Chapter Sixteen

"I never knew my father…I mean really knew him… My mom never spoke of him at all, and naturally I got curious. When she did talk about him, the conversation usually was pushed to the side if you know what I mean," Josh hissed sadly, looking at the ground and lost in memories.

Colby, Amanda, Ellis, and Riley were all crowded around him with ears listening in anticipation. He had snapped…and he was finally explaining to everyone why he was so angry all the time. This had better be a good reason for giving everyone his usual crap. Still, despite his past, he really shouldn't take it out on his friends.

"The day after I turned ten, I decided that hearing what little she said about him wasn't enough. I was sick of being treated like a child. She told me that he lived in Taunsville and so I decided to go find him myself… I made the journey in a few days, because I had borrowed a friend's Fearow to fly me half way across Aurora. When I arrived there, I asked around for Lucas Darrel, which was his name. Weirdly enough, no one seemed to want to give me information about him… Which I found odd," Josh paused and looked at the four of them with hurt in his eyes.

"Finally after a long day of searching in Taunsville, I came upon this small café. I was tired and hungry, but something told me to check this while getting something to eat…"

A clear picture painted itself in Colby's mind of Josh flying across Aurora to find his father. Sure, it sounded ridiculous…but she would go to the ends of the world to find out the truth to.

"Sitting alone in a booth was a man with jet black hair, drinking coffee. It was almost as if he was waiting for me…because as soon as I opened the door to the café, he looked up at me with piercing green eyes. Walking over to the stranger, I asked him if he knew a Lucas Darrel… The next words he said almost made me go into shock. What do you want Josh?" Josh sighed and Colby saw anger begin to build up in his eyes again…

"Suddenly…I noticed our resemblance and recognized the man that was my father. The man that I had come all this way for was sitting in a bench five feet from where I was standing. Father…? I asked. He just looked at me with a blank expression on his face, which quickly turned to a sneer. Oh father! I'm so glad I found you! Now you can come back to live with mom and I…and maybe you can help me become a great gym leader- I gushed, elated that I had found my father, finally. In the middle of my sentence…he threw back his head and laughed, malice clouding his eyes. I got a bad feeling in my stomach as he said his next words to me," Josh stopped, and looked to an invisible point in the distance somewhere.

"Help you become a great gym leader? Move back in with you and your mother? You aren't my son, and you never were. It's a disgrace that you have any of my blood. I suggest you scamper back to wherever you came from and forget about any dreams you have or ever will. You. Will. Be. Nothing. No matter how hard you try, or how much help you get, you will never amount to anything."

Pain and rage clouded Josh's eyes as he explained this, and Colby could tell he was fighting tears.

"He said I would be nothing…he said I was nothing… After that, I ran out of that café, hearing his mocking laughter following me…and didn't look back. I jumped on Fearow, and headed back to Ft. Jonova. It seemed that everything was pointless now…and I decided that if the world hated me…I would hate it back twice as hard. When I got home, clouded in sadness and anger, I gave my Mom an excuse that I was at the gym training with Dusty. At the time I was in training with Dusty the gym leader so I could secede him as the gym leader someday. After that, I didn't speak a word of what I did…or my father again," Josh concluded, hanging his head low.

Colby's mouth fell open to speak…but nothing came out. Glancing at Amanda, she saw sympathy in her eyes. Riley was now the one looking at the invisible point in the distance, and seemed to be doing some thinking.

Ellis briefly met her eyes but then shot his gaze back to the ground. Colby realized that it was up to her to speak…because it seemed as if no one else was going to.

"Josh... We are your friends, and will be here for you, but you have to let us," Colby said, meeting his eyes.

Irritation flashed in his eyes…but he seemed to control it. "Whatever…just…now you know…okay?" Josh told everyone.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem angry when he said it…just tired and partially confused. Colby guessed he was just having troubles conveying his emotions...or he just wanted to drop the subject.

"Are you going to try to stop being so rude to us now?" Amanda asked.

Josh glanced at her and hesitated, but nodded.

"I-I can try…I mean, sometimes…it just gets to me…"

Ellis looked a bit sympathetic but didn't seem sure if he was buying that. Josh was mean to him all the time, so Colby could understand where his doubt would be coming from.

"Alright…I think we understand each other, right Ellis?" Colby asked, turning to their little green headed friend.

Ellis looked between them all, and then at Josh.

"Yeah," he grunted.

Colby sighed and rubbed her temples from the headache that seemed to be forming, great.

"You're going to treat us all like friends Josh?" Amanda asked, still a bit suspicious after what he said to her.

"I told you…I will try…and I'm sorry for what I said to you guys…" Josh said sadly, hanging his head and starting to walk away.

"He needs his space," Riley said, speaking for the first time when Colby was about to call Josh back.

She closed her mouth and glanced at Riley who seemed to have a serious look upon his face. Well, that was a first!

"What happened in the forest, Riley?" Amanda asked, coming to stand beside them.

Ellis reluctantly joined their circle, but didn't glance at Riley. Honestly, Ellis could be so stubborn sometimes. Colby grabbed his collar and yanked him beside Amanda.

"Yeah, what did happen?" Ellis asked, rolling his eyes at Colby.

Riley glanced at Josh, who was still walking down the path, a good distance away.

"Alright…but don't mention any of this to him… I was on my usual route, smashing through forests and searching for Pokémon. Oh! I did find one by the way! Want to see it-"

"Riley! Just get to the point!" They all yelled in unison.

Riley glared at them and began the explanation again.

"Anyways, I came to a clearing and saw Josh there sitting in front of a tree. He looked absolutely furious and was angrily pulling at the grass while sulking. I came up to him and said there's no reason to be sulking emo boy. Why are you sulking like a sad little emo boy? You probably have the least problems of us all. You have no reason to be emo. He looked up at me, with hurt in his eyes instead of rage. Astounded, I took a step back…for fear of him exploding or something. He then proceeded to unload all of his baggage …after some small talk that is. Needing the support, he decided to 'drag' me back with him," Riley explained. "That's it? So now you're both friends?" Ellis asked, seeming disgusted with the thought.

Riley shot a nasty look at Ellis, "Well, I wouldn't say friends… But we defiantly aren't mortal enemies anymore."

Colby pondered the thought of Riley and Josh being friends… It was an interesting picture. But then again, poor little Ellis would have to take all of their tirades by himself… unless that grunt happened to be around…

"As Josh said, now you know-"

"Oh dear Stellar Spirits, now you're going to quote him?" Ellis snapped, probably realizing that he was going to be on his own with the insults.

"Shut the hell up Pothead," Riley hissed, marching off.

"Okay, so now you're just going to leave?" Amanda called.

Riley turned around to look at her, with a smile.

"What's that Twix? Do you want me to stay? Anything for you."

Amanda's face whitened, "No…you're free to go…"

"But yes, I've got places to go, people to meet, and Pokémon of my own to train. I'll see you later Twix, and stay beautiful Tootsie," Riley called, bounding off into the woods with a wink.


The three had finally caught up to Josh, who seemed quiet. Ellis and Amanda chatted between their selves as they walked through the forest, not seeing many Pokémon out. Colby was busy with her thoughts, and her mind was going in seven different directions.

Josh's back story had certainly intrigued her, and Riley's explanation of what had happened in the woods was surely interesting. Still, the thought of the two becoming friends almost scared her. It would be helpful as to stopping some of the bickering…but then again, Ellis would just get all of it.

Colby sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to ease her pounding headache.

"Something wrong?" Josh asked from beside her.

Ellis and Amanda were busy in a conversation about some Pokémon… Colby turned to Josh, thoroughly surprised that he had said anything.

She shrugged, "My head just hurts is all."

Josh nodded, "I'm sorry. At least we're almost to the bridge."

Almost to the bridge…well that certainly was a plus, because then they would be closer to Sanville.

"Have you ever traveled this route before?" Colby asked.

Josh nodded, "Yeah…Dusty took me on a little trip to Sanville when I was younger."

Dusty…speaking of, where was Dusty? Did he die? Or why did Josh have to take over as gym leader?

"Did Dusty die…? Or why did you secede him as gym leader?" Colby asked, hoping the question wouldn't offend him.

She definitely didn't want to make him mad again.

Josh shook his head, "No…I don't know what happened to Dusty… Just, one day I went in for training and he was gone… No note was left or anything. That I know of, no one ever saw him again. It was like he just disappeared off the planet."

That seemed peculiar. There was no way that he could just disappear without leaving some kind of sign…could he? Colby couldn't help but feel that there was something more to that than just a random disappearance. "Huh…well…" She stuttered, trying to find words.

Josh looked at her, "I know… Sometimes I wonder if the disappearance was just 'random' if you know what I mean."

"Yeah…maybe it wasn't random. Was he acting strange or anything before?" Colby asked, trying to examine the possibilities.

But then again, she wasn't a lawyer.

"No, not at all, just normal," Josh answered, seeming puzzled himself.

Colby shrugged the thought away and tried not to add to her headache too much.

"Hey guys, it's the bridge!" Ellis said, pointing on the horizon.

Looking up, Colby saw the gleaming metal of the bridge shining in the distance. The smell of salt water was once again invaded her nostrils…sort of reminding her vaguely of the smell of her visions on the escarpment.

Pushing those thoughts away, the four started to notice that the trees were thinning as they got closer to the bridge. Even from a mile or two away, the bridge (like the last one) was huge. But unlike the last one, this one seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. There weren't as many buildings on this side of the bridge like the other one. Oh well, at least they were getting closer to Sanville!

"Last one there is a rotten Eggsecute!" Ellis yelled, taking off on his running spree again.

Colby sighed it really stunk to be a rotten Eggsecute.


Ellis made it to the bridge at least ten minutes before everyone else, and was looking out over the water when they got there.

"Well, it's about time you three showed up!" Ellis said, looking smug.

Amanda rolled her eyes, "You know Ellis, not all of us are as fast as a Sneasel."

Ellis laughed and went back to looking out over the water. The breeze brought some more salt water spray as the four looked out over the water, gripping the iron rail. The ocean seemed to stretch as far as she could see, on the left side that is. That part opened up into an ocean, and to the right was a land locked on two side's water inlet. It was where the claw was supposed to connect to the land… But as a result of Giratina's rage, an earthquake broke the four claws from the mainland…

The vision came tumbling back to her and once again the questions flooded her head. She really wished that she could tell one of her friends about this…tell someone…but they had enough to worry about as it is.

Besides, she didn't want to scare them…and until she had more information, what was the point of worrying them?

"Congratulations," someone said from behind them.

The four turned around and Colby put her back to the rail. Standing there with his hands in his pockets was someone Colby had forgotten all about till now. It was the man in the suit from the Pokémon Center.

The one that told them about Team Lunar and the one that had warned them about Nicksy. Also the one that said he would see them again.

He looked the same, with his brown (but graying just the slightest) hair fluffy, but neatly arranged on his head and his face was clean shaven.

Colby heard Amanda (who was now holding Citrus, since he seemed to be getting stuffy in the Poke Ball before they got to the bridge) sucked in a breath as she saw the man.

"Congratulations to you all. Especially you with the green hair and you…" The man said, gesturing towards Amanda's directions.

From beside Colby, Josh looked confused but didn't say anything. "Congratulations for what?" Ellis asked, recognizing the man also.

"I saw your battle with that grunt from Team Lunar. You two worked very well together," he said plainly, looking at them both.

Ellis looked startled and looked at Colby quizzically. She shrugged, having no idea why he was here. Well…he did say you will see me again very soon. But…who in the world was he? Then it came back to her, he said he was from Team Lunar!

"What do you want? On some Team Lunar mission?" Colby snapped.

The man glanced at her with authority in his eyes, "Did I not explain this to you before, girl? I am no longer affiliated with the Team."

Colby narrowed her eyes, "Well, then what do you want with us?"

The man pulled out his gold pocket watch and checked the time. He snapped it closed and stuffed it back in his pocket.

"I told you. I was simply congratulating you two on your efforts. This region needs to have more kids like you five, including the red haired one, to fight Team Lunar. Let me just warn you though, they are powerful… Powerful in ways that you don't have a clue, so be careful," the man answered, looking between the four of them.

"Thanks for the warning," Colby said succinctly.

The man nodded and set his gaze upon Amanda. She clutched Citrus to her chest and returned his gaze.

"Ah, I see it hatched, take good care of him," the man said, giving Amanda a look.

"Y-yeah…thank you," she responded, giving him smile but still not sure what reaction was appropriate.

The man looked at Josh and nodded, "You're Dusty's successor I see? Or were…"

Josh's eyes widened in surprise, "Do you know Dusty?"

"Sort of," the man said succinctly.

"Is he alright?" Josh asked, practically pleading for information.

"If you mean harmed, yes, he's fine," the man answered.

"Where is he?" Josh asked.

"I can't tell you anything more. I wish you all the best of luck and be safe on your journey. Don't worry, you will see me again soon," the man said with hard eyes, giving them one last look and continuing down the bridge towards the other side.


Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Yes, the mysterious man in the suit is back! Who could he be? What does he want with the characters? Well, those questions are going to have to be answered through time and reading ;) Enjoy the reading, and please post your comments in reviews because I would love to hear from you! :)