Ordinary

My name is Ethan. Hibiki Ethan.

I live with an ordinary family, an ordinary house and I'm basically an ordinary human being. I look ordinary, from my face to my hair color, to my height, to my clothes and everything. I am what you call an ordinary person. The only thing that is special about my looks is my eyes.

They're gold, like my grandmother's. Apparently, when I was born, my parents were so surprised and thought that they got the wrong child.

It is a queer thing to see a person with gold eyes, and the neighbors always commented how royal they looked. My eyes are the only feature of mine that I can proudly call "extraordinary". And this was when I was four.

My childhood consisted of doing dangerous stunts like outrunning wild Pokémon, climbing and jumping around the green roofs, trying to cross over Tohjo Falls and other silly dares. Dad and Mum were as adventurous as me during their younger days, so they allowed me to do whatever I want. On the other hand, my neighbor Lyra had it hard, since her mother always forced her to wear frilly dresses and feminine accessories, so she hardly tags along with me during my extraordinary feats of bravery. Somehow many of the adults liked to tease us for being childhood sweethearts but no, I'm not even interested in her. I'm reckless and she's violent so it somehow resonated together, and we got along well as a result.

We usually had good-natured banter between us, and a few punches here and there when I got too annoying. She liked to talk about her dreams, which was every day, and whatever she dreams of gets so volatile that I didn't care anymore. She's much better off being just Lyra than an Aroma Lady.

Then everytime after she set her temporary goal, she would ask me what was mine. And my answer will always be the same.

"To be extraordinary."

"Like being a League Champion?"

"No, much more than that. To do something no one will ever do."

"Such as?"

"I don't know. Yet."

The conversation will then carry off to some other topic, but the same question always popped up every other day. And that was when I was eight.

Everything changed the next summer.

Entering the lab on a sunny morning, I discovered Lyra sitting on the couch, her eyes glued to the television. It was unusual to see her so fixated on the visual box and I skipped over immediately after greeting her dad and the assistants.

"What's so interesting?" I inquired. Lyra did not answer, as her mouth hung open, the potato chip in her hand slipping through her fingers. More curious than ever, I gazed at the screen.

"SCOORREE! It's a whopping victory, with a 5-1 sco-"

As expected, the station is airing the Semifinals of the Kanto League Championships. Matches were not really my cup of tea since I do not plan to be a trainer. Being a trainer sounds like an ordinary dream. I sighed deeply and decided to leave, before my collar was violently tugged from the back, choking me painfully. Coughing, Lyra dragged me to sit and watch, and I could only helplessly comply to this aggressive friend of mine.

"You should be glad they are replaying the previous battle. It'll be a waste if you missed it." She said, as I grumpily sat down.

The screen displayed the battle arena of the Indigo League, as two trainers faced off with one another. I recognized that auburn-haired beauty as Lorelei, part of the Elite Four, so I somewhat pity the other trainer for getting her as an opponent. I got the itching urge to do other activities than boring television, but a firm hand on my shoulder warned me otherwise. Then the match started as I stealthily stole a potato chip from Lyra's plate.

"Loreilei sent out Jynx, who's dancing another weird dance again!"

Laughter erupted from the television as the camera zoomed in onto the swaying Jynx that puckered her lips in a hilarious way.

"Now, Red sent out Pikachu! The cutesy little mouse everyone loves, and let us see how he fares against ice types!"

The camera zoomed in onto Pikachu, then onto the trainer, whose face was covered by a red baseball cap.

"Jynx dived in first with an Ice Punch. Ouch, that stings! Pikachu withstood it and returned a Thunderbolt! My goodness, that speed is unreal! Jynx's HP goes down to 29% instantly! What attack power!"

Before I knew it, my body was leaning forward, entranced by the match as the Pikachu disappeared in a flash, reappearing again to deal another electric move on the foe.

"Jynx's down! Cloyster is next! Gosh, it's raining ice in the stadium! We expect nothing less from the Ice Master of the Kanto region to start the second battle with Hail! Oh? Red's not moving, and where did Pikachu go?"

Following the commentator's words, a giant Thunder sliced through the hailstones, the brilliant yellow blinding the screen for a second. When the light faded, a shaky voice screamed.

"A-A ONE-HIT KO! Cloyster's down! The dark horse of this year's League Championship is fearsome! What a Pikachu! Lorelei finally brings out her Lapras, oh and look at that expression! The Elite is 100% serious!"

Lorelei's Lapras unleashed a towering wave of water, and when the Elite swung down her right hand, the water came crashing down.

"Lapras, Ice Beam!" She yelled.

Instantly, the wave froze and a whole new landscape was crafted from the combination of attacks. The crackling of ice could be heard as mist enveloped the arena from the condensation. The huge mass of ice sparkled under the spotlights, with the crowd gasping and cheering.

"Lorelei did it again! The surroundings here are freezing but the battle's intense! Red's Pikachu is frozen at the feet! Will the mouse go down in this match?"

I gulped, nodding my head furiously, my body agreeing to the commentator's question. With a giant ice barrier and partially frozen legs, the chances of winning were slim for that Pokémon.

The screen then switched to the Red guy. I observed him intently, wondering what will he do in such a dire situation. My eyes went wide when I spotted an unexpected smile on that trainer's face. Clenching my fist tightly, I anticipated his next move.

"... Pikachu, four Thunderbolts." I faintly heard him saying.

Immediately, the electric mouse's small body glowed yellow, electricity sparking everywhere. The crowd (and I) hushed and watched the following spectacle. Suddenly, deadly and unmatched thunderbolts shot out from Red's side and hit the ice barrier repeatedly. At the second attack, a visible crack could be seen in the frozen structure. The third thunderbolt made the crack branch out, and at the fourth, the ice exploded into bits of crystals. The crowd went wild instantly."

At that moment, one word escaped from my mouth.

"Amazing.."

"Did everyone see that? Superb consecutive critical hits of Thunderbolt! Lorelei's not faltering and now another combination attack? Here comes a Surf!"

"Ice Be-"

"I won't let you..." The trainer called out. And immediately after, a Thunder was sent to the tsunami. Lapras let out a cry, as the fluid conducted the electricity towards her, amplifying the damage severely. Despite being paralyzed and weakened, Lapras managed to hold on thanks to her high HP.

"Red intercepted the atta-"

The screen and the whole room blacked out suddenly, and I cried out, shocked and angry at the same time. On impulse, I blindly banged the rotten television with my fists while Lyra came along and kicked the poor old device. Professor Elm hurriedly pulled us away and explained that electricity had been cut off for the whole town. I sank to my knees and moaned.

"You could watch it online." The professor suggested.

"Ugh... when will the blasted electricity come back?" I grumbled while Lyra gave me a sympathetic look.

I plodded back home, sulking all the way until I opened the front door. Mum stick her head out from the kitchen and exclaimed how early I was.

"Wonder how long the blackout will last." She said.

"Yeah, hope it takes years," I replied sarcastically. Mum immediately noticed my temper and asked.

"Why the long face?"

I then recounted the exciting battles and complained about the blackout. Then she laughed, pointing the ladle in her right hand towards me in a playful manner.

"It's rare for you to get so eager about something. Are you planning to become a trainer?"

My mouth gaped open and waved my hands in denial. You've got to be kidding me. I will never plan to do something as ordinary as being a trainer...

Then what's this feeling in my chest?

"Ethan?"

Breaking out from my reverie, I shook my head.

"Nothing."

Sprinting up the stairs, I dashed into my bedroom. The electricity was still not back, so I could go out and maybe venture into the grass in Route 29 to tease the Sentrets. Yet, I found myself rolling to the computer, clicking the mouse incessantly even though the screen was plain blank. I pressed my chin against the table and let out a long sigh, now unwilling to play outdoors, even though I have nothing better to do. I swiveled my chair around, and leaped onto the bed, squeezing my bolster and rolling myself up with the blanket, I dived under the pillows.

Is being a Champion extraordinary?

Tired of thinking, I ignored the questions in my head and went to sleep.

"-ake up!"

In my half-asleep state, hundred percent of me wanted to slip back to dreamland, immediately. My dry mouth mumbled nonsense, right cheek wet with saliva as my body turned. Whoever was calling me shouted a number of times, before my surroundings went quiet.

All was well until Lyra came barging into my room.

"Goddamn, Ethan! Wake up!"

"Wha-what?!" I sat up in that instant, finally tore away from my slumber. A few punches and kicks made me groaned in pain and I was finally awake. I got ready to complain when Lyra announced.

"He disappeared!"

"H-Huh? Who?"

"You idiot! It's all over the news! The Champion disappeared!"

My body went rigid as I stared at my childhood friend with transparent eyes. The Champion? Red?

After brushing up and everything, I was pulled out of the house to Route 29. Throughout the whole morning, Lyra fussed about, thinking up of crazy theories pertaining to why did the Champion resign his position.

"Maybe someone blackmailed him? What if he has a lover? A terminal disease? Oh, it might be-"

"Lyra, shut up," I said, enough of her chattering. When she gets like this, it is not her who gets tired, but me instead. She would have hit me hard for interrupting her, but she paused and pointed at my face.

"You're frowning."

My facial muscles tensed and whatever expression I making now made Lyra wordless. Glancing at her, I sighed and got to my feet. In the end, she did not stop me from going home.

Returning to my bedroom, my index finger aimed for the computer switch. I sat down heavily in my chair and waited for the system to activate. When the webpage was finally up, I typed into the search engine and my eyes reflected the screen's light as I stared intently at the search results. Spotting a video link, I clicked it, hard.

"Lorelei sent out Jynx-"

I moved my mouse and skipped a part of the video.

"-E HIT K-"

Skip.

"-ther combination attack? Here comes a-"

Skip.

"-tercepted the attack! What amazing technique! Pikachu's coming in with a Volt Tackle!"

I relaxed and leaned against the chair as I watched the match I had missed one year ago. I did not bother to watch it online after that blackout, and here I was, doing something unlike myself.

"SCOORREE! It's a whopping vic-"

My finger clicked on the next video in the queue.

"Bruno's here! And his next opponent is none other than... RED!"

After the video reached its end, my mouse clicked onto the next one.

"The veteran Ghost-type Master Agatha versus Red from Pallet Town!"

Then the next.

"Next up, the cool and heroic Dragon Trainer we all love, the leader of the Elite Four, Lance! Versus the up and coming trainer Red, who has shocked the audience with his phenomenal battling skills and earned his own fan club!"

Then the last.

"Red versus Green! Begin!"

Finally, after hours of watching the screen, the evening sun had arrived and my index finger aimed for the switch once again. Shutting down my computer, I stood up and headed for the ground floor.

Why did Red want to become the Champion? Was being one that extraordinary?

Then why did he quit? Was it not as extraordinary as he had thought?

Such thoughts swirled through my mind, the questions eating at me. I could ask the person himself for the answers, but since he left and disappeared, it is not really possible for me to know anything. Being a trainer never appealed to me, and I'm still not really convinced that going on a journey can make me fulfill my goal of being extraordinary. But after seeing those crazy yet stunning battles, I started thinking of dreaming a normal and common dream.

It did not take long for me to set out on a journey to seek out the worth of a Champion.

With a twist of the doorknob, I entered the room where I was sent to. Apparently I was supposed to spend my time inside here until the big day, and of course, no one told me that guy was gonna be in here. He stood there gazing out the window, that classy cape covering his back, giving him a heroic feel. Lance noticed my arrival and turned around as I walked towards him. He observed me from tip to toe, from my styled hair to my branded suit and gold tie.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

Lance laughed and replied, "I came here to give a last look at my successor, and well, you do look pretty odd in that get-up."

I grumbled in reply, sticking out my tongue childishly.

"You're a lot like him."

I paused and looked at Lance quizzically, wondering what he meant.

"You're a lot like Red." He added.

Frowning, I responded, "No, I'm not."

Lance sighed and patted me on the shoulder, a smile on his face. Winning against Lance had earned me the seat I had aimed for since two years ago. I'm not lying that it took me two years to become Champion, twice the time taken for Red to be one, so I'm certainly not like him.

"I think you might just become the next Undefeated Champion."

"That's just a thought. And I don't plan to become something that has been taken." I muttered as I removed my tie, feeling suffocated from the piece of accessory. Indeed the two-year journey had been extraordinary, and being a Champion sounds cool to me, but somehow I'm having second thoughts.

"Lance, if you had a choice, would you rather be a Champion or an average trainer?" I asked, and in return, the Dragon Master had a look of surprise. He removed his hand from my shoulder and seemed to be seriously considering the question. After a few seconds, he replied,

"Average."

"Why?"

Lance sat down while I hurriedly removed the uncomfortable jacket, feeling restricted by the formal wear. Then I stood before him, awaiting his answer.

"You know that I had participated twice in the Championships? I failed for the first one due to an incident, then the second one was because I was defeated by Red. Then he was gone and I was told to take over his place. Then after I became Champion, everything became dull."

"Dull?"

Lance shook his head and rose to his feet, his cape sweeping along. He was clearly going to exit this room and leave me hanging for answers. I wanted to say something until he patted my shoulders again.

"You'll understand very soon, Champion. Or possibly the second Undefeated Champion."

The Dragon Master went pass me, his striking cape billowing behind him. His words struck something inside me, and then I turned around and shouted.

"Lance! I won't be the second!"

He halted his footsteps, possibly waiting for me to continue my sentence. And I'm thankful that he could listen to my declaration.

"I'll defeat Red, and become the only Undefeated Champion!"

After seeing Red being wheeled down the corridor by the hospital staff, I dropped to the floor on the spot. A passing nurse yelped and got all paranoid as she asked if I was alright. I wearily shook my head, telling her that I was fine and to leave me alone. The trip from Mt Silver to the largest hospital in Johto, which was in Ecruteak, had taken a toll on my body. My limbs had turned into jelly from carrying Red's malnourished weight, palms blistering, scratches and bruises adorning my body. My skin felt sticky from sweat and was peeling from the dry cold back on the mountain. Panting, I managed to drag myself to a nearby chair to take a quick rest. Thinking back to the proclamation I said to Lance, it felt as if that goal might never be fulfilled. Red was dying, and if he never gets well, it will be impossible for me to surpass him.

I heaved a sigh, my head tilting upwards to face the ceiling, my fringe covering my eyes. I stayed like this for a few minutes, before I reminded myself that there were things left to do. Slowly, I pulled myself up and shuffled towards the nearby PC that leaned against the walls of the corridor.

Clicking the mouse a few times, I found the contact address to a certain place and within a minute, a bespectacled lady appeared on the screen. She gave a rather tired look at me like she was accustomed to calls from random people.

"The professor's busy," She said nonchalantly.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not a fan. This is Hibiki Ethan." I sighed. The lady gasped and apologized for her attitude before she went off to inform the professor. It did not take long for the screen to display the face of Professor Oak.

"Hi, Prof."

"Hello, Ethan, is this something about your Pokédex?"

"Um, no, actually, I found Red."

The professor's eyes instantly widened, which became shiny like glass, and I pursed my lips.

"Prof, bring Red's mother and come to Ecruteak Hospital. His life's in danger."

A look of horror replaced the stoned expression, the multiple wrinkles on his face creasing in disbelief. Professor Oak's mouth opened and closed, and finally, he croaked in a shaky voice, "What... happened?"

He said no more, for he could not find the words. I tightened my fists and recounted the events on Mt Silver. The professor was rather unfocused, as his eyes glazed over multiple times during our conversation, and in the end, he muttered his thanks and ended the call. I switched off the PC and lumbered back. Taking a glance at the empty aisles of the hospital I flopped back into my seat to continue resting.

I don't know how much time had passed since he laid on that hospital bed like a mummy, with his whole body covered in bandages. At my request, Red's identity was kept confidential, and he was kept in a private ward. This was the least I could do to fulfill the promise with Espeon.

I could vividly remember the wails and sobs of his mother, and the silent praying of the professor, both adults sitting on the chairs, their figures heart wrenching to look at. Then the doctor came out and announced his condition, and even I myself could have despaired upon hearing the news.

There was no way to tell whether Red will wake up. Probably never.

I don't know how the other two felt, although my emotions were in turmoil. My blood vessels throbbed, my head heating up, and in order for me to chill, I ran. Along the aisles, out of the hospital, round Ecruteak and finally I ended up at Arceus knows where. My eyes started darting left and right, at the Stantlers that were ready to attack me for entering their territory.

"Heh," I smirked, as I released Typhlosion. My Pokémon roared, his presence shaking up the Stantlers' nerves. He looked at me with fierce yet gentle eyes, awaiting battle commands and worried about my emotional state. Gritting my teeth, I yelled, "Incinerate!"

In a matter of seconds, the ground was set on fire and the Stantlers fled for their lives. Yes, incinerate everything. Leave nothing left. I don't have anyone left to chase after. Then, I went down on all fours and banged the soil with my fists, while Typhlosion solemnly looked at me. I could not think. My body's just moving on its own. And I repeatedly yelled "damn" so many times that I lost count.

I had my own way of venting my anger. Although it took me a few days to cool down and regain my usual vigor, I soon went ahead with my normal lifestyle of exploring the two regions. In the eyes of others, I must have appeared to be the "normal" Ethan, but in actuality, I felt empty inside. The skies looked grayer than ever, and the clouds seemed darker, wisps of it fleeting by, and as I sat atop Lapras and gazed at the sky, I felt as if I was in the middle of a vast space, with nowhere to go, my purpose abruptly torn away from me, and now the world became a whole lot miserable.

My world was now a thunderstorm without lightning.