Chapter 13: memories of the past
"And that's how I ended up spending a small fortune on toys" Nina said putting her cup of tea down after recounting the days events, "I am fairly sure he was pulling at your heart strings and you fell for it" Fritz said leaning back in his chair. "I know but we were going to fill up his toy box anyway so why not get it out of the way early?" Nina said getting Jessy to laugh, Fritz to facepalm and Scorch to hug her side, "look we can't undo what happened plus I think we can all say what ever Alex has been through over the past 2 years on top of the fact that we adopted him he is still trying to adjust, best thing we can do is try to ensure he is not only safe but happy" the cinderace said nuzzling his wife's cheek.
"Keeping him happy I can get behind but he wants more than just toys, when we were walking out in the orchards it was like the old Alex was there you know? The only real difference being I got to carry him" Jessy said with all but Fritz nodding, "ok I am going to say as the oldest one here," Fritz said the ends of his hair turning etheric "none of you have seen Alex before he was a Pokemon trainer" he said as his voice trailed off.
"Right you belonged to his gran before she.." Scorch said trailing off "I remember when he was an actual baby, I got to watch him grow up and I can remember his gran stopping me from just tearing his mother apart" Fritz said the others looking right at him with a level of alarm.
"12 years before the revolution he was about 6 at the time if I recalled right," Fritz said picking up his cup before taking a swig "his mother dropped the whole 'oh look how cute he is' disguise after he started going to school" he added as the memory took form in his mind.
"School? From our time with him during trainers school he was not a big fan of schools" Nina said with Scorch and Jessy nodding in agreement as Cinder stuck his head in through a window, "what going on?" Cinder asked letting out a small huff "just an explanation my friend now where was I?" Fritz said trying to get back on track.
"Whilst I was not there for what actually happened, my old trainer managed to draw out of him many of the problems from bullying to his mothers lofty and impossible expectations" Fritz said with the other 4 giving him a quizzical look. "I am going to be blunt about it," Fritz added letting out a mist laden breath "his father was a coward that laid back and let it happen whilst his mother was a tyrant that almost got him killed it's safe to say when he had the opportunity for trainers school he took it without a second thought."
"Wait almost got him killed? How?" Jessy asked knowing she was not going to like the answer, "the bullying got too much for him and eventually the poor thing went insane he ended up in the hospital with cuts all over his body… self inflicted is what was assumed" Fritz said as the others actively recoiled in horror. "He also managed to put said bully into hospital too though for some reason that little shit was laughing" Fritz said confusion spreading across his face at the thought, "laughter is an occasional fear response humans can be weird despite the cuteness" Nina noted with Fritz nodding "you have been reading her old books haven't you?"
Nina took the compliment as Fritz sighed "when SHE showed up in the hospital," Fritz said putting destain on the word indicating Alex's biological mother "she took pictures posing with his unconscious body like a trophy before scolding him saying she didn't want a 'violent son'" the resulting look on Fritz's face spoke of the actual contempt he held for the woman.
"I see why he never spoke about her now" Scorch said as Fritz nodded "the abuse didn't end there nothing he did was right for her, it was either her way or you don't bother at all" Fritz said, "then he met me when his trainer school required him to have a pokemon" Nina said with Scorch nodding "and the rest we know" he said finishing her sentence.
"I feel like I have to be with him.." Jessy and Nina said overlapping each other before looking at each other in surprise, "don't he needs his sleep" Fritz says shaking his head "besides there's a baby monitor in his room if he needs us so much as a tiny little squeak will send a message to us" Scorch said waggling his rotomphone.
"I actually never got the full story of how you all were acquired, you all know I was left for Alex in his grans will plus we found tonk in some ruins" Fritz said as the others looked at each other.