Drop his name
Push it in
Feel the knife again
Watch my face
As I pretend to feel no pain
Pain . . . pain . . .
-Heartbreak Warfare, John Mayer
###
Cole tossed and turned all night long, the time difference getting to him.
Even though the clock said two am, he couldn't find a way to shut his brain off.
It felt like he hadn't slept at all, the minute hand ticking by slowly as he looked over at it.
After what felt like an eternity, the clock finally read off eight am, the dark haired teen letting out a sigh. Not long after that, he could hear the floorboards creaking underfoot as someone moved past the doorway, their feet hitting the hardwood stairs moments later.
About time, he thought idly, staring at the ceiling.
It would have been around four thirty pm back in Kanto.
Stifling a yawn as he sat up, he shook his head, the time difference was going to take some getting used to. Ignoring the mirror on the wall opposite him – he knew his hair was sticking straight up – he crossed the room, blinking as he opened the bedroom door. Blearily, he stepped out into the bright hallway, the sun creeping in through the large window at the end of the hall. Running a hand over his eyes, his shoulders slumped as he narrowed his eyes, making his way towards the large staircase, quickly descending, voices filtering up from the floor below.
"He arrived last night? But he's not from Hoenn; he can't be eligible for a starter Pokémon."
"It's a favour to Erika Evans of Celadon City, the most memorable – if not mischievous student from the Pokémon Academy. I'm just watching out for him, a contact for him in a new continent. He's only ten . . ."
"I know," the woman's voice said again, a chair creaking under her weight.
Cole caught sight of the blonde haired woman as she leaned back in the kitchen chair, holding her coffee cup aloft. Closing his eyes with a sigh, Cole left the winding staircase behind, the floorboards slightly creaking underfoot as he approached the homey kitchen.
"Morning Cole," Professor Birch called at the sound of creaking floorboards, his conversation falling silent. "Come on in, we're just finishing breakfast. You just missed my son Brenden; he's starting out on his Pokémon journey today as well."
Cole nodded idly as he appeared in the doorframe, commenting that it was too bad. Inwardly, he hadn't really cared, his mind miles away from the small room. With a brief introduction to Professor Birch's wife Marilyn and a couple pieces of toast later, Cole found himself standing in Birch's lab.
He wasn't sure what it was, but this seemed familiar, as if it was right there on the tip of his tongue . . .
It was similar to Birch's lab . . . complicated machinery clung to the walls, each screen showing something different.
There was three empty Poke balls sitting before him, but why we're they empty?
But there was another Poke ball, a unique Pokémon within it.
It was a –
"Your Aipom looks like it's in good shape," Professor Birch's voice sounded, breaking into Cole's thoughts.
The dark haired youth shook his head, his dark eyes falling onto Birch. The Professor had his back to Cole, his fingers flying across his keyboard, a scan of Aipom up on his screen. Cole glanced at his Pokémon lying on the examination table, his footsteps muffled as he crossed the room.
"I don't think you'll encounter many problems between here and Petalburg City. You'll find some interesting Pokémon that aren't as readily accessible in the Kanto Region."
Cole nodded at Birch's words, glancing around the lab. "I learned a bit about them from the Academy; Mudkip and all them, right . . ."
Birch laughed lightly, picking up a device up from the table, three Poke balls beside it. "We're only supposed to give them out to new Trainers, but this time, I can make an exception. I want you to take this Pokedex with you on your journey, it will come in handy."
Cole nodded, turning the device over in his hand, flipping the red device open. The small LCD screen sprang to life, an automated voice coming through the speakers. "Um . . . thanks Professor. I'll call you later then . . .? Erika's already told me I'm to check up with her at every Pokémon Center I visit."
"Sure," Professor Birch said, arms crossed over his chest. "Feel free to stop by anytime," he added, following Cole towards the front door. "Oh! Before I forget, you should take these Poke balls with you. I'm sure that you'll find something interesting to take back to Kanto with you."
Cole nodded, taking the offered Poke balls, attaching them to his belt. He paused momentarily, his eyebrows coming together, the action reminding him of something . . .
The sun was high above him as he noticed a small group of people – was it townspeople? – waiting for him, to see what he received . . .
A rock sailed through the air . . . a thunderstorm . . . and then . . .
And then . . .
". . . thanks," he mumbled, shaking his head at the memories . . . or were they even that?
Reaching for the screen door, he blinked, the sun having come out from behind the clouds. He stretched his arms out before him, the quiet town unaware of the new arrival and the journey before him. Calling out his Aipom, he waved over his shoulder at Professor Birch, Route 101 before him.
Glancing down at the Aipom walking beside him, he couldn't help but think this seemed vaguely familiar.
###
Willow wrung her hands together, the shimmering ocean of Vermillion City stretching out before her. She bit down on her bottom lip as she shoved her jacket sleeves up her arms, her red hair hanging limply around her face. Her footsteps were slow as she found herself walking alongside Vermillion's pier, the sun reflecting off the water below. The spray from the waters' waves hitting the pier, make her pause, glancing out at the picturesque harbour. A few boats were docked along the pier and waterfront area, people coming from all over Kanto to honor the tragedy that took place a year prior.
Willow frowned, a sigh escaping her lips as a chill ran across her body – what caused it, she wasn't sure as the wind was still. She noticed a makeshift platform a ways away from her, a small podium situated in the middle. There were a bunch of people working on the platform as they continued to set up the speaker system for the ceremony, a few civilians already milling around the area waiting.
"This is . . ."
She didn't expect anything to come from this, in her opinion, it was pointless.
She was just doing this to get Bill Adams off her case.
She was Willow . . . not this Misty person . . .
The event at the Lighthouse hadn't taken as long as she had expected, which was disappointing. In the end, it turned out that the elusive Team Rocket conducting another of their scheme's in order to procure rare or legendary Pokémon, Bill had said. Unfortunately, her mission ended as a failure as the slippery duo escaped capture and disappeared into the dark night. On top of that, the mysterious Pokémon disappeared into the mist, leaving only an echo of its haunting music.
Only then did she feel a powerful sense déjà vu.
"I don't think so," Bill had commented, arms crossed in front of him as he leaned on the doorframe, effectively blocking her exit. "I still have one mission for the Ranger before she leaves – and no, since you're here, I don't see the need to request this from Ms. Varasa," he added, seeing the comment on Willow's lips. "I am requesting that you go to Cerulean City, I know that I'm on to something here."
Inwardly, Willow sighed, but showed no reaction to the request. Rule one of the Rangers: Any request a client gives must be completed to the best of their ability. Shifting her backpack, she nodded as Bill Adams handed her a map, telling her the quickest way to get to the City.
Willow nodded, instinctively knowing Route 5 was the correct path before Bill pointed it out on the map.
She could have just called headquarters to pick her up as she rounded the corner, Bill Adams would never know what she did.
But, she found herself slightly curious, and found herself sitting in the back row of the darkened arena of the Gym, as a spotlight broke through the darkness.
Then, Willow's breath caught.
The tank was immediately lit up, illuminating the Pokémon within. A large clam was located in the center of the raised tank, its shell slowly opening as the music started up. Upon opening, a pink haired mermaid appeared, a Seel joining her moments later as she swam through the large tank. Willow leaned forward in her seat, wanting a better look at the mermaid.
She didn't hear what the narrator said as she watched the scene below her unfold. A blonde haired prince soon appeared – it was obvious it was a woman, her hair swept up by the crown she wore – and later, a violet haired villain appeared.
Willow had to remind herself to keep breathing, images coming to her mind.
Lily . . . Violet . . . Daisy . . .
Her fingernails dug small crescents into her forearms, her lips soundlessly forming words,
It was all starting to come back to her.
There was an eighth birthday patty . . . the day her parents died . . . her first performance in these plays, and that day on Route One . . .
". . . Pikachu . . ." she mumbled, ignoring the looks from the people around her.
There was a charred bicycle, Spearow feathers scattered everywhere. Then there was a Pikachu and the black haired youth with the red hat.
And just like that, the puzzle pieces fell together.
"Oh my . . ." she shook her head, words failing her as emotions long since forgotten welled up inside her. "It's . . . Ash."
Her whispers were drowned out as the play ended, the stadium erupting in cheers and whistles. Willow shook her head, her head dropping into her hands, tightly closing her eyes against the memories she had forgotten. She could feel the stares people shot her as they moved past her, the play over, the house lights turning on.
"Excuse me," a voice eventually said, breaking into Willow's thoughts. "The show is over, you can't stay here. If you're after an autograph, they aren't doing that today due to a prior commitment."
The commemoration event in Vermillion City, Willow thought.
Willow shook her head, chasing the thoughts away. "Oh . . . I was just thinking about something," she mumbled, recognizing the green-haired girl from earlier. "I was just heading out; tell Daisy and the others that Willow says hi."
She smiled slightly, picking herself out of the seat, heading towards the aisle, her mind miles away. The green-haired girl raised an eyebrow, a million expressions had flittered across the red-haired girl's face as she turned, heading up the aisle. "Who . . .?" It didn't escape her eyes that the red-haired girls' hands were clenched tightly at her sides. "Just who –" She was cut off as Willow's Poke gear rung off, the teen disappearing around the corner.
The woman sighed, standing among the empty chairs, crossing her arms over her chest. Just who was that girl? She had such a mysterious air, as if she wasn't sure whether she was coming or going. However, she shrugged the thought off though, remembering the group of fans from before the Vermillion City Bay incident who purposely waited around for the Sensational Sisters to appear.
Her sneakers in hand, the ceremony's platform behind her, Willow stood at the edge of Vermillion Beach, particles of sand sticking to her legs as the water reached out every once and a while to touch her feet.
She stared out at the clear sky, white puffy clouds moving lazily across the sky, the sun shinning down on everything. Her shadow stretched out behind her, one of the few occupants on the beach, the crowds now being drawn to the platform behind her.
The crew was since placed the podiums in their correct places, the microphones now properly wired to the speakers beside the platform. Large screens were currently being placed behind the platform as a backdrop, which would soon record the occupant's on stage on the screens, allowing those in the back a good view as well. Officer Jenny was within the cordoned off area, watching their progress and keeping bystanders back.
Willow couldn't help but think how weird and surreal this whole situation seemed.
The ceremony was to commemorate the deaths of . . . but, there was she – a nameless silhouette on the beach watching everything.
Since Cerulean, she wondered what happened to Ash and Brock; the two trainers plaguing her every thought.
Had they survived Gyardos's Dragon Rage? What about Team Rocket?
"Where are you when I need you?" she mumbled, closing her eyes to the bay.
Willow didn't want to be the only one to survive.
###
Melody suppressed a yawn, shaking her head at the scene staring back at her. She had spent the past four hours staring at endless blue sea, the scene slowly becoming lulling her into a sense of tranquility. She had spent all that time, sitting at the control of Karol's boat, shaking her hands now and then to relieve the stiffness and tiredness from them. The map was lying on the dash beside her, held down by a traditional figurine of the Shamouti Islands.
During the past four hours she had only seen the odd patch of land appearing now and then, the small islands consisting of nothing more than thick, tall grass, the odd Pokémon peaking out of the grass. Then, finally, after heading west for so long, she could see the outline of, what she hoped, was the Kanto region, a harbour slowly coming into view.
"Finally," Melody huffed, slumping back into the chair. "This has to be . . ." she glanced at her map and the compass lying beside it. "It looks like it should be Vermillion harbour."
At least it's Kanto, she thought idly, proud of herself.
Outside of the Shamouti Islands, she was horrible with directions. It would have been just her luck to take a wrong turn and wind up in Sandgem Town in the far away Sinnoh Region. If only her Geography teacher could see her now – this would have to grant her at least a B.
Half an hour later, Melody managed to successfully navigate her boat into the harbour, the boats packed closely together to allow for more room. Pulling her boat into a vacant space, Melody grinned as she turned off the engine, having successfully managed to park the boat without hitting the dock or another boat. That would show Elder Savannah that she knew what she was doing, and that she shouldn't have to wait till she was sixteen for a license.
Shoving the boat's keys into the bag at her feet, Melody threw it over her shoulder as she reached over her head, cracking her shoulders. Jumping down from her boat, Melody hummed a slight tune as she grabbed the ropes from her boat, tying it to the dock.
"And what do you think you're doing?"
Melody jumped from the tone, she didn't think anyone else was around. Mumbling to herself, Melody looked up only to notice an Officer Jenny standing a few feet away, hands on her hips. "I'm just docking my boat." Melody said, going back to her task.
"I'm going to hand to see a permit," Officer Jenny said, a stern look on her face.
Who did she think she was? Melody thought.
"Listen, I just came here from the Orange Islands, do you think I have a Kanto permit? I mean, really . . ."
"Passport," Officer Jenny said, not skipping a beat. "You can't be in Kanto without one."
Melody rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, what was with Kanto and all their protocols? "Its right here," she mumbled, rummaging through the orange bag at her feet, producing a passport book moments later. "It's an old photo though."
Officer Jenny nodded, flipping the small passport book open, looking at the photo. She glanced from the photo to Melody, the nine year old in the photo slightly resembling the thirteen year old. "How long will you be in Kanto? What are you here for?"
"I'm here to try and locate an old friend," Melody shrugged, not missing a beat. "They were supposed to be on the trainer cruise last year, but they weren't on the register I found online. So, I guess I plan to be here until I find them."
"Hmm, if you stop by the station later, we can run their name through the system," Melody mumbled a noncommittal response. "In the meantime, the ceremony to honor last years tragedy is taking place in about half an hour."
"Sure," Melody commented, shoving her passport back in her backpack. "I'll have to check that out . . . maybe he'll be here."
And use the amount of people here to escape, she thought.
She grinned to herself as Officer Jenny let her pass, shouldering her backpack as she past by the Officer, mentally congratulating herself for thinking of something so quickly. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Melody left the docks, walking along the edge of the pier, trying to avoid the sightseers on the pier.
Pushing her sunglasses up her nose, Melody adjusted her hat slightly as she found herself nearing the crowd around the platform, merging in with the crowd. Melody shot a glare over her shoulder as she felt an elbow connect with her back, a kid pushing past her legs in an attempt to escape their parents, which was soon followed by an irate mother, pushing Melody out of her way, yelling her kids name at the top of her lungs.
Now Melody realized why she loved Shamouti Islands – not many tourists.
Grumbling to herself; Melody slowly started to weave her way through the crowd, the Orange Islands native preferring the stand near the back. She noticed another Officer Jenny up on the stage conversing with the people on the platform, so as long as she avoided them, she'd be alright.
Melody let out a sigh as she found herself at the back of the crowd, separating herself from them. "Geez, there's enough people here," she mumbled, dropping her bag to her feet, shoving her hands in her pockets.
"None of these people even know those who past away," a voice said from behind her. Melody raised an eyebrow at the voice, glancing over her shoulder, a red-haired girl sitting on the ledge. Grinning down at her, the red head jumped down from the ledge, landing effortlessly on the ground. "They just came here for the free food and the famous vacation spot. Just look at all those boats out there; they can enjoy it all Vermillion has to offer by listening to a small ceremony. Life will go on."
"Maybe they actually came to pay their respect, honor the dead and well wishes for the families of those who lost loved ones," Melody shrugged, placing her hands behind her head as she leaned back against the ledge. "But who knows."
"Mm," the girl responded. "My name's Willow. Willow," she shook her head. "It doesn't really matter," she mumbled, a thoughtful expression on her features.
"Melody Siana," Melody said, nodding in her direction. "Looks like I picked a good time to arrive in Kanto, maybe I can find the answers I'm looking for."
"Maybe, what would that be?" Willow asked, glancing at Melody as Officer Jenny's voice rung out over the speakers.
"Just a girl I know," Melody shook her head. "She showed up almost a year ago on our Island. She had no memory of anything and is completely ruining my life. If she tells me what to do one more time – so I decided to do some searching for myself."
"I see," Willow mumbled, closing her eyes. "She sounds self-centered, if you ask me."
"She is," Melody shrugged. "With her perfect hair and her morning talk show, it's so . . . ugh!" Melody rolled her eyes, trailing off.
"Sounds like my . . . someone I used to know," Willow said, her thoughts jumbled with her recent findings.
Melody laughed, tossing her head back. "Sounds like they'd be great friends with Jessilina, maybe we should introduce them sometime."
Willow nodded, turning her attention back to the platform.
###
"Finally," Lucy grumbled, pushing her hair back as the automatic doors of the airport opened for her. "I don't think that line could have moved any slower!"
Brock nodded, following the Battle Frontier leader outside, his suitcase rolling along behind him. "At least our luggage finally showed itself."
"Yeah, but seriously," Lucy said, shaking her head. "We hardly had any bags – why would ours be the last out, such a waste of time. We're definitely going to be in the back of the crowd now."
"It'll be fine," Brock said, distracted. "We'll still be able to see everything."
Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes impatiently as she slipped her sunglasses on. "It's already eleven o'clock though, it's already started!"
Brock smiled slightly, noticing the clipped tone of her voice.
He found himself hardly paying attention to her words, taking in his surroundings. If he remembered correctly, not much had changed. He could see the Vermillion Bay and beach to his left, hadn't he mentioned getting a girlfriend at the beach? The Pokémon Center was visual as it sat atop a hill, overlooking the town. Brock shook his head; he had been there a year ago, Ash trying to decide whether or not to evolve Pikachu into a Raichu after suffering a defeat at the hands of Lt. Surge. The gym stood not far from the Center, the gym obviously rebuilt after Pikachu and Raichu's battle – hadn't they practically destroyed the inside?
But that led him back to the question he pondered the entire plane trip – something that he wasn't ready to face.
What happened to Ash and Misty?
"Our first speaker today is Vermillion City's mayor, Mr. Laroun, would you please come up now," Officer Jenny's voice said, her voice booming over the speakers set up along the central area of the boardwalk.
The man to the right of Officer Jenny nodded, smoothing out his blazer as he stepped forward, tapping the microphone on the platform. Officer Jenny stepped back, moving off to the end of the platform.
"First off, we would like to thank each and every one of you for coming out to Vermillion City to pay respects to the tragedy that unfolded on the Bay at the trainer banquet. In the past year, we have successfully reached out the survivors and the families of those who didn't make it off the SS Anne. City Officials have been working intently to try and find out what caused this catastrophe. We have managed to get a couple of Class A divers to make a trip down to the wreckage to try to scavenge as much as they could. They reported that there was a large hole found in the hull –"
"A hole in the hull? That's . . ."
"Too strange," Lucy cut in, disbelief etched on her features. "If that was to happen, it would have had to happen out at sea. It couldn't have happened at the beginning as the ship would have sunk earlier, taking on water from the get-go. But, what could have happened in the middle of the bay?" Lucy frowned, looking perplexed. "It couldn't have scraped against something to cause that much damage, could it?"
"A Charmander . . ."
"Huh?" Lucy said, snapping out of her thoughts. "A Charmander, where? I don't see one." She mumbled, standing on her tiptoes as she looked around.
"No," Brock mumbled, shaking his head. "I mean the ships hull, a Charmander did that."
Lucy paused, looking from the mayor to Brock. "Hey, maybe you should go up there?" she said, nudging him. "You are a survivor after all."
Brock was turning out to be more interesting then she originally thought.
"And now," the mayor said, cutting through their conversation, catching the crowd's wavering attention again. "We have managed to gather some of the families of the survivors and –"
"Ah, thank you, Mr. Laroun," Officer Jenny cut in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We have Captain MacKlein here alongside a few of the survivors, some from as far away as Hoenn. Also, a few of the trainers' families that weren't so lucky, although the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City have declined to appear in public."
"It's no surprise," Lucy said, watching Officer Jenny. "They took it really hard; they stopped putting on their shows for a while. I heard that they almost lost their Gym Leader status too, apparently they started to refuse trainers' battle requests."
Who knew they were that close to Misty? Brock thought.
###
"I want to ask you coming," Melody broke through the silence. "What do you think happened?
"It sunk, just like they said."
"I don't buy it for a second," Melody said bluntly, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, sure, there's a large hole in the hull – that's kind of hard to ignore. But, how'd it get there? Come on, something must have happened on board – something that people are hiding."
Willow nodded, closing her eyes momentarily.
She remembered Ash trading the Raticate back for his Butterfree before the ship capsized, leaving them stranded under the water. She could remember panic setting in, reminding herself to keep calm. She could still feel the heat from the inferno in the engine room consuming her, as she tried to keep steady on Bulbasaur's vines. Then the water coming up to her ankles . . . knees . . . waist . . .
Willow shuddered; it was something from a nightmare.
She tried to block out the brunette's chatter as she mumbled about theories, trying instead to focus on Officer Jenny up ahead, her voice keeping the people's attention.
"No idea," Willow grumbled, hoping it would quiet the other girl. She didn't come here to listen to her. "Just listen alright?"
"Our next guest," Officer Jenny continued, motioning to the side. "Was very hard to get to attend the event today due to his busy schedule, but, please welcome Professor Oak of Pallet Town."
"Pallet Town," Willow echoed, the name stirring more memories.
She didn't hear the cheers erupting from the audience as Professor Oak stood up, walking up to the podium. Willow watched intently on the Professor, a few more age lines on his features since the last time she saw him. The Professor motioned to the audience to please quiet down and appreciate the matter at hand.
Willow nodded at that, she wondered how many people came because the Professor Oak was going to be there.
Willow listened intently as Professor Oak spoke of the news, where he was when he heard it, and how it had affected the small town that he, and the trainer on board, Ash Ketchum resided in. Professor Oak spoke about Ash, and how his promising trainers' journey was cut short.
At the mention of Ash, Willow's mind went blank.
Images flashed through her mind.
There was a Pikachu with an attitude problem, the Pokémon and trainer off to a rocky start. She could picture the Pewter City Gym and the Cerulean Gym getting . . .
"I got to get out of here," Willow said, her heart pounding in her ears, the red head panicking at the images. "I can't listen to this anymore."
"Huh? Hey!" Melody called, glancing over at the red head. "Wait, come back here!"
Melody raised an eyebrow as Willow mumbled the quick words, backing up as she saw them. It was as if she had seen a ghost. Willow merely shook her head as Melody's words, turning on her heel, disappearing into the crowd moments later.
Pushing herself off the wall, Melody quickly scooped up her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. She mumbled a quick sorry to those she past, pushing a few gently out of her way. Melody could see the top of a red head weaving through the crowd, heading for the shops and streets that surrounded the harbour. She found herself yelling at the red head, which didn't slow down at all. Melody gritted her teeth in annoyance, pushing on despite the stitch in her side.
"Slow . . . down . . ." Melody huffed, breaking through the crowd at last, searching for the red head.
She caught sight of the red head almost to the parking lot, a hand on her side as her pace slowed. Mumbling to herself, Melody picked her pace up, her eyes trained on Willow's back.
"What happened back there?" Melody called, once she was within range, the red head moving through the parking lot, the voices from the pier's speakers now quieter. "What was that about, geez!"
Willow shook her head as she reached the edge of the parking lot, stopping under the shade of a tree. The parking lot and the residential subdivision before them was empty, a majority of the people at the ceremony at the pier.
"It's all coming back to me."
"Are you alright?" Melody asked, a few paces away, eyebrows raised. "You just took off so fast."
"I remember it. All of it."
"Remember?" Melody mumbled, raising an eyebrow. "Remember what? Are you sure you're okay? Should I call someone?" Melody glanced around the area. "Are you having a moment?"
"I remember the panic that I felt, realizing what was happening, and that they were looking to me for help. There was water pooling around our feet, we had nowhere to run, it was only a matter of time. There was the hole in the hull, Gyardos, and then –" Melody stopped beside Willow, confusion written on her face. "I just can't believe it, that both Ash and Brock are dead."
"Hold it right there!" Melody said loudly, throwing her hand up. "What are you talking about? Did a Gyardos attack someone you know?" She asked, trying to piece it together herself.
"It was all James's fault, if only he hadn't listened to Jessie. None of it would have happened."
Melody catalogued what Willow was saying, her mind racing. She bit down on her lip, shoving her hands into her pockets, the puzzle pieces falling into place.
Those names, weren't they similar to – "Willow, are you a survivor of the St. Anne?"
"My name's not Willow," she said after a moment, head buried in her hands. "It's . . . Misty."
###
Lucy glanced away from the platform, Professor Oak having just finished speaking, to Brock who was standing beside her. She grinned up at him, her expression froze however as she saw the faraway look on his face. Shaking her head, she reached out, taking his hand in hers. "Hey, are you alright?"
Brock shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "Don't worry about it Lucy, it's nothing." He smiled slightly, turning his attention back to the platform.
Lucy nodded slowly, unconvinced. Shrugging, she let go of Brock's hand, shoving them in her pockets instead, her eyes flickering from the platform to Brock. Brock was paying the Frontier Brain no attention, his attention directed towards those on stage, Officer Jenny introducing a family friend of the Slate family.
He knew that person; they lived beside him, didn't they?
Brock shook his head, the appearance of his neighbour, so he thought anyway, sparking more memories. He had seven brothers and sisters waiting for him, needing him to keep everything going. As for his parents, they were . . . he frowned.
He remembered he was the oldest of the eight children, the one in charge – but there was something else. He glanced over at Lucy, a mixture of emotions playing across his face.
The answer was so close.
A melody then rang out through the crowd, drawing Brock's attention, alongside those around them, to Lucy. The dark haired girl mumbled a rushed apology to those around her as she fumbled for her Poke gear in her pocket. Grabbing the device, she sighed, pressing the talk button.
"Excuse me for a second; I really have to take this call."
Disentangling herself from the crowd, Lucy flopped down on one of the pier's benches, leaning back. "Alright, I can hear you now, what's going on?"
"Lucy!" Came her aide's shrill voice. "I don't care where you are or what guy you might have set your sights on, but you've got to come back this instant! All the trainers who we told to come back later are returning, they're not too impressed, you know? Apparently, most of them have already found and challenged Brandon – you know how difficult that can be!"
"Well, a flying pyramid can be hard to locate . . ."
"It's not a time for jokes! These trainers are seriously unimpressed, and if Scott finds out, think about this could do to the Gym's reputation. He could even replace you as Frontier Brain."
Lucy rolled her eyes, pushing her bangs away from her eyes. Yeah, I guess Scott could do that, although she doubted it. "Alright, so I guess I'll be there soon, I'm just in Vermillion –"
"Vermillion?! Ugh, Lucy, you said you were leaving Kanto! Seriously, just get back here soon, and don't you dare complain about how your vacation is getting cut short!"
Lucy was about to reply, when the line cut out. She shook her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. That was just like Scarlet, hanging up the phone when she was done complaining.
Storing the phone back into her pocket, she glanced back at the crowd, frowning as she found Brock's back, the teen's attention focused on the platform. Grumbling to herself, Lucy picked herself up off the bench, heading back to where Brock was standing, the mind running a mile a minute.
Would she be able to get Brock to come with her to the Saffron City area?
Somehow, she had a feeling it was easier said then done.
AN
So, now the story will really start to pick up its pace.
Both Misty and Brock have reached Kanto, while Ash just left for Hoenn.
While both sidekicks are starting to unravel more of their pasts, roadblocks are still there.
As for Lucy, she seemed to have a small crush on Brock during that episode in Battle Frontier, that to me, somehow that translated into her having a crush on multiple guys. I suppose, she could be a girl-version of Brock.
Alas, see you next chapter!
12/16/12