A/N: With a little fighting, I'm able to get the next chapter up. thank you for any readers that are bearing with me and my sporadic update, but if there are any readers in college, they understand what it's like to juggle work and school, and how it takes up more time what God could come up with. Anyway, time for reviews.
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Disclaimer: John Marros does not, nor will he ever own Pokemon. It belongs to the Pokemon Company and Nintendo.
You know how some families make it tradition to eat dinner at a table, and talk about their day to each other. My family only did that maybe, 5% of the time. The other 95% of the time, we ate in the living room, or went our separate ways. It wasn't that we were dysfunctional, we just agreed that we did our own thing. That is why having dinner at Samuel's lab was awkward for me. The first thing we did after setting the table was join hands and pray. I usually didn't do so, but I humored them. It was a simple prayer; bless the food, bless people we know, etc. Now, I don't know much, but I soon found out that Delia was a damn fine cook. She had made meat loaf, with mashed potatoes and green beans. Simple meal, or so I thought. After I took a bite of the meat, my taste buds were in heaven. I couldn't describe the taste, even if I wanted to.
"My god!" I exclaimed. "This is the best meat loaf I've ever had." Delia smiled at me.
"Why thank you, Daniel," She said. "It's an old family recipe." The guy next to me was watching me like a hawk. I looked at him. Samuel told me his name was Tracey.
"You sound familiar," Tracey said. I raised an eyebrow at him. I was about to reply, but Samuel interrupted.
"So Daniel, tell us about yourself." He said. I shrugged.
"There's not much to tell," I replied. "The only thing I remember is that I'm student at UCC, my experiences here, blacking out and waking up on the north side of route one. Oh, and that I'm adopted." When I was finished, I saw Delia with her hand over her mouth in shock.
"Oh dear," She said. "You don't remember anything other than that?" I thought about it for a second and then I remembered the flashback from earlier.
"My parent's names," I replied. "Marnie and Nathan Kellen." Tracy then snapped his fingers.
"That's where I heard it from," He said. He then left the table and ran into the lab. A few minutes later, Tracey came back with a newspaper. He set it on the table and turned to the obituaries page. "'On January 12, Marnie and Nathan Kellen were found dead at the site of a car accident. Nathan was a prominent musician, who would help the orchestra at Music Hall in Nimbasa City, while Marnie was the CEO of Dream State Industries, a company specializing in the research of the fabled dream world. The two are survived by their adopted son Daniel, who is unable to be reached. The Kellen couple will be put to rest at Liberty Garden's Cemetery in two weeks' time.'" Everyone at the table was shocked, even me. To find out that my Doppelgänger's parents were deceased, made me feel said.
"What month is it?" I asked.
"It's March," Delia replied. Her voice sounded like it was breaking. "The month, that the new trainers begin their journeys." I saw her tear up. "Excuse me." She got up from the table and ran into the lab. I looked at Samuel.
"Was it something I said?" I asked. Samuel shook his head.
"Today is the eighth year anniversary of her son leaving on his first journey." He replied.
"She's come here to celebrate that anniversary every year for the last three," Tracey added.
"Where is her son?" I asked.
"No one knows," Samuel replied. "He left in the winter of his fifth year of travel, when she was in the hospital." I was angered by this revelation.
"That's horrible!" I shouted. "What kind of son, leaves while his own mother is stuck in the hospital." Samuel stood from his chair with such force, that it skidded back a bit.
"Don't you dare insult Ash like that!" Samuel yelled. "He left, not because he wanted to, but because he had to find the person who attempted to murder his mother." I was scared. I had never even heard of Prof. Oak having this kind of temper. He then composed himself. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my study." Samuel then left. I turned to Tracey.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to step on any toes." Tracey then smiled at me. But it was a sad smile.
"It's alright," He replied. "When Ash left, he left behind many people who love him. No one took the news harder than Mrs. Ketchum. She had been in a coma when he left. Hell, we weren't even in Pallet, when he left." I cocked my head at him.
"Where were you?" I inquired. "I mean, if my friend's mom was almost murdered, I would have been there with them at all times." Tracey shrugged.
"One of Ash's friend's parents suggested we try to take our minds off the situation and go out," Tracey explained. "We invited Ash to come along, but he was like a statue, not moving at all, or even speaking. In the end, we let him be and left. We didn't even know he was gone until the morning after we returned."
"And he hasn't contacted anyone since?" I asked.
"He sends an annual letter to his mother," Tracey replied. "The contents of the letter tell of his well-being and that she shouldn't worry about him. But I can see that it saddens her, not seeing her only son." I nodded. Now, I felt bad about my uproar a bit ago.
"I'd best find them and apologize," I said. I was about to walk away when I realized something. "Um, which way to Samuel's study?" Tracey chuckled a bit.
"Down the hall, third door on the left." He said. I thanked him and proceeded through the living area and down the hall. As soon as I got to the third door, I just stood there. I had never been good at apologies. Then again, empathy wasn't ever one of my strong suits. After five minutes of standing there, trying to figure out what I was going say, I knocked on the door.
"Come in," I heard him say. I opened the door, to see him sitting at his desk. He was scribbling notes on a piece of paper, all the while staring at a computer screen.
"Samuel, can I talk to you?" I asked. He turned away from the computer screen. He then pointed to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"Have a seat," he said in a tired voice. I nodded and made a beeline towards the chair he pointed at. It looked like an old Lay-Z-Boy recliner, with faux leather upholstery. I slunk down into the chair. "What would you like to talk about?" I put my hands together and started fidgeting my thumbs.
"I want to apologize for my outburst earlier," I said. "I judged a person on their actions before I even understood the situation. If my parents were alive, they probably would have told me that they didn't raise me to judge a book by its cover." Samuel stopped his note taking and looked at me.
"No boy," He started, "I'm the one who should apologize. Ash was one of my best students, albeit, a little over enthusiastic. He reminded me of one of my other students. And to see him disappear like my former student, it shocked me to the core. When Ash was on his journeys, Delia would come here when there wasn't anything to do at her house. We had many a conversation. She may not look it, but she was one of my brightest interns. Oh well, that past is the past. And we must look on into the future. And in your future, I see a Pokédex and a starter." I smiled at him.
"I would love to start my journey," I started. "But my wellness is a little under par. I'll get my license when I'm a little more he-"
"Chiiiiime," I almost jumped out of my skin when I was interrupted by a moaning chime. I turned around and saw a wind chime. The problem was, there wasn't any wind, nor was it attached to anything. At his desk, Samuel was laughing.
"Kinda jumpy, aren't ya Daniel?" He asked. I turned and faced him. "It's just a Chimecho."
"I know what it is," I said. "Why is it in your study?" Samuel shrugged.
"It belongs to one of my charges, who is unable to look after it for the time being," Samuel replied. "From what I've noticed, it likes to keep me company." I turned my attention back to the Chimecho.
"Nice to meet you," I said nervously. The Pokémon floated down in front of me and stared at me.
"Chiiiiime," it moaned. All of a sudden, there was a nice feeling wrapping itself around me. After a few seconds, my chest didn't hurt. My arm felt stiff in the cast, and any cuts and lacerations I had were healed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a blue glow around my arm, more specifically, my cast. The next thing I knew, I heard cracking coming from my cast. I looked down to see my cast had split right down the middle. I grabbed one half of the cast and just pulled. After pulling the cast apart and removing it from my arm, I noticed I could move my arm without any pain.
"You seem to have a knack with Pokémon, Daniel," Samuel said. "Pokémon don't normally wouldn't do that willingly. Not unless that person is truly pure of heart" I snorted at that comment.
"Sam, I'll be the first to say that I'm not pure of heart," I replied. "I don't know if it's true, but I've just got a feeling." Of course, I was lying through my teeth. I'll admit, I had done my fair share of bullshit in my old life. But hey, no one's perfect. Oak chuckled at my statement.
"It's not what you do," Samuel said. "It's who you are inside." I was staring at him, when Riolu hopped onto my lap. I looked down at him and saw the look in his eyes. He saw me as someone special, not because of my actions. But because of who I was inside.
"You've got a point," I said. "If you had asked me a year ago, I probably would have told you that I had no interest in becoming a Pokémon trainer. But, after today," I paused and looked down a Riolu. "I'm willing to give it a try." Samuel smiled at me.
"Now, that's what I want to hear from one of my trainers," he said. He then reached into his desk and tossed me a minimized Poke-ball. "While you were napping, I took the liberty of setting up your new Pokedex and trainer's license. I've seen how attached you and Riolu have been. You look like brothers, long lost, but now reunited." I smiled at what Samuel had said. I gave the ball a slight squeeze and it expanded on the spot. I guess Poke-balls are pressure sensitive. Upon further inspection, I noticed a small clip near the hinge. It wasn't too complicated, just a simple snap clip. I showed the Poke-ball to Riolu.
"Ready, to start an adventure?" I asked him. He quickly nodded and pressed the capture button on the front of the ball. In a beam of red light, Riolu was sucked in. the ball immediately pinged, signaling capture. The thing didn't even shake. Okay, that's a lie. Shortly after, I felt the ball begin to vibrate. Seconds later, it popped open, releasing the Riolu from the ball. It was then, that I felt that bungee cord feeling in my chest. I grew tighter and tighter, until it stopped, and relaxed slightly. I looked down at Riolu, who had his eyes closed and his paw over his chest. "What was that?" Riolu opened his eyes and looked up at me.
"Our bond is complete," I heard a voice said. "Now, I will only serve you." I was still looking for the source of the voice, when I heard it again. "Down here, bonehead." I looked down at Riolu and raised an eyebrow.
"What bond?" I asked. Riolu smiled.
"The aura bond," Riolu replied. "There was a reason I stuck to you like glue. If I was any other Pokémon, I would have left after saving your ass from that asshole in the woods. I didn't, because we have a similar aura signature." I chuckled at the Riolu.
"You've got quite a vocabulary, for a baby Pokémon," I said. Riolu shrugged.
Eh, I'm impressionable," He replied. "Call me a baby again, I'll break your arm." I smiled. My first Pokémon in my entire life, and it has an attitude. Not a bad one, but we'll but heads like brothers.
"Ahem," I looked and saw Samuel looking on. "What just happened?"
"I can't really explain it," I said. "Riolu said something about creating an aura bond between us." It was then, Samuel's eyes widened and nearly leaped over his desk.
"What!?" He yelled.
"Have gone deaf in your old age?" I asked. Samuel shook his head.
"I just can't believe what I heard," Samuel replied. "This is a remarkable discovery!" for the umpteenth, I raised my eyebrow.
"Why?" I asked.
"It's been often believed that aura users could only bond with the Lucario line," Samuel explained. "I have a colleague in Saffron City, who is an expert in the study of legends, and I'm sure he would love to hear about this." I was just looking on in surprise. Samuel was just gushing about what he had seen. I looked at the clock mounted on the wall. It read 7:45. The sky reflected the time.
"You think telling him could wait?" I asked. "I just found out my parents are dead. I need a bit to grieve. Not to mention the blatantly obvious amnesia I'm suffering. I'm not going to be up for any interviews for a while." Samuel nodded at my explanation. I guess if anyone could understand was my sponsor and advisor.
"I understand," He replied. "You've had a lot to take in. Your amnesia, the revelation of your parent's death. Very well, until you've regained all of your memories, I'll hold off on telling my colleague of this new discovery." I smiled at him
"Thanks Samuel." I replied. He nodded in reply.
"Now, on to a more difficult situation," Samuel said. "Your living arrangements." I shrugged.
"You got any extra rooms?" I asked. Samuel shook his head.
"I did have a guest room, but it's now Tracey's living quarters," Samuel replied.
"I don't suppose you have an inn in this town?" I asked. Samuel shook his head again. "So, my only option is too sleep on the couch? As comfy as it is, I really don't feel like waking up with a stiff back." Samuel put his hand on his chin, as if trying to think of an alternative.
"Well, there is another option," he said. "You could always ask Delia if you could use her guest room." I thought about it for a moment, and weighed my options: sleep on a couch, wake up with a stiff back. Or, ask Delia for lodging and be in her debt. I looked down at Riolu.
"What do you think, buddy?" I asked. Now he thought about it for a moment.
"Comfy couch with stiff back," He started. "Or nice bed and paying for rent? I think the choice is obvious, boss." I nodded.
"Good point," I replied. "I'll go talk to Delia. She seems like she could use some company." Two words: not hentai. Samuel nodded.
"I think I saw her in the living room," he replied. I nodded at him and got up from my seat. "Hold on!" I was standing in front of the door, when Samuel stopped me. I turned around and saw what looked like a cellphone in his hand.
"What's up?" I asked. He got up from his desk.
"You can't start a journey without this," He said. He handed me the device. I looked similar to an Android I had once. It was slim, and sleek. "It's the newest model of Pokedex. It will double as you trainer's license and your trainer's visa."
"Trainer's visa?" I asked. He nodded.
"It accesses the funds you accumulate from any matches you win," Samuel explained. "Also, it's your passport for when you travel out of the region." I nodded.
"Uh huh," I said. "That's fine and dandy, but how did you get the info for my license?"
"I just typed your name into the international database," Samuel explained. "Turns out, you're quite a musician." So my counterpart and I weren't all that different.
"Yeah, I just wish I had my guitar." I said. "Say, you wouldn't have happened to see my address." Samuel nodded.
"You live in Nimbasa City, with a friend," Samuel said. "Would you like his number?" In nodded. Samuel then ran back to the computer. After a few minutes of typing, he scribbled down something on a piece of paper. He then walked back and handed me the paper. I gave him my thanks and exited his study.
When I left Samuel's study, I went looking for Delia, but I didn't find her in the living room like Samuel had said. Hell, I spent the past twenty minutes looking for her. I checked the lab, the kitchen, a room full of Poke-balls and still didn't find her. I looked everywhere, and didn't find her. And then it hit me: I looked everywhere inside, but not outside. I was running towards the garage, when I ran into Tracey.
"Where's the door to the corral?" I asked. He then pointed to the left.
"Past the kitchen," Tracey replied. I thanked him and ran towards the kitchen. Next to the garage door was an electric sliding door. I stepped towards it and the motion sensor opened the door. It was setting when I stepped out onto the corral. It was pretty simple. Mostly grasslands, with a few watering holes. It was enclosed by a red wooden fence, ensuring that none of the land-based Pokémon didn't go off the reservation. I knew that I needed to find Delia, but something compelled me to just take a leisurely stroll as I did it.
The corral near the entrance was pretty barren, but I guess that was to be expected at sun down. When I got to one of the watering holes, I sat down on a nearby rock, and looked out to the water. I was close enough for there to be enough water to see my reflection in. I'll admit, I'm not the most handsome man in world, but I did alright. I definitely looked different without my glasses, and my hair was just long enough to pass as decent looking. Looking into water, I thought about what how my journey would go. Granted, I wouldn't start until later, but we won't get into that. As I was sitting there, I heard a very loud screech. My first instinct was to look up, and what I saw was too majestic for words. It was a giant blue and gray bird Pokémon. I would have had to be an idiot not to know that it was a Braviary. Hell, if I was an idiot, I would have mistook it for a giant bald eagle. I noticed it descending and hid behind a nearby rock. The bird landed about twenty feet away. As it landed, I saw it lower its upper body. While lowered, someone dismounted from the birds back. I wouldn't have known who it was, if the pink shirt wasn't a dead giveaway. She started talking, and it was not my place to just jump up and interrupt her.
"Thank you Grayson," She started. "Whenever I'm down, you always know how to cheer me up."
"Brave!" Grayson cawed. Delia giggled.
"Oh, you," She replied. "But still, you and I are in the same boat." I started listening in more intently. "When Ash left, I was devastated. He is the only family I have left, besides my nowhere man of a brother. Without Ash around, my life has been a bore. It's always cleaning, laundry, and gardening. Don't get me wrong, my conversations with Samuel can be very informative, but now that he doesn't do field work anymore, it's all lab work."
"Brave!?" Grayson said, while cocking his head.
"You can relate," Delia said. "Your trainer left you here, because he couldn't take care of you, anymore. In hindsight, it was probably the best decision at the time. But don't you ever think he didn't care about you. He could have easily released you and left out on your own." I then heard her sigh. "I hope Ash comes home soon. I don't like going back to an empty house."
"It doesn't have to be empty," I said. I don't know what I was thinking just blurting that out, but it just happened. At the moment, I'd hoped that she didn't really hear anything.
"Who's there?" Delia asked. I was wrong. Thinking I was busted, I slowly got up from behind the rock, and revealed my presence to her. "How long have you been hiding there?" I shrugged.
"Long enough to see you land and to hear you conversation," I replied. I stepped closer, very carefully as to not startle Grayson the Braviary. "I came out here to apologize about dinner. I didn't mean to step on any toes, but this month must mean a lot to you." She smiled and nodded.
"It is," She replied. "In fact, today is the day my little Ashy began his Pokémon journey. I'll be honest, I was scared for him. There are so many dangers out in the world, and he could get hurt or worse out there. But, if I sheltered him too much, he'd still meet those dangers, but much less prepared. I hope he knows how proud I am of him." At this point she started to cry again. I really don't like seeing people sad, so I walked up to her and embraced her in a hug.
"Don't you ever think he doesn't know," I said. "He loves you, and wherever he is, he's still working towards whatever goal he's set his mind on." When I said that, I even believed it. I was never really good with the spoken word, but this whole experience had gotten my mind into a good place. She was still crying in my arms, and I didn't know if she even heard me, so I started singing a song that helped me get through some tough times.
Somebody's leaving,
Somebody gives a damn,
Somebody's dreaming
'Cause somebody knows you can, you can.
For all the times this world ain't fair, I want you to know,
I will be there, to watch you grow
To let you know, somebody cares
I will be there, to love you whole
When nothing works and no one cares
At this time, Delia had stopped crying and listening. I don't know why, but music always makes people feel better, especially if the lyrics were appropriate.
"Delia, you are not alone," I said. "You've got a whole town who loves you. If you ever feel alone again, don't be afraid to talk about it." She wiped away any stray tears and smiled at me.
"Thank you Daniel," She replied. I smiled back. "It makes me happy to know that someone cares."
"Someone always cares," I replied. "You just gotta find out who." I then turned to Grayson, who was sitting there listening to our conversation. I pulled away from Delia and walked towards him.
"You're one handsome bird," I said. His response was to put a wing over his face. I chuckled at his response. "But, Delia's right. If your trainer couldn't take care of you, then sending you to one of the top Pokémon Professors in the world was the best decision he could have made for you. Who knows, maybe he'll be able to pick you up again someday. Just don't ever think he abandoned you, 'because he could have done exactly that." Grayson nodded and then took flight, most likely to look for a spot to sleep for the night. I turned my attention back to Delia, who was already heading back to the lab. I had to jog to catch up with her. During the walk back, I asked Delia if I could stay at her house for a while. She agreed, on the condition that I pay for rent. So, that night I was able to sleep peacefully in a nice comfortable bed, with my Riolu, which I named Gabriel after the archangel as well as character from a TV show I watched back on Earth 0, sleeping at the foot of the bed. With the character in mind, the name fit well with the Riolu's personality.
At the time, I didn't care that my old life was over. I just hoped my new life would be better, for myself and my new friends.
A/N: There you have it. got any comments, leave it in a review. If you like this story, you can favorite it, follow it or both. If you don't have a account, you can follow me on twitter JohnMarros for updates on all my stories or even any music I come up with. Flames will not be tolerated, and will be used for Barbecues I throw on weekends.
Until next round,
John Marros