Notes: Living up to my New Year's resolution: start and finish a multi-chaptered fic. This idea has just clung in my head for a while. I kind of suspect John Lennon quotes. Anyway, criticism and reviews are always helpful and very much appreciated. Also, this is basically an OT fic.
Oh almost forgot, this is rated PG-13 just because I want to be safe with a bit of vulgar language. And violence probably.
I guess I just wasn't meant to be happy.
Then again, I don't even know what happiness is. I can't tell it apart from an emotion or a state. When I think of happiness, I don't think of a smile. I don't think of a light. I imagine nothing, a void of no feeling. If I think about it, it wasn't always like this.
I had a modest group of friends. On summer days, we'd go fishing for magikarp to see who could catch the largest. Then we'd see who could throw the farthest. It was a time of innocence and ignorance. When you're in school, nothing bothers you other than who's the fastest and who's the tallest. I miss those days. Happiness meant something to me.
My friends and I attended the same school, the Trainers' Academy in Rustboro. It was mandatory for all people who wanted to train pokemon to graduate from a certified academy. Of course, we wanted to. We stayed at the school, getting holidays and a few weekends off.
I dared to hope on that last day. We had just finished the graduation ceremony. Everyone who passed the exams received a plastic card with their name on it. They cherished it as if it was a plump diamond in their hands. They were our trainer's licenses. Our dreams were now just a step closer. The world lay ahead of us, waiting for a decision. I placed mine in my pocket the second I got it. School was finally over. I stood silently and let the scene sink for one last second. I glanced at the back of the dry classroom before walking into the humid summer air.
I moved down the street in a trance-like state as a taillow flock loudly soared overhead. I was unsure. Tomorrow was the day I was supposed to leave. I was having second thoughts, even though everything was set in stone. I approached the bus stop at the far end of the street, just a small distance from the Rustboro tunnel. I remember hearing the distant screeches of the whismur as I imagined they huddled together in the depths of the cave. The single bus was parked on the pavement, its engine roaring as people entered orderly. This bus's route followed through to Verdanturf to Mauville. I lived between both cities.
I bounded up the metallic steps and through the long hall of leather seats. I quickly paced my way through the aisle, bumping the legs and arms of other students. I made my way towards the back and sat down.
"Hey," the girl in the seat said. Her name was Ellie. She looked away from the window and stared at me with a broad smile. She moved her backpack off the seat and onto the floor, making enough room for me.
I sat there wordlessly. I shuffled closer to her so that I was more in the seat rather than in the aisle. The full impact of what was about to happen tomorrow hit me again. I cleared my throat and said, "This was our last day, wasn't it?"
She blinked twice before reaching in her bag and pulled out her own trainer card. She beamed with pride. "This speaks for itself doesn't it?"
I smiled back.
"I'm all set too! My mom helped me out a bit with the packing, but I really got everything," she went on. "That egg you gave me hatched, so I got my starter! I don't even need to see the professor or anything."
"That's great! And just in time too."
"Lucky me, right?" Ellie looked at her feet as they dangled from the seat.
I sighed. It wasn't an unhappy sigh. It was content. The breath escaped my lips as if I was relaxing. I leaned back in the leather seat as the bus jerked forward and began moving. I looked at her and found that she had her face nearly pressed up against the window, watching the greens of the trees pass by in a blur. I felt the bus tilt as we began ascending the rocky terrain. The horizon hid behind the treetops.
I cleared my throat. "So . . ."
She turned away from the window. Ellie looked at me with round and expectant eyes. "Hmm?"
"I was kind of wondering . . . if you wanted to travel with me," I practically mumbled. I bent my head down. My hair fell over and hid my eyes.
"I didn't hear the last part," she giggled lightly. "Can you say that again?"
I looked up with newfound courage. It deflated as soon as I saw her face inches away from mine. I gulped and asked, "Will you travel with me?"
I can remember she had a strange look on her face, one that I had never seen before on her. I was sure it wasn't disgust or some kind of rejection. It was almost excited but sad at the same time. She parted her lips and began speaking. "I-"
A powerful roar pierced the bus's windows and shattered them. Glass shards flew straight in like hail. I buried my face into my arms, the course crystals raining down into my hair. The bus stopped immediately, tires squealing with agony. Our bodies lurched forward and hit the leathery cushions. I tumbled into the gap between the seats. My hands shook as I tried pulling myself up. Ellie grabbed my arm and helped me up. "You okay?"
I gulped and nodded. She sighed and gently eased me back. She put a hand on my shoulder, but said nothing more. A few people moaned as they complained about their pains. The passengers in front of us stood up and looked around. One boy stuck his head out the window.
Ellie did the same, asking, "Do you see anything?"
"I don't see anything out here." The boy shrugged and sat back down. "I just wanna go home."
"Me too," I murmured. My head was throbbing. Black engulfed the edges of my vision. I blinked slowly, hoping to regain some focus. I barely noticed the stomping, creeping closer and closer.
Someone cried out, but I can't remember what he said. Everyone turned to where he was pointing.
Then I remember the sensation of flying.
Oh almost forgot, this is rated PG-13 just because I want to be safe with a bit of vulgar language. And violence probably.
Hopping on Cloud Nine
Prologue: Walking on Air
Prologue: Walking on Air
I guess I just wasn't meant to be happy.
Then again, I don't even know what happiness is. I can't tell it apart from an emotion or a state. When I think of happiness, I don't think of a smile. I don't think of a light. I imagine nothing, a void of no feeling. If I think about it, it wasn't always like this.
I had a modest group of friends. On summer days, we'd go fishing for magikarp to see who could catch the largest. Then we'd see who could throw the farthest. It was a time of innocence and ignorance. When you're in school, nothing bothers you other than who's the fastest and who's the tallest. I miss those days. Happiness meant something to me.
My friends and I attended the same school, the Trainers' Academy in Rustboro. It was mandatory for all people who wanted to train pokemon to graduate from a certified academy. Of course, we wanted to. We stayed at the school, getting holidays and a few weekends off.
I dared to hope on that last day. We had just finished the graduation ceremony. Everyone who passed the exams received a plastic card with their name on it. They cherished it as if it was a plump diamond in their hands. They were our trainer's licenses. Our dreams were now just a step closer. The world lay ahead of us, waiting for a decision. I placed mine in my pocket the second I got it. School was finally over. I stood silently and let the scene sink for one last second. I glanced at the back of the dry classroom before walking into the humid summer air.
I moved down the street in a trance-like state as a taillow flock loudly soared overhead. I was unsure. Tomorrow was the day I was supposed to leave. I was having second thoughts, even though everything was set in stone. I approached the bus stop at the far end of the street, just a small distance from the Rustboro tunnel. I remember hearing the distant screeches of the whismur as I imagined they huddled together in the depths of the cave. The single bus was parked on the pavement, its engine roaring as people entered orderly. This bus's route followed through to Verdanturf to Mauville. I lived between both cities.
I bounded up the metallic steps and through the long hall of leather seats. I quickly paced my way through the aisle, bumping the legs and arms of other students. I made my way towards the back and sat down.
"Hey," the girl in the seat said. Her name was Ellie. She looked away from the window and stared at me with a broad smile. She moved her backpack off the seat and onto the floor, making enough room for me.
I sat there wordlessly. I shuffled closer to her so that I was more in the seat rather than in the aisle. The full impact of what was about to happen tomorrow hit me again. I cleared my throat and said, "This was our last day, wasn't it?"
She blinked twice before reaching in her bag and pulled out her own trainer card. She beamed with pride. "This speaks for itself doesn't it?"
I smiled back.
"I'm all set too! My mom helped me out a bit with the packing, but I really got everything," she went on. "That egg you gave me hatched, so I got my starter! I don't even need to see the professor or anything."
"That's great! And just in time too."
"Lucky me, right?" Ellie looked at her feet as they dangled from the seat.
I sighed. It wasn't an unhappy sigh. It was content. The breath escaped my lips as if I was relaxing. I leaned back in the leather seat as the bus jerked forward and began moving. I looked at her and found that she had her face nearly pressed up against the window, watching the greens of the trees pass by in a blur. I felt the bus tilt as we began ascending the rocky terrain. The horizon hid behind the treetops.
I cleared my throat. "So . . ."
She turned away from the window. Ellie looked at me with round and expectant eyes. "Hmm?"
"I was kind of wondering . . . if you wanted to travel with me," I practically mumbled. I bent my head down. My hair fell over and hid my eyes.
"I didn't hear the last part," she giggled lightly. "Can you say that again?"
I looked up with newfound courage. It deflated as soon as I saw her face inches away from mine. I gulped and asked, "Will you travel with me?"
I can remember she had a strange look on her face, one that I had never seen before on her. I was sure it wasn't disgust or some kind of rejection. It was almost excited but sad at the same time. She parted her lips and began speaking. "I-"
A powerful roar pierced the bus's windows and shattered them. Glass shards flew straight in like hail. I buried my face into my arms, the course crystals raining down into my hair. The bus stopped immediately, tires squealing with agony. Our bodies lurched forward and hit the leathery cushions. I tumbled into the gap between the seats. My hands shook as I tried pulling myself up. Ellie grabbed my arm and helped me up. "You okay?"
I gulped and nodded. She sighed and gently eased me back. She put a hand on my shoulder, but said nothing more. A few people moaned as they complained about their pains. The passengers in front of us stood up and looked around. One boy stuck his head out the window.
Ellie did the same, asking, "Do you see anything?"
"I don't see anything out here." The boy shrugged and sat back down. "I just wanna go home."
"Me too," I murmured. My head was throbbing. Black engulfed the edges of my vision. I blinked slowly, hoping to regain some focus. I barely noticed the stomping, creeping closer and closer.
Someone cried out, but I can't remember what he said. Everyone turned to where he was pointing.
Then I remember the sensation of flying.
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