There. I think that's vague enough.
"That's perfectly fine," Rizal replied apologetically. "My bad."
"It's okay, don't be sorry. But what have you been up to in the last three years?"
The Zorua snorted. "Wow, three years. A lot has changed, but not a lot has changed, if you know what I'm saying."
Zen frowned. "Uh, not really."
"Well, you see, I've gotten older. And I've started to practice illusions, just like Cedric told me to."
Over the last few years, Zen and Valentina hadn't exactly spent much time talking about the powers of a Zorua, but the Riolu boy had a decent memory. His owner's warnings about masters of illusion came back to him.
"That's pretty cool," Zen told Rizal. "What illusions can you do?"
"The word is make, not do" Rizal responded somewhat playfully. "As to your question, not very many. I'm still learning, and those powers will really pick up once I evolve into a Zoroark."
"Come to think of it, it's the same with me and aura," the Riolu boy told Rizal. "I know a bit, but Valentina says that I'll be better at it after I become a Lucario. And then I'll be able to make Aura Spheres, too."
"Indeed. Well, Zen, what can you tell me about my emotions right now? If you can sense my aura, you should be able to tell me something."
Zen frowned. "Emotions?"
"Well, yeah. I assume you know what emotions are, don't you?"
"Of course," the Riolu boy replied. "But it's hard for me to see using aura on command. Like Valentina told me, I think it'll be easier once I've evolved."
"Well, you can just give it a go," Rizal told him. "I'll just stand here."
So Zen tried to focus. He tried to "lean" into the dimension of aura, and he hoped that it would allow him to see what was going on in the Zorua's head.
After concentrating so hard that his head hurt, Zen could just barely see a small field of blue surrounding Rizal. It was almost imperceptible at first, but he thought he could sense it pulsing around a bit, back and forth, as though it just couldn't stay still.
Zen had, of course, had instances in the past where he couldn't sit still. Most of the time, it had been because he couldn't wait for something to happen; case in point, the chance to have a proper hangout with Rizal, which had finally come today.
"You're excited," the Riolu boy said confidently. "You're holding back a lot of energy, and you can't wait to expend it."
Rizal's eyes grew to the size of coasters. "How did you-".
Zen shrugged. "I guess my aura sense is a bit better than I thought. Anyway, if you're feeling energetic, we might as well head out into the woods. Would you believe that I've lived here for several years, and I still know next to nothing about where I am?"
"Are you serious?" Rizal replied. "Has she not taken you out at all?"
"I mean, she's taken me out some. We've been to the barn and all that, to feed the Miltank."
"But you haven't left the property in three years?"
Zen shook his head. "I have not."
Rizal gasped. "Dude, she's really got you on a short leash! Cedric's taken me into town quite a few times, and even beyond that, he lets me play in the woods whenever I like. Except not at night, even though I'm a Dark type."
"I know," the Riolu boy responded. "It's crazy."
As the two kids made their way into the sparse forest, Zen faced an internal conflict. On the one hand, it didn't seem fair that Rizal had gotten to spend his childhood with a relatively high degree of freedom. That's something Zen would have loved the last few years.
On the other hand, life wasn't fair. That was the way it always had been, and always would be. And on some level, Valentina was right to be scared for Zen's life, particularly if the wrong person saw him out in the woods and decided to get a golden trophy.
"So what's town like?" the Riolu boy asked Rizal. "Like I said, I've never been there."
"It's the coolest place ever! There aren't a lot of humans, or Pokémon, in Hisui, but that's where they all gather to sell stuff! So many sights, so many smells…it absolutely gives the forest a run for its money!"
Zen felt a wave of jealousy wash over him. He hadn't known what he'd been missing, but it sure felt significant now.
"So Cedric takes you there, and he sells…what does he sell, exactly?"
"He sells the meat to the butchers, and then we buy it back. It's really quite delicious the way they make it at the market."
"I'll take your word for it," Zen replied. Then it hit him that he didn't have to take Rizal's word for it, because that's probably where Valentina bought the meat he consumed.
The two kids walked through the forest. Soon, however, Rizal broke into a jog, and Zen had to run in order to keep up. The Zorua kid's legs might have been shorter, but he had more of them.
Before long, they were in a part of the woods Zen didn't recognize. Small tufts of moss hung from the trees' branches, which gave an aura of spookiness to the whole scene. The trees were also spaced more closely together here, so it took some care not to run right into one.
The Riolu boy did not know how long they ran for, nor how much distance they covered. All he knew was that he was thoroughly enjoying himself, probably more than he ever had since his parents had died.
The scent of the moss hanging down from the trees…the feeling of the crisp spring air against his fur…it was simply the best.
"Two of my friends live near here!" Rizal exclaimed, barely panting despite his high speed. "I'd like you to get to know them!"
More friends. That's awesome!
It wasn't very long before the pair arrived in a small clearing. The morning sun shone through the gap in the canopy above, illuminating the dew on the grass. There was also a small pool of water in one corner of the clearing.
"Emaire! Grant!" Rizal shouted.
I know Valentina gave me permission to be here, but if I were her, I'd be utterly terrified if I knew Zen was with someone so loud. Fortunately, she doesn't have to know this.
Reasoning that Emaire and Grant were the names of Rizal's friends, Zen wasn't too surprised when two new Pokémon came out of the thicket from opposite sides of the clearing. He was still a bit stunned by it, though.
On one side was a small, furry, auburn-colored creature with beady coffee-colored eyes. A Vulpix. On the other, there was a Turtwig.
Both Pokémon looked about the same age as Rizal and Zen, and both had giddy smiles on their faces. The Vulpix in particular looked as though she'd just been told that Christmas was coming early.
"Rizal!" the Vulpix exclaimed, running over to the Zorua and patting him on the back. "It's so nice to see you again!"
"You too, Emaire," Rizal replied, accepting Emaire's massage gratefully. "Ah, that feels great."
The Turtwig, whose name was evidently Grant, frowned. "What is he doing with you, though?"
Emaire gave Grant a slightly dirty look. "That's not very polite, Grant," she said. "We should always be welcoming to newcomers, shouldn't we?"
Zen felt his cheeks blush. Part of him was still thrilled to meet these two new Pokémon, two potential new friends, but another part just wanted to sink through the ground and forget that this had happened.
"It's f-fine" the Riolu boy stammered. "I actually…". He trailed off. How am I going to go about telling my life story to these two strangers?
"I'll do the explaining" Rizal said, playfully letting his fangs show. "Well, you two, this Shiny Riolu is named Zen. He's lived in the house next to my owner's for a few years, but he hasn't spent much time outdoors. This is the first time, in all this time, that he's been allowed into the forest."
"Oh?" Emaire replied. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Zen. If you don't mind me asking, why couldn't you go into the woods before this? You look about our age."
"Uh…" Zen responded. "I don't know if I should answer that question. I'd assume Valentina had her reasons." Turning to Rizal, he asked him, "So what do you guys usually do together?"
Rizal smiled. "Well, we usually just run around and play tag. That's one of the joys of youth, is it not?"
"I suppose it is," Grant said, speaking for the first time in a while. "If only I weren't so bad at it. Arceus, these legs aren't much use for playing tag at all."
"I guess you can start as It, then" Rizal replied. "But first…actually, the general rule is that newcomers are It. So that would make it you, Zen."
The Riolu boy snorted. "Yeah, I bet I can chase you guys off with a bellyful of cake."
Emaire's pupils dilated. "Cake? Whose birthday is it?"
Zen's face flushed even more. "Mine."
"Happy birthday, Zen!" the Vulpix exclaimed, galloping over to Zen's side. The Riolu worried that he was about to receive birthday spanks, but fortunately, corporal reward did not seem to be on Emaire's agenda.
"Th-…thanks" Zen said. "Sorry, I always just feel a bit awkward on my birthday. I think it's from being the center of attention. But thank you so much."
"You never told me it was your birthday!" Rizal exclaimed in a "fake angry" tone.
Well, I never got the chance, not having spoken to you in three years!
"Well, it is," the Riolu boy replied. "But enough about that. I'll be It if you guys want me to be. I bet I can handle it; I did run all the way here after all. I'll give you guys a thirty-second head start."
Even as the group was laying out the rules of the game, Zen felt as though he'd reawakened something inside of him that had been dormant for years. Something that he'd never thought he would experience again.
Joy.
It was hard to believe, but after so long, so much time spent with only Valentina for company (not that she wasn't good company), he now had friends. And he would never, ever take that for granted again.
For the next couple of hours, the group ran around vigorously. Zen had been skeptical of tag working without boundaries, but as it turned out, the others were never so far away that he couldn't find them.
The cake he'd eaten for breakfast didn't hinder him at all; if anything, it gave him a sugar high of sorts, which he took full advantage of. Of course, even a sugar high couldn't compare with the natural high he felt from belonging.
Eventually, the quartet came to a mutual decision to end the game. They couldn't agree on a winner; each of the four made their own case as to why they should be considered to have won.
In the end, though, they'd all had a great time, and that was ultimately what mattered most. The group sat around in the clearing, simply chatting with one another and savoring the calm spring weather, for some time after that.
Eventually, Zen's stomach growled, which caused Rizal to laugh.
"Zen, how can you be hungry right now? You just ate a ton of cake, then ran for a long time. Shouldn't you be puking your guts out?"
The Riolu boy laughed in return. "I don't think so, Rizal. If anything I really worked up an appetite for lunch. Hopefully Valentina's cooking up something good."
"I'm sure she is," Emaire said. "Wait, is Valentina your owner?"
"Yes," Zen replied. "And she's a very kind woman, even if she is strict at times."
"Is she a human?" Grant asked, poking his head up.
"Indeed she is. And before you ask any questions-."
"What's it like living with a human?" Emaire enquired before Zen could finish his statement. "Do they have any odd habits?"
"Like…like what?" Zen asked.
"I don't know. Just, what's it like?"
The Riolu boy frowned. "I don't know. I guess it's a lot like it was when I lived in a cave. But they live in houses, not caves. It's different, but also the same."
Rizal chimed in after that. "As you two know, I also live with a human, but I've lived with him my whole life; at least, as far back as I can remember. So I don't really have anything to compare it to."
The conversation continued for a few more minutes, during which time Zen smiled inside at just how incredible it was to be sharing such moments with other Pokémon. It was quite powerful, the camaraderie these three showed. Even with that, they'd been so accepting of him - they were even curious about him, as evidenced by their questions about life with a human.
"We should probably head back" Zen said eventually, as painful as it was to utter those words. "Valentina will be expecting me soon. Even if she did give me permission to explore, she'll want me home eventually."
Emaire nodded, although there were tears in her eyes. "You'll be back soon, though. Do you promise?"
The Riolu boy smiled, chuckling. "Yeah, I promise. This isn't the last you'll see of me."
After Rizal and Zen bade Grant and Emaire goodbye, the two neighbors began the trek back home. By the time they arrived, it was early afternoon, judging by the position of the sun in the sky.
Valentina was waiting for Zen on the porch, which brought back the memory of that first day he'd snuck out, and then been severely chastised for it.
There was a key difference, however: This time, Valentina was smiling.
"How was your morning, Zen?" she asked him. The Shiny Riolu walked up to the steps and allowed himself to be pulled into his owner's embrace.
"It was excellent!" he replied. "I got to meet Rizal's friends in the forest, and we played tag, and I made new friends!"
"Zen, that's fantastic!" Valentina exclaimed. "I'm pretty proud of you. And I'm sorry for not letting it happen sooner, but I'm very glad you had fun today."
The Riolu boy beamed from ear to ear. "That's an understatement!"
As Zen followed Valentina inside the house, something else occurred to him. Once more, he found himself thinking about his parents.
It may have been a long time since he'd last dreamed of his father, but to some extent, he remembered that night as though it were last night. It was as though that memory were permanently fixed to his brain, never to let go.
In a way, it was just like his parents had promised: They would never leave him, even if they were physically gone from this planet. Their memory would persist through thick and thin.
Wherever they are now, I hope they're proud of me. I have to assume they are, because isn't this what they'd want me to do?
They didn't give up their lives for me to be unhappy, that's for sure!
And there you have it. This is probably my favorite chapter of the story out of the first seven, though I'm on Chapter 11 as I write this author's note. Anyway, I can't wait to see your feedback, and I'll also see you guys next time.
P.S.: Happy Easter to all those celebrating it.
