Breaking Point

Everything was more or less back to normal a month and a half after Saffron Trainer's School was reinstated in the battle games. Johnny had taken the brunt of the punishment for the sake of everyone and even Mike, who had issues with Johnny in the past, was appreciative of his sacrifice if nothing else. However, the normalcy was mostly at school.

Elsewhere in Saffron, there was a major shift in the societal atmosphere. Carl McKinley's had begun his campaign to be mayor of the city and Mike was pleased to see that many people seemed to like him. He had always been friendly whenever Mike visited Elyse and Amelie.

"I see you two have been busy," Mike heard his father comment when he and Electabuzz finished putting up their last flyer.

Everyone had been helping Elyse put up flyers and pass out buttons to people all over Saffron. None of them were old enough to vote, but Mike wanted to do what he could to show his support. He and Electabuzz had been hard at work since school ended and Mike was certain that the others were doing the same. They were outside the hardware store in Southeast Saffron and the sun was just starting to set.

"Hey, Dad," Mike greeted as warmly as he could. He had promised Julie that he would try to be cordial with their parents especially after what she had told him about them. "What are you doing here?"

"Need to pick up a few tools to help begin designing a new building," Rick explained. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Sure," Mike replied. "Beats taking the bus, right Electabuzz?"

Electabuzz nodded in agreement before following Rick inside the store. Mike leaned against his father's truck, waiting for them to come out. He thought about making plans with the group this weekend, but was quickly distracted by the sight across the street. Mike saw two young men who appeared to be a few years older than him. They were both tall and lanky and the only difference between them was that one had a mohawk and the other was bald. They both wore black leather jackets with the letters 'K.P.F.' on them in blood red. The most noticeable observation about the jackets was the image of an Arbok coiling menacingly around the letters. Both young men were heading towards their motorbikes with their Pokémon, an Ariados and a Koffing, following.

"Better be careful, Mascot Boy. The Kanto Pokémon Federation won't take too kindly to worthless little scrubs like yourself staring at them…"

Whenever a day was going far too well, Mike could always count on Craig Kelton to ruin it. He did not even say anything too offensive compared to the usual, but at this point Craig's mere presence infuriated Mike. He knew that the older boy was not worth losing his cool over, but could not resist throwing a few barbs in his direction.

"If I'm such a worthless little scrub, then why are you always stalking me?" Mike countered, fully displaying his utter loathing of the delinquent in front of him. "Is it that you want some company, Craig? I mean, you must be feeling lonely now that Johnny's dumped you for Tyler. No one wants you around them, especially not me. Get out of my face."

"Whatever…" Craig grumbled. Mike was glad that he managed to get under his skin. The other boy shifted his attention to the flyer that Mike and Electabuzz had put up. "I'm actually here on…business. I've been seeing more and more of those K.P.F. guys cropping up around the city. Looks like whoever called them in doesn't want Papa McKinley running the joint. Can't say I blame them. Amelie's a pain in the ass and she had to get it from somewhere."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black…" Mike retorted. "Anyway, I've seen those biker guys before too. I'm surprised that you and the rest of Sid Moriarty's little scumbag crew didn't join up with them the first chance you got. Seems like the perfect career for you…"

Craig clenched his fists and muttered something under his breath. It was almost as if Mike had caught him off guard, something he immediately took notice of. The other boy simply walked into the store without another word. Before Mike could process Craig's reaction fully, he was joined by his father and Electabuzz, both carrying charts, poster boards, and other supplies as they exited the store.

"Electabuzz and I got everything we needed…" Rick said as he put all the materials in the back of the truck. "You have a really helpful Pokémon, son."

"If only the same thing could be said about Wartortle…" Mike replied with a sigh when they all entered the truck.

"You know…" Rick began, starting the truck. "As I've gotten older, I've realized that being a trainer is a lot like being a parent. There's no perfect guide to either, but you learn from your mistakes and gain experience. Maybe you should try doing something with Wartortle that you both enjoy? Remember how much you liked surfing this past summer when we went on vacation? Wartortle is a water type, so maybe you should walk around with him the next time you go to the beach."

"Yeah, I guess…" Mike replied, unsure of what exactly to say.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments while Electabuzz curiously looked on. Mike thought it was less awkward when he was angry with his parents. At least then he would know what to say or do.

"I have an idea…" Rick suddenly said and opened the door. "Michael, you're almost fifteen. And you're finally tall enough to reach the gas pedal. Wanna give it a go?"

"No way?!" Mike beamed and nearly jumped out of his seat on the passenger's side. "You're actually gonna let me drive?!"

"Why not?" Rick replied. "There's a shortcut home that we can take that won't have many cars on it. It's a perfect way to practice."

Mike grinned at Electabuzz, who raised a fist in support as his trainer took his place in the driver's seat. The first thing Mike did was take a picture of himself with his phone and send it to Ellie, Drake, Relena, Elyse, and Loki.

"Already on your phone?"

"It's fine, Dad. I haven't started driving yet."

Mike copied what he had seen his parents, older sister, and characters on television shows do whenever they were behind the wheel of a vehicle. He put on his seatbelt, adjusted the mirror, and put his hands on the steering wheel.

"Make sure you're paying attention when you back out," Rick informed him.

Mike nodded his head as he put the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking lot to the store. His first instinct was to speed forward, but a quick glance from his father convinced him not to. Mike wanted to prove himself and doing something so childish would just set him back. Getting home using the shortcut was not much of a challenge, but Mike did struggle when it was time to turn into their driveway and park.

"See, Dad," he said triumphantly. "No sweat…"

"You did a good job, Michael," Rick told him. "Just remember that you don't have to slam on the breaks when you stop. It'll just give you a headache.

"Oh, sorry about that," Mike said sheepishly. "Thanks for letting me try anyway. Dad…I…uh, just want to say I'm sorry about the way I've been acting lately. Julie told me about how you were the one who defended me when I was eight and the school wanted to put me on medication. You were the one who put me in gymnastics instead. Thanks for always having my back, Dad. I should've understood that a long time ago."

"Listen, Michael," Rick began. "I know things haven't been easy for you. I was an only child growing up, so I didn't understand what it's like to try to live up to any siblings. Your mother and I thought that you would be fine if we gave you some space since you have a girlfriend and a pretty active social life now. We should have talked to you so we could know if you were adjusting well to all these changes happening. I want you to know that you don't have to judge yourself by what your sisters do. I don't want to sound too much like an afterschool special, but you have your own unique skills and talents and I'm proud of you regardless of what Julie or Tori accomplishes."

Mike nodded his head and smiled, genuinely happy that he had made up with his father. He did not know exactly what to say since something like hugging would be too awkward for him. Luckily, Electabuzz provided the perfect distraction by hopping in Mike's lap and playing with the steering wheel. Once he started honking the horn over and over, Mike opened the door and let him out.

"I think that's quite enough of that, buddy," Mike said with a laugh before turning back to his father. "So, Dad, this new project you're working on? Tell me about it."

"I'm remodeling the Fighting Dojo for Mr. Kiyo," Rick explained. "He's given me an idea of how he wants it done and-"

"No way!" Mike shouted. "You're gonna be working for the Karate King? Dad, you have to let me meet him!"

"Sure," Rick replied as they stepped out of the car. "He's in Johto right now training in Mount Mortar, but I'll introduce you to him whenever he gets back. Now, I'm in the mood for Cinnabar Volcano Burgers tonight. What do you say, Mike? Do you and Electabuzz want to help me make them?"

Mike was slightly taken aback that his father did not call him by his full name and was even more surprised that he wanted to do yet another thing with him. Electabuzz seemed as eager as he was which made everything even better.

"Let's do it!"

Tyler had been struggling to stay awake throughout the auditions. The XL Houndcanines had been doing tryouts for their fifth band member and no one who tried out seemed to be very good. To make matters worse, Tyler was the only one fully paying attention. Xander and Laila were flirting with one another and Johnny was moping as he had been doing for the past month and a half.

"Why are we even still here?" Johnny remarked, balling up his notes and throwing them at Xander and Laila. "Everyone sucked. Let's just try this on another day."

"I already have gigs lined up," Xander replied. "Listen, Johnny, we can't do this without you. We need you to pull yourself together."

"Xander, don't put pressure on him," Laila said. "He's still here, so that's proof that he still wants to be a part of this band."

Tyler sided with Laila's point of view regarding Johnny's well-being. Between being stabbed, getting kicked off the team, and most importantly, losing Jennifer, Tyler felt sympathy for his once arrogant friend. He also felt guilty that he had been given position as captain of the battling team, but Johnny did not express any particular ill-will towards him. The only thing that Tyler could do was ensure that the team succeeded with the loss of Johnny.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!"

Lilly Acres hurried on stage, her sandy blonde hair in a messy bun and her jacket half off her shoulder. It was obvious that she had not been sleeping well. Still, Tyler knew that she was more than capable of stepping up to the plate. Before they could turn on the music, the doors open once more and Craig and Nat entered the auditorium.

"This is a closed audition…" Johnny told them.

"Relax, Johnny," Nat said as he and Craig took a seat. "We're just here to support Lilly."

Craig said nothing, but glared daggers at Tyler. Tyler for his part felt his usual steely resolve faltering a bit. He could feel Craig's intense dislike of him and it was hard not to give him the reaction he wanted.

"I don't know about letting a third year try out…" Xander commented.

"Give me a chance!" Lilly called out from the stage. "Come on, Xander, I won the talent show last year! You know I can sing and dance."

Tyler still was not used to seeing Lilly without Elyse and Nadine with her. He was even more surprised by the fact that Lilly did not even mention the fact that she won the talent show with them. Their dance routine with Lilly's Vulpix, Elyse's Eevee, and Nadine's Skitty had even beaten out Lyndon's master of a thousand voices trick.

"Alright, Lilly!" Laila said as she turned on the music. "Let's see what you got! I know you're gonna nail it!"

"Yeah, girl power!" Craig mocked, only to be hit in the head by Laila's notebook.

"This song is called Will-O-Wisp," Lilly said into the microphone. "Hope you guys enjoy!"

Lilly began her routine and shortly afterwards had everyone paying full attention. Tyler thought that this was a good sign as even Johnny seemed to like her singing. The dancing along with it was even better and she was clearly miles ahead of everyone else who had auditioned, not that there was much competition. When she finished, Xander stood up and applauded.

"Looks like this third year has some talent," Xander stated with a grin as if he had been supportive of Lilly the entire time. "Let's put it to a vote. I say she's in."

"In," Tyler voted first.

"Definitely in," Laila added.

"In," Johnny finished. "Now, let's go."

Xander and Laila went over to talk to Lilly about the band and what to expect. Knowing Xander, he would immediately get to work on rehearsals, making t-shirts, and securing as many gigs as he could. Being in a band seemed like more of a hobby for Tyler, so he was surprised how serious Xander was about this.

"Alright, what do you guys want to do?" Nat asked. "Class doesn't start for another hour and a half."

"Nothing…" Johnny replied coldly.

"Dude, lighten up," Craig told him. "Come on, let's go watch the cheerleaders warm up." He paused and then turned to Tyler. "Sorry, West, you're not invited. No spoiled, rich, wannabe trainers with silver spoons stuck up their asses allowed. You understand, right?"

"If you say so…" Tyler muttered.

"What was that?" Craig snapped, getting directly in Tyler's face. "Speak up. If you have something to say, say it. But you better choose your words carefully…"

"Craig, that's enough," Nat interjected only for Craig to roughly shove his hand away.

"No!" Craig snarled. "Aren't you guys sick of this guy acting like he's so above everyone just because he's rich? Newsflash, Tyler, no one likes you. Everyone just tolerates you because you have money. Do you honestly think that anyone would hang out with you otherwise? That includes Amelie too. You should just go back to your mansion and be a smug asshole there. Wait, I forgot, you can't do that either. Your parents don't even like you. Just ask Felicity."

Tyler felt his anger boiling, but he had enough control over himself not to give Craig what he wanted as he continued with his tirade. He knew Craig never exactly cared for him, but ever since Johnny had stepped down as captain of the battling team, Craig had somehow directed most of his animosity towards Tyler.

"I'm not one of the younger trainers that you can push around, Craig," Tyler stated coolly. "You can think what you want about me, but that doesn't mean I have to just stand here and listen to you."

"Don't turn your fucking back on me!" Craig shouted.

Tyler turned and headed out of the auditorium doors only to be shoved so hard from behind that he slid across the hallway and hit the wall. A crowd quickly started forming as Craig emerged from the auditorium, his stormy gray eyes dead set on Tyler. He managed to get to his feet and quickly reached for a poké ball. Tyler knew that he could not beat Craig in a fistfight, but he would fare much better in a battle. It was against the rules, but so was fighting in general and there was no way out of this situation. He only hoped that Craig would back down under the threat of a battle in the hallway. Of course, he did not.

"Hey, what's going on?!" one student asked.

"Craig and Tyler are about to battle!" another student answered.

"Right here in the hallway?!"

"Oh man, Craig has completely lost it!"

Craig had called upon his Primeape while Tyler sent out his Ampharos, Mina. Out of all his Pokémon, she would cause the least damage while being able to defeat her opponent.

"Close Combat, full power!" Craig said the second Primeape materialized.

Tyler knew that Primeape were extremely fast especially in comparison to the generally slow Ampharos. However, the speed of Craig's Primeape was unbelievable. He charged at Mina and began a barrage of punches and kicks to her and kept going even after being paralyzed by her static ability. Before Tyler could even give her a command, Craig bolted around the chaos of the battle and shoved him into the lockers. Tyler swung his fists wildly, managing to land a punch directly into Craig's nose. This only served to infuriate him more and Tyler felt Craig's fist slam into his left eye before falling to the ground. Craig quickly began kicking him over and over in his midsection, but Tyler was able to land a kick of his own from the floor right into Craig's stomach.

"Get off him!" Johnny shouted, shoving Craig away. "What the hell is wrong with you, man?!"

"Why are you taking his side?!" Craig yelled back.

"You just went ballistic for no reason!" Johnny argued as Nat and Xander helped Tyler to his feet. "Look I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm done defending you. All it's ever done was make things worse for me."

"Are you still acting like a bitch over some stupid girl?!" Craig shot back. "Forget her, there are tons of girls hotter than Jennifer!"

"It's not just about her, it's about everything!" Johnny continued. "You always make things worse for everyone no matter what!"

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Principal Chaubs appeared from the crowd, his fat face red with anger and his teeth clenching as he looked at the scene in front of him.

"Kelton! West! Recall your Pokémon and get to my office, now! The rest of you, get to class!"

Tyler recalled Mina and was so banged up that he had to be escorted to the nurse before he could go to the office. He was angry that he had gotten his Pokémon involved in something so petty and furious at the fact that Craig had succeeded in getting the best of him. Nat and Xander stayed with him in the nurse's office conversating about how Craig had completely lost his mind. Tyler wished they would just leave him alone for the time being. As soon as he could walk by himself, he made his way inside the principal's office where Principal Chaubs, Mr. Slowking, and Craig were waiting.

"For too long I've been lenient with you, Kelton," Chaubs began. "The bullying, the fighting, it ends here now. I know it was you who had the gun at the battling game, but since I didn't have any proof, there was nothing I could do about it. This is the last time that you are ever going to embarrass this school. You have thirty minutes to clean out your locker and vacate the school grounds."

"What…what are you saying…?" Craig asked in a voice so soft it might as well have been a whisper.

"Craig Kelton, you're expelled from Saffron Trainer's School," Chaubs stated without any hint of regret in his voice. "You'll have a chance to argue your case with the school board, but after what you've done, it would be a waste of time to even try. Now, get out."

Craig looked like he was about to explode in anger for a moment, but he took a deep breath and stood up from his seat.

"You know what, fine," Craig told him, knocking the papers off the principal's desk. "I was sick of having to see your stupid fat face every day and having to deal with these losers."

Craig headed out of the door with Mr. Slowking escorting him out. He glanced at Tyler one last time before disappearing. Tyler for his part was stuck sitting alone in front of the principal, holding an ice pack to his bruised eye.

"I never expected this from you," Chaubs commented. "Even though I'm certain that Kelton antagonized you first, you should have not retaliated in that fashion. Now, since this is your first offense, I'm only sending you home for the rest of today. I've contacted your father and he-"

"You did what?!" Tyler nearly choked.

"Your father is on the way to get you. You'll wait outside the office until he arrives…"

Tyler did not say another word. He walked outside the office and took a seat on the bench there. He was in so much anger and pain that he did not pay attention to how much time was passing. He was only thinking about the events that had transpired and how the principal decided to handle them. Tyler knew that Chaubs did not care about anything that Craig had done, otherwise he would have reigned him in years ago. The principal was simply trying to shield himself after the negative reputation that the school had gained over the past few months.

"Hey…"

On any other day, Amelie was the person that Tyler wanted to see more than anyone else. However, today the feeling was the exact opposite. He did not want her to see him bruised and bloodied, but there was no escape now. She had a stack of flyers in her hand that seemed to be advertising some sort of environmental event. He felt like he should ask her about that, anything to change the topic of what he knew she was there to talk about.

"Hey…" he said back to her.

"I uh, heard what happened…" Amelie told him. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize for him…" Tyler said flatly. "Or for me. I let him get a reaction out of me. It's my fault."

"Listen, Tyler-"

"Amelie, please," Tyler stopped her. "Just don't…"

He did not look at her face, but he knew she was hurt. Tyler decided not to look up until he heard her footsteps walking away. When he finally did, his breathing intensified the second he saw the man in the expensive business suit walking into the office. George West did not even acknowledge his son when he spoke to the secretary or went in to talk to Principal Chaubs. Tyler could hear their conversation.

"I'll cover any damages caused by the actions of my son," Mr. West told Chaubs. "I assume this regrettable incident won't go down on his record, will it?"

"No," Chaubs answered. "Your son is a model student, so just this once I'm letting him off with a warning."

"Thank you," Mr. West replied. "I'll be certain to let him know how unacceptable his behavior was. It won't happen again…"

Mr. West walked out of the office and simply gave Tyler a dismissive glance before pointing to the door out. Tyler hung his head as he stood up and followed his father outside to the expensive black car parked in front of the school. Their driver had been waiting for them and Tyler spotted his mother's Cinccino inside, clearly on the way to the Pokémon spa that she went to every other week.

"Get in…" Mr. West ordered as he opened the door for his son.

Tyler moved inside of the car with his father taking a seat beside him and closing the door. Once the driver took off, Mr. West let up the partition between the seats, leaving him alone with his son.

"Dad…" Tyler began pleading. "I…I…"

"I wanted to put you in private boarding school years ago," Mr. West said harshly. "But there's no arguing with your mother. I just don't understand, Tyler. You have opportunities that teenagers your age would dream of, yet you'd rather spend your time on unimportant pursuits…"

He paused and looked out of the window when he noticed a few bikers speeding by. He frowned in disgust before turning back to his son.

"I…" Tyler tried to say.

"And now you're fighting like common trash…" Mr. West continued. "I do what I can for you, but you insist on embarrassing me constantly. When are you going to stop being such a disappointment?"

Tyler did not even attempt to defend himself. His father received a business call soon after and went right back to not paying him any attention.

When the car stopped at their home, Tyler stepped out alone. The car drove off without Mr. West saying goodbye or even acknowledging that his son was no longer in the car with him. For the first time in a long time, Tyler felt tears welling up in his eyes. Everything that Felicity and Craig said about his parents were true and that realization only made the pain worse.

Craig stormed inside his cousin's apartment late into the afternoon. He had spent most of the day wandering over Saffron wondering what he was going to do now that he had been expelled. He kept Raticate out of his poké ball and with him to keep him distracted about what had taken place.

"Geoff!" he called out. "You in here?!"

Craig narrowed his eyes when he heard the sound of tape and boxes being shuffled around. He spotted his older cousin in the kitchen, packing away the dishes that they hardly ever used.

"Hey, man!" Geoff greeted excitedly. "You're never gonna believe this!"

"What?" Craig asked slightly confused about what's happening.

"You know that girl, Laura, that I've been seeing?" Geoff said. "Well, her uncle owns a cruise ship in Vermilion City and she was able to get me a job onboard as a maintenance man. So, I need to be outta here asap."

"We're going to Vermilion?" Craig asked him. "You know what, that's fine with me. I'm ready to leave this dump. Did you already get a new apartment?"

Geoff put a box down on the counter so that he could talk to Craig without anything distracting him.

"Oh…" he started. "Well here's the thing, Craig, the ship docks in Vermilion but spends months at sea. I'm going to be living on the ship…"

"So, what am I supposed to do?!" Craig snapped.

"Come on, Craig, you knew that this whole 'you living with me' thing was temporary," Geoff said. "We agreed on it when you first came to stay."

"That was six years ago…" Craig countered. "It was supposed to be until my dad came back and he never did…"

"Listen, I'll work for a few months and then when I save enough money, I'll rent an apartment. You can come crash there for as long as you need. I left a couple hundred dollars for you to get by for a few weeks in your room. Until then though, we need to be out by noon tomorrow…"

Geoff went back to packing his boxes and for the first time Craig did not see his older cousin in such a positive light. Geoff had let him do whatever he wanted for years and probably couldn't have cared less if Craig told him that he had gotten expelled. He knew now that Geoff was not a parent or any sort of guardian for him. For all intents and purposes, he had just been a glorified roommate for all these years.

Craig hurried to his room and started thinking about what he could do. He had been expelled and rendered homeless in just one day. Sid Moriarty's text message to him was still in the back of his mind, but he did not want to make such a giant leap yet. There had to be someone out there who could help him. He decided to call Felicity first.

"Craig, there's nothing I can do. It's not like I can let you live here."

"Why not? I was always over there anyway?"

"Keyword being 'was'. Besides, Daddy's still giving me grief over sneaking to Saffron. I'm trying to get back in his good graces…and dealing with you doesn't really help."

"Fine! Screw you!"

Craig hung up the phone in her face. He spent the next several hours trying to figure out what he could do. He called Johnny three times, but received no answer for any of them. He tried to call Xander and Nat, but they did not pick up either. Craig found himself staring at Amelie's name in his contact list. He knew she would help anyone in need, but could not bring himself to call her and grovel for her help after everything that had happened between them.

"Come on," he said to Raticate who was curled up on the floor. "We're out of here…"

Craig shoved several pairs of clothes in his large black duffel bag before throwing in a few of his personal belongings in there. He stuffed the few hundred dollars that Geoff had given him in his pocket while putting the large amount of cash he earned from Sid Moriarty in the bag. He took what food and alcohol he could fit inside before removing the false bottom of his drawer. The gun that he had used a month and a half ago was there along with ammunition. He put it all in the duffel bag and zipped it closed.

Crag took one last look at his room, his safe haven for the past six years, before turning off the lights and closing the door. Geoff was passed out on the couch, but Craig did not acknowledge him despite the fact that he was struggling to hold back tears. Raticate scampered out of the apartment and his trainer closed the door behind them. Once they were outside, Craig opened the last message that Sid had sent him.

The K.P.F. is recruiting. Their sponsor is rolling in dough. We need an alliance with them if you really want to make some money. Give me an answer in a week.

He closed the message and put his phone back into his pocket before descending into the night with Raticate by his side.

A/N: Talk about a LONG hiatus. My apologies definitely. It gets way too hectic around me. Anyway, this chapter was pretty intense. I think the main theme was parental figures for sure. You see a real contrast between Mike, Tyler, and Craig. Things are taking off from him so stay tuned.

P.O.V.s were: Mike Snowe, Tyler West, and Craig Kelton.

As always, come to the forums to hang out and chat.

Until next time!