Chapter 2: Family Secrets

"…and they told me that the preparations looked to be ready in the coming months. There's that."

Oak sounded like he was walking around as he spoke. Outside the office Blue furrowed his brows in suspicion. His grandfather only paced when he was very, very distracted. Or worried.

"And so, I was just thinking we may as well go ahead and speed up the process, seeing as to how I may not be doing those workshops in Sinnoh," Oak continued with a pitiful laugh. "Oh, dear, no. Not with what's happened there."

"I was thinking the same way," Daisy exclaimed. "Pushing the wedding forward is fine with me!"

Blue flinched back. He glanced down to see Pikachu making the same weird expression he was. Eevee hadn't even acknowledged her trainer and was still glaring as she listened in; she had an easygoing personality and was generally hard to ruffle. If she was focused on something it had to have been something absolutely wild.

What'd she hear that's crazier than a wedding...? Blue wondered, shocked. And how come no one told me about this? Who's getting married?

"If Rowan is already saying the tour is canceled then we should assume it's true, using our common sense," Agatha said. "Samuel!"

"Ah! Yes?"

"I heard it in your voice! Don't tell me you initially still considered going on tour in Sinnoh despite what'd happened there?"

"I, well, thought about it. It was only about five minutes of consideration! I promise. I mean, I understand the danger, but the thought of providing aid and possibly getting more insight about Arceus' attack was palpable."

"Of course you would think that for a second, you old dummy," she hissed good-naturedly, prompting Oak to laugh. "It's out of your mind entirely, right?"

"I'm sure, I'm sure! Why on the other hand, look at all the free time that's opened up for us."

"Then listen. I want the wedding to be VIP only, no more than fifty guests in attendance. There's more than enough time to make sure the attendance list is set in stone."

"You wanted it to be a nighttime wedding too, right?"

"Yes. Thank you for remembering."

Oak's shoes scuffled to a sudden stop. "…how many people did you say you wanted in attendance?"

"No more than fifty including your grandchildren."

"No more than…? Forty-eight?! Forty-five because I'm inviting Samson, Anya, and Red—if the fellow comes around—but are you aware of how many people I know?"

"Chose the ones closest to you, Samuel," she drawled. "If you can't I'll pick the roster myself."

"Oh, no! If you did that, then there'd just be ten people there."

Agatha laughed. Blue wanted to plug his ears up.

"See, that's why you should've at least gone ahead and told Blue while he was here, grandpa," Daisy said. "I'm going to start making and handing out invitations soon."

"Yes and when people start gabbing in this little town, news spreads faster than Pokérus," Agatha growled. "That does it! Samuel, give yourself two days from now to get your act together."

"Uh, huh?" Oak responded.

"Tomorrow I'm going to tell your grandson that we're getting married."

Blue slipped off the door and crash landed on Pikachu.

Oak sighed. "Oh...oh, I see what that means for me. Alright, I'll be ready. I mean it this time."

Agatha raised her brows at him expectantly. "You mean that? You're going to have to promise me."

"I promise. I'll do it early that morning after I've had my coffee."

"Okay. I'm expecting that from you, then," she grinned cattishly, adding, "But you changed the subject earlier, didn't you?"

"Oh, Arceus…"

"That's right! You did." Daisy poked lightly. "Right after she asked where the letter was. So where is it?"

Oak sat down behind his desk and pulled out the sliding drawer. He drew out a purple envelope, which was tightly sealed with a blue flower stamp. The three of them gazed at it in silence.

"...that looks right. Just right," Agatha said finally. "You've taken good care of it, just letting you know. When were you initially supposed to hand that over, anyway?"

"When he turned eighteen," Daisy muttered, furiously rubbing an eye.

"Yes," Oak said, painfully. "I swear, I never meant to put it off, I just…"

He couldn't finish and his eyes were turning pink. Agatha sat on his desk, lightly tapping his leg with her cane.

"When you give that to him, you'll have to lie," she said quietly, but sternly. "You can say you found it in a bunch of old things, something like that. He does not need to know how long you've been holding onto it."

"I can't! I couldn't lie to him like that, Agatha."

"Hmph, in my eyes you already have been. Passively," she pointed out. "This is a time where telling the truth might do more harm than good. You know he'll be furious, oooh, and he'll get mouthy the way he does when he's been slighted. Do you really want to go through that?"

"Granddad," Daisy whispered, "Agatha, I think he'll figure it out if we lie to him anyway. If you want, I could give it to him—"

"No," Oak stated, shaking his head. "No, Daisy. I appreciate it, but it's my responsibility."

"Now that seems more genuine than anything you've said so far!" Agatha exclaimed. "If I hadn't brought the topic up to you, you would've waited until the boy was my age before giving him his mother's letter."

She laughed in that grating way of hers. Then—

WHAM.

The three of them jumped; Oak almost fell out of his chair. Blue was towering in the doorframe, radiating with fury.

"I'm sorry," he snarled, slamming the door shut behind him. "Was I interrupting something?"

Daisy began, "Blue, just listen—"

"NO. I'm done listening. I've heard enough." Blue bore down on Oak, who was shrinking behind his desk like a weak old man. "Granddad?" he uttered, bristling with rage. He roughly pointed at the letter, "That's mine, isn't it? Mama wrote that for me?"

"Y-Ye-es," Oak's voice cracked. Blue slowly held a hand out, glaring into his grandfather's eyes. But it seemed physically impossible for Professor Oak to hand it over.

"Granddad...hand it over NOW, please."

"B-But I…I-I don't think…"

Blue withdrew his hand and sent a look over his shoulder to Alakazam, who was watching from the doorframe with Pikachu and Eevee. Alakazam, he thought fiercely. Use psychic.

His Pokemon's eyes glowed. Professor Oak, Daisy, and Agatha let out surprised yelps as they were levitated into the air. The letter floated out of Oak's hand, but Blue missed it. Pikachu caught it before it hit the ground.

"Thanks, Pikachu," Blue said shortly, taking the letter from him. Internally he was smirking with pettiness. He'd actually wanted Alakazam to levitate the letter into his hand, but he found the actual results a lot more satisfying.

Agatha blasted him from behind, "How dare you, disrespecting your grandfather like this?!"

He never heard her. Blue's chest was becoming heavy as he studied the envelope. He instantly recognized his mother's handwriting, the way she dotted her I's with hearts and how her cursive slanted at an approximate fifty-five degree angle. His name was written on it, clear as day. Underneath were the words: This'll find you wherever you are now, but I bet it's somewhere surrounded by nature!

He had settled down in the Viridian Forest. He and his Pokemon had built his property there in an empty clearing just when he was a teenager. It'd taken some time, but the results were something they'd been proud of. Blue tried not to let the tears budding in his eyes leak over. He couldn't say anything for the longest because he didn't want his voice to break.

"So…so, you…"

Blue faced his grandfather first, looking him in the eyes. The professor was red in the face, looking absolutely pitiful and ashamed. Then Blue looked to his sister; Daisy was sobbing behind her hands. The sight broke his stomped heart into more pieces.

"So...you both hid this from me for this long? Why? Why would you do that?" Blue demanded. "I-I thought our family kept things real. I thought there were no secrets. But this whole time, you, you…"

"Blue, just don't read it. Not right away," Daisy said.

"Not right away, huh. From what I heard, 'right away' should've been quite some time ago. Years," Blue's naturally slanted eyes cut harshly into his sister. "So what's all this then, you think keeping something like this from me would do more good than harm? Ah? 'Cause I can put that to rest and tell you the EXACT opposite happened. Got anything from Dad?"

Oak shook his head. Blue sneered, waving a hand. "Yeah, uh huh. So you claim."

Daisy muttered, "You know we wouldn't do this to be malicious,"

"YOU KNOW how I still feel about Mom! You BOTH know!" Blue shot back. "How was this any of your business, how was your dictation needed for something she meant for ME and ME ALONE!? And then you're going to try to tell me I can't even investigate what she left me!? What leg do you have to stand on?!"

"If you would just listen!" Agatha squawked. "If your older sister tells you not to read what's inside, it's for a reason other than to just spare your feelings!"

Blue turned his cutting glare to her. "If you haven't noticed this is a family matter. You're not family," he spat hatefully. "You never WILL be family—no matter what some marriage contract might say."

Agatha's face scrunched up furiously and she turned very red.

"Blue," Oak said shortly. "Please…apologize to her. That wasn't needed."

"No. No. I'm not doing that. You always sided with her anyway..." Blue said resentfully, scoffing in disgust. "I can't believe you're considering her, of all people…"

"Blue!"

The younger Oak turned away, picked up his bag, and threw the office door open.

"Blue Garius Oak!"

Blue stopped. He turned and stared into his grandfather's eyes.

"Put us down," Oak said sternly.

"What else do you want from me?"

"I would like the letter back, please. I wasn't ready to give it to you yet."

Blue glanced towards Alakazam and subtly winked. He set the letter on the table, strode out of the room, and after an aghast Eevee and Pikachu followed him, politely closed the door behind him. Alakazam gracefully set the three down and teleported away.

Shaken, and surprised, Oak carefully picked up Violet's letter. Daisy ran and peered out of the door.

"Well is he gone?" Agatha seethed, smoothing out her dress. "I can't believe that boy, still so immature…"

Daisy turned away from the door and shrieked loudly. Oak felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just kidding," Blue hissed into his grandfather's ear, plucking the letter out of his hand. "You didn't think I'd leave without a birthday present, did you?"

And with a sharp zing—his Pokemon must've teleported him remotely—Blue was gone.

Daisy collapsed to the floor and buried her head in her hands. Agatha was positively furious, gnashing her teeth. And all Professor Oak could do was slump down in his chair, defeated.