Riven was still watching Steven. They weren't killing each other but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on the man. After all, he had only just met him. He wanted to gather more information though, Steven looked knowledgeable in various fields, perhaps he could shed some light on his situation. He was only pretending at friendliness for more information, otherwise, he would have left the man on the floor gasping for air or choking on his own blood.
Steven sat on a couch opposite of Riven. He was examining a sword thoroughly, an amazed look on his face. The engraved markings on the blade's flat surface belonged to no known language he'd ever seen. They glowed a faint blue and ran along the length of the blade. The sword had a small handleguard and a black metal hilt. Practical and very sharp. Good quality too.
Where did he get this?
He sheathed the blade again and set it down on the table. Riven took it and handed him the other blade. It was identical, with the same markings on it.
"Riven, these are amazing. I've never seen such quality blades. Those weapon collectors in Kanto would dump their fortunes just to own one of these. I've been to auctions for these types of things. The weapons displayed there were beautiful but they don't hold a Chandelure to these." Steven remarked, still holding up the blade.
"Steal it and I will kill you." Riven warned, thinking Steven could just take the blade and go sell it off to those bastards. "Not joking."
"Why are you so paranoid?"
"Because the world is full of uncertainties, and not all of them want to be your friend. Contrary to what most idiot trainers believe." If only he knew what Riven had been through these past few weeks, then maybe he would consider that the world was out to get him too.
This kid has issues. Steven remarked in his head, startled at the boy's grim response. "Relax. I won't steal them. As you can see, I don't really need anymore money."
"Right…So...what is so special about blades? I assumed everyone has some sort of bladed weapon around." Riven replied. How could people cut things without sharp metal? They had to have something longer than knives.
"We only have knives and machetes around mostly. No one knows how to make a proper blade anymore, at least in Hoenn. There are still forgers in Kanto but they rely on old methods passed down for generations to produce them. The blades go for thousands."
"Oh."
"At any rate, what are these markings?" Steven pointed to the strange scripture engraved in the blades.
"Will you believe me if I told you now?" Riven said, left brow raised. He was still a bit wary of Steven. However, since Steven was a friend of Birch, he figured he was relatively harmless. He already knew his real name, which is more than what most people knew anyway. Even Amy called him Gray.
"Possibly."
Riven eyed him, taking the blade into his hands. "The markings say, Never Fading."
"What's that mean?"
Riven shrugged. "Could mean a lot of things. The smith liked being very abstract. Infuriating, actually. Never understood it."
"You said something about an Altea?" It could very well be a figment of the kid's imagination. Some people with serious mental disorders could think of fantastic dream worlds in their heads that made perfect sense to others.
"Yes. It was my city. I grew up there for seven years. Then… well."
"Can you point it out on the map?" Steven asked, trying for an area in which he could start an excavation for ancient artifacts. Of course, assuming what Riven said wasn't just his own delusions.
Riven shook his head. He looked confused. "No... The map looks different. Much different."
Steven's eyes narrowed. If what this guy says is true, then he must have come from a time when the continent looked different. Vastly different. I still can't believe his story though. It doesn't make sense. Time travel is impossible. Physics deems it impossible, at least through human means. He could just be a liar. "Riven, you said you came from the past?"
"Yes." He confirmed.
"Then how were you able to do it? We can't even do it and we already mastered dark matter in pokeballs. It's a goal of physicists everywhere, how could it be possible someone from the past was able to do it?"
"First, I have no clue what a physicist is, or whether technology had anything to do with anything. I heard a roar and suddenly I lost consciousness. Next thing I know-" He gestured to the floor with his hands. "-Here."
"So it wasn't technology from your erm…people?"
"No. I suspect it was the work of a legendary." Things tended to get strange when legendaries were involved. If it wasn't, he'd eat his swords."Had to be."
"A legendary that could control time?"
"Maybe. If one exists. Or it could just be an unexplainable occurrence." Riven pondered, unable to come to another solution. It was either legendary work or something…else. What it was, he had no idea. He was a simple soldier turned trainer, not a damn magician.
"Hmmm. Could be. I suggest you look for any information about legendaries. Folk tales are exaggerations but more often than not, they reveal some truth to the legendaries that are in them. Try the Rustboro library." Steven suggested. Steven still thought the kid was a little off, mainly due to how jumpy he was. "Huh. Well, do you mind accompanying me to the basement? That's where most of the heavy tech is. I need to look at this metal far more closely." The blade looked authentic, but some of the best fakes did also.
"I would like to see this technology. The future has already fascinated me so far. Cars and elevators are wonderful contraptions." Riven recalled all of the amazing things the future had so far. He was eager to see more. He just hoped his mind wouldn't burst.
It did not.
Most of the tech he had been dealing with up to this point had been easy to understand. The stuff down here was just downright strange. The basement was packed with busy sounds of machinery and people. 'Scientists' with white lab coats walked around, testing machines and performing experiments. Some of the machines either failed to function properly or were being built, purely experimentally.
He spent nearly the entire day inside of that basement, listening to chatter and complex 'scientific' speech. He understood just about jack and shit. Riven just went around and played with the machines, pushing random buttons and pulling levers like a small child. Steven and the rest of the white coats were fawning over the small gem he gave them, paying him no mind. He wanted to find out more about the mysterious object his mother gave him as well, so he thought that Steven could give him more answers.
After about ten in the night, Steven told him to go get some rest. Riven gladly agreed. He let Steven keep the gem for more analysis but not his blades, he needed those in case any more Scyther got any clever ideas. He also told the stone collector to call him on this holo caster thing if he found anything interesting. He didn't fully trust Steven, but what choice did he really have? The guy really liked rocks.
The city at night was far more interesting, though. There were lights everywhere, and even more people than in the day. The streets were crawling with people and pokemon. Diners were packed with people dressed in fancy clothes and suits. Even the alleys were full of people, but more of the questionable…..variety. He let his pokemon out of their pokeballs to stretch their legs and take in the scenery. White Queen emerged looking rather energetic. She was a dark type, so she felt more energy during the night. Aine was energetic as ever, crying loudly. Mischief came out and tugged on Riven's pants.
He looked down into his red eyes. "Mischief, I know. We will visit this 'Forina' and get you that stone. I promise." Evolved pokemon were good. And from the picture of Gallade in the pokedex, it was a strong kind of good.
Mischief beamed and returned to the other two.
Haona was the first to speak. "So, did you finally get the message across to him?"
Bib grinned. "Yep. Well, it wasn't me exactly. It was that Steven guy. He told him what the dawn stone did."
"And?"
"We're going to Forina to go look for some after he gets his third badge in Mauville." Bib said, twirling happily. He was finally going to evolve!
Haona froze in place. F-f-forina? But that was… mom and dad's homeland. I'm going to see their homeland! Maybe I'll meet others! She brightened and tackled her trainer.
"Oi! What was that for?" Riven complained as White Queen licked his face. "You are never this affectionate, why are you so friendly today? Who are you and what did you do to the cruel, pushy Absol?"
She shoved her head into his stomach again.
Aine smiled. She must be looking forward to going to Forina apparently. The combusken didn't have any business there but was more than happy to come along with her trainer to get a dawn stone for Bib. She wondered what Haona was so happy about though. "Haona, what are you so happy about?"
"Oh, nothing." She replied, standing next to their human, who was wiping saliva off his face with his hands.
Riven finished wiping his face and pointed at the bus stop. "Alright. We should head back to the pokemon center. We need to go to Rustboro library tomorrow."
There were some people already waiting at the stop for the bus. The air was chilly and the sky was overcast. Clouds covered the night sky, blocking out the stars. The smell of moisture clung to the air, it was probably going to rain soon.
Night was good too. No blazing hot sun and no blinding light. Sometimes, the sunlight reflected off the mirrors in front of shops or on cars and blinded him. That was unpleasant. It was nothing compared to snow though.
Speaking of which, what season was it? From the rainy weather, he assumed it as spring or fall. Which meant it was going to get very hot or very cold in a few months. Taking out his pokeNav, he turned it on and displayed his location. He tinkered with it for a while until he finally found the calendar. They had strange names for the names of the month but that was unimportant. The screen read : September 20th.The ninth month of the year. Winter would come soon.
The black haired trainer put the device back into his bag as the bus neared the stop. His right eye started to sting as he saw red hair in the distance. Rubbing it with a knuckle, he boarded the bus and sat down, chalking it up to exhaustion.
Red hair… why did it feel so familiar?
Birch was about to go to bed when his holo caster rang. He picked it up and saw the call was from Steven. Answering the call, he was glad to see Steven again. Hopefully no bad news again.
The hologram projected outward and the former Hoenn League champion was shown. He was holding an ice pack on his head. "Whoa, Steven. Did someone beat you up?"
The younger man scoffed. "You can say that." He laughed. "It was your… starter."
"Ah! You met Riven then? Was he like I described?"
Steven nodded, pressing the ice pack back against his forehead. "Yeah, he came for his equipment today. He was like how you described, but two times worse. You mentioned he was paranoid, you didn't mention he was maniac paranoid. He thinks the world is out to get him."
"Is that why he beat you up?"
Steven waved his free hand. "No, that was my fault. I tackled him to the ground after he refused to answer my questions."
Birch raised a brow, Steven didn't attack people often. Much less dangerous individuals. Steven caught his skeptical look and quickly explained.
"I thought he was going to kill someone so I figured I could stop him." He shook his head. "He fought me off and smashed my head against my coffee table." He pointed to his forehead, "As you can see, it's still healing."
"And he didn't…I don't know…kill you?"
"He was about to. Until I surrendered. He put his blade down and shook my hand. I thought it was odd that my surrender strategy worked though. We 'made' up and he strangely allowed me to ask him questions."
Birch scratched his beard. "Sounds to me like he was deciding whether you were trustworthy or not."
That sounded about right. "Yeah, I figured. Although, I don't think he trusts anyone. Not with how jumpy he is." The handshake after the scuffle felt less lets-be-friends and more temporary-alliance-then-I'll-decide-whether-to-get-rid-of-you. It was a mutual exchange for information, really.
"Did you see the gem then?" Birch asked, curious to hear about anything Steven found out about it.
"Yes. He let me keep it for research purposes, on the condition that I inform him of any discoveries."
"And he just gave it to you like that?"
"He threatened to kill me if I didn't return it."
"That's more like it. Did he tell you about his back story?"
Steven let out a scornful hmph."I still can't believe it. Too many flaws. He seems a little off in the head. Everything could just be his imagination."
Birch thought the same thing when he heard it the first time. "At this point it might, but later on? Who knows."
"Time travel. It's impossible. He himself said that no technology in his 'time' could do that. So how did he do it?"
"Legendary pokemon?"
"That's exactly what he said."
"Well, you've traveled quite a bit, Steven. Ever heard of anything that could control time?"
"Vague rumors pointing to something in Sinnoh, yes. Although, they're probably completely falsified or so exaggerated that they can't be believed. No one's really seen those legendaries to know the extent of their powers, and if they could be capable of something like that."
Birch shrugged. "Well, if you find anything interesting about the stone, tell me as well. I'm going to bed. You should too. You can analyze that thing tomorrow."
"Alright Birch. I'll keep you updated. Have a good night."
"Oh I will. I'm going to dream about beautiful nake-"
"Please, Birch. No."
Birch chuckled and ended the call. Works every time.
Riven's face was buried in a book the following day. He had spent the entire fucking day reading through books about legendary pokemon. None of them told the same story. Most of them were just speculations and reported sightings of them. Footprints, roars, weird lightning showers and weather. None of the books he had read helped in the slightest. Chucking a book against his stack of read books, he groaned in frustration.
His brain felt fried. His eyes hurt from squinting so much, his head pounded whenever he looked at anything remotely bright and he was hungry as hell. Rustboro library had been a dead end. No clues at all. He was also unable to locate how far into the future he was as well. The only seemingly interesting books he had read was a book written by a Professor Kudzu on pokemon and another by a fiction writer. It was called A Beginner's Guide to Pokemon. The content was informative and frankly, quite hilarious. The other had been a book about Eevee, a pokemon that could evolve into all different types of pokemon. It was sad but a great read. It nearly brought a tear to his eye. It was called Eon Fable. Amazing stuff, truly. He thought he would try his luck once more tomorrow, and maybe by some miracle, find anything informative about any mythical time being. Perhaps even a name.
He went to the library every day, trying to find out anything insightful about his predicament. His mountain of read books was climbing higher and higher each day. It was all for naught because he had gone nowhere. Nothing new. The librarians were starting to worry for him. Some of them told him to stop reading so much and go outside. He looked pale and needed some sun.
After seven straight days, he was fed up with the place and refused to go there again. He walked into the pokemon center, asked for directions to the next gym, and the next day he was off to Dewford town.
"Stupid. Library. Useless…crap…Tauros…" he mumbled, looking at the waves of the ocean as a ship sailed him to the next town. He was so depressed he failed to gape in awe at the ship's construction. He brushed it off as another future thing and just paid the fare and got on. It was bound for Dewford Town, carrying tourists, muscle heads, and Knuckle Badge hopefuls. The voyage would take about three days. It was called the SS Dewford, a medium sized vessel that traveled faster than the ships in his time.
Also impressive when not depressed.
He spent most of his time on the railing, looking at the ocean. Occasional Tentacruel floated on the surface, with a few water jets rising into the air from exhaling Wailmer. He had read about them in a book about water pokemon native to Hoenn during the library spree. His pokemon were right next to him, one of them was anyway. His Kirlia was as depressed as he was, due to his hypersensitivity to emotions. White Queen was off playing with an inflatable ball and Aine was sparring a Machoke.
The trainer sighed, letting go of the rail to sit down on a chair on the deck. He watched other trainers and people around him. Some of them were smiling, others were leaning on the rail, looking at the sparkling waves. The salty breeze hit his nose, causing him to sneeze. He opened his eyes, seeing a rather irritated looking Kirlia in front of him. His white hands were wiping spit off his face.
"Heh… I got some on you."
His pokemon sent a chair flying at him. It hit him and he toppled over, much to everyone's amusement. Picking himself up and using the chair to sit on, he slumped back into place. A man was also slumped in a chair to the right, wearing the same coat of depression and misery. Riven called to him. "You too, huh?"
The sullen looking man nodded slowly. "Yeah man." In fact, he looked worse than Riven did.
"That bad?"
The man sniffled a bit. "My girl left me for another man." He buried his head in his hands. It was unnerving, seeing such a muscular man cry. Woman were evil creatures. Like his Absol.
Riven turned away, looking back towards the deck. "That sounds rough…" The man started sobbing and wailing in sadness. Riven stood up and slowly walked away. Not staying around for that. I am depressed enough as it is. No need to add onto it. And that looks ridiculous. Mischief followed him to the railing again. If he saw another book, he was going to cut it in half. Then burn it.
The trainer remained on the railing until the afternoon, eyes blank. His Kirlia was sitting down beside the railing. A depressive aura hovered around them. Other people noticed and moved away from them.
Two girls where sitting down on some chairs near the nose of the ship. They looked at the depressive twosome and whispered to each other. Wildly speculating out of boredom or some other inane need to pass the time.
Riven and his Kirla heard everything, despite being quite a bit away from them. And decided they didn't really care. They turned and looked at the two who instantly pretended to talk about something they saw the other day. Both pokemon and trainer headed back to their cabins.
Once inside, the two stared at the other two members of the team. Aine was spread-eagled out over the bed and the Absol was asleep at the foot of the bed, snoozing. Their activities earlier in the day had probably tired them out. The Kirlia stared at his trainer, shrugged, and flopped in between White Queen's fur. Riven snorted at the sight and was about to use the bathroom when he passed by a mirror, frowning.
Great. It got bigger.
The white patch of hair was now slightly bigger, more hairs stark white. He had to admit though, it did look cool, as the people here said. Too mentally exhausted to think more of it, he relieved himself and slumped into a comfy chair in the room.
Two more days of agonizing boredom passed by and he arrived in Dewford on the last vestiges of his patience.
It was a small island with a series of small caves along the outside. One of which was called Granite Cave, a popular cave for rock collectors. That is what the travel guide on the ship said anyway. Riven's mood picked up after some meditation and lengthy naps. The port was housing several other ships that went back to Route 104 and Slateport City. He might take one back to the port city after he beat the gym. That was usually the next stop, according to some of the trainers he talked to—going by the traditional gym circuit anyway.
The town wasn't big at all. It had a center and a gym, with a few more buildings around it. The town was near to the beach, only a little bit away from the white sandy shore. People were riding waves on what looked like wooden planks. It looked ridiculous but entertaining at the same time. All in all, a nice, quiet little town with few inhabitants. Remote, gentle, and isolated.
Calm here, he thought, listening to the gentle woosh and swell of the waves. The water was crystal clear and glistened in the light of the sun, a dazzling blue color.
The trainer checked into a room in the pokemon center, along with many others. The pokemon center got most of its business from trainers who came from route 104 or Slateport to battle Brawly, the gym leader. The rooms were full at this point, so Riven made sure he got the one near the end of the pokemon center. Repeats of Petalburg and exploding walls were very much not welcomed.
Placing his belongings in the rental room, he laid down on his bed, arms over his head and stared at the ceiling. No fatigue or drowsiness present within him, he was unable to go to sleep, so he stayed there listening to the sounds of the ocean outside. It was a calm and pleasant experience compared to the bustle of Rustboro. Remaining there for several hours, he decided to head down to the beach and see the water.
The sun was nearing sunset and began to disappear over the ocean. Looking outwards to where it was setting, it seemed like the ocean could lead directly to the sun. The sight was breathtaking, and it was as if he was staring at the edge of the world.
The ocean breeze was cool and people still rode the waves on surfboards, falling in and getting back up again. Dewford was a nice change of pace. It was serene and relaxing. It was as if it could magically wash his troubles away. He realized why many fighters came here to train, it was an ideal location for such activities, away from the noise of the city.
He walked along the beach, coming up to an old man sitting on a chair with a large straw hat. He was fishing. The sight made Riven smile. He would never be able to do that back in his time. Let alone grow old. War tended to shorten lives significantly.
The old man looked at peace, simply casting a line and waiting, feeling the cool ocean breeze pass along the shore. Something tugged at the line and he quickly pulled it out, reeling in a fresh Magikarp. There were a pile of dead logs next to him, ready to light a fire."Ho ho! A big one! Oh. I forgot my lighter." He struggled to get up, slowly beginning to pick up his things. Riven let out Aine, walking next to the old man.
"No need. My Combusken can light it for you." Riven assured, urging the old man to sit down again.
"Oh, thank you trainer. It would have been a long walk back home if you hadn't come along." The old man smiled, thankful for the trainer's kindness. Most of them wouldn't even give him the time of day, being far too concerned with training and gym battles.
"No bother." Riven sat down opposite the pile of logs from him. He looked out towards the waves.
"Most young trainers don't pay attention to me. Who cares about an old man when you have gym battles to get done with. You're a different one! Haha!" The fisherman laughed heartily, watching the young man look out towards the waves.
"Gym battles are nice but sometimes, relaxation is the best part. I want to live and see the world, the gym and the pokemon league are second to that. I guess I just became a trainer to find my place, here—in this world. I have been looking for answers, but they have decided to make themselves very hard to find," Riven admitted, feeling surprisingly trustful of the old man. "Looking for them stressed me out for a bit, so this is nice."
"Ah, I see. Still, if only more people were like you. The experience of being a trainer is not the battles or the league. They are but memories. The most important part of being a pokemon trainer is the bonds you establish with others, the experiences you have lived through, the good and bad, as well as the fulfilling experience of seeing the vast world. To head out and open new doors, see things you've never seen before and cherish them forever." The old man explained.
Riven's brows shot up. "You were a trainer before?"
"Yes. A long time ago. Pokeballs were expensive. Not nearly as cheap as they are today." He smiled, remembering his first day when he was ten. Naïve and young, ready to see the world. "Your first pokemon were your only pokemon. Most trainers never caught more than six, since they had no way of storing them, unlike today. My first was a Houndour. He was only a puppy when I got him, I was eight at the time."
Riven let out all of his pokemon, Aine lit a fire. The logs began to burn and his pokemon sat next to him near the fire.
The old man saw the boy's pokemon; an Absol, a Kirlia, and a Combusken. "Ah, a beautiful Absol. I can see she's a female, she has soft features and her bang is longer than most. And your Kirlia, he will become a strong Gallade, I trust?"
Riven nodded. "That is what he wants. Stronger is welcome."
"Good. And your Combusken will become a fierce and equally beautiful Blaziken. I can see it already. Strong team, most trainers would be jealous of such a strong line up this early in the gym circuit. Well done!"
Riven blinked. This man knows pokemon. He even guessed Mischief was male. And that White Queen was a female just by looks alone. Impressive. "Thank you, I guess."
"No need, I have no doubt in my mind that they will." The old man caught another Magikarp and skewered both fish, sticking the ends of the sticks in the ground, setting the fish to cook. "They look attached to you, very loyal. How long have you had them?"
"A little over a month."
"Such little time. You must have done something that impressed them. Especially your Absol. If she was wild… most dark types are distrustful of humans, to have one so attached to you in so little time is astounding."
"I saved them from Mightyena."
"Ah, I see why. She was a pup correct?"
"I assume so. Apparently she is a little on the small side so yes. I also saved him too." He pointed at the Kirlia. "I found them together, the Mightyena pack was about to kill them. I stepped in and saved them. They stuck with me since then, and became my pokemon when I registered for the league."
The old man felt a warm feeling in his chest. "They must really look up to you. Don't disappoint them, young man."
"I will try my best." The young man said, then shifted awkwardly. "So, you mentioned you were a pokemon trainer?"
"Ah, yes." The old man gave him an affirmative closing of the eyes. "I started in Kanto. As I said before, my first pokemon was a Houndour. My father gave him to me after he nursed the poor thing back to health. He was a pokemon veterinarian and took care of injured wild pokemon. When I started my journey, me and my Houndour were already friends for two years. I received a Squirtle as a starter. Energetic little thing. I was ecstatic, I felt nothing could stop me. I later caught a Pidgey sometime later. They were my only three pokemon."
The old man looked up into the night sky and smiled. "Oh, the adventures we had. From Pewter to Viridian, to the magnificent Mt Moon, and even Rota. We traveled everywhere. Ten years on the road, meeting new faces and making friends and even rivals along the way. I earned five badges before I decided to just travel. I had seen many things, things I still remember clear as day even now. Wonderful."
The old man then frowned, eyes now sullen and sad. "But as all things come to an end. I had to face one of the hardest decisions of my life." Riven and his pokemon listened carefully, intrigued by the man's story. "My Pidgeot was growing restless. I knew what she wanted. She wanted to have Pidgeys of her own. I couldn't bring myself to catch another. I took her to a place where the Pidgey flocks gathered. I let her out of her ball, tears in my eyes." His eyes began to water. "I told her that she should start a family, that the time we spent together would never be forgotten. I told her I would remember her forever." He rubbed his eyes. "Then I let her go. It nearly broke me in two. She looked back at me as she flew away. She was crying too. I cried on my knees in that meadow for hours." A tear rolled down his cheek. "That was a long time ago. She probably has flocks of them by now. Possibly even grandchildren if it counts for pokemon. That was sixty years ago. I can still remember the sky when I would soar on her back, touching the clouds, flying amongst the birds."
He adjusted the Magikarp. Riven and his pokemon looked at the floor, staring at their feet.
The old man continued. "I continued after that. For eight more years. My pokemon were strong, a Houndoom and Blastoise now. No longer babies. I decided to head back to Pewter, my hometown." He paused for a while. "I headed through Mt Moon, near a beautiful lake. It was calm like the waters here. Then I heard a roar. It was a Tyranitar. It was angry and rampaging. It caught sight of me, and went after me in a fit of rage. I ran but it used earthquake and caused me to fall. My Houndoom was powerless against it. So my Blastoise fought it to save both of us. However, it was too strong for him. He used hydro pump and blasted a hole through the Tyranitar. It knew it was dead."
The old fisherman's eyes started to water again, his voice growing shaky. "My Blastoise screamed at us. Run, I could only assume. But I didn't want to leave. My Houndoom pulled my pants, dragging me while I screamed for him not to stay. But it was too late. The Tyranitar pinned him on his belly, and stood over him. It opened its mouth, and all I could see was yellow."
Riven's heart seemed to skip a beat. Hyper Beam.
"I closed my eyes, and heard an explosion. I stayed motionless there until the dust cleared. All that was left of him was a shell." The old man began to sob. "He was gone. Another gone. Lost. I raised him from the moment I received him, all those years ago. I watched him grow stronger. I watched him evolve. The pride I felt whenever he won and the amazement each time he evolved." Tears came down his wrinkled cheeks, splashing onto his white beard. "Then just like that, he was gone."
The old man wiped his tears away with a sleeve.
"I went back to Pewter. I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It took two years to finally get me out of my slump. I was miserable. I left for Fuschia city on business." A weak smile. "There I met my wife. She was from Hoenn before she moved to Kanto. Beautiful woman. We married a year later and she moved in with me in Pewter City. She had a Mightyena. It fell in love with my Houndoom and they had puppies. I gave them to my children as starters." He readjusted the Magikarp, tending the fire. "They all became trainers too, you see."
Riven was silent, not sure what to say. He let the old man continue, watching him recast a line.
"We were happily married for twenty years. Then she went on a cruise near Cinnabar and a freakish storm caused the ship to be lost at sea. The search and rescue crews never found her. Her Mightyena, Mia, went down with her. I was devastated, as was my Houndoom. That was a funeral that was unbearable for me. I stayed at her tombstone for days on end sometimes." He shook his head. "After her death, I moved to Hoenn. Dewford was her birthplace. So I moved here, as you see. Me and my Houndoom were old. We no longer had the energy we once did, we couldn't battle anymore. His flames weren't strong like they used to be, his joints no longer able to carry him vast distances. Our legs would ache and hurt for anything more than a light jog. Age had caught up."
The light of the fire illuminated his face, highlighting the worn face of a man who'd lived a troubled life. Riven felt sympathy for the old man. He knew what it was like-to lose someone. The pain was like a blade, stabbing you in the heart and cleaving your soul in two. But he'd never been married, or had children, or been a trainer. Maybe the feeling was different. Worse.
"For ten years we stayed here. It was a quiet existence. I missed my wife and I still called my children, who are now dedicated and strong trainers in their own right. We sat on the porch and looked out at the waves every day. Time passed by, slowly but surely." His eyes grew more watery than they had before. His lips started to tremble. "Then one day, he didn't wake up. I poked him and shook him. Wake up! Wake up, I yelled. But he didn't move." The old man became a sobbing mess. Bib was overcome with emotion, tears leaking out of his eyes too. Haona and Aine had no words. Riven was silent as well.
"He left me too…I was…alone again." He breathed deeply, trying to compose himself. "I still have his bowl at home. I refill it with food every day. I look to the side of the bed and he isn't there. I wish he was." He began crying again, sniffling and sobbing loudly. His tears came down his face, a river of drops. "Fishing was his favorite thing to do. We would sit out on the beach and fish in the afternoons. He would light fires and we would eat Magikarp, watching the sunset and the waves." He held his face with his calloused hands. "That's why I still do it, as a tribute to him." His eyes were swollen and red. "Now I eat the Magikarp alone, I miss him so much…" The old fisherman took off his hat, tears falling and absorbing into the straw. "I buried him on the cliff, overlooking the water. That way he can see me every day, if he wants to."
He stayed there for a bit. Crying silently. Haona and Aine were crying too. Seeing the old man tell his story was heartbreaking. He recovered some time later, after tears had dried. "Anyway, the fish are done." He took them out of the fire and handed one to Riven. The young man took it and cut some fillets for his pokemon. He knew no words could ease this man's pain, not after what he had just heard. He tried his best.
"Sorry. Truly." The man had lived with tragedy. Worsened with time. Now he was alone. His friends and family were gone, Riven understood. He didn't have anyone either. Not anymore. "I know what being alone is like."
The old man sighed, voice still shaky. "It's fine. I'm just glad that today, I have someone to share the fish with. Thank you trainer, for listening to an old man grieve."
Riven bit into his Magikarp. He wrote down his holo caster number on a slip of paper. He gave it to the old man. "If you ever need to talk, I will listen. You have suffered enough, that does not mean you have to live the rest of your life alone. I know how life is too. People left me as well. Not by choice, either."
The old man held the paper and broke down again. "Thank you, trainer. For hearing me out. No one has ever done that before. In years. Your Absol… she reminds me so much of him."
Riven nodded, looking down at his feet, holding back tears. "My name is Riven Cerul. Call me anytime you feel lonely."
"I'm Samuel. Samuel Bloom." Both men bit into their Magikarp. "But enough with my sob story, eh? I want to show you something that only happens in this part of the island. Snuff out the flames please."
Riven did. At first, they were left in total darkness. But after a few seconds, the water began to glow. The waves shone a fluorescent cyan, dimming and blooming again as the water reached the shore and pulled back again.
"How?" Riven stuttered. "That is… amazing."
The old man smiled. "Bacteria in the waves produce a protein that makes them glow. Colonies of them grow near the shore, making the waves glow at night. I discovered it with my Houndoom a couple years back." He paused. "When I look at it, I imagine this is what the ocean must look like on the other side. I just hope I can go there soon. To reunite with my friends and family, and be with my pokemon again."
"I hope you will, once your time in this world is done." Riven replied, wishing the man the best.
"Well, we should head back now. I need to sleep and you need to get some rest to battle Brawly tomorrow I assume. He's a very pleasant young man." The fisherman pointed out.
Riven agreed and helped the old man carry his fishing materials back to town. The old man led him to a small cottage near the edge of town. He went inside and placed his rod and bait on the man's wooden table. The young man noticed a bowl near the door, full of food. The bowl had an engraved name on it: Ajax. He looked away, facing Samuel.
"Thank you, Riven…I want you to have something." He walked over to a closet and pulled out a rod and line. "I want you to have this old rod. In case you ever want to do some fishing. That's all I can give you for listening to my sad story. Remember your pokemon, they'll be with you forever."
Riven took the rod, graciously bowing his head slightly in respect. "Thank you, Samuel. Take care of yourself. I will come visit you some time. I promise." He left the cottage, leaving the old man in his home.
Back inside the pokemon center, he fell onto his bed. He looked up at the moon, it was full and white, without a single cloud in the sky to disturb it. He undid the cloth around his eye.
A single tear fell as he closed his eyes.
Samuel. I hope you find what you are looking for.
He fell asleep, feeling strangely at peace. His pokemon followed suit, still heartfelt from the fisherman's story.
A/N
I had pre-written this chapter already along with the previous one, so most of it was done by the time i submitted Fire and Brimstone.
Also, i thought the way the player character received the fishing rods in the games were kind of lame. I always pictured the men fishing near the shore in Dewford to be old men, retiring from the world. It doesn't make sense that they just go OH HERE YOU GO SON HAVE A FISHING ROD HUR DUR.
Eon Fable and A Beginner's Guide to pokemon are actually real fanfiction works on this site. Check those out if you haven't already.