Chapter Six: Old Scars
Aaron woke with a very confusing view of his living room fan, silently oscillating above him. What the… He squinted his eyes shut, then opened them again. Same thing. Memories of yesterday came back.
Aside from Aster's comment, he had felt like the previous day had gone well. Nora seemed to take well to the apartment, and Krista had taken it upon herself to be the typhlosion's best friend, leading her around everywhere. Aaron pulled the blanket back up, missing his bed. Pierce and Marcus slept soundly on opposite ends, but Aaron was nearly six feet tall. The lucario's feet reached his hips, leaving little room for either of them to move, and while Marcus was stationary during his sleep…
But there was no way he was making the two females sleep in their balls, especially when one of them had always been used to a bed. Part of him was bummed that he couldn't provide the luxurious life that she undoubtedly had under Sofia, but that just wasn't an option. Not with his salary. He fought the urge to groan. Saturdays tended to be fun for most of his friends. For him, they just meant coming home sore and exhausted around ten thirty at night. If only he had done well enough in high school to receive academic scholarships in addition to those he'd gotten for his training career. Student loans had been a necessity. Aaron preferred not to think about it, but he had to start paying that back a few months after college ended, and while it might not have been too substantial an amount, it required quick employment. But that was then.
Now, all he could do was work as hard as he could, both for the four pokémon living under his roof and himself. Aaron blinked. There was no chance he was getting a few more minutes of sleep. Carefully sitting up, he did his best not to wake the lucario on the other end – only to find Marcus' eyes open. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't," Marcus replied. "The sun did." Aaron noticed a bright line cutting across the pokémon's face that he hadn't seen from his position. Taking a glance at his phone – fortunately, there was an outlet behind the couch – he saw that he had less than an hour to get ready and catch the bus. He rubbed his face with his hands.
"Alright," he said with a groan. "Time to get up."
He snuck into his room, careful not to disturb the two pokémon in the bed and grabbed the uniform from his closet before slipping out. A navy-blue polo with a logo in the top right – a green shopping cart with a pokéball – was what he was expected to wear along with khaki pants. Upon returning to the living room and kitchen area, he noticed that Marcus had started the coffee pot.
Megamart had not been what he had seen himself doing for part time work, but Aaron wasn't in a position where he could be too picky. His duties mainly consisted of returning carts from the massive parking lot, which the starting pay was higher than those who worked inside, minus the managers, but he could occasionally be called to the floor. Today was one of those days. They weren't too busy, and the trucks had arrived last night. That meant restocking the shelves and being willing to help customers if needed.
"Hey," one man said, "do you know where the flash drives are?" He looked like he worked in an office.
"The electronics section is towards the back," Aaron replied, pointing to the very large, obvious sign. The customer left without so much as a word. You illiterate dumbreon… He went back to stocking the outdoors section. Cheap knives and fire starters, propane cans, tightly-rolled tents and mats – stuff that new trainers could use when in the wild. Aaron had utilized some of these very products during his own campaign.
A large advert was positioned on the shelf.
START YOUR JOURNEY WITH THESE AMAZING DEALS!
He rolled his eyes at the cheesy sign; all these products could be purchased online cheaper. But then again, the average trainer probably didn't care. Not when their parents bought all of it anyways.
While the job could be very tiring, especially during the fourteen-hour days that he had on Saturdays and Sundays, Aaron couldn't deny the benefits that came along with it. He had worked here for a year now, though he would be looking for an internship during the summer. One that actually had something to do with his field. But the managers here were willing to work with students' schedules; in fact, they preferred students given the energy the youth had and relatability to other trainers. Then there was the employee benefit, which he used to buy everything needed for the house.
His hands mindlessly went about reorganizing the various items and restocking those that were low in inventory. Overstock went either on the very top of the shelves or in the back if it couldn't fit there. "Aaron, you busy?" the current floor manager asked.
"Just restocking the outdoors aisle. What's up?"
"We need backup at the registers."
"Alright. On my way." He left the cart there and headed for the front of the store.
Alexander walked through the front door of one of the many towering buildings. Twilight gave way to a dimly lit interior, and he stepped onto the elevator with Soliera and a guard. The prisons were built very simply: a series of large, multi-story buildings that could each hold tens of thousands of individuals. Before long, they would be far more occupied.
"I'm surprised it was so easy," Soliera stated.
"I'm not," Alex replied. "A week in solitary would start messing with most people. Couple that with what he's lost, I can understand why he'd be willing to cooperate." They stepped off the elevator and passed the general area. Some of the cartel members had been allowed out for the time being and were being monitored by a pair of guards with PDRs. "If I were in his position, I'd trade a lost empire for the ability to see the sun any day."
"Fair enough."
Alex nodded to the guard once they approached the door. It opened a few seconds later, revealing the old drug lord. As he had before, Alexander activated his suit's release, knowing there was no risk. Everything was carefully monitored in this facility, and nothing the prisoners came into contact with could be formed into a weapon.
"I hear you are finally open to negotiations," Alex said. "Under my terms, that is." He moved the table towards the cot and dragged the metal chair behind him, then went to his suit which stood ready. With a firm twist, the small computer was removed from the left wrist and placed on the table. Alex tapped the screen, scrolled, and activated a hologram. A blue board appeared to materialize between them.
"I'm not big on chess," Sanchez said, maintaining eye contact with Alexander.
"Unfortunately, I didn't think to program chutes and ladders into the system, so chess is all we've got for now." He gripped the corner and spun it. He imagined the game would be a welcome surprise after a week of complete isolation and boredom. "White goes first."
"I know how to play." Sanchez moved the pawn in front of his rook; Alex responded by moving a knight. The game went on for a while in silence with Alexander constantly forcing the drug lord to play defensively. He never let up. "What kind of a man are you?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Every man has a price. Something he wants. Money, women, power… but not you, apparently." He moved another pawn.
"You're wrong," Alex said, causing the criminal leader to look up in interest. "There is something that I want. It's just not something you can offer me." His bishop took a white pawn.
"And that is?" Another move.
"The world." Sanchez laughed, bringing a clenched fist to his white beard, and Alex responded with a gentle chuckle.
"Wait… you're serious…"
"You saw it yourself – the technology we used to take out your men. Your bullets did nothing. Earth is hundreds of years behind the technology that Omega possesses. Hundreds of years too early to stop us."
"You're a madman. You can't seriously expect to take over the whole—"
"Your move." He had baited Sanchez's queen using a rook, but then used the bishop from before to take out the invaluable piece. The game had pretty much been decided by now.
"Shit. But you've got to be crazy to think for one second you can pull that off."
"And yet, in some manner of speaking, you did," Alex replied. "You were invincible. You had a private army; politicians protected you. And yet I took you down without so much as leaving a trace." He moved, getting ready to start pressing towards Sanchez's king. "It can be done. You just have to be strategic."
The game pressed on, and one by one, Sanchez's pieces were picked off. There were only two left when the final checkmate occurred; a measly pawn stood amid disinterested black pieces as the king fell. "Told you I wasn't a chess player."
"Funny. You moved around human lives with far more confidence." Sanchez shrugged. "Take your shirt off."
"¿Qué diablos?"
"Your shirt. Take it off." It was a simple white shirt, very similar to a t-shirt from his world, though it was all synthetic material rather than cotton. Sanchez did as he was told, revealing a chest covered in ink. Alex paced around, seeing the same on the man's back. A black hand with letters, a fearow holding an ekans, guns, women, and in the very center of his chest, a prominent depiction of what humans believed Arceus to look like. Saintly depictions of many legendaries dotted the criminal's body. "Does this not strike you as odd?"
"Ah, mis tatuajes. My story." Sanchez pointed at the eagle. "The first one, labeling you as property of the mafia. I started out the same as many. As you would say… low on the totem pole."
"Yeah, I did a bit of research into you. Town in poverty, abusive father – a good setup for criminal conduct." Alex swiped the board away, which dissolved into nothingness. "Everyone wants to feel accepted – to belong somewhere. When it's not with the community or your family, you seek a new one. Same story with most in organized crime. It's horrible, but I can understand that. But… there comes a point in your life when you should know better. For some reason or another, you and most others in your line of work never hit that point." Sanchez hesitated, then formed a response.
"Look here cabrón, the world isn't a perfect place. There are 'haves' and 'have nots.' I worked my ass off to be a 'have' when it was all said and done."
"Sure – if you consider stealing, murdering and trafficking to be work." Alexander pulled up a different holographic display, this one being a map of his own world. "You're right, though. The world isn't perfect. Far from it. Everywhere you go, there are people like you. People who don't care what they destroy so long as they personally benefit from it." He met Sanchez's gaze, staring into the drug lord's very soul. "You can blame society, your environment – even your friends. But if you want to find the person responsible for most of your problems, you only need to look in a mirror."
"Get on with it," the older man snarled. "My intentions were to strike a deal, not debate philosophy."
"Alright then. Just so we're clear, there is to be nothing withheld. I want every dealing, every storehouse, every route and crooked politician. I want the whole network. In exchange, you will be transferred to a facility on Earth. After reeducation and rehabilitation, you could even walk free one day... well, mostly free. But if your information doesn't add up, then this is the view you'll have for the rest of your days." He zoomed in on the Central and South American regions, then motioned to the display.
"Fine."
"It is… unfortunate that the world is the way it is," Alex continued. "If I were in your shoes – who knows? Perhaps I would have turned out the same way. But somewhere inside you, there's that same kid who sought acceptance. Respect. As bad as that kid turned out, it's still never too late. His path to the top may have ruined many lives… but he can still turn back." For a split second, he saw a different look than the one the drug lord had given him throughout the rest of his visit. One that was human despite everything he had done. "Help me so that all those other kids around the world might not travel that same road."
Aaron knocked on the door, unable to twist the knob with all the bags he was holding. A few seconds passed before Marcus greeted him. "Thanks," he said as he stepped inside, putting the groceries on the table. The lucario helped him sort things out as Krista walked in.
"Hey Aaron," she said. Nora was right behind her. "How was work?"
"Fine," he replied. "Wasn't too busy at first, but it picked up around noon." The busier days kept him on his feet more, but the time went by faster. It was preferable to the alternative where the clock seemed to drag on forever. After he had clocked out for the day, he purchased the things they needed around the house. Mostly prepackaged meals and a few ingredients. "What were you all up to today?"
"Aster and I went out for a little workout," Marcus stated, then motioned to the jar at the end of the counter. "We made eighty dollars."
"Really? Well, nice going guys." Though he insisted that they kept any money they earned, more often than not they saved it up for any expenses for the five of them. The small glass jar contained a messy crumpled-up pile of bills. "I'm glad to hear that you decided to join him, Aster."
"Mhm. I'd forgotten how fun it was to wipe those smug looks off new trainers' faces. That's something I would do for free," the serperior replied.
"And what about you two girls?" Aaron asked as he put several frozen meals, along with a thick carton, into the freezer.
"Oh! I gave Nora a bit of a tour. Introduced her to some of the neighbors… and showed her that scrapbook your mom gave you." He closed his eyes and released a frustrated groan. She had given it to him when he moved out for whatever reason. He really didn't want to sift though baby pictures and whatnot, and as such, had been tempted to slip it back into their house upon visiting but didn't want to risk upsetting her. Aaron had made the mistake of showing his pokémon one time – a mistake that he immediately regretted upon seeing certain embarrassing pictures. That had come with a laugh at his expense.
"Why? Just why?" The audino shrugged.
"I mean, she deserves to know who she's living with."
"Sure, but… really?" He closed the freezer door and cut a glare in the pink pokémon's direction. Nevertheless, he saw Nora looking away, trying to hide a small grin on her face. If there was one redeeming factor, that was it.
"She really liked the Halloween picture!" Aaron took it back. Beating his head against a wall sounded good right about now. In that particular photo, he was around seven and had just regrown his top front teeth, and a bit crooked at that prior to him getting braces. That hadn't stopped him from giving the stupidest grin towards the camera, all while wearing a luxray costume for trick-or-treating that year.
"I regret ever showing that to you."
"I don't!" The four pokémon laughed as he shook his head.
"I even went and got your ice cream, and this is the thanks I get?"
"Really? You're the best!"
"Kiss-ass," Marcus said under his breath.
After putting everything away, he heated up everyone's respective meals. Saturdays usually consisted of this same dreary procedure. A sixteen-hour shift, returning home to eat a microwaved meal, and waking up to do it all over again tomorrow. It was why he had come to loathe weekends.
Everyone ate in their own designated spot: Aster on his favorite recliner, Marcus and Nora at table, and Aaron and Krista at the couch. The audino had scarfed down her meal before laying into the Neapolitan ice cream. If she showed restraint, it might survive another two sessions. Right now, he was far too tired to care. He got comfortable on his side when he set the alarm on his phone. It was then that Aaron realized he had an unread message. Something that perked him up.
"Guys, Pierce wants to video chat."
"What? Awesome!" the audino said. Aaron immediately replied. Everyone finished their food quickly before crowding him at the couch. Nora surprised him by joining them, sitting at the very edge. He set the phone upright on the coffee table so that everyone could get into the picture. After a few seconds of ringing, Sofia and the krookodile appeared on the screen.
"Hey guys," the female trainer said.
"Hey," Aaron said. "How'd your first day go?"
"Great! Off to a really good start I'd say!" Sofia replied. "Pierce gave Wynette quite a fight today." She smiled at the typhlosion. "And how are you, Nora? Settling in well?"
"Y-yeah. Everything's good."
"Great – I'm glad to hear it." She handed her phone to Pierce. "Well, I'll leave y'all to it. I'm worn out after the session we had today."
"Oh… Well, it was nice seeing you again," Nora said.
"You, too. Take care now." And with that she had left.
Aaron and his first three pokémon caught up with their friend, who filled them in on every detail of his earlier battle. The weavile had managed to win – no doubt from her agility and type advantage – but he had not gone down without a fight. Aaron smiled at seeing him so happy. In a way, it made up for all the negative emotions that the previous day had brought.
As Pierce rambled on with his friends, Nora excused herself for the night.
The waves gently rocked the boat against a golden sky. Nathan gripped the rod and gradually reeled it in, giving a light jerk every so often. Naomi had coiled herself around the boat, her midsection being underneath while her front and tail rested in front of her trainer. Two large buckets were behind her. Both were empty.
"You know, I could catch these far easier than you," the milotic remarked.
"I'm sure," Nathan replied. "But the point of this is to be enjoyable."
"And yet you haven't caught a thing," she said, pointing her tail to the buckets. Nathan looked at her, seeing the playful grin, and shook his head.
"My father and I did this quite often back in Kanoma." The lure peaked above the water's surface. Nathan pulled the rod to his side, sending it forward and sending it out once again. It had been some time – even though this was the entire purpose he had bought the old, wooden boat for – but he still had not lost his cast. "Before things went to hell, of course." In the distance, a few guys were jet skiing. The chirps of wingulls echoed across the sky.
"I'm sorry," she said, bringing her tail to his back. He smiled.
"It's alright. At least we're on conversational terms again. That has to count for something, right?" She nodded cheerfully. He looked back in the direction of the line. "But it's still a lot of the same stuff. Slips into conversation here and there. How he was right all along, how I should come back… how I should join Alpha again… But I can't live like that, Naomi, and Arceus wouldn't want me to, either. I can't live a life of hatred anymore."
"Life is far better without it," Naomi replied.
"Of course, I love my father. He raised me, spent a lot of time with me. And I know, deep down, he thinks he's doing what's right. That he's a patriot protecting his way of life. But I wish he could see what I did. You know as well as I do that it wasn't just the radicals that Alpha targeted." The milotic said nothing, only rubbing her trainer's back with her tailfins. "He can ask, threaten, or beg as much as he wants, but my answer will still be no. And if he decides one day to call it quits… to sever ties again… then so be it. I have a duty to my wife before him, and you all are family enough."
She wrapped her tail around his midsection and planted a kiss on his forehead. Nathan set the fishing rod down and hugged her. He would have stayed in that position, too, had it not been for a jerk on the line. "Ha! Got something!" He snatched the rod up and yanked it back, setting the hook as he swiftly reeled. A fat mackerel twitched on the line as Nathan smiled. "This'll eat well tonight. If I could get a few more—"
A splash was the next thing he heard. He gripped the fish tightly, careful not to let the dorsal fins catch him, and removed the hook before tossing it into one of the buckets. It had eaten the bait, so he needed to replace it.
The lures he used were mandatory in Unova – for good reason, Nathan would argue – as well as most of the Western regions. Lures had to be made carefully so that marine pokémon would easily be able to identify them, and thus, steer clear of fishermen. Back in Kanoma, before he knew they even existed, he had hooked a few pokémon when fishing with his father, and he'd felt bad about it every time. 'Don't feel bad. Dumb thing should've seen the hook,' Walter would say as he flung it back into the water. His father hated the safety reals and never used them; they were harder to cast. A particularly scared dratini stuck with him after all these years. So had the bite marks it had made on his left hand when he was removing the hook.
Ten minutes later, Naomi swam back up to the boat, levitating a floating bubble beside her. Inside of it were around a dozen others. "Well, that's one way to do it." Using the water, she pulled one of the fish to her, and gently grabbing it with her mouth, swallowed it whole. "They taste a lot better when I cook them…"
"True," she said, "in an hour or so. I'm hungry now." Another fish met a similar fate before the rest were distributed between the two buckets. That took care of the secondary reason he had come out here: dinner. Now he could simply enjoy himself. Nathan cast the rod out once again. In the event they were stopped by a game warden, he was still under the limit.
"We'll head out in fifteen." The boat drifted aimlessly amidst the vast ocean. Naomi hummed a tune as he failed to catch anything else.
While his fishing skills didn't deliver a lot that night, Nathan's cooking begged to differ. He had cleaned and gutted the mackerels, then mixed them with thinly sliced potatoes and herbs, garlic, olive oil and seasonings. White cooking wine had been drizzled over it all prior to being placed in the oven. There had been no leftovers that night; Naomi and Aiden had made sure of it.
Naomi had decided on staying in the house for the night. The charizard had ended up resting on the sofa, watching television before going into a food coma while Naomi had taken one of the three bedrooms. Nathan covered him with a blanket before retreating to his room for the night.
A faint buzz came from the bathroom. Adira stared at her reflection, circling the toothbrush as a light layer of foam coated her mouth. Nathan kissed her on the cheek before removing his clothes and stepping into the shower. As the water ran down his body he relished in the contact. Steam began to fill the room and he closed his eyes. A rush of cool overtook him as the glass door slid open. "Oh. Wasn't expecting company," he said.
'Well, I was planning on hopping in. Then you walk in and skip the line. I swear, you act like you own the place…' She ran her fingers through his hair, then grabbed the washcloth from him. Few words were exchanged between the two as they washed each other. Once they had finished, they remained under the warm water without any immediate plans of getting out.
"Are you ready for the fair this year?" he asked. "Trina won't give the topic a rest."
'That sounds like her. Although, it is quite fun. Noisy, but fun.' His hand went along her side. 'Hey! Why not invite Aaron and his group to the fair? Might help Nora loosen up a bit.' He paused, then nodded. It hadn't been something he considered, but it would be an interesting alternative to their usual Friday activities.
"Huh. Not a bad idea. I'll send him a text tomorrow. He's usually passed out right about now. After a full day of retail, I'd imagine he looks about like Aiden in there." Adira nodded, then trailed her hand down his waist.
'And Naomi… is she asleep?' Her eyes betrayed her intentions.
"Last I saw she was."
'I will make sure,' she said, grabbing the towel and quickly drying off before handing it to him. Nathan rolled his eyes, but with a grin, followed suit. After brushing his teeth, he headed into the bedroom, not bothering to put on his sleepwear.
Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.