PART 1: BEGINNINGS

Chapter 7

~~ Ethan, Lily, Anthony, Gerald ~~

It was the longest night of Ethan's life.

He wanted to slump down, crawl into a water-logged ravine, and let the storm take him. Let the wind and the rain swamp him and wash him out to sea.

Instead, he gripped Rose as if his life depended on it – and his life very much depended on it. Her backflames danced and twisted around around his hands and arms, never touching him. The rain came sheets, misting upon contact with Rose's fire. Ethan was wet, cold, and clouded in a fog as the three of them raced back to New Bark.

Hajime sat behind Ethan, breathing heavily down his neck at a pace that matched Rose's gallop. Above, the trees whipped in the wind. Leaves scattered in the air like confetti on Summer's Eve. And all Ethan could think about was that red-haired stranger, and his savage beast of a croconow. And Doresey, most of all. He couldn't shake the vision of his quilava, pain written over his face, blood staining his fur.

"Almost there, kid," Hajime kept saying. "Stay with me now."

Ethan was with him. He had to be strong, for himself, for Professor Elm. For his mom. For Doresey. Ethan closed his eyes as the rain overcame him like a waterfall, each drop striking and stinging like a pin.

Rose galloped through the storm-damaged road. No obstacle stood in her way. It was as if the storm existed everywhere but around her. Hajime barked an order, and Rose would respond like a dancer, sure steps avoiding all obstacle and pitfalls.

They rode all night and well into the early morning. The storm maintained its intensity for hours until the early dawn. The freezing downpour gave way to a light drizzle, and when the early morning light brushed the treetops with golden fingertips, all that remained of the storm was an overcast sky.

Rose walked at a steady trot the last few miles, making wide turns around the fallen trees and mudpits rather than leaping over them in an ostentatious display of athleticism. When they reached the gates of New Bark, all soaking and exhausted, the sun had reached its zenith and the heat of the day had begun to build. Even Hajime sagged a little in Rose's saddle, though his face looked as iron-hard as ever. Ethan, meanwhile, felt like he had a hammer smacked against his head and an anvil hanging around his neck. A chill ran through him despite the heat.

The road that led through the outskirts of New Bark had transformed into mud pits ankle-deep, Rose's hoofs plopping in the filth. Ethan guided Hajime and Rose deeper into the town, following a particular route. The houses grew denser, and as they grew denser, the scale of damage increased. Ethans' heart sank at the sight of a burned-out husk of a house, and he stifled any thought of his mother or the professor. He simply didn't have the energy to think too much of it, at least for the moment.

They passed through main street, and the signs of fighting shows everywhere. Every building had shattered windows and scorch marks scored into their façade. They passed by the Mareep's Milk, whose entire front was blown open. There were people out now but not many. Each were tending to their own spot, cleaning the damage, and when they spotted the rapidash passing by, they eyed the pokemon as if it had suspicious intent.

"Left up here. Behind the tree grove," Ethan said when the line of buildings ended. He had rocks in his stomach, frightened by what he might see.

The trees cleared to a grassy expanse surrounding the professor's lab. It was not as bad as he expected. The front metal doors looked dinged and scratched, but they still stood. The rest of the building's brick façade seemed untouched save for occasional ashy pockmarks.

A crowd of people had gathered around the building's front, and tents were constructed on the lawn in an unorganized array. The door flaps were down, but as the trio passed by, Ethan could hear moans of pain from inside. Even most of the people outside – some moving with purpose, others wandering in a daze – showed signs of some injury.

The murmurs of the crowd quieted as the trio passed through. By the doors to the building, Ethan found Professor Elm sitting on a rock. His arm was in a sling, and a deep cut slid down the right side of his face. Beside him, a bloodied towel covered most of a corpse.

The professor's eyes lifted from the ground, passing from Rose, to Hajime, to Ethan, meeting his eyes. They held no emotion.

Jumping off Rose, Ethan dashed towards the professor. "I came back as soon as I heard of the attack. By Arceus, what happened?"

The professor eyes drifted towards Hajime again before quickly shifting back to Ethan. "Let's talk inside. Alone."

Elm stepped inside, the metal doors sliding open and showing no indication of damage. Ethan motioned for Hajime to stay back, prompting a concerned eye-raise from the older man, and followed the professor inside.

The interior did not match the exterior in the slightest. Signs of extensive damage were everywhere. The soft whizzing of machinery was replaced with the harsh cracks of sparking wires, their ends white and blinding. Black smoke billowed from the corridor that lead deeper into the lab. Ethan watched in shock as it rose lazily into the air and hid the ceiling behind a black cloud.

"How did the meeting with Mister Pokemon go?"

It took Ethan a second to remember that Elm was talking to him. "Oh. Umm – well. It went well."

Elm frowned and laid a hand on the youth's shoulder. "I understand you find all this disturbing, but I need you to be present with me."

"It's just…" Ethan stumbled over the rest of this words before he stopped talking. He met the professor's eyes. "How did this happen? Who did this?"

Elm looked around the room as if just noticing the damage for the first time. "Tell me what happened in Cherrygrove," he said after a few long seconds of silence.

Straight to business, then. Ethan reached into his bag for the broach and outstretched his hand. "Mister Pokemon had given me this. Sprout Tower is ready to make a move against Falkner, but they need an experienced trainer to lead the attack."

Elm raised an eyebrow at the sight of the broach and took it from Ethan's hand. He held it up before him, inspecting it. "These are only given out by the kannushi. Not easy to get. Mister Pokemon must be in deep with the Tower."

"Mister Pokemon said to send someone to Violet immediately to seize the moment."

"Who to send though," Elm said quietly under his breath. He looked back towards Ethan with concern on his face, an emotion the young trainer was not used to seeing.

"Everything alright, professor?" Ethan said, then coughed. "Other than…" He waved his hand towards all the damage.

Elm seemed to ignore the question, observing the broach with deep intensity. "You did well bringing this to me Ethan. You braved the storm last night, by the looks of it. That shows dedication. Well done."

"Thank you." Ethan's heart swelled.

"Is there anything else, Ethan?"

The young trainer almost turned to leave, but through the exhaustion, he remembered the other surprise in Cherrygrove. "Oak."

"Hmm?" Elm turned to face Ethan, a look of intensity on his face.

"Oak," Ethan repeated. "The professor, he was at Mister Pokemon's safehouse."

"He what?"

The word came out harsh. Once again, Ethan found himself asking where this emotion was coming from. It was so unusual coming from the professor.

As fast as a pikachu, a well-balanced demeanor returned to the professor. "Professor Oak, you say? How was he?" Elm stood a little straighter, spoke a little softer, after his outburst.

"Fine, I guess." Ethan looked with concern at the professor. He's not acting with his usual aloofness… He couldn't help but wonder if there was something more going on. "Professor Oak also suggested that I be the one to go to Violet City." Ethan gulped.

A heavy silence hung in the air. "Did he now," Elm said. There was no hint of a question in his voice. "But, you're here, not in Violet."

"Well, I needed to come back when I heard of the attack. To check in with you and mom…"

Elm nodded. "Your concern is appreciated," he said in a flat voice. The professor looked back at the broach, his brows furrowed in thought. "You had asked what happened here?"

It took Ethan a moment to realize it was a question. "Yes – please! I want to help."

Elm nodded again. "It was an old enemy from the civil war," he said after a few long seconds of silence.

Ethan frowned and looked towards the smoke-cloaked ceiling. "One person did all this?"

"Not someone; a group. Tell me, does the name 'Rocket' mean anything to you?"

"It sounds familiar. Were they friends of Blue?"

Elm laughed at that, a sharp, singular, piercing noise that cut through churning of broken machinery. "No. Definitely not friends of Blue's. The Rockets were one of the factions during the war, nominally on the side of Lance, although in truth they had no interest in maintaining the Supreme Emperor's empire. Red shattered their organization during the war, and Giovanni Ambrosi, their leader, disappeared. Red disappeared shortly after.

"I'm not sure what happened to the other Rockets; my sources have heard whispers of them throughout Johto, but nothing more than that. To be honest, I would have had no idea they were behind the attack if it wasn't for some red-headed kid that had snuck in during the whole thing." Elm sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Red-haired kid. Through the exhaustion, a flood of memory washed over Ethan. It was repressed somehow over the hours since then. "Red-head? Did he steal your croconow?"

"He did, in fact," Elm said, crossing his arms. "How did you know?"

"We crossed paths and battled." Ethan pulled a pokeball from his belt. "He hurt Doresey pretty badly."

"You lost, I suppose?" Ethan felt like he was punched in the gut as the professor reached for the pokeball. His eyes raised and met with Ethan's, and the professors cold expression softened. "My apologies, Ethan. That was uncalled for. It's the stress of yesterday, it's getting to me.

"Anyways. What I meant to say is that I can take care of your Doresey. Much of my equipment was damaged, but there still some things that work in here." Elm looked at the pokeball in one hand and then at the broach in the other. "Stop by tomorrow morning. As early as possible. Your quilava should be ready by then."

Ethan nodded. It was all he could manage as he felt the last of his energy slipping away. The dull aches of exhaustion roared behind his eyes.

"Let me take care of this," Elm said, waving Doresey's pokeball. "You should get some rest. Really, we all should…"

The professor turned and walked deeper into the blackened laboratory.

It took Ethan a moment to realize he was alone again, so exhausted he was. With a yawn – a very long, very loud yawn – he left through the metal doors. Even though he couldn't have spent more than ten minutes inside, the morning sun assaulted his eyes. Ethan lifted one hand to block the rays, using the other to stifle another yawn.

"Get everything ye need in there?" Hajime said. He was sitting on the ground, his back against Rose's leg. His voice was flat, but his face looked concerned.

"Professor Elm is an old friend," Ethan said. He hoped the casualness of his tone would stave off any further questions. But then, did he sound casual enough? A yawn escaped his mouth as it hung open in thought. Gods am I tired, and it's making me think crazy thoughts!

"Professor Elm? Don't this man have a last name?" Hajime gave a short laugh. "Hell, is Elm even a first name now?"

"I have no idea, Hajime." Ethan slumped to the ground next to the older man. "I'm so tired, I could sleep right now."

"Well, I wouldn't do that there if I were you; that's Rose's shittin' spot."

Ethan looked up and saw that it was true. With a groan, he shifted spots and laid down again, eyes closed.

"Anyways," Hajime said, laughing. "This Elm guy – how well do you know him? Truly?"

Eyes cracked open only slightly, Ethan cast a red-eyed glance towards Hajime. "I've known him longer than I've known you."

Hajime shrugged. "just askin'. Seemed an odd feller is all."

"He's a good man; a great man. He's really helped me along in life."

Ethan waited for a response from Hajime, but not came. The older man simply nodded as if choosing to accept the answer. Closing his eyes again, the young trainer rested against the ground. It was soft and mushy, and he felt himself sinking into the mud in much the same way his conscience sank deeper into sleep. But it never arrived: the plopping of feet grew ever closer, ever louder. Beneath his shuttered eyed, Ethan felt a heavy presence standing over him.

"Can I help you –" Hajime began to say but was interrupted before he could finish.

"Where the FUCK have you been?"

Ethan's eyes jolted open, jumping to his feet, looking into the smoldering eyes of Lyra. Even though she was over half-a-head shorter than him, she seemed to tower over Ethan. Her fists burrowed into her hips.

"Well, where the fuck were you?"

As close to sleep as he was, the sudden shock to wakefulness made words hard to come by. Ethan stammered before finally blurting out: "Cherrygrove!"

"Is this little lass a friend of yours, kid?" Hajime said to Ethan.

"I'm not little, and don't you call me lass," She said to Hajime. The older man cowed from Lyra's withering glare. She returned her focus to Ethan. "Cherrygrove? What could you possibly be doing there?"

"It's none of your business, Lyra!" Ethan found his courage to stand up to her. "I didn't know there'd be an attack! Gods, did you stick a voltorb in the wrong place this morning?"

"That's not why I'm mad at you, you dumb asshole! You've been gone for days, you didn't even tell your mother you were leaving, and now you show up sleeping under some fucking tree? Have you even checked up on her?"

"Aghhh!" Ethan began to walk away. "Come on, Hajime, let's go somewhere quieter."

Stomping off, Ethan felt a storm raging inside his head, one of rage and confusion and exhaustion. Mostly exhaustion. Gods, he was tired. Even walking, he felt his eyelids drooping.

"Wait up, kid!" Ethan looked back toward the older man but did not stop walking. "Didn't mean te' get caught up 'tween you and yer friend."

"She's not my friend. Acquaintance, maybe."

Hajime grunted. He laid a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Want te' ride Rose? Where we headin' anyhow?"

"To my home. See my mother." The sides of his head began to ache. Ethan massaged his temples softly. "I'd rather walk, to be honest. I'm in no hurry."

"Yeah, your lady friend – "

"Acquaintance."

" – mentioned something about your mother." Hajime's face contorted into a frown. He recalled Rose to her pokeball. " You left without telling her? How could you forget yer own ma', kid?"

"I didn't forgot!" Ethan thought he sounded too defensive saying that. "It's just… you ever know you need to have a difficult conversation, but you get scared and avoid it altogether?"

Hajime laughed. "More then ye' know, kid. But, sometimes you just gotta' man up and get it done."

"That's what I'm trying to do."

Hajime draped an arm over the young trainer's shoulder. "I ain't needin' to know the details if'n yer' not ready to share. Sometimes the best thing is not thinkin' too hard 'bout it." He pressed a finger against Ethan's chest. "Yer heart'll know the right thing to say."

"It would be easier if I had some sleep." Ethan frowned and looked around.

They passed through main street again and stopped to look at the damage to the Mareep's Milk, really look at it this time. Its windows were blown out, and the inside looked dark and burned. "By Arceus, look what the Rockets did to this place," Ethan said under his breath.

"What was that now?"

"Err, nothing." Fool! You need to be more careful about what you say! The professor seemed confident that it was the Rockets responsible for the attacks, but Ethan didn't know if he wanted that information spread. Best play it on the safe side. "Just thinking out loud."

"Unbelievable what we do to each other, " Hajime said, shaking his head.

Ethan looked around at the familiar faces, some bruised and battered, all exhausted and weary. Some looked back with unreadable expressions. "Come on, let's go."

They followed the road east towards his mother's house. As he passed the familiar tree groves and neighbors' houses, Ethan felt a heaviness in his heart. What would he say. By Arceus, what would his mother say? Nothing, he knew. She would send judgement his way too, probably with a knowing look, but neither the words she said nor the tone they held would betray her pain. That was just not his her way. But she would be hurt, and Ethan would feel that pain.

They passed the last copse of trees before his house, and there she was, sitting a on the stoop before the front door. A large brown patch covered the grass in their yard. His mother looked up, and their eyes locked, and the dagger punched through Ethan's heart.

She did not rise to greet her son as he stood before her. Ethan knelt and held her hands in his. "Mother, I'm happy that you're okay. I'm sorry for leaving."

She looked up with eyes of hurt. "I'm just grateful that you're home and unharmed." Her voice wavered a bit, but it held steady.

She stood up and said to Hajime. "I'm going to brew some coffee inside. Would you like some?"

"Thank you, ma'am, but I think I'll be headin' back to town for a drink," Hajime said. "Something stiff, perhaps. It's been a long one. Ethan, I'll see you later?"

Ethan nodded and watched as Hajime disappeared behind into the trees. Turning, he saw his mother waiting expectantly by the door. He gulped, feeling the pit in his stomach turn. Inside, the house looked almost the same as when he left, except…

Ethan picked up the greatball on the table. He stared at it for a long while, all previous thoughts washing away. "Mother," he said. "Is this yours?"

She ignored the question. "Please sit while the coffee brews," she said. There was an urgency in her voice. "We'll talk when it's done."

And so Ethan sat and waited and thought. He looked at the greatball and, inexplicably, he brought out Euridity's pokeball and placed it next to it.

If his mother noticed, she did not show it. Perhaps she did notice, but it did not bother her. Ethan frowned. What if she had always known?

The kettle's whistle rang through the kitchen. Lily placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Ethan, then sat down in the chair opposite him. The pokeballs sat between them.

Ethan took a long, deep drink, feeling the heat and energy wash through him. He closed his eyes; the coffee wasn't enough to rid him of exhaustion, but it helped take the edge off, remind him he was in a safe place. He could relax, if only for a moment.

He opened his eyes. His mother hadn't yet touched her coffee. She was staring at the red-and-white pokeball.

"This isn't the same pokeball I saw before," she said. Ethan's lips tightened; when had she seen him with a pokeball ever? "You've captured another pokemon,"

"Euridity. A noctowl."

She nodded. "You never told me your first."

"Right." Ethan blushed. "Doresey. A quilava. Technically, he was a gift."

"Where is his pokeball?"

"Its…" Ethan sighed; they were laying it all out on the table anyways. Besides, he was exhausted and tired of the deception. "Doresey is with Professor Elm. I had a battle, and he was injured."

Lily frowned at that. She took a sip of her coffee. "A fire pokemon as a starter…"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Fire is a dangerous thing. It gives life, but it also takes. You must be careful, Ethan; you think you can control fire, but that is false. Fire is chaos incarnate. You cannot control it." She took another sip. "That is also true of fire pokemon."

Ethan squirmed in his chair, thinking back to the burned cherry trees of Cherrygrove. "Yes, I… It took me some time to learn that."

"It is not a matter of learning," she said, shaking her head. "You must internalize it. Recognize the truth of it and never stray from it." She picked up Euridity's pokeball. "A noctowl is a fine pokemon to have, especially for a starter. It can be stubborn, but pliable. Just mind the psychic powers."

"Actually, Euridity is freshly captured. Doresey is well trained, though. He's been the perfect pokemon."

Lily frowned slightly. "You have already forgotten my lesson."

Pointing at the greatball – and hoping to change the conversation – Ethan said: "Mother, is this your pokemon?"

"As much as this is yours." She picked up Euridity's pokeball.

"How long have you had a pokemon?"

Lily shrugged. "Oh, twenty years or so. Something like that. And Ariana was not my only one."

She had more? Ethan felt like he was meeting his mother for the first time; this was not the meeting he expected. This morning had been too much for him; he took another sip, hoping to clear the tempest in his mind, but it did little to help. "Can I see the others?"

A sad look came over Lily. She picked up the greatball, looking at it with longing. "I'm afraid not. They all… well, they're not here anymore. All I have left is Ariana."

"Oh. Well… I see. Can I see Ariana?"

Lily's thumb hovered over the greatball's centerpiece, then placed it down and shook her head. "I… this is all too much Ethan. I never wanted to have this conversation." Her lips trembled, and the hints of tears welled in her eyes before she blinked them away. A calm, if tense, demeanor fell over Lily again. "There's been so much I've kept secret from you, Ethan. I did it to hide from the past – my past – but also to keep you safe. To stop you from making the same mistakes I made."

"Mother, what mistakes?"

"Becoming a pokemon trainer." Lily took a deep breath. "It's hard a life."

"I want to become a trainer because it's hard. I need fulfillment in my life; I can't just rot away in this backwater! I want to see the world!"

"Yes, yes. I told myself that too, once. It is the poison of youth."

"How can you say that? I'm sure you learned a lot."

Lily's eyes turned hard. "I was a ranger, Ethan. I learned to survive, to hunt, to kill." She averted her eyes. "You learn, but at what cost? That is the hardest to deal with."

A ranger? Those weren't just trainers; they were hardened outdoors-folk, wild folk that lived off the land by any means necessary. They didn't just survive but protect the civilized lands from encroaching Wilds and pokemon. Whereas pokemon trainers helped keep the routes and regions safe, rangers stopped the chaotic wilderness from disturbing their small slice of peace. There was no glory to it; it was a thankless job.

And it had utterly drained his mother, that much he could see. Ethan wished he could see her as she was as a ranger. Did her eyes smile back than instead of the sadness radiating from them now? Did she stand tall and proud rather than her reserved self now? "Why did you never tell me?" Ethan said.

"Because I didn't want you following in my footsteps," Lily answered. "I seemed to have failed, though."

They sat in quiet for some time. Neither had finished their coffee, and when Ethan tried to take a sip, he found it cold and bitter. He shivered. How would he say what he needed to say next?

As if reading his mind, Lily said: "Professor Elm wants you to leave soon, doesn't he?"

Ethan lowered his head. "No. Maybe. I don't know." He sighed. "I can't stay here, Mom."

"I do not trust that man."

"He wants to help Johto, mother. He wants to unite the region." Ethan leaned forward. "Think of it, mother: no more squabbling prefectures and their lords plotting against each other. One region, one ruler. Think of it!"

"I think that sounds like treason, Ethan," she said softly. "Supreme Emperor Lance wouldn't appreciate such talk."

"It sounds like justice," Ethan said with defiance on his face. How could she not see that Lance was worthless as a leader? That, under his watch, the prefectures of Johto and Kanto dissolved into squabbling city-states each at the other's throats?

The two looked at each other in uncomfortable silence for too long. "I won't stop you, Ethan," Lily finally said. "I just want what is best for you. For us. It's a dangerous world out there. All I want is for you to be careful."

Ethan didn't know what to say anymore, so he only nodded and allowed the silence to continue. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lily put a hand up.

"You don't need to apologize for leaving, and you don't need to ask my permission to leave now," she said. Her hand dropped to the table. "You're an adult and a trainer, despite my efforts. The choice is yours alone."

Ethan trembled. He crossed the table and embraced his mother in a hug. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you."

Ethan awoke the next morning in his bed. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes, and he yawned loud and long. It was a yawn of contentment, not exhaustion. After his conversation with his mother, Ethan dragged himself to bed, and he slept the rest of the day and through the night. His dreams had nearly faded from memory, but he recalled that they were pleasant.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten lunch or dinner. Sitting up, he looked around the room – his room. It would be a long time before he saw it again. It still looked the same as always: wooden floorboards made of oak, a desk and cabinet at the corner opposite the stairwell, a layer of dust that his mother always begged him to clean…

And yet, the room seemed different now, as if Ethan stepped into a stranger's room. Things would be different now. Actually, really different now. Like an avalanche, it seemed to all hit him at once.

Ethan smiled as he stood up. Things would be different now, for better or worse. But, he figured that different was better than the same old in New Bark.

He packed his things over the next half hour. Clothes, a jacket, a blanket, his pokeballs – everything he could imagine needing, he packed. By the end, his backpack was stuffed to the brim, and putting it on, it felt like carrying a geodude on his back. Satisfied, Ethan headed downstairs for breakfast.

Lily was in the kitchen cracking pidgey eggs when Ethan walked downstairs. They shared a glance but spoke no words; everything they had to say was said last night.

Breakfast passed in a blur. When it was over, Ethan began to lift his big onto his shoulders but stopped to meet his mother's eyes again. Lily nodded, her expression unreadable.

What were behind those eyes? He wanted to ask but he already knew the answers. Instead, Ethan nodded back and left the house.

And just like that, I'm on my own, Ethan thought. The wind blew lazily, rustling the leaves like a soft hug. The feeling was strange; he thought he would feel more excitement or sadness or… well, anything really. Instead, he felt an emptiness, but not in a negative way. More in a way that suggested a weight was lifted of his shoulders. A contradicting notion considering the heaviness of his backpack.

A short time later, Ethan was in front of Elm's lab. All the tents from the previous day were removed, and there was little remaining to hint of their presence. His arms were wrapped around his body; the chill in the air felt downright cold, a reminder that summer was on its way out. He stepped through the doors.

"Professor?" His voice echoed through the quiet building. "It's Ethan. I'm here to pick up Doresey."

No answer came. Ethan frowned and looked around, noting that the broken machinery stopped sparking electricity. The hallway that led towards the heart of the lab no longer billowed smoke, although its walls were covered in black soot.

Following his instincts, Ethan walked down the hall. The air was heavy despite the lack of smoke as if the soot still danced in the air. "Professor?"

"In here!" The voice rang out behind a pair of doors up ahead. Ethan quickened his pace.

"There you are," Ethan said as he passed through the doors. Then, he stopped, his gaze drifting throughout the lab. This was not at all like the destruction in the foyer; it was much worse. The machinery here had been smashed to pieces, their metals stained the color of tar. Fires must have raged here for some time, he figured. The only light came from dozens of candles, and it was meager at best.

"What happened here?" Ethan said, kneeling next to the Professor.

Elm sighed. "The destructive power of pokemon battling; that is what happened here. Sometimes I forget how strong these beasts can be." He pulled out a pokeball. Even in the dim lighting, Ethan recognized it as Doresey's. "I still have some healing machines that work. Your quilava will be fine, by the way. His wounds might look grievous, but pokemon recover more easily than the rest of us. That is one of the many things that separates them from the other beings on this planet."

Ethan took the pokeball with thanks, but was surprised when Elm held out another item in his hand. "What is this?" Ethan asked, but he already recognized it from the day before; it was the Sprout Tower broach. He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at the professor. "Why are you giving this back to me?"

"Because I want you to take it," Elm said. "To Violet City."

Words formed and melted in Ethan's mouth. Finally, he decided not to say anything. What could he say? It was everything he wanted.

"Based on your facial expressions," Elm said with a smirk, "I seem to have caught you by surprise."

"Not surprise," Ethan said, finally finding his voice. "Pride, I guess, although I don't think that's the right word either. I thought my only chance to head to Violet was from Cherrygrove at Oak's suggestion. When I came back here, I figured you'd have given the broach to someone more experienced. Like Aiden."

"Aiden was murdered by the Rockets, " Elm said. Ethan's breath caught in his mouth. He recalled being outside Elm's lab yesterday and the body covered by the blanket.

"Besides," Elm continued, "Oak initially placed the broach's trust in you. What kind of mentor would I be without offering the same?"

"But I'm still new to all this."

"You'll learn. You made it to Cherrygrove and back, all while accomplishing the mission at hand."

Ethan was about to say that he had fought two battles and lost both, but decided to keep his mouth shut on that. "Thank you, professor."

"The world is a vastly different place today than it was when you left New Bark." The professor stood up; Ethan did the same. "It is more dangerous, more uncertain. The Rockets have made their presence known, but I still cannot ascertain a reason why. I feel that their aims are beyond extortion. During the Civil War, they tried to play both sides, and that ended up destroying them, or so everyone thought. I fear they might try to establish themselves as an active player."

Elm lifted his hand. "Rockets." He put a finger up. "Supreme Emperor Lance and the warlords in his camp." He lifted a second figure. "You, me, and Mister Pokemon." He frowned. "And Professor Oak." Elm lifted a third finger. "These are the players on the board. These are our enemies. The weaker their position, the stronger ours is.

"I'll make sure to send an agent to Violet City in case you need help. I'll try to reach out to Mister Pokemon and arrange something." The professor paused and scratched his chin. "Although, if I know Mister Pokemon – and I surely do – then she'll have abandoned the Cherrygrove safehouse once news if this attack reaches her. No matter; there will be help if you need it, Ethan."

Elm extended his hand. Ethan shook it, hoping not to appear too eager.

"I will make you proud, professor," Ethan said.

"Do your country proud, Ethan."

The young trainer nodded as a thought came to his head. "What will you be doing?" He looked around the ruined lab. "Staying here?"

"That, I will not be doing. I will be leaving shortly. This lab isn't safe anymore." Elm sighed, looking nostalgic for a moment. He reached into his pocket and took something out, handing it to Ethan. "That reminds me – take this and do not lose it."

Holding it to the candlelight, it looked like a piece of rock to Ethan. A colorful rock, he determined, as it had a purplish-nearly pink color. Some of its edges are jagged, while others were flat and smooth, making it look like the rock was ripped off of a larger piece. "What is it?"

"Don't worry about that for now. Just know that I will be able to find you wherever you are as long as you hold onto it. Needless to say, it is very valuable."

Elm placed both hands on the young trainer's shoulders and looked intently into his eyes. "You are about to embark on a journey you have never dreamed of before," the professor said. "The world will be a different place, a better place, when you are through. Tell me, Ethan, because I need to hear it: are you ready?"

"I am."

"Then go out and change the world."

The gatehouse was a squat building with navy blue walls, a single window as wide as the wall and half as tall, and a tiled gabled roof. Allen, the former guard on duty, was killed during the attack, probably the first casualty of the day, and so the building lay empty. But, as Ethan neared the structure, he noticed two people standing beside it.

Oh no, he thought. He stopped in his tracks, hands on hips. Arceus, no. Not this.

"Howdy, Gold," Hajime said. He whooped and waved his hands. "We'ed figured we'd catch you passin' through here."

Ethan smiled faintly and offered a casual wave back. It wasn't Hajime that he minded; he actually was hoping to run into the grizzled trainer at some point. The man was good company, and Ethan hoped to learn some training tidbits from him, too. No, it was the other person standing there…

"Yep, she and I met in town while you was away," Hajime said, but all Ethan could look at was Lyra. She stood there, arms crossed, wearing a shit-eating grin. She looked triumphant; all Ethan felt was defeat. "We got to talkin', and – hell, she wanted to travel with us! We'd figured…"

Hajime continued talking, but Ethan had tuned him out. Lyra stepped forward and leaned towards him.

"You weren't going to get rid of me that easily," she said softly. She leaned back, her shit-eating grin having grown twice as big.

"I can see that," Ethan said. He played with the bill of his cap. "Just don't be an ass."

"When am I ever?" Lyra stuck her tongue out.

"Alright fellas!" Hajime clapped his hand, drawing their attention. "Where are we headin'?"

They both looked to Ethan. "Violet City," he said, and started walking towards Route 29.

As they walked, Ethan came to a conclusion: with pokemon at his hip, responsibility in his pocket, and friends at his side – sort of – there was no other way he would want to start his adventure.

He smiled because it was a new day, and a new beginning.

Summer's Eve: this is a holiday celebrated on the last day of May by Johtoans and Kantoans. It marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer. For farming communities, it represents the end of the planting season and the beginning of the growing season. Across both regions, the date has also become a somewhat unofficial start date for the careers of pokemon trainers.