Chapter 4: Wish Granted
Alex woke up the next morning to a pair of bright, red eyes staring at him from across the bed. It startled him so much he fell off, which prompted a quick Sorry! from Lucario and a groan from himself. Alex got dressed, bought breakfast downstairs (Lucario already ate; he was up much earlier than Alex), and set off with pokemon in tow towards the gym. They were half way, in the middle of discussing their strategy one last time, when something small and purple jumped in front of them. To their surprise, it was a Purrloin.
"Um…hi," Alex said. "Are you…the same Purrloin we saw yesterday?" Purrloin nodded. "Cool…" he said half-heartedly. "Um, sorry Lucario here kind of had to beat you up, but in our defense you did start it. I know you probably want a rematch, but we need to get going so could we just—?"
Purrloin started meowing to Lucario. He asked something with a bark, and Purrloin meowed back with a big grin on her face. Lucario glared at her. She says she saw our match yesterday and that we 'got our asses handed to us on a silver platter.' She figures we're going back for more and wanted to wish us good luck… Also, we won't see her, but she'll be watching apparently.
Her message delivered, Purrloin meowed a goodbye and ran off. Lucario let out a low growl, but Alex put a hand on his shoulder. "Just ignore her," he said. "It doesn't matter what she or anyone else thinks. I know we're going to beat Cheren this time!"
Lucario looked up at the human. Are you really that confident? he asked.
"No," Alex answered honestly. "But I'm hoping if I keep telling myself that, things will work out anyway."
Lucario chuckled. Fair enough, he replied.
The rest of their trip was silent. A familiar white building with orange roofing appeared around the corner, and before they knew it they were sitting inside Aspertia City Gym's reception area. Cheren was busy with a few challengers this morning, the receptionist explained. It was mainly older students who just got their licenses and wanted to try for the Basic Badge. Alex and Lucario watched as boys and girls slightly younger than him all left the gym, either triumphantly holding their badge, or downtrodden and muttering promises about "next time." Alex became increasingly nervous and noticed Lucario seemed to feel the same way.
Alex patted his head and said everything would be okay. Lucario gave him a sour look and Alex winced, realizing maybe he'd overstepped his boundaries. He was saved by the receptionist informing them that Cheren was ready. They traveled the familiar hallway and stepped into the courtyard-turned battlefield. Cheren was over in the corner, petting and consoling a small Lilipup.
"Good work today," he told the small, brown terrier. "I knew that last trainer and he was top of his class. You made him work for that badge, and that's all that matters." The small puppy yipped happily and Cheren finally noticed Alex and Lucario. With one last pat on the head, he returned the Lilipup and addressed his approaching challengers. "Welcome back Alex," he began amicably, "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you again today." He eyed Lucario and added, "You're going to challenge me with that Lucario again?"
Lucario growled, but Alex shushed him. "Don't worry about him, we've worked everything out."
Cheren smirked. "I'm glad to hear it. Now, if you would…" Alex nodded, and gym leader, challenger, and referee all took their respective positions on the field. "Same rules as yesterday," Cheren said as he adjusted his tie. "One pokemon each, first to faint or forfeit loses. Given the nature of your challenge, I shall use whatever pokemon I see fit. Do you accept these terms?"
There was no more room for self-doubt. Yesterday, Alexander Andrite was a fool who ran away from home on sprained ankles and lost gym matches. That was yesterday though, and today he would take his first step to becoming a different person. "I do!" Alex said with confidence as Lucario assumed a fighting position. "Just so you know Cheren, things will be different than last time. We're not losing again!"
Cheren's smirk grew wider, before transforming into a vicious scowl. "Alright then, show me what you're capable of! Let's go Stoutland!"
The large terrier materialized in a flash of white. He recognized his opponent and snorted, earning a low growl from Lucario. "Lucario, remember what we talked about!" Alex called from the podium. The Aura pokemon looked at him and nodded before returning his attention to Stoutland.
Then the match began. "Stoutland, use Dig!"
Stoutland obeyed Cheren's command and dove underground. Lucario immediately closed his eyes and used aura to promptly dodge an eruption of dirt and rock. Stoutland hung in the air for a moment, and then dove back in, like a fish swimming through water. Alex instructed Lucario to keep dodging, and for a while that's all that happened. Stoutland would explode from below and Lucario would jump out of the way. He'd occasionally try to reach out and tag the canine with a Force Palm, but Stoutland was too quick and dove into the ground each time. Cheren frowned. Surely there was more to his plan than this? Lucario couldn't dodge forever, and Stoutland had the stamina to outlast him.
Just as he knew would happen, Lucario eventually fell to his knees panting. Cheren saw the nervousness on Alex's face and decided to end it quickly. "Stoutland, he's worn out! Hit him with everything you've got!"
Through his aura-sensing, Lucario watched Stoutland change direction and close in on him. He really, really hoped this would work…
Lucario stepped backwards slightly, just enough for the ground beneath him not to give as Stoutland emerged. With a loud roar and a fist coated in icy blue, he punched Stoutland downward with the strongest Ice Punch he could muster. The recoil knocked him off his feet, but Stoutland's momentum amplified the force of the blow and he came off far worse in the exchange.
Cheren watched slack-jawed as Stoutland crumpled to the ground and Lucario was flung away. "What…what just happened?" he asked, but then immediately realized the answer. "Oh wait, I see…Lucario wasn't actually tired. You lulled me into a false sense of security so I would try to deliver a finishing blow, but then turned it against me."
Alex grinned. "Pretty much," he admitted. "I figured that Lucario's Ice Punch might help negate the ground type attack, and that he was strong enough to survive the recoil."
By this point, Stoutland was back on his feet, battered and a little woozy, but still able to fight. "I'll give you credit for originality," Cheren began with a wicked smirk, "but make no mistake, it'll take more than that to put Stoutland down. And I won't make the same mistake twice. Stoutland use Work Up, and then hit him with Wild Charge!"
A red aura engulfed the terrier, and then he charged wreathed in lightning. Lucario was still getting to his feet and thus barely managed to put up his arms to absorb the blow. The blue jackal winced as electricity crackled across his body, but pushed through it and hit Stoutland on the side with a Force Palm. Stoutland staggered, but then rushed forward and flung a glowing white paw at his opponent. Lucario rolled with the attack, dissipating most of the force of the blow, and replied with a Bullet Punch. It didn't seem to hurt Stoutland too badly, who used the moment of contact to zap him with electricity from Wild Charge. Lucario winced, and found himself flung away by another Superpower. It was noticeably weaker than last time, but still did plenty of damage.
This continued for several minutes. Lucario would close in and hit with a Force Palm or Bullet Punch. Stoutland would either roll with the blow or use Dig to dodge, then remerge, use Work up, and charge at him cloaked in electricity. Both challenger and gym leader shouted commands, warnings, and encouragement to their pokemon. If Alex wasn't so engrossed in the battle, he might have realized that he'd forced Cheren to go all-out.
Lucario was tiring, but Stoutland was tiring faster. Cheren needed to end this soon while he still could. Lucario lunged with an Ice Punch, but overreached and threw himself off-balance. Cheren seized the moment and shouted, "Stoutland, hit him with Superpower! Don't hold back!"
The familiar white glow intensified to a point not seen before. Stoutland slammed into Lucario with everything he had and sent him sprawling, a faint glow dissipating when he hit the dirt. It was likely Endure, but that didn't matter now. All Stoutland had to do was deliver one final blow. Crackling with white energy, the large terrier burst forward at break-neck speeds to deliver one last Superpower and end the match.
"Now!" Alex screamed.
Before the oversized terrier could reach him, Lucario put his paws to the floor and detonated the largest Force Palm he could muster. A blue shockwave erupted along the ground and kicked up a cloud of dirt high into the air. He jumped backwards just in time to dodge a glowing forepaw and disappeared into the earthy mist. Cheren's eyes went wide as he realized the trap sprung. "Stoutland, watch your back! He's going to use the dirt cloud to sneak up from behind!"
The large canine went on high alert, but it did little good. Stoutland wasn't bothered by the cloud of dirt, but aside from obscuring his vision it also blocked his keen sense of smell. Meanwhile, his opponent had aura-sensing, meaning he could navigate the battlefield freely. Stoutland could charge through the fog and try to force his opponent out of hiding, but repeated use of Superpower left him exhausted and vulnerable to attack. The best he could do was to wait for the dust to settle.
Lucario gave him no such luxury. The blue jackal appeared from the dust, slid underneath, and placed two blue-glowing paws on the terrier's belly. Before he could react, the world tumbled as two powerful Force Palms launched him into the sky. The attack's shockwave opened a hole in the cloud of dust, and from high above Stoutland could see Lucario leering at him from below.
"Alright Lucario, finish him off!" Alex roared triumphantly. "Hit him with a Hi Jump Kick! Go!"
Lucario leapt into the air above the helpless Stoutland, his blue and yellow body framed in the light of the afternoon sun. With a roar as loud as it was defiant, Lucario launched his attack and axe-kicked his opponent with all his might. Stoutland crashed into the ground and kicked up a storm of dust, before the impact's shockwave dissipated it as quickly as it came. Lucario nimbly landed a few feet away and warily approached his opponent. Inside the impact crater, Stoutland twitched once, twice, thrice… The Aura Pokemon crouched into a fighting stance, but on the fourth twitch the canine went limp and finally fainted.
"Stoutland is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Victory goes to the challenger Alex and his Lucario!"
His jaw fell open. Bright cyan eyes widened in shock. "We…we did it…" Alex muttered. "We beat the gym leader…and that means…" A wide, uncontrollable smile stretched across his face as tears of joy gathered in his eyes. "I'm officially a pokemon trainer. Lucario, we did it! I'm a pokemon trainer!" He ran across the battlefield and scooped the surprised jackal into his arms, whooping and hollering in pure joy.
Super-powered terriers? Eh, give Lucario a chance and he'd launch them into the stratosphere. But Alex's bear-hug? There was no escape…not that he really wanted to though. The warm embrace was comforting, and as Alex hugged him and thanked him again and again, he returned the hug and gave his own thanks for helping him win a badge.
"Congratulations," Cheren began warmly as he sauntered towards the pair, pausing briefly to return his pokemon. Their joy was infectious, and Cheren's own grin was as wide and sincere as their own. "As a gym leader, it's my job to be a wall for trainers to overcome, both physical and metaphorical. Not only did you overcome the difficulties between you and your pokemon, you displayed tactical awareness of both your opponent's abilities and the terrain around you. Alex, you may still be a little rough around the edges, but I have no doubt you will do well in your career as a trainer."
Cheren held out something towards the new trainer, and Alex turned to see what it was. A small rectangular pin, gold and violet and reminiscent of the spine of a book, lay gleaming in the afternoon sun. "This is the Basic Badge," he explained. "It is proof of your victory against me. Today, not only have you become a full-fledged pokemon trainer, you've taken your first steps to conquering the Unova Pokemon League. Once again, congratulations."
Alex accepted the badge. The metal was cool to the touch, and for a moment both human and pokemon examined it reverently. Finally, Alex gave it to Lucario as promised, who accepted it with a warm smile. "Thank you," he said to Cheren, voice wavering in emotion. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Not just the fact I'm a trainer now, just knowing I have what it takes to be one."
Cheren smiled. "You always had what it took; I could tell the moment I met you. You were awkward and a little unsure of yourself, but behind it I could feel your determination, your passion. Sure, maybe running away like you did wasn't brilliant…" Alex chuckled nervously as Cheren gave him a look, "but wisdom will come with experience." He then turned to examine the courtyard, noting the giant mess their match created. "Of course, now I have all of this to clean up. What a bother…"
Alex and Lucario couldn't help but laugh, and even Cheren had to chuckle. The two were escorted to the front of the building, where the receptionist gave Alex his prize money, a TM for Work Up, and a stack of paperwork. When that was done, Alex had his picture taken and shortly thereafter received an ID card which proved his status as a licensed pokemon trainer.
The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. They bought supplies with the prize money, got a lunch at one of the local restaurants, and took the time to properly see the sights. As afternoon turned to dusk, the pair found themselves at the top of the lookout near the gatehouse, the one fabled to be the beginning of the current Champion's journey three years ago. The sky was alight with golden reds and deep violets that signaled the coming of nightfall.
It was a hard feeling to describe. For years now Alex dreamt of this moment. He held his trainer card towards the setting sun, and he felt…complete, whole, as if a part of him he didn't even know was missing had been reclaimed. A deep, content sigh escaped his lips. He glanced to his right and saw Lucario leaning against the railing examining the Basic Badge. After a moment it went into a bag Alex bought him and the Aura pokemon turned to watch the sunset, lost in a different kind of emotion.
What do you plan to do now? Lucario asked, never taking his eyes off the sunset. Now you have your license, as well as the praise of the gym leader you won it from. I don't know your family well, but surely it's enough proof for them.
"You're asking if I'm going back home?" A sour look crossed the young man's face. "To be honest…I'm not sure. I know I want to be a pokemon trainer and travel Unova and have an adventure, but…running away like I did, after that big fight? It's not how I wanted to leave..." Alex sighed, and it was anything but content. "I'm kind of afraid that if I go back, they'll try to stop me from leaving again. They can't anymore—I'm sixteen and a licensed trainer now so I can leave home if I want—but if I left against their wishes then it just puts me back at square one. I want them to beokay with me leaving, and I don't know how to do that …"
"Then your mind's made up Alexander?" The voice sent a shiver down the blonde boy's spine. He turned to face the speaker and paled. His own reflection, years older and worn down by time, met his gaze with cold, world weary eyes. They hadn't known, but Alistair had been watching and listening for at least half an hour. Behind him was his Ampharos Amy, alternating between looking at Alex worriedly and glaring at the Lucario which snatched away her partner's child.
Lucario felt Alex's trepidation and stepped closer to his side. The action prompted an angry spark from Amy's body, but Allistair motioned for his pokemon to remain calm. Alex did likewise when Lucario growled.
"I don't think I understand your question," Alex admitted. His legs shook, his insides frothed, but his voice remained calm and steady. He couldn't afford to be weak now.
Alistair inhaled. Alex thought it was to reign in his temper. Alistair knew it was to choke down his growing fear. "You want to be a pokemon trainer. You want to travel across Unova by yourself, just like your sister did thirteen years ago. There's nothing I can say to stop you, is there?"
Alex slowly shook his head. "I don't feel comfortable doing anything else. I've always loved pokemon and wanted to travel with them. I've always wanted to train them, help them become the best they can be. Most of all…I want to find where I belong in the world. I've never felt like I was good at anything, and to be honest I've been afraid I wouldn't be good at this either; I was afraid you were right." Lucario sensed what he would do next and handed Alex his bag. He reached into it and pulled out the Basic Badge, to the surprise of his father. "But today, I proved you wrong. I can do it. I have what it takes to be a pokemon trainer, and I'm going to work damned hard to become the best one I can!"
Alistair was silent. His son returned the badge and looked at his father with a nervous determination, waiting to hear his reply. Alistair's gaze shifted from his son to the Lucario, and for a moment Alex saw something so horrible in intensity rage wished it was good enough to describe it. Alex took a step between him and Lucario, much to the Aura pokemon's surprise. The trembling legs and frothing stomach were gone, replaced with adrenaline and protective rage.
Alistair's face became neutral again, save for one upturned eyebrow. That too disappeared, and without another word Alistair threw something large and brown at his son's feet. It was a backpack. "It's my old traveling gear," he explained as Alex hefted the bag to inspect it. "There's a few change of clothes in there, some cooking utensils, and a sleeping bag; in short, stuff you'll need for basic survival."
Speechless didn't do it justice. Rather, if felt like Alex had all the wind knocked out of him in one swift blow. "Does this mean…you're okay with—?"
Alistair raised his hand for silence and Alex obeyed. For the first time since their conversation started, Alistair willingly showed his emotions. "If you're so determined to leave, then never come back!" he spat with a venom so horrible it made his son's blood run cold. "I never want to see you again, and you're not welcome in my home. If you come within a hundred feet of us I will call the police and have you arrested." Alex felt his world fall from under him as the ramifications of those words sunk in. Willingly oblivious to the look on his son's face, Alistair continued, "If you want to go and kill yourself, I'll have no part in it. As far as I'm concerned, you're as dead to me as Astra."
Alistair turned to leave and beckoned Amy to follow. The Ampharos met Alex's gaze one last time before she left. He didn't need a translation to understand what she was telling him. I'm sorry Alex. I don't want to leave, but he is my master and I must obey. Please forgive me.
And just like that they were gone. Alex finally had his wish; he was a pokemon trainer and had his father's blessing to travel Unova. Never did he imagine how much it would cost. He wanted to pretend his father didn't mean it, or that if he did come home his mother would leap to his rescue. Then he remembered the night he left, how his normally protective mother did nothing. She never stood up to her husband directly; her comfort was always given behind Alistair's back. She loved her husband more than she loved him.
Lucario watched helplessly from the side, almost drowning in Alex's emotions. Hurt, betrayal, rage…it was the same thing he felt the day his trainer abandoned him. He wouldn't wish this on anyone.
"Hey Lucario…" Alex's voice was a soft whisper devoid of emotion. From the outside the boy looked eerily calm, almost serene, but Lucario's abilities made him privy to the maelstrom inside. "A moment ago…you asked me what I planned on doing…"
Lucario slowly nodded. Alex turned around and faced the railings of the lookout. He could just barely make out his father and his Ampharos at the gatehouse. With a deep breath, Alex poured all his anger, hatred, and sadness into a single promise shouted at his father.
"I'm going to become stronger than you!" Allistair stopped, giving the impression he was waiting to hear more. Alex readily delivered. "I'm going to travel the region, beat all the gyms, and become a better trainer than you ever dreamt of being!"
Allistair didn't turn around. Alex imagined that his father was glaring scornfully, a thought which only served to infuriate him further.
"I am Alexander Andrite!" Alex declared with a sweep of the hand. "I know I make mistakes and poor decisions, but whatever it takes, I will make myself stronger! I'm going to prove you wrong and become the best damn trainer in the entire region; I'm going to become Champion of Unova! And when I do, I'm coming back to my home, with my champion team of pokemon behind me, and I'm going to show you just how wrong you are!"
Alex finished, out of breath and leaning on the railing, and watched for Alistair's reaction. He lingered a moment longer, then disappeared into the gatehouse. He never turned around, never fully acknowledged his son's words. Alex slid to the ground with his back against the rails, gasping for breath and trying to hold back his tears. The feeling of something soft momentarily brought him out of his melancholy.
Lucario sat next to him. At first, nothing was said. Nothing could be said. Then, he reached over and placed a paw in Alex's hand. The boy felt cold metal, and when Lucario pulled away he saw it was the Basic Badge. You said you'd give this to me because I needed it more than you. Lucario began. I don't think that's true anymore.
Alex was shocked. "Lucario…what about your trainer? How are you going to prove you won the badge?"
Lucario smiled. I'll figure something out. There's a lot of gyms on the way to Nimbassa. Maybe the other gym leaders will be more relaxed than Cheren about their badges. The blue jackal shrugged. I'll find a way, that's all that matters.
Alex let out something between a chuckle and a sniffle. "I guess this is it then? One final favor before you leave." Lucario flinched, but Alex just smiled. "It's okay though. I think I finally understand what you were talking about before." Alex's smile faltered, and he started choking on his words. "Your trainer…it doesn't matter how badly he hurt you. It doesn't matter what he says…or what he does… because despite all of that you still want his respect, want to be close…because in the end, you're family…and you love him…"
Lucario turned away as Alex started crying. It was awful enough watching someone else go through the same tragedy as him, but Alex's comment about him leaving…hurt him in a way he couldn't describe. Was it guilt? Empathy? He didn't know and simultaneously decided it didn't matter. Before, he'd been unsure what to do next. Now the answer was obvious; there was no way Lucario would leave him like this…
He placed a paw on Alex's shoulder. The blonde haired boy looked up and saw red eyes staring straight into cyan. I'm not going to leave you, Alex. Lucario began. In fact, I'm going to make you a deal. I'll travel with you and help you win the Unova League. In exchange, you help me find my trainer. And when we do, we beat him, together, as a team. Lucario removed his paw and held it out to the crying teenager. What do you say?
Alex grabbed the smaller pokemon and pulled him into a sobbing hug. Lucario returned the hug, told him everything would be okay, and comforted him as best as he could. They sat like this on the lookout as the last ray of sunlight disappeared, and dusk finally gave way to night.
Author's Note: Well that was fucking bittersweet. Seriously, if the site would allow me I'd add the "Hurt/Comfort" tag to this fic with the others just for this chapter alone.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the end of the first "story arc" of Prove 'em Wrong. Make no mistake; Alex and Lucario aren't close friends at this point. It's only been, what, three days in-story? Not to mention one of them has insecurities that will get in the way, as you'll see later. But I digress; the beginning of a strong friendship is there, and they have common ground between them. The only reason I'm even mentioning this is because I'm fishing to see how well I handled it thus far.
On a lighter note, I like to imagine the chorus to "Until My Body Runs Dry" playing as Lucario delivers the coup de grâce to Stoutland. Weird song, weirder anime, but damn if it isn't catchy… What's that? How is Alex hugging Lucario without being skewered by his chest-spike, you ask? Very carefully…
So anyway, let me know what you think, and I'll see you soon.
EDIT (10/29/2015): At the suggestion of a reader, I've revised the scene where Alex yells at Alistair to where he's…well, actually yelling, rather than the narration glossing over it.
