"Regina On The Rocks"
By MisterAnimeFan
Part of the DP Love Series
Disclaimer: Did you know that "World of Color" at Disney's California Adventure is an amazing show that everyone must see? What does that have to do with Pokémon...I don't know. Oh yeah, and Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak. The fan fiction exists out of fun and enjoyment.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Throughout the night, Regina kept tossing and turning in her bed, while her sons and Dawn slept peacefully. Regina still felt stupid about accusing Justin. She tried everything to induce drowsiness. Warm milk, tea, counting Mareep, nothing worked.
Then came six in the morning, when the sun rose up and brightened Eterna City. Regina was still awake, with bags under her eyes. She yawned as she sat upright in her bed. Her mind still felt cluttered with various thoughts. She stretched her limbs out and tried her best to muster up some energy. "Maybe the morning walk will clear my head," she thought.
She got out of bed, changed out of her nightgown, and headed out the door. She was going to wake up the Growlithe and Mightyena sleeping in the living room, but she decided against it. "My head really hurts," she muttered, quietly. "I think I'll take this walk by myself today."
She then quietly opened the door and stealthily left the condominium. Mightyena and Growlithe were none the wiser.
As Regina walked around Eterna City, she continued thinking about Justin. "I was such a fool for thinking that Justin was actually Paul Sr. What's wrong with me?" she asked herself.
When she looked up at the sky, she could have sworn she saw a cloud that looked just like her ex-husband, laughing at her. Regina shook her head and berated herself. "Great, now that jackass is invading my every thought!" she complained. "No matter what I do, I'm instantly reminded of him. Just like how when I first saw Justin, I thought of him! And now I'm talking to myself in public. I must be some sort of crazy person!"
Regina continued rubbing the sides of her forehead. "I have such a huge headache," she muttered quietly.
Just then, she heard a voice. "Regina? Is that you?" asked a voice.
Regina turned around and saw Justin running up to her. "Oh! Justin!" she exclaimed, surprised.
"I thought it was you!" Justin said, cheerfully. "Is something wrong? You seem upset about something?"
"Oh...just a lot on my mind," answered Regina.
"Oh dear," worried Justin. "Is that Paul Sr. bothering you again?"
"Oh no, it's not that!" denied Regina. "Umm...well...sort of...I've just been thinking about these past few days."
"What about them?" asked Justin.
"Well...I just thought that it could have been better between you and me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, let's just say that I now have proof that you're not Paul Sr."
"What sort of proof?"
"Uhhh...I talked to a few friends, and they say that they say my ex-husband somewhere else. Which means you can't possibly be him."
"Is that so? Does this mean I am clear of any wrongdoing?"
"Yeah, you're clear."
Regina then placed her hands on her stomach and bowed down to Justin. "I'm sorry that my whole family unfairly judged you and accused you," she apologized. Her head was still down at the ground. "We weren't thinking straight. So please forgive us."
Justin laughed. Regina looked up at him. "Come on now. Stand up right. All is forgiven," Justin said, eloquently. "As long as you and your family drop the accusations against me, then everything between us is cool, as they say."
"Oh, I'm glad," replied Regina.
Regina then took a deep breath. "Boy, does that take a load off my mind," she breathed.
"Does it now?" asked Justin.
"I felt so stupid for accusing you," explained Regina.
"Oh, don't say that!"
"No, I am! I mean, I was so quick to accuse you for being someone you're not. I always do that. I say and do things without really thinking clearly. That's why I always slip on things or burn dinners or fall down stairs. I just screw up at whatever I do. I'm barely even a Pokémon trainer. Anytime I get into a battle with Growlithe or Mightyena, I always win by dumb luck."
"Is that so?"
Regina then realized something and let out a frustrated sigh. "And now here I am running my mouth off..."
Justin then grabbed Regina's wrist, surprising her. "My goodness Regina, I didn't think your husband mistreated you this bad," he remarked.
"What?" Regina asked, shocked. "Oh no, this has nothing to do with Paul Senior!"
"You know what, Regina? I think you're not thinking straight because you have no food in your stomach. You must not have had breakfast yet!"
"No that's not...! Um...well...actually, I am kind of hungry."
"Then, we have no time to lose!" proclaimed Justin.
Justin took Regina by the wrist and began to drag her away. "Wait! Stop! What are you doing?" she asked, frantically.
"Trust me, you'll like this place!" Justin shouted back.
"But...my family back home..."
Justin didn't listen. He continued dragging Regina across Eterna City.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The two stopped at a pancake house, a few blocks away from the Eterna Condominiums. The two sat down next to the window and they were handed their menus. The waitress then placed two cups down and filled them both with coffee. "I'll be back to take your orders!" the nice waitress said.
"Thank you," replied Justin.
The waitress then left to tend to another table. Justin turned to Regina, who had jittery hands and shaking legs. She stared out the window, hoping to try and get a view of her condo. "Regina, why are you so stressed?" he asked. "Look, if it makes you feel better, it's my treat."
"What's that?" Regina asked, coming back down to Earth.
"Look, you fed me breakfast yesterday. Allow me to repay my debt. So don't worry about the tab."
"It's not that," replied Regina, "I'm just worried about my family."
"What about your family?"
"Well, I have to go and make breakfast for them."
"I'm sure they'll do fine until you get back."
"But..."
"It's still early in the morning. You'll have time to make breakfast before they wake up."
"Look Justin..."
"Just relax, take a deep breath, and have some pancakes courtesy of myself!"
Regina looked at Justin. He only smiled as he took a sip of coffee. Regina lightened up a bit and gave a small smile. "Well...okay," she said. "If you say so..." She then took a sip of her coffee. "Sorry, I'm not used to doing something this...spontaneous. I never just walk outside and say I'm going to this pancake house today!"
"Well, there is a time when being spontaneous is a good thing," replied Justin.
"I just hope my boys can survive back home," Regina said.
"They're big boys," reminded Justin. "I'm sure they are able to take care of themselves. After all, they are Pokémon trainers."
"I suppose, but they are still my two little boys no matter how tall they get," joked Regina.
"It's a motherly thing, I assume."
Regina then drank more coffee. Justin then placed both of his elbows on the table. "You know Regina, I must ask you something," he said.
"Oh yeah? What's that?" asked Regina.
"That girl Dawn..." began Justin.
"What about her?"
"While she seems like a nice, sweet girl, I want to know you feel about her being Paul's girlfriend."
"Oh, I think it's wonderful that Paul has found himself a sweetheart!" Regina replied, cheerfully.
"Oh you are?" Justin asked, surprised.
"Oh yeah. Before she and Paul became a couple, he was always so grumpy and moody. He never talked to me about anything and he was always so negative," Regina rambled on.
"I figured as much," muttered Justin. "Go on."
"I don't know what Dawn did to Paul, but ever since we met up in Hearthome City, Paul has been more open towards Dawn and me. He also seems much happier than he was before."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah, Paul may still be a bit shy, but he's coming around."
"Well...that's good to hear."
"Why do you ask me about Dawn?"
"I was just curious."
Justin took a look over his shoulders, wondering where the waitress is. He then turned back to Regina. "It's just that," he continued, "Whenever a mother hears about her son dating a girl, they tend to be a bit...hostile."
"Oh, there's no hostility between me and Dawn," replied Regina. "I love Dawn!"
"Is that so?" Justin asked, as he took another sip of his coffee.
"Are you kidding? Dawn is a lifesaver!"
"How so?"
"Well, I was a little bit worried that Paul would never find happiness in his life, especially since...you-know-who left."
"What do you mean you-know-who?" asked Justin. He then suddenly remembered. "Oh...you mean the former man of the house."
"That's right. I was very afraid that Paul would fall a similar path like him," continued Regina. "But thankfully, Dawn was able to help Paul and it looks like Paul will steer clear of that path. I'm grateful that Dawn came by and entered Paul's life. Lord knows he needed the guidance."
Justin remained quiet as he watched Regina take another sip of her coffee. "Regina, let's talk about your hu..."
"So are we ready to order?" asked the waitress, interrupting Justin.
"Oh yes, uhhh..."
Regina picked up the menu and quickly scanned the selection of different pancakes. "Well...the chocolate chip pancakes sound delicious. I'll try that!" ordered Regina, as she handed the waitress the menu.
"Okay," smiled the waitress. She then turned towards Justin. "And for you, Justin, I assume you want the usual?"
"Yes, I'll have blueberry pancakes with a side order of bacon and eggs, sunny-side-up."
"I never forget!" the waitress replied. She then took Justin's menu. "I'll be right back with your order!"
The waitress then left. Regina turned towards Justin. "How does she know your name?" asked Regina.
"I'm a regular here," answered Justin.
"Oh...okay."
Something then hit Regina. "Wait a minute, you're a regular?" she asked again.
"Yes, what's wrong with that?" Justin asked.
"But didn't you just move into Eterna City? How can you be a regular when you just moved in?"
"Oh, well I've been living here for a few weeks now," explained Justin. "I'm just really lazy, thus is why everything is still in boxes. I've been becoming here every since, hence why the waitress recognized me. Plus, I traveled through here many times before on my usually musical voyages."
"Oh," was all Regina could say.
"You weren't accusing me of something, were you?" asked Justin.
"Oh no! I just thought that...that was kind of odd."
At first, it seemed that Justin was upset. Regina felt a bit worried by his appearance. But then, his face suddenly changed from angry to smiling. "I'm just kidding you," joked Justin. "I get asked that a lot."
"By who?" asked Regina.
"Just random people that I meet on my voyages," answered Justin.
"Voyages?"
"I believe I told you about this before. I am a wandering musician who travels across the region. I meet many interesting people along the way."
"Really? How interesting?"
"Just people with different backgrounds and life goals. Sometimes, people are farmers. Others are people who are striving to become the Pokémon League Champions. They all have rather interesting pasts and stories."
"That sounds intriguing. But why do you do it? Why do you go around and listen to people and how they live?"
"There are many reasons and they differ from person to person. Sometimes, I am cursed with boredom and I want to hear a good story to help pass the time. From that, you learn a lot about people and society alike. Sometimes I use people's stories as inspirations for songs and melodies."
Regina smiled as she listened to Justin's words. "You sure are an interesting person," commented Regina.
"Maybe I am," replied Justin. "But right now, the more interesting person...is you."
"Me?" Regina asked, surprised. "How am I interesting?"
"Well, it's not every day that some random woman I meet points her finger at me and accuses me of being someone else that I'm not."
"Oh god, Justin. Can we please not talk about that?" pleaded Regina. "I already apologized and everything. Can't we just forget it about it and move on?"
"I'm afraid that is not an option," refused Justin. "It will do neither of us any good not to discuss it. Regina, I am not trying to instigate anything or get under your skin, as they say. I have forgiven you and I have no hard feelings towards you. But, I want to know about Paul Sr."
Regina's eyes opened wide when Justin mentioned Paul Sr. "Why...why would you want to know about him?" asked Regina, stuttering a bit.
"As I said before," continued Justin, "you are a very interesting woman with a very interesting family. Surely, there must some sort of story between you, your family, and your ex-husband. I want to know what he has done to you and your family. I want to see what was so heinous that you would go around accusing people of being him."
"Look Justin, we're not crazy or anything..." replied Regina.
"I never said you were," he clarified. "I simply want to know why. Why would you accuse me of being him? What has he done to you?"
"Why should I tell you any of that? Can't you accept the fact that you just happen to look like someone else? I mean, I was wrong anyway. So can't we just drop it and forget that it ever happened?"
Regina's voice was so loud that people in the pancake house were beginning to glance over at their table. Regina noticed this and was deeply embarrassed.
She then grabbed both her elbows and covered her arms, as if she was cold. She then stared at the ground outside of the window. For some reason, unbeknownst to her, the roots of the bushes that were peeping through the soil was suddenly interesting. She placed her right hand over her mouth, as if she was trying to hold something back.
"Regina, look. I understand why you are so tight-lipped about this," Justin said. "I mean, I know that you just met me exactly 24 hours ago. To you, am I nothing but a stranger with whom you barely know. And whatever I want you to talk about, I'm sure, is not an easy subject to talk about. I understand that. But Regina, keeping this to yourself is going to make things worse for you. If you keep locking this away, eventually it'll come out one way or another, and not in a good way."
Justin then reached out and grabbed Regina's hand. "Regina please, I know you have some unresolved issues with your ex-husband. I promise you, whatever you tell me will stay with me," assured Justin.
Regina glanced over towards Justin, but immediately set her eyes back outside. "Regina, look at me," Justin demanded. Regina then looked at him right in his eyes. Justin saw that her eyes were glistening as extra moisture started to build up in her eyes. Justin continued to inch closer to Regina's face.
Regina took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She was quiet for a moment. Justin grew concerned. "Well?" he asked.
"Okay," she replied, quietly.
"Okay?" Justin asked.
"Okay, I'm ready to talk. What do you what to know first?" Regina asked.
"Well, Paul Sr. is your ex-husband. That has already been established," deduced Justin. "Let's start at the beginning. When did you meet, Paul Sr.?"
Regina looked at the table, hesitating to answer. "Regina?" Justin asked.
"Fifteen years ago," Regina finally answered.
"What was that?" asked Justin.
"It was fifteen years ago when I met Paul Sr. I met him at the Department Store in Veilstone City. Back then, he seemed like a nice person. I didn't know that he would break my heart later on."
"I see, well we're get to the heart-breaking soon enough, but continue. What did he do at the Department Store?"
"He was a stock-boy," continued Regina. "I first laid my eyes on him after he helped me up. After spending the whole day shopping, I headed to the checkout counters to pay. I ran there, because I was in a hurry. They closed down the elevators because of some technical problems. I had no choice but take the stairs. Now, I should tell you, me and stairs are never on good terms."
"I can only guess what happened next..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
FLASHBACK...
Carrying many bags in her hands, twenty-year-old Regina quickly ran towards the elevators. The sale was about to end, so she had to hurry to the checkout cashier. She turned around a corner into the elevator hallway. There a small yellow sign greeted her. It read Out of Order! "Seriously? All of them?" Regina asked, angrily. Regina let out a frustrated grunt.
She turned around and headed towards the stairs. She pushed and shoved her way down the stairs. Regina was determined not to pay full-price!
As she reached the first floor, her foot slipped. She screamed as she fell forward and tumbled down the other steps. She hit her head on the edge of one of those steps, knocking her out cold.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Wow, that must have hurt," commented Justin.
"Just thinking about it makes me remember the pain," added Regina. "Anyway, from what I can gather, someone called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Ow...that really hurt," Regina thought.
Her head throbbing in pain, Regina slowly her eyes and her vision became clear. She let out a moan as she regained consciousness. "Oh, you're actually awake," said a voice.
Regina titled her head sideways and saw a young man with purple hair standing beside her. Her memory was still fuzzy, but she didn't recognize this man. "Who are you?" she asked. "And what happened? Where am I?"
"You're in a hospital bed," answered the man. "You fell down the stairs at the Department Store and gave yourself a concussion. One of my co-workers called the ambulance. They told me to stay here and watch over you."
Regina laid back in bed and grabbed her head. "Oh god, that must been so embarrassing for me," Regina said. "I always do that! Stupid, stupid me!"
"Don't beat yourself up over it," comforted the man. "Many women injure themselves...especially during those low-price sales we're always having. I told my boss that it was getting out of hand, but he's too busy fattening his pockets with money."
Regina then felt a sharp, stabbing pain going into her brain. She kicked her legs up, prompting the man to get up from his seat to try and comfort her. "It's okay! It's okay!" the man said calmly. "Just relax and rest your head."
Eventually, Regina calmed down and placed her head back into her pillow. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her mind off her headache. She turned towards the man. "Hey," she spoke.
"Huh?" the man asked.
"What's your name?" Regina asked.
"Call me Paul."
"Okay...Paul..."
Regina noticed the depressed look on Paul's face. "Is something with you, Paul?" asked Regina.
"Oh nothing really," replied Paul. "I'm just tired. That's all."
"What do you do?" asked Regina.
"I'm a stock-boy," answered Paul. "But additionally, I'm also the manager's go-to guy. And he makes me go everywhere. Get this! Get that! Go here and back in less than fifteen minutes! It's a lot of running around."
"It sounds exhausting."
"I always hope that with time, he might see how hard of a worker I am and I might take his job. But now I'm not really holding my breath for that."
Regina sulked as she listened to Paul's story. "But hey, at least it's better than my last job," Paul mentioned.
"What was your last job?" asked Regina.
Paul then looked down at the ground. He hesitated to answer her. "I don't want to talk too much about it," he said. "But that job made me do things...with very little payoffs."
"Oh," sighed Regina.
"At least with the job I have now, I'm doing honest work," continued Paul. "So, I suppose it's all good."
"I see. Well, as long as you're not doing anything criminal..."
It was quiet for a moment. The two of them turned away from each other. Paul took a deep breath and Regina continued wincing at her headache. "So...you got any family?" Paul asked. "You know, people who might visit you later on. I mean, you took a pretty serious fall."
Regina shook her head. "Both my parents have passed on," she answered. "And I'm an only child."
"Oh...that's rough," choked Paul. Paul then leaned back in his chair. "Well...how about you?" asked Regina. "Do you have family?"
"Ehhh...I'm not on good terms with anyone from my family," confessed Paul.
"Your parents are still around?"
"Yeah, but like I said, we're not on good terms," repeated Paul. "I also have a twin brother, but I cut off contact with him years ago. I have no clue where he is now."
"...why aren't you on good-terms with your parents?"
"I'm going to say that they were both dirt bags and leave it at that."
"Okay then. If it really bothers you that much, then I won't ask you about them anymore," promised Regina.
There was a moment of silence again between the two. Regina glanced down and saw a Poké Ball hanging from Paul's belt. "You have a Pokémon?" asked Regina.
"One...a Totodile," answered Paul. "I used to have a whole team, but...things just happened."
Regina was curious as to what these things were, but she decided that it would be better not to ask about it. "So, do you use that Totodile for battling or anything?" she asked, instead.
"I used to, but we are taking a break from battling," answered Paul.
"Does he help you on the job?" asked Regina.
"He can't. Boss won't allow it."
"Well that's not fair!"
"Yeah, but what are you going to do?"
Paul then turned to Regina. "You know, you're going to be in the hospital for a while," he mentioned. "The doctor says that you have a pretty serious concussion."
"Really?" Regina asked.
"Here's the thing...since you don't have anyone to visit you...and since I have no one to go home to...how about I spend the night here and keep you company?" proposed Paul.
Regina smiled as Paul made his offer. "I would like that," she said.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"This sounds like the beginning of a true love story," commented Justin.
"For the time being, it was a true love story," continued Regina. "We spend so much time together...and we were always happy spending our time with each other. A few months later, Paul made his marriage proposal...and then nine months later, we were married."
"Really? Was it a wonderful wedding?" asked Justin.
"It was a small one. We didn't have any guests. It was just us and the priest. Paul wanted to call his twin brother, but he couldn't find any contact information."
Justin then sulked after he heard that. "Yeah...yeah, I think I know the feeling," he moaned.
"What was that?" asked Regina.
Justin drank what was left of his coffee. Coincidentally, the waitress came by with a hot pot of coffee. "Can I top you two off?" she asked, nicely.
"Yes please," Justin replied. The waitress then refilled Regina and Justin's cups. "Your pancakes should be ready in just a few minutes," the waitress said. She then left.
"Anyway, continue," said Justin. "So you two met each other, fell in love, got married, and you had two kids."
"Correct," replied Regina. She took a small sip of her coffee. "How was he as a family man?" asked Justin.
"He was strict, but fair. He wanted our two sons to be the best. But he thought that Reggie was too effeminate. When little Paul was brought into the world, he mainly focused on him."
"By focus you mean...?"
"He taught him about Pokémon and all of the different battle strategies that Paul could use in battles. As a matter of fact, Paul Sr. even bought some strange portable battle simulator so that Paul Jr. could show him what he's learned."
"Now then, it seemed you had a happy marriage. But when did it start going down?" Justin asked.
Regina took another deep breath. "Things were going great. I was hoping that it would last a lifetime. But..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The two Paul's sat down on the living room sofa. Paul Sr. watched as his younger son used the battle simulator in his hands. Paul Jr. was five years old. He had a Squirtle on his side, while the opposing side had a Dratini. "Come on son, I know you can beat that Dratini! It's down to its last hit point!" cheered Paul Sr.
Paul Jr. continued playin...uh...training on his simulator. Right when he was about to win the battle, the Dratini suddenly unleashed a Twister attack and did critical damage to Paul's virtual Squirtle, knocking it out. Paul Sr. lowered his head and rubbed his eyelids. "Sorry dad," apologized Paul Jr.
"Sorry? Son, this is the fifth virtual battle in a row that you lost," replied Paul Sr.
"Well dad, the critical damage thing just randomly happens in this thing!" argued Paul Jr. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you overpower your enemies so that they would have chance against you!"
Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass caught everyone's attention. The two Paul's immediately jumped off the sofa and ran over to the kitchen. The two saw Regina, flat on her face. In front of her was a tray of dishes, which were now all shattered into pieces. "Mom!" Paul Jr. shouted.
"What happened?" Reggie asked, running into the room.
"You two stay away!" cautioned Paul Sr. "There's broken glass everywhere!'
Paul Sr. looked down and saw Regina lifting herself off the ground. "Ow...that hurt," Regina groaned. She looked up and saw her husband, not very happy in the least. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Regina asked.
Paul Sr. threw his hands up in the air and stomped his way onto the front porch, slamming the door violently. Paul Jr. and Reggie were a bit frightened by this display. "Mom...why is dad so angry?" asked Reggie.
"It's okay, you two. It has nothing to do with you two," assured Regina. "Your father is just a bit tired and stressed out, that's all. I'm going to go and talk to him. Will you two clean this up for me while I talk to him?"
The two boys nodded their heads. "Good. Thank you," Regina said. While Paul Jr. and Reggie went to go clean up the broken plates, Regina walked out onto the front porch. Paul Sr. paced back and forth, breathing through his nose. She slowly walked towards him. "Honey?" Regina asked.
"Just-just leave me alone," he replied, quickly.
"What's going on?" asked Regina.
"It's nothing!" shouted Paul Sr.
"It's not nothing! Something is bothering you!" argued Regina.
"Look, just go back inside!" demanded Paul.
"Paul, what's wrong with you? You've been acting so different lately. You're always snappy and angry. You rarely ever talk to me or your sons! You just won't open up anymore!"
Paul Sr. looked up into the air and took another deep breath. He turned towards his wife. "Why are you always breaking dishes?" Paul Sr. asked, angrily. "It seems that you can't go a week without breaking something...or burning something!"
"That's not true!" snapped Regina, offended. "I mean, yeah. I'm a little clumsy, but I thought you would be used to it by now!"
"Well, no! Everything you break something, I have to go and take money out of my paycheck to fix or replace whatever you broke! Do you realize we don't have that kind of money?"
"Well whose fault is that?" argued Regina. "You've been making the same amount of money that you've been making since I first met you! You know we have kids! Why don't you ever man up and ask your boss for a promotion or something?"
"Hey, don't turn this around me, woman! You're making this sound like it's my fault!"
"It is your fault! You're the coward who's not standing up for himself!"
"Are you calling me a coward? You have no idea what I have to go through! You have no clue how stressful it is to have someone order you around!"
"You're one to talk about ordering people around," muttered Regina.
"What was that?" asked Paul Sr.
"Look, your job is stressful because you're making it to be stressful! Why don't you just tell off your boss? Tell him that you have a wife and kids to support and that what he's paying you isn't enough to cover them!"
"Honey, you have no clue how much of a hardass he is."
"Well then, just quit your job and find something that pays something!" argued Regina. "There's more than one job out there!"
Paul Sr. opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Regina crossed her arms and gave him a smirk. She had defeated him. "No comebacks? Just as I thought," she smirked. "You have no excuse! Honey, this is what I want you to do. The next time you are given a great opportunity to move up in the world, take it! I don't care what you have to do! Just take it and don't let anyone else try to stop you!"
Paul Sr. looked at her with intrigue. "Are you sure about that?" asked Paul Sr.
"Of course, I'm sure!" Regina shouted at him. "Do you understand me?"
For a moment, Paul Sr. grabbed his chin and stared at his angry wife. "Well?" she asked.
"Okay," he replied.
"Okay what?" asked Regina.
Paul Sr. then began heading back into the house. "If you really want me to do that..." he said. He opened the front door and walked inside. Regina crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. What was Paul Sr. going to do?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Oh my, that must have been quite the heated argument," remarked Justin. "But hey, you did the right thing!"
"No I didn't," replied Regina. "I would later regret it later that night."
"That night?" asked Justin. "Do you mean?"
"Yeah," Regina said, her voice shaking a little bit. She took a deep breath through her nose. "That night was the night that my husband left us."
At this point, Regina was breathing very heavily through her nose. She had her palm pressed against her mouth, on the verge of tears. "It's okay. Take your time," whispered Justin. "You can start whenever you're ready."
A few more deep breaths later, Regina removed her hand from her mouth. "Okay, here's what happened," she whispered.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
That night, Regina slept peacefully in her bed. She tossed in her bed and stretched her arm out. When her hand felt something paper-like, Regina quietly woke up and lifted her head up. She saw that her husband was no longer there beside her. Instead, there was a letter placed on his pillow. Regina quickly got up and turned the lights on. She ripped the envelope opened and quickly skimmed the letter inside. Regina crumbled the letter up and got out of bed. She threw on her robe and quietly walked down the hallway.
She walked into the kitchen and she saw a shadowy figure near the front door. She immediately recognized this figure as her husband...soon to be ex-husband.
She slowly reached over and turned the kitchen lights on. Paul Sr. jumped when the lights turned on, but let out a breath of relief. Paul Sr. wore a black jumpsuit and had duffel bags at his feet. "Oh...it's only you," he sighed.
"It's only me?" Regina asked, angrily. "And just where in the hell do you think you're going?"
"Regina, I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this in person, but I suppose you must know," spoke Paul Sr. "I am done with you and the family."
Regina was shocked at his words. "What? Oh...god, please tell me this is some sort of sick practical joke!"
"Regina, you know I am not a joking man," replied Paul Sr. "I haven't been for the past eight years. I am simply taking your advice. I was given a great opportunity at work, and I am going to take it. But I have to leave this family behind. You and the boys would only drag me back to this miserable status."
Regina cover her mouth, unable to accept what Paul Sr. was saying. "You see Regina, with your clumsy ways and overall failure to be a proper wife and mother, I have grown tired of being with you and have decided to seek out what would truly benefit myself."
"Is that what I am to you?" Regina asked, on the verge of tears. "Who would tell you to leave your family behind? What does..."
Regina was interrupted when she saw something through Paul Sr.'s black sweatshirt. She could see the "G" insignia. Immediately, she knew what Paul Sr. was getting into, and within seconds, her love for him had turned to deep hatred. It felt like a mix of anger and sadness. "You son of a...bitch!" she cursed. She then threw a glass vase at the floor. "Watch what you say," taunted Paul Sr. "There are children in this house."
"Oh like you give a damn about your children!" Regina shouted, angrily. "How dare you leave this family behind! Was the love I had for you worth nothing?"
"Regina, I have big dreams in my mind that can't be accomplished by caring for a family," Paul Sr. said, sternly. "I have to do this."
"You are taking part in something that's criminal! You're going to toss aside me and your sons just so that you can live out your dream of ruling over Pokémon?" Regina sobbed. "Well, fine! But I want no part in this! I want you out of my house, now!"
"Mom? Dad?" squeaked a voice.
Both Paul Sr. and Regina looked towards the hallway and saw a tiny, five-year-old Paul standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Paul, just go back to bed!" demanded Regina. "This is between me and your father!"
"Where's dad going?" asked Paul.
"Dad's going to get a better job," confessed Paul Sr. "Taking care of you is a big burden on my part."
"What?" Paul asked, shocked.
"Shut up!" cried Regina. "Don't you say such things!"
"Well, I'm tired of sugar-coating everything!" Paul Sr. replied. "I'm tell it like it is. This family is holding me back on bigger things in life."
"Just get out!" Regina shouted, pointing at the doorway.
Paul Sr. took another glance at his youngest son. "You're a failure as a trainer and a failure as a son!" Paul's dad said, rather harshly.
"GET OUT!" Regina shouted, at the top of her lungs.
She then threw a flower vase at Paul Sr.'s head. "He cried out in pain as he grabbed the back of his head. Regina ran over and began whacking him with whatever small blunt instrument she found. It was too dark to tell what it was. Paul Sr. ran out the door. Paul felt like he had been stabbed in the stomach. He felt like crying.
Once Paul Sr. ran out the door, Regina slammed the door with enough force to shake the house. She got down on her knees and forced herself up against the door. She tried her best to suppress her tears, but it was no good. She slammed her fist against the wall as the tears slowly began to fall down her cheeks. "Why? Why would he do this? Where did I go wrong?" Regina asked, crying.
"Am I…Am I really a bad son?" Paul asked himself.
Regina turned towards Paul, who was ready to start crying. She got up, ran over to him, and hugged him tightly. "Don't listen to him," she sobbed. "He's an idiot. He's just some total stranger now!"
"Mom, is dad going to come back?" asked Paul.
Regina didn't answer him. She just hugged him and cried.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Regina had her head facing down at the table. As she did that night, she was doing everything she can to keep the tears from escaping her eyes. Regardless of her efforts, tears trailed down her cheeks. She tried her best to keep everyone and Justin from seeing her like this, but Justin can tell. Her arms shook and he could hear her holding back her crying. "Regina?" worried Justin.
Regina suddenly crossed her arms and placed her head down. She let it out all. Her arms muffled her sobbing and hid her face from view. Justin reached out and rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "It's okay Regina," he spoke in a soft voice. "Don't worry about what other people think. This is good for you."
Regina lifted her face up away from her sleeves. Her cheeks were very wet and bags formed under her eyes. Some strands of her long, purple hair had escaped from her hair scrunchie and were now all over the front of her face. "Every since he left," sobbed Regina. "I've tried to take care of the boys as best to my abilities by myself. I tried hard not to be the ditzy, klutz that he thinks I am. But in the end, I always kept screwing up. I still slipped and fell, tumbled down stairs, and setting dinners on fire. And every time I did, I could just hear him taunting me. Because he's right! He's always been right! I'm just a clumsy, air-headed, failure of a mother!"
Regina then placed her head back into her arms. Justin continued to watch Regina self-loathing. He reached in his pocket and took out a handkerchief. He tapped Regina on the shoulder, grabbing her attention. "Regina, get up real quick," he commanded.
Regina did as she was told. She looked up at Justin. "Here, blow your nose," offered Justin. She took the handkerchief and blew her nose into it. She then gave it back to Justin, who quickly snapped it a few times to clean it. "Regina, tell me something," spoke Justin. "Do you happen to have a picture of Paul and Reggie on your person right now?"
"What?" Regina asked. "Why...yes of course I do. I always carry a picture of them with me."
"Really? Why do you carry a picture of them everywhere you go?"
"Why else? It's because I love them!"
"You love them?"
"Yes I do!"
"Funny, ever since your husband left, the only family you had were your two sons. Despite being a single mother, you have loved them, cared for them, bathed them, fed them, dressed them, taught them the ways of life, comforted them, and overall just being there for them," listed Justin.
Regina sniffed as she listened to Justin's words. She knew where this was going. "You know, you did more for those boys in five years than your husband would have ever done for them in a decade. Regina, you're not a failure or a bad mother. You're an outstanding mother!"
Regina wiped her nose and nodded her head. She began cheering up a bit. "Now take out that picture of your sons," ordered Justin.
Regina did as she was told. She reached into her pocket and took out a small picture of Paul and Reggie standing next to each other. The two of them stood in front of the Canalave City Gym. Reggie was smiling, but Paul stood there with his usual scowl on his face. Regina looked carefully at the picture. She smiled. "Tell me Regina, what are those two boys doing as far as with their Pokémon?" Justin asked.
"Well, both of them have traveled to different regions of the world, winning gym badges and Battle Frontier Symbols. Right now, Paul is working towards the Sinnoh League and Reggie has become a Pokémon breeder."
Justin only smiled after Regina answered his question. Regina couldn't help but smile with him. "You know what, I think I raised the boys just fine," she told herself. "I mean, my husband's in pris...uh...in the gutter. So he can say all he wants about me. The fact is, I am a proud to be the mother of two strong Pokémon trainers.
"Now you're getting the hint!" proclaimed Justin, happily.
Suddenly, Regina felt a weird sensation going through her spine. "Wow..." she muttered.
"What is it?" asked Justin.
"I don't know," answered Regina. "I feel...strange...like something bad had disappeared. I feel...happier and more livelier. That felt...really good."
Justin continued smiling as Regina's spirits were lifted. "I feel so much better now!" she proudly said.
"That's good to hear," Justin replied.
"Justin, you have a knack for this," continued Regina. "Did anyone ever tell you that you should be a psychiatrist?"
Justin laughed. "Many times, trust me," he answered. "Now go to the women's room and wash your face. When you get back, we'll have ourselves some pancakes!"
"Good idea! I probably look like a mess right now!"
Regina got up from her seat and headed over to the women's room. While she was gone, Justin took another sip of his coffee. "No matter how many people I've talked to, that face of bliss never gets old," he muttered. "But still, while Regina did shed some light on the family, I still want to know more. I wonder what the brothers have to say..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
In the women's room, Regina splashed some cold water in her face to try to remove any evidence of her crying. "Oh my, I just feel wonderful!" she thought. "That Justin really knows how to lift someone's hopes up! Amazing that guy is!"
She then grabbed a paper towel to dry her face. After that, she looked up at her reflection in the mirror and began thinking. "Justin got a lot out of me...stuff even I never really thought too much about. I wonder if Reggie and Paul have something they're hiding inside of them..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: So after god-knows-how-long, "DP Love 2" has finally returned! Sorry about that long, long wait everybody! Hopefully, these chapters and a look into Regina's past was worth the wait.
Originally, I wanted to tell the story of Paul's family in less than three chapters. But then I realized that there is a lot to be talked about here...so much that trying to contain them in less than three chapters would be hell. So instead, I'm giving it its own story arc. I'll be upfront, there will not be too much Ikarishipping moments. I will try to work one in, but I want to mostly focus on Paul's family and Galactic Paul more. I hope you guys understand.
Next time: After Justin breaks down Regina, he hopes to do the same to her sons. With Reggie, he may have no problems. But Paul, on the other hand, will prove to be a challenge. See what Justin does in the next chapter of "DP Love 2!"