[Pokémon] Heart of the Sea

Well, at Serebii I posted this story back in February of 2006 and the story was all finished and posted in August of the same year. For some reason though, haven't posted in other forums yet. D: However, I reread parts of the story and I loved it, but hated all the grammatical mistakes, awkward sentences and instances of implied DamusxAries shipping. D: So yeah, I decided to rewrite the whole story and also put in a new thread because I have made some big changes. Plus, many people did that with their one shots, so why can't I do a redo thread of my story even though it was posted XD

So anyways some things to note. For those that read my other fanfic, Nothing, Everything, sorry to say, but this story is not plot driven. This is actually more character driven and meant to be a parable story, so at first there won't be action. However, the characters will interact with each other a lot, so there will be character development coming in. Another thing, also unlike NE this is a much shorter story, so it'll range somewhere between 7 and 10 chapters (not sure the breakdown yet). One last interesting note is that yes, this story is inspired from Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Great, great, great book. GO. READ. THAT . STORY. NOW! ;D

Next, at the end of the post, I'll put in a spoiler the changes I did from this version and the original version. I actually would like it if you guys check out the original version if you haven't done so and compare the differences. If you don't want to though, that's fine. ^^

This fic is rated PG-13 for instances of violence later on in the story. Pokemon killing and eating one another, fo sho. XD;

Nothing else much to say but enjoy this little parable of mine. Also, I want to thank bobandbill for the great beta work. Last time I didn't have a beta. ^^;

(speaking of Nothing, Everything, I'm also in the process of rewriting the story too, but it's nothing much that merits its own thread. Just a few dialogue and grammar mistakes and adding five new scenes. If you guys are interested in the new scenes though, let me know and I'll just point them out to you the new scenes in PM so that you don't have to reread NE to find them :3 ).

CHAPTER ONE: OBEYING YOUR PARENTS ​

"A tenth branch of the king's ordinary revenue, said to be grounded on the consideration of his guarding and protecting the seas from pirates and robbers, is the right to royal fish, which are whale and sturgeon. And these, when either thrown ashore or caught near the coast, are the property of the king."

-Blackstone​

A storm was brewing in the island city of Harman. It was late at night and many people and Pokémon were hurrying to their homes to avoid getting caught in the storm. Unfortunately, some of them slipped and fell. In a small home, one pale faced woman just finished cutting carrots and putting them in the pot. Betty was cooking dinner while her husband Markus looked outside the window from their living room. Not too far from him, the television was still on, the weather woman explaining tonight's forecast.

Luckily I'm not in the storm, Markus thought with a chuckle while observing the chaos outside. Being soaked was not his idea of fun.

"Right now it's forty-five degrees with the wind at fifty-five miles per hour and there's two inches of rain. Also, the clouds are moving pretty fast so the rain should stop in a couple of hours."

After pulling a strand of her red hair away from her left eye, Betty saw her husband looking through the window, his freckled face showing great interest. Not even the warm bath smell of her soup would make her tall husband snap out of it. That was the least of her worries, though.

"Markus, why are you still looking through the window? Also, if you're not watching the television anymore, why don't you turn it off? You're wasting electricity!"

"I can hear the television, can't I?" Markus answered with a chuckle.

"Markus!" Betty yelled slowly but in a harsh tone. She gave him a stern look.

"Just joking, Betty. Anyways, I'm worried about Aries, Shelgon, and Damus."

Betty sighed and shook her head before continuing to cook dinner. Aries was Betty and Markus's twelve year old son and Damus was an old Pokémon fisherman who was friends with both her husband and her son. During the summer, Aries would always go help Damus catch some fish, but most of the time the fisherman couldn't catch anything save for old boots. Sometimes, Betty thought Damus was the unluckiest person in the world for she believed that even her own son was more capable of catching more fish pokemon by himself."

"I don't know why Aries would want to be with Damus. That man hasn't caught any fish lately."

"Maybe wrong season to be catching fish? It's winter now, you know."

"I know, but I hear the other fishermen are able to catch them. I liked Damus better when he was a Pokémon coordinator, and he was a real good one too." Betty paused to take a taste of her soup. She cringed when she tried it because it was too hot, so she continued stirring. "I'm afraid Aries will get bored of fishing with Damus."

Markus was about to protest, but his eyes suddenly grew wide with excitement. He saw four shadowy figures coming by, moving as fast as their muddy boots could handle. There was one small boy, one man taller but not by that much, and two Pokémon coming.

"It's them! They're finally here!"

"What?" Betty asked, turning around, only to jump slightly and gasp when her spoon dropped on the floor.

The husband rushed to the door and opened it. The figures that Markus recognized facing in front of him were Damus on the left, Aries on the right, and both Manectric and Shelgon in the middle. All four of them were breathing deeply and small clouds kept coming out of their mouths each time they took a breath. Markus' mouth twitched at first, not liking that all four of them were soaking wet and muddy, but then he smiled, hoping it would warm their spirits.

"Hi, Mr. Bluewell," Damus said before yawning.

"Hi, Dad," said Aries, tired as well.

"Hey, guys! Come on in before you catch a cold!"

Markus let Damus, Aries, and their Pokémon come inside the house. Damus didn't seem surprised at the look of the house, having been inside the place a few times already. Aries and Shelgon went to sit on a long sofa next to a black marble table while Damus went to sit on a smaller sofa with Manectric on his lap. Markus went to the kitchen where his wife was while Aries, Damus, and their Pokémon began watching the news.

"Betty, will you go get the towels?"

Betty could already feel her patience dwindling. All of a sudden, she stirred the soup faster. One of her eyes was half closed and she wanted to yell at her husband for wanting to get the towels while cooking dinner. Now long after, Betty let out a quiet sigh as her facial expression changed from mad to understanding. She closed both of her eyes and smiled.

"Sure, I'll get them right now."

Markus nodded and went back to the living room while Betty moved towards the bathroom. While Betty was getting the towels, Manectic looked at the pictures on the wall. There was one picture of Aries and Shelgon outside at a beach close to Harman. The picture had been taken a few months ago while Shelgon was just a Bagon. There was also another picture of both Damus and Aries holding a Seaking. The Seaking was a light orange color instead of dark orange like other Seaking, a shiny. Manectric's eyes then turned to Betty, hearing the soft footsteps coming from where the bathroom was. Betty came back with the towels and gave the towels to Damus and Aries, the two drying themselves immediately.

"Thanks for the towels," said Damus in a low voice.

"You're welcome," Betty said before going back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

While Damus was drying his Manectric and Markus continued to watch the new, Aries was staring out his window at the pounding rain. Aries thought about letting Damus stay here for a couple of hours—or at least until the rain stopped. Aries knew Damus could go outside on his own with his Pokémon helping him, but he didn't like the idea of risking his pokemon's health by having them outside in dangerous weather. Seeing Damus's Manectric wet and shaking from being cold was good enough.

When Aries came inside the kitchen, he saw that his mother was stirring the chicken soup into a silver pot. The small pieces of fresh lettuce, carrots, and the chicken slowly absorbed the hot water. Aries took a deep breath before speaking.

"Mom, is it okay if Damus stays here for a couple of hours or so until the rain stops?" Aries whispered, his shoulders stiffed and his fingers twitching.

"Why? Damus can go outside on his own," said Betty while still stirring the soup.

"I know, but after seeing his Manectric all wet, I don't want them to catch a cold."

Betty stopped stirring the soup and looked at Damus' Manectric, sleeping on the man's lap. The fisherman was slowly petting Manectric's fluffy fur. She could hear Manectric growling slowly but sweetly, its mouth showing a cute smile. After seeing Manectric being comfortable in the living room, she smiled, having already made her decision.

"All right, Damus can stay, but only until the rain stops," said Betty with a smile.

Aries hugged his mother and whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

Betty grinned and hugged her son back. Later Aries went back to the living room and began scratching Shelgon's chin while waiting for dinner.

***

About half an hour after the two men and their Pokémon came inside the house, it was dinner time and everybody was eating in the dining hall. The dining room boasted a black cabinet that displayed exquisite dinner plates. The fireplace next to the cabin burned brightly; in general, the room was very warm and comfortable. Everyone enjoyed the chicken soup, even Manectric and Shelgon. It was all peace and quiet until Markus broke it.

"So did you two and the Pokémon catch anything today?"

Aries was about to speak with his mouth full but Damus put his right hand up.

"Wait until you finish eating, Aries," Damus said nicely.

Aries nodded, understanding it was bad manners to talk with your mouth full. After finishing his carrot, he answered, "No Dad, we didn't."

The father frowned. "I'm sorry about that. Maybe you two will catch more fish tomorrow."

"We would have stayed out a little longer but we left because of the rain," Damus said, his face showing disappointment. He then glanced at his fingers tapping the table.

"So you guys are going to fish again tomorrow?" Markus asked.

"Of course! I wouldn't go fishing with anyone else besides Mr. Craig!" Aries cheered.

Betty suddenly stopped eating her soup and her cheeks blushed slightly. One of her eyes was half closed and her mouth quivered. It was hard for Betty to contain her anger. The woman took a couple deep breathes and spoke slowly to her husband.

"Um, Markus, can I talk to you for a minute in the living room?"

Everyone, including the two Pokémon, was confused to why Betty would want a private talk with her husband. After a moment of dead silence, Markus spoke first.

"Sure. Excuse us." Markus and Betty got out of their chairs and walked inside the living room.

"Aries should go fishing on his own from now on," Betty whispered.

Markus's eyes widened. "Why? Aries really likes it when he fishes with Damus," the man protested, whispering also.

"I know, but I'm afraid that if Damus doesn't catch a fish for a very long time, pretty soon Aries will wonder why he has been fishing with him." While talking, she pointed at the old man.

"I know, you told me this already." After Markus sighed heavily, he looked at Aries and Damus talking while Shelgon and Manectric were playing together. He smiled, glad everyone was happy together. "Well, it has been forty days so far with no fish being caught, but Aries seems to be still very happy."

"Forty days is not long enough. When a year has gone by, then Aries will get it in his head that fishing with Damus is a waste of time."

Markus was about to say something but he wasn't able to speak. After thinking for a short while, Markus turned around to look at his wife. His facial expression was of utter defeat.

"I guess you're right. He may be happy right now, but two years from now he'll get depressed."

Betty grinned, her smile being remarkably large. "Good. I like to hear that. We should go back to the dining room."

While the two walked towards the dining room, Markus saw Damus talking to Aries about one of his contest battles. Aries' eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement. As Damus's story progressed, Aries liked the story better every second. Markus gave out a weak smile. In his heart he knew that Aries would stick fishing with Damus until either one of them died, but Markus didn't want to argue with his wife.

When the husband and wife were in the dining room, Damus had stopped telling Aries the story. Both Damus and Aries' eyes shot forward towards Betty and Markus. Betty was the first one to speak.

"Um Aries, your father and I have been talking and we decided that tomorrow you will not be fishing with Damus. Instead, you will go fishing by yourself."

Aries' eyes turned wide and he felt his heart beating in anxiety. "Why?"

Markus was about to answer that question but Betty cut in. "We believe it's a good idea to catch some fish alone so that you don't need to be thinking you wasted your time fishing with Damus."

After hearing that, the boy felt a fire inside his heart. He wanted to scream like he never screamed before and tell his mother why she would say such a thing to Damus, even with him in front of her nose. Just then Aries looked at Damus and stopped himself from voicing his opinion. While looking at Damus, Aries saw how his eyes were filled not with sadness or anger, but with forgiveness. He gave out a slight smile. Aries was surprised that Damus was very calm, despite his mother's words. Whenever Aries saw Damus like that, he thought he must be the most relaxed and patient man in the world.

"I have to disagree with you. I would rather fish with Damus," the young boy said slowly and nicely to his mother.

"You 're disagreeing with me?" said Betty in a slow but loud voice.

"Yes. Besides, you think I would be happier fishing alone? I don't think so. I believe that the reason you don't want me to fish with Damus is because you don't like him."

Damus shook his head and closed his eyes, hearing the two arguing. "Well Betty, if Aries still wants fish with me, then let him."

Betty's cheeks became flaming red and she held her right hand up, as if she was about to slap Damus. When she yelled at Damus, Manectric and Shelgon stopped eating and listened to the commotion, both creatures showing confused expressions.

"Are you a parent of Aries? I don't think so. I am the one that thinks what is best for my son, not some old Pokémon fisherman who can't catch a fish!"

Damus's eyes didn't change after Betty's negative statement to him. Aries' mouth was open wide. He knew his mom could be hot tempered at times, but not like this. He felt he was losing his patience, but his face didn't show any sign of this. Instead, he frowned sadly and he hung his head down in disappointment.

"So I'm not going to go fishing with Damus?"

"No. You are going to fish alone and that's that," said Betty in a firm manner.

Aries slowly turned around to see Damus, the old man's eyes still looking sad. Damus knew that Aries was expecting some sort of support for him, whether it was screaming at his mother or agreeing with him. Instead, Damus said something that surprised Aries.

"Sorry Aries, I can't help you here. Your parents are the one that chooses whether you go fishing with me or not. If I were to take you fishing without your parent's permission, then they would be mad at the both of us."

After hearing Damus saying that, Aries could have just screamed at him for choosing his parent's sides, but he could not get himself to do so. If he were to scream at Damus, then the two might argue and it could be a chance that Damus might not want to fish with him forever. Despite hating what Aries said, Damus was a wise friend and he respected him.

"I guess you're right. All right then, I will obey my parents." After Aries finished saying that, Damus's eyes brightened, his heart a little happier.

***

Think of this as me repaying the favour for your review of Reflection in the Storm. ;D

I haven't seen much of Parables lately so I hope this is good. XD

Anyway, corrections in red bolded, comments in (red bolded parenthesis).

I hope you're not offended.

[.…::::Review Starts Here::::….]

A storm brewed in Harman City. Because it was one of the islands in the Hoenn region, the waves kept hitting the beaches and soaking the sand. The small markets were closed and many people with their Pokémon tried to go inside their houses as fast as they could. Unfortunately, some of them slipped and fell. In a small home, one pale faced woman just finished cutting carrots and putting them in the pot. Betty was cooking dinner while her husband Markus looked outside the window from their living room. Not too far from him,(Introductory Sentence set off with a comma.)the television was still on;(Comma Splice.) the weather woman explaining tonight's forecast.

Luckily I'm not in the storm, Markus thought with a chuckle while observing the chaos outside. Being soaked was not his idea of fun.

"Right now it's forty five degrees with the wind at fifty five miles per hour and rain pouring down two inches above ground. Also, the clouds are moving pretty fast so the rain should stop in a couple of hours."

After pulling a strand of her red hair away from her left eye, Betty saw her husband looking through the window, his freckled face showing great interest. Not even the warm bath smell of her soup would make her tall husband snap(Present Tense) out of it. That was the least of her worries, though.

"Markus, why are you still looking through the window? Also, if you're not watching the television anymore, why don't you turn it off? You're wasting electricity!"

"I can hear the television, can't I?" Markus answered with a chuckle.

"Markus!" Betty yelled slowly but in a harsh tone. She gave him a stern look.

"Just joking(The comma creates an awkward pause there.) Betty. Anyways, I'm worried about Aries, his Shelgon, and Damus."

Betty sighed and shook her head before continuing cooking dinner. Aries was Betty and Markus's twelve-year-old(Hyphenated if the number modifies a noun.) son and Damus was an old Pokémon fisherman who was friends with both Markus and Aries. During the summer, Aries would always go help Damus catch some fish(Awkward sounding sentence, Hope you don't mind. ^^). Usually,Betty didn't(Past Tense) approve of Aries going fishing with Damus because most of the time the fisherman couldn't catch anything save for old boots. She believed thatAries could catch more fish Pokémon when alone than whenbeing with Damus. Sometimes Betty even believed that Damus was the most unlucky person ever.

"I don't know why Aries would want to be with Damus. That man hasn't been catching any fish lately."

"Maybe it's not the right season to get the fish? It's winter now, you know."

"I know, but I hear the other fishermen are able to catch them. I liked Damus better when he was a Pokémon coordinator, and he was a real good one too." Betty paused to take a taste of her soup. She cringed when she tried it because it was too hot, so she continued stirring. "I'm afraid Aries will get bored of fishing with Damus."

Markus was about to protest, but his eyes suddenly grew wide with excitement. He saw four shadowy figures coming by, moving as fast as their muddy boots could handle. There was one small boy, one man --taller but not by that much-- and two Pokémon coming.

"It's them! They're finally here!"

"What?" Betty asked, turning around, only to jump slightly and gasp when her spoon dropped on the floor.

Markus rushed to the door to the entrance of the house and opened it. The figures that Markus recognized facing in front of him were Damus on the left, Aries on the right, and both Manectric and Shelgon in the middle. All four of them were breathing deeply and small clouds kept coming out of their mouths each time they took a breath. Markus' mouth twitched at first, not liking that all four of them were soaking wet and muddy, but then he smiled, hoping it would warm their spirits.

"Hello, Damus and Aries!" Markus said.

"Hi, Mr. Bluewell," Damus said before yawning.

"Hi, Dad," said Aries, tired also.

"You two are all wet. You all better get warm before you guys catch a cold. Come inside."

Markus let Damus, Aries, and their Pokémon come inside to the house. Damus didn't seem surprised at the look at the house, having been inside the house a few times already. Aries and Shelgon went to sit on a long size sofa next to a black marble table while Damus went to sit on a smaller sofa with Manectric on his lap. Markus went to the kitchen where his wife was while Aries, Damus, and their Pokémon began watching the news.

"Betty, will you go get the towels?"

Betty could already feel her patience dwindling. All of a sudden, she stirred the soup faster. One of her eyes was half closed and she wanted to yell to her husband for wanting to get the towels while cooking dinner. Not long after, Betty's facial expression changed from mad to understanding. She closed both of her eyes and smiled.

"Sure, I'll get them right now."

Markus nodded and went back to the living room while Betty moved towards the bathroom. While Betty was getting the towels, Manectic looked at the pictures on the wall. There was one picture of Aries and Shelgon outside at a beach close to Harman. The picture had been taken a few months ago while Shelgon was just a Bagon. There was also another picture of both Damus and Aries holding a Seaking. The Seaking was a light orange color instead of dark orange like other Seaking, a shiny. Manectric's eyes then turned to Betty, hearing the soft footsteps coming from where the bathroom was. Betty came back with the towels and gave the towels to Damus and Aries; the two drying themselves immediately.

"Thanks for the towels," said Damus in a low voice.

"You're welcome," Betty said before going back to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

While Damus was drying his Manectric and Markus continued watching the news, Aries looked outside the window, rain still pounding hard on Harman City. Aries thought about letting Damus stay here for a couple of hours—or at least until the rain stopped. Aries knew Damus could go outside on his own with his Pokémon helping him, but he didn't like the idea of having Damus letting his Pokémon be out in that kind of weather and get hurt. Seeing Damus's Manectric wet and shaking from being cold was bad(Unless he's a sadist and he's enjoying the Manetric's suffering.) enough. After staring at the rain for a couple of minutes, Aries decided to ask his mom first if Damus could stay inside. Aries got up, told his Shelgon to stay where he was, and went to the kitchen.

When Aries came inside the kitchen, he saw that his mother was stirring the chicken soup into a silver pot. He(Repetitive) saw how the small pieces of fresh lettuce, carrots, and the chicken slowly absorbed the hot water. Aries took a deep breath before speaking.

"Mom, is it okay if Damus stays here for a couple of hours or so until the rain stops?" Aries whispered, his shoulders stiffed and his fingers twitching.

"Why? Damus can go outside on his own," said Betty while still stirring the soup.

"I know, but after seeing his Manectric all wet, I don't want them to get wet or catch a cold."

Betty stopped stirring the soup and looked at Damus' Manectric, sleeping on the man's lap. The fisherman was slowly petting Manectric's fluffy fur. She could hear Manectric growling slowly but sweetly, its mouth showing a cute smile. After seeing Manectric being comfortable in the living room, she smiled, already made her decision.

"All right, Damus can stay, but only until the rain stops," said Betty with a smile.
Aries hugged his mother and whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

Betty grinned and hugged her son back. Later Aries went back to the living room and began scratching Shelgon's chin while waiting for dinner.

***

About half an hour after the two men and their Pokémon came inside the house, it was dinner time and everybody was eating in the dining hall. The dining room was with a black chest cabin with some nice dinner plates being shown(Awkward sentence so I suggest rephrasing it.). The fireplace next to the cabin burned brightly; in general, the room was very warm and comfortable. Everyone enjoyed the chicken soup, even Manectric and Shelgon. It was all peace and quiet until Markus broke it.

"So did you two and the Pokémon catch anything today?"

Aries was about to speak with his mouth full but Damus put his right hand up.

"Wait until you finish eating, Aries," Damus said nicely.

Aries nodded, understanding it was bad manners to talk with your mouth full. After finishing his carrot, he answered, "No dad, we didn't."

Markus frowned. "I'm sorry about that. Maybe you two will catch more fish tomorrow."

"We would have stayed out a little longer but we left because of the rain," Damus said, his face showing disappointment. He then glanced at his fingers tapping the table.

"So you guys are going to fish again tomorrow?" Markus asked.

"Of course! I wouldn't go fishing with anyone else besides Mr. Craig!" Aries cheered.

Betty suddenly stopped eating her soup and her cheeks blushed slightly. One of her eyes was half closed and her mouth quivered. It was hard for Betty to contain her anger. The woman took a couple deep breathes and spoke slowly to her husband.

"Um, Markus, can I talk to you for a minute in the living room?"

Everyone, including the two Pokémon, was confused to why Betty would want a private talk with her husband. After a moment of dead silence, Markus spoke first.

"Sure. Excuse us." Markus and Betty got out of their chairs and walked inside the living room.

"Aries should go fishing on his own from now on," Betty whispered.

Markus'eyes widened. "Why? Aries really likes it when he fishes with Damus," the man protested, whispering also.

"I know, but I'm afraid that if Damus doesn't catch a fish for a very long time, pretty soon Aries will wonder why he has been fishing with him." While talking, she pointed at Damus.

"I know, you told me this already." After Markus sighed heavily, he looked at Aries and Damus talking while Shelgon and Manectric were playing together. He smiled, glad everyone was happy together. "Well, it has been forty days so far with no fish being caught, but Aries seems to be still very happy."

"Forty days is not long enough. When a year has gone by, then Aries will get it in his head that fishing with Damus is a waste of time."

Markus was about to say something but he wasn't able to speak. After thinking for a short while, Markus turned around to look at his wife. His facial expression was of utter defeat.

"I guess you're right. He may be happy right now, but two years from now he'll get depressed."

Betty grinned, her smile being remarkably large. "Good. I like to hear that. We should go back to the dining room."

While the two walked towards the dining room, Markus saw Damus talking to Aries about one of his contest battles. Aries' eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement. As Damus's story progressed, Aries liked the story better every second. Markus gave out a weak smile. In his heart, he knew that Aries would stick fishing with Damus until either one of them died, but Markus didn't want to argue with his wife.

When Markus and Betty were in the dining room, Damus had stopped telling Aries the story. Both Damus and Aries' eyes shot forward towards Betty and Markus. Betty was the first one to speak.

"Um Aries, your father and I have been talking and we decided that tomorrow you will not be fishing with Damus. Instead, you will go fishing by yourself."

Aries' eyes turned wide and he felt his heart beating in anxiety. "Why?"

Markus was about to answer that question but Betty cut in. "We believe it's a good idea to catch some fish alone so that you don't need to think thatyou wasted your time fishing with Damus."

After hearing that, Aries felt a fire inside his heart. He wanted to scream like he never screamed before and tell his mother why she would say such a thing to Damus, even with him in front of her nose. Just then, Aries looked at Damus and stopped himself from voicing his opinion. While looking at Damus, Aries saw how his eyes were filed not with sadness or anger, but with forgiveness. He gave out a slight smile. Aries was surprised that Damus was very calm, despite his mother's words. Whenever Aries saw Damus like that, he thought he must be the most relaxed and patient man in the world.

"I have to disagree with you. I would rather fish with Damus," the young boy said slowly and nicely to his mother.

"You're disagreeing with me?" said Betty in a slow but loud voice.

"Yes. Besides, you think I would be happier fishing alone? I don't think so. I believe thatthe reason you don't want me to fish with Damus is because you don't like him."

Damus shook his head and closed his eyes, hearing the two arguing. "Well Betty, if Aries still wants to fish with me, then let him."

Betty's cheeks became flaming red and she held her right hand up, as if she was about to slap Damus. When she yelled at Damus, Manectric and Shelgon stopped eating and listened to the commotion, both creatures showing confused expressions.

"Are you a parent of Aries? I don't think so. I am the one that thinks what is best for my son, not some old Pokémon fisherman who can't catch a fish!"

Damus's eyes didn't change after Betty's negative statement to him. Aries' mouth was open wide. He knew his mom could be hot tempered at times, but not like this. He felt he was losing his patience, but his face didn't show any sign of this. Instead, he frowned sadly and he hung his head down in disappointment.

"So I'm not going to go fishing with Damus?"

"No. You are going to fish alone and that's that," said Betty in a firm manner.

Aries slowly turned around to see Damus; the old man's eyes still looking sad. Damus knew that Aries was expecting some sort of support for him, whether it was screaming at his mother or agreeing with him. Instead, Damus said something that surprised Aries.

"Sorry Aries, I can't help you here. Your parents are the one that chooses whether you go fishing with me or not. If I were to take you fishing without your parent's permission, then they would be mad at the both of us."

After hearing Damus saying that, Aries could have just screamed at Damus for choosing his parent's sides, but he could not get himself to do so. If he were to scream at Damus, then the two might argue and it could be a chance that Damus might not want to fish with him forever. Despite hating what Aries said, Damus was a wise friend and he respected him.

"I guess you're right. All right then, I will obey my parents." After Aries finished saying that, Damus's eyes brightened, his heart a little happier.

Click to expand...

[.…::::Review Ends Here::::….]


Sadly, I have yet to read NE, but I'll get around to doing that soon. ;D

One of the things that really made me stumble while reading this was the thing you lampshaded while I was reviewing The Last Rocket. Your problem mainly lies with awkward sentence phrasing, so I suggest reading your work out loud to avoid those pesky awkward phrases. For instance,

The dining room was with a black chest cabin with some nice dinner plates being shown.

Click to expand...

Try playing around with sentence structure a little and see if it makes sense to the audience. Try to imagine if your audience can visualize what you're trying to emulate in your writing.
Like say:

The dining room boasted a black cabinet that displayed exquisite dinner plates.

Click to expand...

This is just an example and you can try to expand the sentence even further.

Finally, a few notes on the story. I really like how you portray the people in the story. It gives a warm feeling kinda like a log cabin or something like that. XD
Can't wait to see what happens of Damus.

Mizan: Before I begin...

OH FLIPPING FLAPJACKS! I forgot to put the corrected version of the grammar mistakes from Serebii (I posted the story in that website too), so great, now I have to compare your correction to the ones the people from that forum found. XD;

As for your other comment on awkward sentences, I did read them aloud, but dang it half the time when I read it I can't catch them. >.> Am trying though.

Thanks for liking it! Yeah, that's the feeling I'm trying to get through.

'kay everyone, Chapter Two will come tomorrow. Will need to check it one more time real quick before I post it. >.>

EDIT: All right Mizan, I compare your corrections and the corrections from Serebii and they're very similar. XD However, I did a few corrections. Some I didn't go through though because I changed some sentences completely after I got some comments from Serebii. >.> Also, this one part I don't agree:

"Just joking(The comma creates an awkward pause there.) Betty. Anyways, I'm worried about Aries, his Shelgon, and Damus."

Click to expand...

I actually heard you're supposed to have a comma, pause or no pause, if you're going to have the name be said like that. For instance, it would correct to say, "I'm here, Jacky."

'kay everyone, Chapter Two will come tomorrow. Will need to check it one more time real quick before I post it. >.>

Click to expand...

...And tomorrow isn't April. >.>

Okay, I decided to wait and see if anyone at Serebii notice any mistakes so that I don't have to deal with correcting my story in two different forums, but apparently no one noticed Chapter Two there. >.> I'll try to get the chapters out faster, but I'm swamped with university work, so we'll see how that goes. >.>

Want to thank bobandbill for the great beta work for this chapter. Okay, now the next chapter!

The sun's rays pierced through the clouds, illuminating Hoenn's Harman Sea. Waters swayed gently like a slow-moving dance while the warm breeze picked up. Fishermen would cheer each time they caught a fish, but there was no celebration from one boat.

Two men, one young and one old, lowered their heads. Their lines were in the water, but no fish had taken their bait since they had begun, their legs already feeling cramps from sitting still for several hours. They were silent until the old man sighed.

"We haven't caught a fish for... how many days now?" Damus asked.

Aries gazed at the sky, as if he was waiting for something to fall. "Thirty-nine days, I believe." There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

"I guess we're used to this now, huh?" the old man asked slowly in a serious voice.

Aries just glared at Damus, causing the man to look at him with wide eyes.

"What's the matter?"

The boy stayed silent, unsure what to do. He wondered what Damus' reaction would be if he told him the truth. Then again, Aries had always known the man to be a reasonable and patient person, so he knew there should be nothing to be worried about.

"I think Mom won't let us fish anymore." Damus' eyes widened, but before he could say anything Aries continued. "She keeps asking why you don't catch any fish and that you might have bad luck. The other fishermen from the restaurant thought the same."

Aries sighed once more. It had been thirty-nine days since the two caught anything, which hampered their spirits. Betty knew that had been going on for some time, but she wasn't the only one. Many fishermen ridiculed him for that.

Suddenly Damus laughed. The younger fisherman stared at Damus - he hadn't expected his friend to react in that way.

"Me, bad luck? I don't think so." He sighed blissfully and shook his head. "Maybe I'm not that great of a fisherman."

The boy felt heartbroken when he heard his friend say that, his head hanging down. Was his friend losing his self-esteem?

"Don't say that! You're a great fisherman! A fisherman isn't about just how many fish you catch...."

"And you're right on that," Damus suddenly interrupted, the boy still staring at him. "I fish so that I can relax, enjoy the sea, and spend some time with you and my Pokémon." He turned around and winked at his friend.

Aries was speechless and gazed at his friend admirably for a long time. The old fisherman may be frustrated he couldn't catch a fish right now, but in the end that didn't matter to him. All the man wanted was fresh air and some company. The boy grinned.

"Let's promise that no matter what, we'll always fish together." The young fisherman held his pinky out after he said that.

"Promise." Damus nodded and curled his pinky around Aries'.

They didn't know the next day Betty would do something to separate them.

***

While it was still raining outside, things calmed down in Aries' house. Betty talked to Aries' oldest sister Kerri on the phone while Manectric slept on the living room's carpet. Aries groomed Shelgon as he listened to Damus and Markus talking.

"Sorry my wife had acted that way to you. She can be as hot tempered as a Gyarados, but she's a sweet woman most of the time. She wouldn't hurt a Weedle."

"That's all right," the old man said without smiling. He was okay if Betty didn't like him at all, but it still left a small sting on him.

What does Betty have against me?

"It's just that I want her to be more supportive of you. I hate seeing her hurting you time and time again."

Damus nodded, understanding the situation. "I see. Don't worry, I'm used to Betty hating me already."

Markus raised his eyebrows, wondering why his friend said that. "She just thinks fishing isn't for you."

"Oh," Damus said in realization. At first he wasn't sure what to say, surprised Betty would think that. The fisherman then closed his eyes and smiled. "She just needs to realize I can't get fish all the time, even after forty days."

The fisherman gazed out through the window, noticing the rain had stopped. The ground was covered by puddles of sparking water as dark clouds continued to hang over Harman City, threatening to let lose once again. The old man chuckled to himself.

"Hey Markus, it stopped raining. I better get going now."

The man looked outside, and then turned to Damus and smiled. "All right then. Hope you have fun on your fishing trip tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I will."

The two men shook hands before the old man slowly got up. After doing some arm stretches due to his stiff limbs, Damus went towards his Pokémon and shook him. Manectric growled softly as his mouth formed a sleepy smile.

"Wake up, buddy."

The electric-type opened his eyes and gazed at Damus. "Mane?" the Pokémon murmured. He didn't like being awake so soon after a nice nap.

"The rain stopped. It's time to go home now." After Manectric got up and walked off to wait by the door, Damus turned to Aries. "Aries, help me get some of the fishing gear!"

Aries stopped grooming his Shelgon and began helping Damus with all of the fishing gear. Damus got the fishing poles and the bait they used today while his friend collected the snacks the old man had brought for them and their Pokémon. When the two finished, Aries said goodbye to his parents before he, Damus, and the Pokémon left the house.

"I hope Aries won't get upset tomorrow," Markus said in a solemn tone.

Betty smirked. "Don't worry, this will be good for him. Trust me."

Markus wasn't sure if he should trust his wife this time.


***

The stars became brighter as the night rolled on. Dew scattered all over the grass and ground, as if diamonds had fallen from the sky. The scenery didn't change Aries, Damus, and their Pokémon's moods, though. As the four continued walking, Aries closed his eyes and frowned. Concern grew in the fisherman's eyes when Damus glanced sideways and noticed the boy's expression.

"What's wrong, Aries? Tired?"

Aries opened his eyes, showing hints of anger. "I can't believe my mom wouldn't let me go fishing with you tomorrow!

After the boy took a few deep breaths, he tripped and fell into one of the mud puddles. Damus, Shelgon, and Manectric gasped in surprise and quickly moved towards him.

"Are you okay?"

Aries got up easily, but his face was all muddy and wet. Aries sighed sadly and lowered his head down. After a moment of silence, the boy spoke again, this time filled with hatred.

"Sometimes I wish I have a different mother," he mumbled while clenching his fist.

Damus' eyes showed an expression of someone who understood the situation clearly. He frowned though—this was the first time he heard his friend said something like that.

"I'm upset too. However, you'll do as you were told. They're just trying to do what is best for you."

That statement got to the boy. Under normal circumstances, Aries' reaction would have involved yelling at Damus, telling him parents don't know everything, but instead he smiled. There was another way at looking at this situation.

"Maybe it's a good idea if I go fishing by myself. I can hone my fishing skills that I had learned from you throughout the years!"

Damus laughed and held his stomach, the Pokémon and Aries staring at him as if he was a crazed man with a gun. After a minute passed by, the old man wiped a tear from his cheeks and calmed himself down.

"I don't think I'm that great of a teacher."

Aries made a face, as if someone had just died. "But you are! You're best Pokémon fisherman I had ever known!"

Damus closed his eyes and gave a small, slow breath. "I'm not. Heck, I was a better Pokémon coordinator then a fisherman. Besides, there are other Pokémon fishermen that are better than me."

"But still! You treat your Pokémon better than other fisherman I know and you respect everyone. That's why you're a great fisherman."

Damus smiled and ruffled Aries' hair. He was very pleased of how much the boy appreciated him. Despite being together for five years, Aries wasn't willing to go with another fisherman. As everyone continued walking towards Damus' place, the man and boy were silent while Shelgon and Manectric talked. Both of them were gazing at their surroundings and appreciating the beauty of nature. Above their heads a full moon began to shine through the clouds as the raindrops on the grass sparkled in response. Eventually, Aries broke the silence between him and Damus.

"You know Damus, remember when we didn't catch a single fish for quite some time? We were about to call it quits, but then we started getting a lot of them!"

Damus smiled at that memory. It was in late May last year and the two hadn't gotten any fish for the last fifty-five days. The two had agreed to not fish until August if they didn't catch anything the next day. But on the fifty-sixth day, the two suddenly got a lot of fish, which had lasted them for the next couple of weeks.

"Yes, I remember. All of my Pokémon gained five pounds that time," Damus said, laughing at that thought. Aries laughed too.

"I'm glad that we stick around."

"We didn't quit because the both of us had hope," the old man said slowly and grinned.

Aries felt something very cold slice through his heart, believing anger got hold of him again. He remembered how his mother didn't want him to go fishing with Damus and how she didn't believe in him.

"Yeah, hope," said Aries slowly in an angry tone.

The old man frowned. He could sense something was wrong by the way Aries spoke.

"Aries, are you all right?"

Damus' young friend sighed and closed his eyes. "Right after you said of how the both of us have hope, it reminded me of how my mom has no hope for you."

Aries felt like chains were crushing his body, preventing him from breathing. It wasn't easy telling his friend that because he believed Damus would be mad, and a quick glance at his friend's stern look confirmed this.

"Is that all? Why you did not tell me right away?"

"I just don't want you to be upset," he finally answered, stuttering.

The fisherman's eyes flashed in confusion. He then gave a look of disappointment, which made Aries want to hide behind one of the trees nearby.
"Damus, I'm so sorry I didn't say anything earlier."

"It's all right. I'm the one that is supposed to say sorry to you. I didn't intend to make you feel sad again for not fishing with me tomorrow. I'll say this though. You're not on this fishing trip because of you not having hope, but because of your mother not having any hope."

The young fisherman this time grinned. "Thanks. I'm glad to have a friend like you."

Damus gave out a small smile and ruffled Aries' hair, like always. "I'm glad we're friends…"

Everything was interrupted when the screech of tires was heard. Damus and Aries looked behind and saw a blue jeep car coming towards them. When the jeep passed them, the man in the passenger seat threw a bloody dead Magikarp on Damus' face as Aries, Shelgon, and Manectric gave blank expressions.

"Here's something for you, old man!" the driver of the jeep yelled. "Now you caught a fish!"

As the jeep drove away, Aries picked up a few small rocks and threw them at it, but they missed the target. The laughter of the two men echoed as the jeep disappeared into the darkness. After Aries ran out of rocks to throw, Damus touched his right shoulder. He could see that Aries' face was red with intense frustration.

"Don't worry, I'm not offended by those people," Damus said, smiling.

"But they disrespected you!"

"I know. They may catch a hundred Pokémon fish a day, but they are only doing it for the money. A real Pokémon fisherman fishes for the love of the sea. The sea calms you and takes you to another world that sometimes dreams can't."

After hearing that heartfelt speech, the boy couldn't help but smile. It was strange to him that Damus kept his cool even after what the two men had done. Sometimes Aries wished he had his friend's patience, not his mother's flaming temper. The old fisherman bent down to pick up the dead Magikarp and proudly held it to let everyone see.

"I guess I got a free dinner for my Pokémon tonight!" Damus said with a chuckle.

After everyone laughed, the fisherman took out a newspaper to wrap the Magikarp in. After Damus put the dinner in his backpack, he and everyone else went back to the path towards the house. While everyone walked, the old man began telling more stories of when he was a Pokémon Coordinator, the audience listening to every minute of it.

***

It took Damus, Aries, and their Pokémon half an hour longer to reach the cabin house. When everyone was inside, Aries and the Pokémon went to the living room while Damus walked towards the kitchen. As soon as the young boy and his Shelgon sat down, he glanced around, seeing only a few pieces of furniture and accessories like a clock. He knew Damus was fine with just a few necessities though, so that didn't bother him at all.

"Aries, are all of your Pokémon hungry? I'm going to cook the Magikarp as dinner for my Pokémon."

The boy jerked a little when he heard Damus' voice. He turned around quickly to see Damus' face.

"No, it is okay. I can feed my other Pokémon when I get back home."

"All right, then."

The former coordinator looked at the clock and saw that it was eight o'clock. He then turned to face his friend.

"I guess it's time for you to go."

"But we hadn't battled against each other yet!" said Aries enthusiastically.

The two would do a friendly Pokémon battle before or after each fishing trip and most of the time the young fisherman would win. Damus didn't mind losing to Aries given that it had been a while since he had really trained his Pokémon.

"Well, I don't want to lose again," said Damus with a chuckle.

Aries pouted. "Come on! I won't be easy this time!"

"You never have been easy with me! You would always squash me like a Caterpie!"

Both men laughed for what it seemed to be an eternity, but eventually the two calmed themselves.

"Okay, right after my Pokémon finish eating their dinner. Want them to gain their strength." Damus then chuckled.

"Sounds good," the young fisherman said sadly. Aries wished he and Damus would do a Pokémon battle against each other right now, but it could wait.

Damus nodded and headed towards the kitchen, his Manectric following him. They entered the kitchen and the old fisherman took out the Magikarp out of the backpack and gave the bag to Manectric. After putting the backpack in the living room, the electric type went back to Damus and rubbed the man's leg in affection, causing him to smile and pet his Pokémon's fur. The old man then went to cutting the red fish and whistled a happy tune song.

While all of that happened, Aries recalled Shelgon into his pokéball as he entered the bathroom and began cleaning the mud off of his face and clothes as best he could. Once satisfied, he walked into the dining room and sat besides the table. Aries saw the sports section of today's newspaper laying there, the front page's headline SEADRAS WIN THRILLER catching his eye. Aries picked up the newspaper and read about the baseball game.

After Damus finished cutting the Magikarp, he saw Aries reading the newspaper and chuckled. "So how are the Seadras doing?"

"Great. They beat the Raichus three to two."

Damus placed the newly cut pieces of Magikarp in a tan bowl. "That's what I like to hear!"

"Well, you have to admit the Raichus are a pretty tough baseball team."

Damus stuttered for a bit before laughing. "Yeah, I would say the Raichus are a decent team, but there is no greater baseball team then the Seadras!" While talking, he began frying the Magikarp. "How about Derek Upspring? Did he hit any home runs today?"

"No, but he did a double on shortstop."

Damus laughed in a cheerful manner. Even if Derek got out by a fly ball caught by the pitcher, Damus would be glad his favorite baseball player got the chance to play.

"That's the Derek I know!"

Aries grinned, agreeing with Damus. Aries knew that Damus has been a big fan of the Seadras baseball team for a long time. All of the team's baseball players could hit very well including pitcher Derek Upspring, who made an average of five strikeouts per game. Not long after, Damus finished with the dinner and put the bowls filled with pieces of the Magikarp on the wooden floor. Manectric ran and immediately ate a mouthful, causing Aries to laugh.

"All right everyone, dinner's ready!"

Damus tossed his pokéballs and a Dragonair, Bayleef, and Altaria came out. All three cheered and went to eat their dinner too. Both the old man and the boy laughed when they saw Altaria trying to steal a piece of Dragonair's food while the snake dragon didn't look, but she immediately whacked the dragon bird with her tail. Manectric and Bayleef stared at one another.

"Now now Dragonair, you're supposed to be the calm one. Don't do that again even though Altaria can be a Snorlax sometimes."

The Dragonair just huffed and continued eating while the Altaria complained and flapped her wings frantically. Damus chuckled. Although his Pokémon could be a hassle sometimes, he still loved them very much. Aries smiled, knowing the man was able to take care of his Pokémon well and that they cared about him a lot.

"Your Pokémon seem to be enjoying their dinner," Aries said.

"Yeah, they mostly like things when they're fried."

It took another few minutes until the Pokémon finished their dinner, all having smiles on their faces.

"I guess it's time for that battle, huh?" Aries reminded Damus while nudging his shoulder.

"Yep," Damus said, smiling when he heard his Pokémon cheered.

***

Everyone was outside, Damus' Pokémon the audience. Damus grinned, waiting for Aries to make the first move.

"Ready when you are!"

Aries snickered, having already thought of a Pokémon to use. He took out a pokéball from his jeans and released a Gloom. The weed Pokémon danced and cheered, getting ready for battle.

The old fisherman let out a sly smile, already feeling this would be a good battle. "Altaria, go!"

The dragon bird nodded and flew up to be in front of Damus. Aries chuckled softly to himself. Even though Altaria usually only thought of food, the flying-dragon type was not to be underestimated and could defeat Gloom. His Pokémon was to not be taken easily too, though.

"Let's start off with Petal Dance!"

The grass type spun around and pink petals hurled everywhere. Altaria screeched and flew away, avoiding the attack. Gloom looked around for the blue fluffball of a bird and left a confused expression when she wasn't able to find her. Just then, she screamed and crashed on the ground when Altria rammed her with an Aerial Ace attack, which the weed Pokémon wasn't able to avoid.

Damus chuckled. "Good work. Now, Ice Beam!"

Aries already felt his hands shaking, but he was not about to give up that early. "Grass Knot!"

Altaria began forming ice inside her mouth, but Gloom was able to stop that by closing the bird's beak with the vines coming out of her flower. Immediately the grass type smirked and spat out a huge amount of purple sludge. After Altaria got sludge all over her feathers, the Gloom released the humming Pokémon from her vines. Damus' eyes widen in amazement, surprised that Gloom had a few tricks inside that flower of hers.

"Dragonbreath!"

The bird flew up once more and let out green flames. Gloom tried to avoid the attack, but she moaned when the flames enveloped her arms and back, burning her. The old man grinned.

"Let's end this quickly with Draco Meteor!"

Aries was speechless. He knew Draco Meteor was Altaria's specialty and one of the strongest dragon attacks ever—he was practically doomed.

This time Altaria landed on the ground and flapped her wings, her body glowing in a gold color. Soon a golden ball came out of her mouth and she hurled it up in the air. Seconds later, meteor showers dropped down like bullets, causing the Pokémon and the two males to take cover. When the meteors hit the puddles, the water rose a few feet as loud splashing sounds surrounded them. After the chaos was over, Damus' eyes changed from happiness to confusion when he saw Aries grinned. He turned around and saw his Pokémon's opponent covered in a rainbow wall, the Protect technique soon disappeared. Damus then saw his Altaria's chest moving up and down rapidly, knowing that attack took a toll upon her since she hadn't used it for a long time.

"Hurry up and use Energy Ball!"

"Flamethrower before Gloom gets a chance to hit!"

Gloom's flower on her head glowed green, but she soon got burned by the flames, causing her to run around in circles. Aries still smiled, though.

"Moonlight!"

Gloom absorbed some energy from the moon and she glowed. After a few seconds, the weed Pokémon looked cleaner than before, dancing with glee. Damus grunted and clenched his fist.

"Swift!"

The blue dragon bird gave out a battle cry and flapped her wings. Stars came out and hit the grass-poison type right on the chest, making her fall down.

"Good work. Flamethrower now!"

Aries knew he needed to come up with something fast, and he snapped his fingers when he did. "Grass Knot, and then Sleep Powder!"

Damus let out a confused grunt when he heard those commands. Altaria hurled a huge flamethrower at Gloom, but this time the Pokémon ran and dodged before going for another Grass Knot. Eventually the vines held Altaria again, but this time her whole body was entangled by them. Gloom's flower then burst wide open to let out purple powder. Altaria tried to get out, but was unable to and instantly fell sleep after breathing in the powder. Seeing that she won, Gloom danced while flowers burst out of her head once more. Even though Gloom had defeated his Pokémon in impressive style, Damus smiled— it had been quite a battle. The three Pokémon cheered loudly, agreeing with their trainer and friend.

"You did great there, girl," the old man whispered. Damus recalled Altaria to her pokéball and then went to Aries to pat his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Aries. You battled really well tonight."

Aries grinned. "Why, thank you. You weren't half bad yourself."

The two friends shook hands in gratitude, but soon they frowned softly. They knew this would be their last battle in a while.

"Well, I guess I should be going now. I'll call you on your cell phone to see how you're doing on your fishing trip so far!"

Aries smiled. It was hard for him to believe it would be a while until the two could see each other, but he knew Damus would do well fishing alone.

"That sounds grand. Hope you have fun fishing too."

The two hugged each other and then a minute later Aries and his Pokémon walked home. After Damus could not see them anymore due all of the darkness, he and his three Pokémon went back inside the house.

***