Towards the Future
"I never wanted this for you…"
Craig could remember the sad voice of the gray-eyed woman he dreamt of during the previous night. Dreaming was about the only thing he could do in jail and even when he was awake, he could still hear the sound of the woman's weeping.
If there was one prediction about his life that Craig Kelton had gotten right, it was that he always expected that he would be behind bars sooner or later. Juvenile detention was just the first stop on his inevitable journey to life in prison or to the grave, he had accepted that much. There was no future for someone like him.
Still, he was angered at how fast everything had fallen apart. Months earlier, he was the toughest guy in his school. He had way too many disciplinary problems to ever be allowed on the battling team, but Craig knew that his Pokémon were much stronger than Nat's or Xander's or even Johnny…
Thinking about Johnny was more painful than he could have imagined. He had always secretly feared that one day they would be driven apart due to how different their lives were. It was only a matter of time once Tyler West joined the battling team. He and Johnny had much more in common and actually had parents with money and could afford to make mistakes. Craig did not have that luxury. Regardless, he was certain that any chance of reconciliation with Johnny was over after fighting alongside Holt Wullinger despite having little choice in the manner.
Everyone always focused on what he did wrong and blamed him, but never looked at all the times he had helped them out from giving out rides to fixing bikes to helping with training. He had even saved Tyler West and Amelie McKinley from Zeb and his gang years earlier on Cycling Road.
It was ironic that Zeb had harassed one McKinley sister only to be killed by the other one a few years later. Craig did not shed a single tear and was honestly fine with him being gone. He hated Zeb and his stupidity was the main reason he was in this mess right now. More than anything though, being killed by Elyse McKinley and especially by Mike Snowe was the most pathetic way anyone could go out in his eyes.
Craig could suddenly feel his anger boiling over. The reality was that he too had been defeated by Mike Snowe. Losing to such a pathetic clown had been cemented in his mind as one of Craig's lowest points. It was ultimately a fluke victory though and he was certain that Mike was aware that the only reason he won was because Craig had underestimated him. Unlike Zeb, he would have a chance to get retribution. It did not matter what Warrick did to him once he got out as long as he had his chance to get revenge on Mike first.
"Kelton, your visitor is here. Let's get moving…"
Craig slowly stood up from the bed in his cell. He did not want to move too fast for risk of hurting his ribs or putting the guard and his massive Stoutland on alert. Once he was to his feet, Craig held out his arms and allowed the guard to frisk him. After several days in Route 11 Juvenile Detention Center, he was familiar with the routine and did not want to make his stay any harder than it had to be. Adult prison would be many times worse, so it was best to appreciate the somewhat average treatment he was receiving while he still could.
Craig had been kept in protective custody due to his injuries and ties with the Kanto Pokémon Federation, but would have preferred being in general population even if it put him at risk. The solitude was driving him crazy, made worse by the fact that his Pokémon had been taking from his custody when he was arrested.
"Follow me…" the guard told him brusquely.
He was led down the hall towards the visiting room, forced to walk in between the guard and the Stoutland. There were about four other juvenile inmates in the room scattered at different tables, speaking with their visitors. Craig ignored them and took a seat at the table where his visitor was, glaring at Sid Moriarty as he sat down.
Sid was tall and lanky with crooked teeth but was an otherwise unremarkable looking man in his late twenties. He saw it as a strength, he could blend in and out of crowds easily without anyone else giving him a second look. He was a small-time hustler with connections to larger criminal enterprises. He did just enough to make himself known without drawing unwanted attention. Craig had always wondered why Sid stuck to committing petty crimes while others did the dirty work, but now he had an answer thanks to the present situation. He was incarcerated and Sid was free. That told him everything.
"If I didn't know any better, Craig," Sid started. "I'd say you were pretty pissed off at me."
"You think?!" Craig growled.
"I see they made you shave the mohawk," Sid pointed out. "That's good, you look like less of a tool with the buzzcut."
"You didn't tell me that Warrick was crazy," Craig told him. "Or that he makes sure all of his soldiers are psychos when he recruits them."
"You asked me to connect you with the federation and I did," Sid defended himself. "I offered you a chance to keep working with me. It's not my fault that you wanted to be a big bad gangster and ended up biting off more than you could chew."
"Whatever," Craig said in defeat. "Just tell me what the news is out there. Is Warrick ready to murder me?"
"From what I hear," Sid said. "He's satisfied with the fact that you took charge and sent a message and helped identify those kids that killed Zeb. Other than that, you've…messed up big time. The federation went viral getting beaten by a bunch of school kids and you yourself lost to the kid who killed one of their members. I mean, you got beat by the school mascot, Craig. That's a major hit to the reputation of the group. Did you even think about how your actions might impact the group before you charged into that party? If Carl McKinley becomes the mayor, the city will definitely rally behind this Mike Snowe kid and drive the federation out. The police have your glove now too, so it's only a matter of time before…"
"Before what?" Craig demanded, desperate to know how things could possibly get worse.
"I can't tell you here," Sid responded. "But just know that this whole thing is bigger than Warrick and the federation, way bigger. You'll find out soon enough, but for now just focus on getting stronger."
"Man," Craig sighed. "What did I get myself into?"
"You didn't have a choice," Sid voiced. "Remember, that's what you told me. Don't feel guilty about your old friends. They're no different than your dad or your cousin Geoff. They turned their backs on you when you needed help. You started working for me when you were younger because your friends all looked down on you and they still do. I can guarantee you that they're blaming all of this on you as we speak. No matter what happens with the federation, from here on out everyone at your old school, including your boy Johnny, are your enemies now. At the end of the day, I'm the only one that's ever really had your back. Don't worry about Warrick or the federation. As long as I'm around, things are going to work out for you."
Sid's words were cutting, and as much as Craig did not want to believe that he was correct, all the evidence pointed to it. Sid was the only one who had even come to visit in the week since he had been incarcerated and had even gotten him a lawyer. The federation members at least had the excuse of presently lying low and he hated all of them anyway, so it did not matter to Craig if they came to visit or not. He had held out hope that Geoff would at least call to check in on him, but as far as he knew, Geoff likely did not even know what was currently going on in Craig's life. He was reasonable enough to expect that no one from his school would want to visit him or call him after he had attacked them at the party. Still, he had only done so because Mike and Elyse had killed Zeb, and he had only joined the federation in the first place after reaching out to his friends for help.
Craig found himself thinking of the gray-eyed woman that had so often appeared in his dreams and how everything had started with her. His mother's death was the first time he had been abandoned by someone. Even then, Sid had looked out for him and had remained by his side throughout the years as people slowly came in and out of his life. If anything, he was the only person who deserved his loyalty. Craig remembered Mike Snowe's words.
"How does it feel knowing everyone hates you now? Now, they all see you as the worthless piece of trash that I saw from day one."
Even now, Craig was furious that Mike had the nerve to act like he was any better than the older boy. The school mascot had shown his true self when he continued attacking Craig after he had clearly been beaten. Of the two of them, Mike was the one who had killed another human not him. In Craig's mind, that alone meant that it was difficult to determine who truly was the worse person between the two of them. When it came to Mike, Craig no longer cared about what the federation wanted to do with him or anything of the sort. To them dealing with Mike Snowe was just business. To Craig, it was personal, and the next time they met, he would make sure to go all out.
As far as everyone else was considered, the best way to spite them would be to stay alive without their help be it Johnny, Felicity, Amelie, or anyone else that he associated with in the past. In that moment, he hated them all, and thanks to Sid's words, he started wondering if he always hated them deep down.
"I'll get stronger," Craig finally affirmed.
"Not just physically," Sid imparted. "You need to train your body and your mind. Do some reading or something while you're in here, whatever it takes. Move smart, fight strong, and you'll always come out on top…"
"Alright, Felicity, I got your quinoa salad and your overpriced water. Oh, and I picked up that elite brand of dragon food for Jewel. Maybe she'll finally decide to participate in a contest. Anyway, I don't have all day, so pay up."
Felicity was slightly taken aback at how short Darren was being with her. Mentioning her Dratini's lack of obedience was a sore point, not that he knew it, but she was surprised that he had brought it up as well. School was starting back up tomorrow, so she wanted to make sure she had everything taken care of. It already annoyed her that she lost a week of school because of Craig's actions and now Darren's attitude was quickly proving to be irritating.
"What is your problem?" she asked him and handed over the money.
"You don't remember yesterday when I was at Always Alcremie and you were yelling at me over the phone?!" Darren told her.
"Ugh," Felicity rolled her eyes. "Are you still mad about that? Well, maybe you shouldn't have been taking so long. Did you think about that?"
"I'm not your errand boy," Darren retorted. "Did you think about that? I literally only do all these things for you because you pay me. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have a reason for being around you. Honestly, after what I went through last weekend, I'm starting to wonder if the money is even worth having to deal with your shit."
Felicity did not even know how to respond. She was stunned that he even had the nerve to speak to her with that tone of voice in her own house. It certainly did not help that he was speaking the truth. She did not exactly like having Darren around, but she did not hate it either. If nothing else, he had been a good sounding board whenever she had a complaint about anything. A part of her wanted to ease the tension that was brewing between him, but her pride would not let her forgive such disrespect.
"What's the matter?" she hissed. "Did the poor little baby get scared by those big bad motorcyclists and their big bad haircuts last weekend? You're pathetic."
"Easy for you to say," Darren countered. "You weren't there at Mike's party when your asshole ex-boyfriend brought in those lunatics and nearly got us all killed. I help saved Drake from being drowned. He appreciates it and invited me to hang out today. And guess what, I don't have to do any of his stupid errands. Have you ever invited me to do anything with you that didn't involve me being your servant? You've never even thanked me for anything."
"If you have a problem with me, you can leave," Felicity said clearly.
"Already out," Darren replied and made his way towards the door. "And just so you know, everyone has a problem with you. It's probably why you don't have any real friends."
He left on that and Felicity folded her arms in an attempt to contain her rage. He probably thought that he could talk to her however he wanted to because she had no one else to run errands for her, but he was mistaken. Darren was easily replaceable. She could not understand why he was so angry at her in the first place. It was not as if she approved what the federation did at the party.
Felicity remembered how embarrassed she had been when the police had arrived at her home to question her about Craig and how disgusted she had been when she received the details about what occurred that night. It was true that she did not care for many of the partygoers and outright hated several of them. Still, she did not think that any of them deserved what happened. It was all Craig's fault, and Darren was lashing out at her. It was a waste of his energy to be angry at her when the person who really deserved the ire was currently rotting in a jail cell. Craig ruined lives; it was his specialty. Felicity had just figured it out before everyone else like she always did and avoided trouble because of her own intelligence.
Thinking about Craig made her think about Tyler. It had started becoming annoyingly frequent, but she could not help herself. Tyler was everything that Craig was not, but both boys had been perfect for her at different points in her life. Craig had given her the status of being the girlfriend of the toughest guy in the school. Looking back, she chided her younger self for being wowed by his moronic rebellious nature. However, Felicity knew her father would never approve of him and that was what attracted her to Craig more than anything else. She did genuinely want him to love her but knew that he was incapable of doing so. Ultimately, he proved to be more of a liability than an asset. It started with him telling all his friends about their intimate moments, then the cheating, and finally the numerous crimes that he committed.
Felicity found it ironic that the lower her opinion of Craig became, the more her opinion of Tyler rose. She was a soon to be celebrity and Tyler West was a far more appropriate choice for a partner. That idea only grew as time went on and was firmly cemented in her mind the night that they kissed. It was true that she had already been attracted to Tyler when they met all those years ago, but even then, it was painfully obvious that he only had eyes for one girl. The fact that it was Amelie McKinley was enough reason for her to instantly despise him. Now, things had changed and with her help, Tyler was finally starting to see reason or at least, she hoped. She had invited him over, but he had yet to even reply. He had been unreachable all day which was a stark contrast to the frequent phone conversations they had over the past week. So be it. Tyler may have been better than Craig, but she could certainly live without him as well.
The sound of Jewel's cries alerted Felicity that she needed to feed the dragon Pokémon. She walked down the steps into the area that her father had converted into an aquarium for Jewel. Felicity had hoped that this would help the Dratini be more inclined to participate in contests, but it had been to little avail. Jewel was fine with training every now and again, but that was the extent of what she was willing to do for Felicity. It annoyed her that the small dragon was fonder of her father than of her own trainer.
"Ignorance loves ignorance," she rationalized.
She opened the panel that led to the food tunnel and placed the dragon food inside. Jewel immediately started eating without giving her trainer a second thought. Felicity rolled her eyes but was not in the mood to press the issue.
"Ugh," she groaned. "I just need to go for a walk."
She had been advised not to wander too far from the estate, so it would have to be a short stroll. Ivan was strong enough by himself, so she decided to take his poké ball and leave the rest at home. Once she was fully prepared, she headed out the front door and towards the gate. Her father usually kept it open, but after the events of last weekend, Felicity had to memorize a code to unlock it. She opened her phone to search for the information.
"Here it is…" she mumbled to herself. "It's 0111-"
Felicity stopped suddenly and read the rest of the code in silence. It was only then that she realized that the code was her birthday. She remembered her father yammering on about the gate code to the estate being an important group of numbers, but she assumed it was his usual boring accountant nonsense talk.
Despite her resistance, Felicity could not help but smile a little as she walked out of the gate. Her father was boring and overprotective, that much was true. He was good with numbers and money, and that was about it. In fact, the only thing that she admired about him was his work ethic, the one trait she was glad to have inherited from him. Her father was the CFO of a successful multinational corporation and sat on several executive boards without needing to. They were already independently wealthy so there was no need for him to actually work, but he did so anyway. Felicity liked to believe that this was what initially attracted her mother to him. However, she abandoned them and to Felicity that could only mean that he must have done something to cause her to leave.
"Felicity, your daddy is really nice!"
She could still remember the voice of four-year-old Amelie McKinley even after twelve years and it still made her furious. Their class at the preschool that they attended had scheduled a day where the students would have a pizza party with their mothers. Felicity remembered pleading for her father to figure out a way to get her mother to show up even though she had left when Felicity had been an infant. That entire morning, she hoped that he had convinced her mother to come. Instead, he took time out of his busy schedule and attended himself. He was the only father at the party, and she had already been on the verge of tears when Amelie had approached her.
"Felicity, your daddy is really nice!"
The other girl's words were supposed to be a compliment, but to Felicity it sounded like she was mocking her about not having a mother. Amelie's mother had shown up after all and just like her daughter, she was surrounded by admirers the moment she arrived. Enraged, Felicity had shoved Amelie to the floor and ran off in tears. This was the moment that the animosity between the two of them truly began and as far as Felicity was concerned, Amelie was the one who started it. So much time had passed, that she doubted that the other girl even remembered what started their feud.
Admittedly, there were times where the two girls could work together to accomplish a goal and even moments where Felicity thought about making amends. However, that would mean accepting defeat and risking being mocked again. Craig had made a fool of her and she would never let anyone do that again.
Felicity had been so lost in thought during her stroll that she barely noticed when Tyler pulled next to her in his new car. The West estate was close by so they could only avoid each other for so long.
"I see you finally decided to stop hiding," she told him as he let down his window.
"Can we talk?" he asked simply.
Felicity nodded her head, and he stopped the car. Even though she hoped that something good would come from this conversation, she was adamant that she was not going to beg him to interact with her on any level. Stepping out of the car, Tyler adjusted his posture. Felicity could look in his eyes and tell that he had a lot on his mind.
"Tyler, you have to stop blaming yourself about the party," Felicity reminded him for the umpteenth time. "I told you that-"
"It's not just that," Tyler interrupted. "It's everything and at this point, I just want to start over. Look, I just wanted to get straight to the point and say that what happened between us was a mistake. I've decided to take my father's advice and transfer to North Saffron Academy after the semester break. I think it's for the best if we just limit our communication going forward."
"Was it a mistake?" Felicity questioned.
"What do you mean?" Tyler inquired.
"Do you think that maybe, just maybe, there was a reason that you were with me that night instead of at Mike Snowe's party…with her? Tyler, you told me yourself that your father is finally proud of you. Why should that even be an issue for you if it's something you've said that you've wanted your entire life?"
"It's not an issue…" he claimed. "It's just…"
"Just what?" Felicity pressed. "You want to be like everyone else, is that it? Getting hurt and targeted by criminals because they let gutter trash like Craig Kelton have so much influence over their lives? So much wasted energy on a person who has no future, I should know. Everything bad that's happened to you this semester started with him…and everything good that's happened…"
"Started with you?" he remarked and arched an eyebrow.
Felicity did not reply. Instead, she simply straightened her red dress and held out her hand.
"Let's go for a walk…" she said softly. "If you still feel conflicted afterwards, then I promise, I'll leave you alone for good."
This was the final chance for anything between them to develop and Felicity knew that if Tyler took her hand, he was hers, even if they did not become official right then and there. Felicity could not remember the last time she felt her heart beating so fast. If he actively chose to go back to his car instead of simply avoiding her like he had been doing earlier, then there would be no doubt that she was the ultimate loser in this situation. She had to win.
Tyler stared at her outstretched hand and then looked back at his car…
Amelie could adapt to almost any situation. It was one of the reasons that she had often been successful during her travels to help those in need. Yet, she was quickly discovering that her ability to adapt was much more difficult when she and those close to her were directly involved.
Bad things happened, that was easy enough to understand. When they kept happening in quick succession was the point that things became much harder to comprehend. It had been one thing after the next this semester for Amelie. So much had happened that it felt as if she witnessed Johnny's stabbing a lifetime ago instead of a few months earlier. Things had only continued going downhill since then.
"Earth to Ams!"
She was brought back to reality by the sound of Lyndon's voice. The two of them were sitting at a table on her patio discussing the information that Lyndon had received from Anika Heartlily. Amelie decided to use her wheelchair to sit at the table more comfortably but made sure the crutches were nearby if she suddenly needed to stand.
"Sorry," she apologized. "So, Lizzy Haze saw the barbed wire infinity symbol several times on her travels? You don't think it could just be a coincidence that Mona Barlowe has a similar tattoo?"
"Could be," Lyndon said. "But it could also be like some international poaching ring that the federation is connected to or something. In one of those pictures, it looks like the symbol is on a church. For all we know, it could be some kind of weird cult. I mean, all cults are weird but…"
"Alright," Amelie replied. "Well, maybe we should just take all this info to the police. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it'll help if we have more people looking into it."
"I was thinking of that," Lyndon said. "But…and I know I'm sounding like a huge conspiracy theorist, if this thing is bigger than we think, can we really know which officers to trust? I think we should give it to your dad. He's a lawyer, so he'll probably have a better eye on who to trust. Plus, if he wins the election, he'll have access to more resources that can help us put an end to all of this."
"I don't know, Lyndon," Amelie sighed. "My dad already has enough on his plate. I'm not sure if we should even drag him into this especially if we don't have all the details yet."
"Fair enough," Lyndon replied and stood up from the table. "Just think about it though. Anyway, I'm going to get out of here so you can get ready for your interview. Good luck."
He hopped over the gate and landed next door in his own backyard, leaving Amelie alone with her thoughts, something that she preferred not to do in that moment. There was so much to think about and almost all of it was unpleasant. It was easier to focus on what everyone else did wrong, but she recognized that did not ultimately help her. Instead, Amelie found it more helpful to focus on where she went wrong and try to determine what mistakes she needed to correct to help fix the mess that everyone was currently in.
Elyse was always the first person on her mind. She and her sister had always had a great relationship despite their different personalities and interests. Elyse had always been more serious and focused and as a result, she typically had better grades than Amelie and was more athletic. Amelie always had a lot of things going on that she sometimes found it difficult to navigate through it all. Elyse, on the other hand, had always been so put together. Their mother had always taught them never to compare themselves to one another, but it was difficult to avoid it at times. Amelie felt that the main mistake she made with her sister was not checking in on what was going on in her thoughts. Had she done that more often, it would have been easier to talk to her once something major did happen with Elyse. As it stood now, her sister had taken a life and Amelie was lost as to how she could help.
She thought about Craig next. He had made his own terrible decisions over the past several years, but she did not agree with the consensus among her peers that everything bad that happened in their lives was somehow Craig's fault. Unlike with Felicity, Amelie never knew where exactly she truly stood with Craig. One day he would treat her like an adversary and the next day, he would treat her like an old friend. Amelie also did not know where Craig stood with her for the longest time. She hesitated to call him an enemy but calling him a friend was a bit of a stretch as well. Craig was responsible for his own actions, but Amelie knew that he bullied others and that many of his victims were friends of her sister. She also knew that he committed crimes and that his home life had been less than ideal. While Amelie had called him out for his bad behavior from time to time, it was nowhere near as frequent as it should have been, and that thought alone made her feel as if she was complicit.
Then there was Tyler. She had spent so much time wondering what she did to make him act the way he had been acting ever since his fight with Craig. It was only now that Amelie understood that the truth was simply that she did not know him as well as she thought she did. She wondered if she had just fallen for his looks, his skills as a trainer, or what was now clearly his surface personality. None of that changed the fact that she was still angry at him or that she ignored his calls. She was aware that treating him the same way he had treated her would not help her feel better but talking to him now would just cause extra stress. Ultimately, she was angry at herself for not being more direct with her feelings earlier on. If she had been, perhaps things might have been different.
There were others that she could focus on, but that would only drain her mentally. Amelie checked the time on her phone and then replayed the video she had been watching before Lyndon had arrived.
"Bruce Rivers said it best! Carl McKinley can't even protect his own daughters! What makes you think he can protect this city? We need a strong leader that will stamp out the federation and restore order to Saffron City."
Amelie buried her face in her hands. Her father's reputation was being dragged through the mud and it hurt to see lies being spread about the person she admired the most. He had spent his entire life helping people and Amelie decided that today, she was going to help him. Pamela Kaur was a journalist who had interviewed Amelie several times in the past after she had helped with events, be it protesting or stopping poachers. She figured that asking a journalist that she was familiar with would be more comfortable than requesting a random person in the media.
Then the gate opened, and Amelie's eyes widened as the person, whom she had expected to be Pamela, walked in. Carl McKinley made his way over to the table on the patio and took a seat across from his stunned daughter.
"I believe there's supposed to be an interview taking place here," he started and looked down at his watch. "Right about…now."
"You caught me," Amelie sighed in defeat. "Pamela told you?"
"She did," her father answered with a nod. "She didn't feel comfortable interviewing you without asking me first."
"I'm sorry, Dad," she apologized. "I shouldn't have put her in that position. I just wanted to help you. They're saying all these bad things about you and I can't take it."
"Amelie," her father said calmly. "The best way you can help me is by helping yourself. All I want is for you and your sister to be okay. If anything, I'm the one that owes you two an apology. I've been so busy with this campaign and trying to save the city that I forgot that home is where it all starts. That changes today. I'm going to be more involved in what's going on with you girls. Listen, it's not the end of the world if I lose the election. I will still do whatever it takes to make sure this city is protected."
Amelie was amazed at how well her father had adapted to the circumstances. Either he was great at hiding whatever pain he was going through or he was able to push through it and acknowledge what was truly important for his family and friends. Once again, she recalled her mother's advice about not comparing herself to people, but there were moments where Amelie could not help but to believe that her parents had the best traits of both their daughters with none of their drawbacks.
"Everything went so wrong so fast," Amelie continued. "I'm sitting here in this wheelchair wondering how in the world I got to this point."
"You can do everything right and things can still go wrong," her father reminded her. "It's also easy to do good things when things are going good. Your mother and I have always given you a lot of freedom because we knew that you understood. If you want to do the interview with Pamela, I won't stop you, but don't do it for me. Do it for yourself."
"Honestly, Dad, I'm…I'm tired."
"Is resting, healing, and taking time for yourself the same as giving up?" he questioned. "Help yourself so that you can help others."
Amelie looked into her father's eyes, the same blue eyes that matched her own. She had been so focused on where she went wrong with other people that she had forgotten to see where exactly she had gone wrong with herself. For the first time, Amelie McKinley decided that the person who needed her the most was the one in the mirror…
Mike found himself standing in the middle of nowhere, the blackness of the void surrounding him. There were only two others there in the void with him, but both figures had their backs turned to him.
To the right, Mike saw what he thought was a small child. The closer he got to the child, the more he could hear the young boy's sobs.
"Hey, kid, are you alright?"
The young boy turned around and Mike jumped back in shock. He was twelve years old and tiny for his age. What stood out the most was that he was covered from head to toe in garbage. Mike could do nothing but hold his head down as the younger version of himself continued sobbing. It was exactly how he looked after Craig had thrown him in the dumpster years earlier. He wanted to tell his younger self that he was not worthless just because he could not defend himself against someone bigger and stronger and that it was not his fault that he had been thrown in the dumpster.
Mike raised his head and tried to put a comforting hand on the younger Mike's shoulder, but he vanished the instant Mike touched him. He was now left alone with the other person.
"Hey!" Mike called out.
The other person did not respond. He simply remained with his back turned. Mike decided to approach him anyway to see if he had any answers as to what was going on. Once he was close enough, Mike could tell that this person was different. It was a young man about his height with what looked like dark red hair.
"Hey, man, can I ask you something?"
Slowly the young man turned around and Mike came face-to-face with himself again. However, this version of himself was the same age as Mike and he realized that the young man's hair was not red, but that it was caked in blood. Shards of glass were littered across his body and his expression was that of utter rage.
Mike looked in fear as he met the eyes of himself from the previous week. Without warning, the bloodied Mike pulled out a shard of glass from his arm and plunged it into Mike's heart…
Mike awoke gasping for air. Panicked, he ran his hands across his neck and chest to detect for any sign of blood. The morning sun and sounds of his Pokémon alerted him to the fact that he was no longer in the void, but instead sitting under the tree in his backyard. Electabuzz was next to him with a look of concern on his face.
"Must've dozed off…" he sighed and turned to Electabuzz. "I'm fine, buddy."
He looked around to see that Crobat was showing their newest member, Tangela, around the garden. Mike was happy to see how quickly that Tangela was adapting to the team. Nervously, he turned to look at Blastoise. His father had built a small pool for Wartortle back when he evolved from Squirtle. Now though, Blastoise's body took up the entire pool. Mike could only see his shell as his head, arms, and legs had retreated inside. It was obvious that he did not want to be bothered and Mike was unsure as to how to proceed with him. He had problems with Wartortle for a long time and they had finally gotten on the same page when he evolved. Mike was certain that all that progress had been reset.
Looking up, Mike saw the treehouse that he and his friends spent so much time in growing up. Being the son of an architect had its advantages as everyone unanimously agreed that Mike had the best treehouse out of everyone in their year. The last time he had been in there was during the summer, months earlier. He remembered telling Relena that it would be a good idea to have a date in there, but the truth was that he had blown his allowance and did not have any money to take her anywhere else. At the time, he did not think much of it since Relena appeared to be fine with it, but now it was just more proof of what a terrible boyfriend he had been.
Mike scanned his yard again. It was rare to be back there in the middle of the day with only his Pokémon. Usually, the yard was filled with activity. Ellie would be listening to music with her headphones, Drake would be coming up with ideas for pranks, and Relena would be enjoying her favorite flavor of ice cream. Loki and Elyse would frequently be there as well with Loki helping Drake with his ideas and Elyse practicing gymnastics. Other friends like Esther, Nadine, and Lilly would also occasionally come by. Above all else, there would always be a variety of Pokémon playing together.
Mike had said his final goodbyes to Ellie, Drake, and Loki over the phone. He figured it would have been too painful to do it in person especially without Relena and Elyse there. More than that, he felt responsible for essentially wrecking the lives of both girls. Elyse had killed someone to protect him and Relena had checked into a psychiatric hospital last night. Ellie had been uncomfortable talking about it and Mike did not want to press the issue. He was angry enough that he had completely missed the signs regarding Relena's illness and worse, how he contributed to it. As for Elyse, he still had not seen or heard from her since the party. Everyone agreed that without her around, the energy was just not the same.
"Want some company?"
If Mike had expected any of his family members to come out to join him, it would have been his father or Julie. He was surprised to see his mother coming out alone without anyone else. Dana Snowe took a seat on the grass next to her son and he was unsure of what to even say to her.
"Uh, hey, Mom," he greeted awkwardly. "Did I forget to pack something?"
"No, everything is taken care of," she answered. "Just wanted to talk to my baby boy before I send him to my stick-in-the-mud brother."
"I messed up, Mom," Mike admitted. "Not just my friends, but you guys too. In one night, I just ruined things for everyone."
"Listen, Mikey," his mother told him. "What you did last weekend did not ruin our lives. What would've ruined our lives is hearing that you got killed. I think your friends feel the same way."
"Tell that to Relena," Mike lamented. "She asked her parents to put her in an institution because of me and I'm pretty sure she'll never speak to me again. This whole thing completely ruined my relationship."
"Relena chose to get help because she wanted help," his mother said. "You did not cause her illness and if anything, you should be proud that she had the strength to seek help."
"I thought you didn't like her?" Mike said with a puzzled expression.
"I know I haven't exactly made things easy for you two over the last year and a half, but I was trying to look out for you. I've known Relena ever since she was a little girl, of course I like her and hope that she gets the help she needs. You are my son though, my only son. That takes priority over anything else."
Mike listened to his mother speak and tried to put himself in her shoes. He recognized that it could not have been easy having to deal with an adult child, a teenager, and an infant at the same time. He and his sisters were so spread out in age with different wants and needs that it was a miracle that his parents were as good as they were. He was sad that it took so much for him to finally appreciate them.
"Mom, I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "For the way I've been acting this year. You and Dad have always had my back and I know that won't ever change…no matter how many babies you have."
"You don't have to worry about that, Michael," his mother said with a laugh. "Trust me, I'm done. It's funny though. A lot of times, I felt the same way you did."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know," she teased. "I'm talking about how your dad is so obviously your favorite parent."
"What?" Mike chuckled. "That's not true."
"Mike, you've been a daddy's boy for as long as I can remember. Ever since you could walk, you were attached to him like a mushroom on Parasect. When I brought it up to him, he denied it of course. I guess it makes sense. Whenever something happens to you, he jumps up and runs out of the door before I can even blink."
"I'm kind of glad you didn't show up at the party," Mike admitted. "I didn't want you to see me like that."
"Alright, story time," his mother began. "I had been in labor for hours. Your dad and grandmother were in the room, getting on my last nerves, and I couldn't hear my stories on the TV. Plus, I hate hospitals. I wanted to hurry up and have my baby girl so that I could go home. So, after an exhausting birth, I started hearing my mother screaming while your dad went dead silent. That freaked me out and I started shouting. 'What's wrong with my baby?!' Your dad wasn't talking, and I probably would have tried to strangle him if I had been able to reach him. Your grandma yelled, 'it's a boy!' at the top of her lungs. Wanna know what my response was?"
"I'm guessing something along the line of, 'this is the best day ever'," Mike joked. "Am I close?"
"Pretty close," his mother answered. "What I actually said was, 'what the fuck do you mean it's a boy?!' Of course, it was the best day ever because I finally had my girl and my boy. But…we literally had to take everything that we bought back because the doctor told us we were having another girl."
"First prank, best prank," Mike said proudly. "Besides, you didn't have to take everything back. I could've rocked the pink clothes for a while."
"Well, you did get my luscious locks," his mother said and ran her fingers through his hair. She grabbed his face. "These are definitely your dad's eyebrows though. Anyway, the point of that story is that no matter what's going on with you, I want to be able to support you. Just like I have more than one child, you have more than one parent. Remember that. Dad can stay your favorite, but just let your poor mama in from time to time."
"It's a promise," Mike declared.
"I'm going to hold you to that," she said and kissed him on the forehead. "Now, all of your stuff that you're taking to Cianwood is in the car that we rented for Julie. Meet us in the front yard when you're finished here."
Mike watched her walk towards the house. The mystery of who he had inherited his humor from had definitively been solved during that conversation, and he was happy to learn more about his mother in general. He was thankful that she had cheered him up enough to motivate him to get ready to leave.
"Alright, guys," he called out to his Pokémon. "It's time to go!"
Electabuzz, Crobat, and Tangela lined up in front of him. Blastoise did not leave the pool but did poke his head and limbs from his shell to listen. That was a start at least.
"The next time we come back here, we're all going to be so much stronger," Mike proclaimed. "I want to be able to protect you guys." He looked at Blastoise. "I want to be a trainer you can all be proud of. It's going to be hard, but we owe it to everyone to be the best that we can possibly be."
Electabuzz, Crobat, and Tangela cheered while Blastoise simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. Mike recalled them to their poké balls and made his way to the front yard.
The plan was for Mike to take the Magnet Train with Julie to Goldenrod City. He would stay with her overnight and the two of them would head for Ecruteak City the following day. Julie had classes for the rest of the week so Mike would have to travel alone to meet up with his uncle in Olivine City. After that, they had to ride the ferry to reach Cianwood City. Once Mike was safe in Cianwood, his parents would head to Vermilion City until things died down. It was a bit of a hassle, but nothing that he could not handle.
"Here you go, son," Rick Snowe handed his son a backpack. "Now you're all set. The rest of your stuff is in the trunk."
"Thanks, Dad," Mike said. He looked at his older sister and then back at his parents and younger sister, making sure to put on a brave face. "Well, I guess this is it. I'm going to miss you guys more than anything."
"I'm really proud of you, son," his father told him. "You call me if anything happens, and I will be in Cianwood before you hang up the phone."
"He'll swim across the Whirl Islands if he has to," his Julie added. "You know Dad."
Rick embraced his son in a hug so tight that Mike was worried that he was going to squeeze the life out of him. He hugged his father back and then glanced over at his mother. She was holding Tori, but it was obvious that she wanted to be included. Mike was going to make sure that he held up his promise to her.
"Group hug, Mom!" he called out to her. "Bring the baby! Julie, you too!"
The five Snowes hugged one another, and Mike even made a conscious effort to hold his younger sister for a moment. When they finally pulled apart, Mike could see that both of his parents were misty-eyed even though they also had proud smiles on their faces.
"You ready?" Julie asked him.
"Yeah…" Mike said with a deep breath.
"We love you both," Dana Snowe told her children. "Ju-Ju, study hard. Mikey, don't forget to put on sunscreen."
"We got it, Mom," Julie told her. "Love you. You too, Dad."
"Love you guys," Mike added with a wave. He looked at his parents and younger sister one last time. "Take care…"
The two eldest Snowe siblings quickly made their way to the car before things got even more emotional. Mike took one last look at the house he had grown up in.
"You'll be back before you know it," Julie assured him.
"Yeah," he replied. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go…"
"Train to Goldenrod City set to depart in fifteen minutes!"
Mike's larger suitcase had already been loaded onto the train, so he figured it was enough time to use the restroom and grab a snack from the vending machine. Julie warned him not to miss the train and told him that she was boarding early so that she could find their seats.
The restroom had been easy enough to find, but the vending machines were more difficult to locate than Mike expected. After a few minutes, he spotted one in the corner and made a dash towards it. Checking the time, he quickly swiped his card and selected the peach flavored gummies. The machine started moving the candy off the rack, but it froze before it could fall.
"Of course…" Mike sighed realizing that he was going to have to give up his candy and the money he spent on it if he didn't get it out in time. Impatiently, he started shaking the machine, but to no avail. The gummies would not move.
"Someone once taught me that the trick with these machines is to hit it in the right spot…"
A fist lightly tapped on the glass and the peach flavored gummies fell off the rack. Mike stood in front of the vending machine, dumbfounded as Elyse McKinley handed him his candy. It completely flew over his head that he was the one who had taught her the vending machine trick. He rubbed his eyes to see if he was dreaming.
"What are you…?" he started. "What are you doing here?"
She had a few stitches in her head, her hair was slightly unkempt, and she had bags under her eyes, but she was very much still the same Elyse.
"Loki told me everything," she explained. "I wasn't going to let you leave without saying goodbye…and without giving you your birthday present."
Elyse went to the opposite side of the vending machine and returned with a surfboard in hand. It was a shortboard with a yellow and black color scheme that reminded Mike of Electabuzz. Elyse handed the board to the still shocked Mike.
"This is awesome," he praised. "Thank you, Elyse."
"No thanks needed," she told him. "I just remembered that you said that you had a lot of fun when you went surfing during summer vacation. Since you're going to be in Cianwood, it turned out to be the perfect gift. I'll admit, it wasn't easy to get it here. I had to beg my parents to let me come to the train station. My dad has security guards scattered inside and outside the station. I haven't had a moment alone in days. Trust me, this gift to you helped me out more than it helped you."
"Well, I definitely appreciate the surfboard," Mike began. "But I was thanking you for more than just that." He paused and took a deep breath. "Because of you, I'm still alive. Thank you for saving my life."
"You would have done the same for me…" Elyse said softly.
"In a heartbeat," Mike confirmed. "You okay?"
"No…" Elyse admitted. "But…I will be. You make sure to take care of yourself in Cianwood."
Mike nodded his head in agreement before carefully leaning the surfboard against the wall. Reaching in his backpack, Mike retrieved the white bubble gloves that he had created when he became the mascot years earlier. He smiled at them and then handed the gloves to Elyse. From the look on her face, he could tell that she knew how big a deal this was.
"Can you hang on to those for me until I get back?" he asked.
"The bubble gloves are safe until you reclaim your birthright as mascot of S.T.S.," Elyse reassured him. "I'll just have to find somewhere in my room to keep them."
"Put them on your ceiling fan," Mike suggested. "Hang them in your window, throw them in your closet, whatever you want. Just…whenever you look at them, think of me…"
"Train to Goldenrod City set to depart in five minutes!"
"That's where I'm headed," Mike said. "Guess I better get going. Don't worry, we're going to get through this."
"I know…" Elyse said in a quavering voice and gently sat the gloves down on a nearby bench.
She sniffled but quickly readjusted herself and held out her arms for a hug. Mike embraced his friend, holding on to her tightly. The brightness of the morning sun shined through the skylight of the train station and when Mike briefly looked up, he thought he caught a glimpse of something flying through the sky. After a quick second of thinking, he chalked it up to the glare that was coming from the skylight and reluctantly let go of Elyse. She gave him one final nod before picking up the bubble gloves and making her way towards the entrance.
Mike grabbed his new surfboard and hurried to the train. He was the final passenger to get on and found Julie at their seats, listening to music. He tapped her on the arm to let him know that he had made it and placed the board down flat under the seat. Once the train officially started moving, Mike prepared himself for the three-hour ride to Goldenrod.
"Goodbye, Saffron City…"
He was saying goodbye to his home, but he took solace in the fact that it was not goodbye forever. Mike Snowe sat up in his seat and looked towards the future.
A/N: THE END
Here we finally are after so many many years. This story has finally come to a close and I want to thank everyone who managed to stick by. There's definitely much more to come, so stay tuned.
The P.O.V. characters for this final chapter were Craig Kelton, Felicity Cole, Amelie McKinley, and Mike Snowe (twice).
The next story will focus more on characters who were more in the background for this one, so get ready for that. I'll have more information over at the forum or you can always send me a PM if you have any questions or concerns regarding what comes next.
Once again, stay on the lookout for the next story and thanks again for sticking by me!
Until next time!