[Pokémon] NWO - All of the above - Begin Part 2

[Sonata]

Chapter 1 - Start of a new world

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"Tensions rise in the Kanto region as debates on Pokemon ethics escalate. At a meeting held earlier this evening, Professor Oak of Pallet Town, Nurse Joy of the National Center for Pokemon, and Lance of the Elite Four met with the spokesman of the Freed Kanto Pokemon Republic, Mewtwo, his adviser Golduck and bodyguard Nidoking to cover topics relating to what rights, if any, Pokemon should hold before and after their defeat and capture. Mewtwo acknowledged the fact that it is in both human and Pokemon DNA to fight each other and accept the greater power between the two of them. Mewtwo stated that this has concept has been around since the beginning of time, and that even his informant acknowledged the fact that at the beginning there existed a man who had even forced the great and powerful Arceus to bow before him. However, that did not stop the spokesmon from bringing up blueprints to the Professor pertaining to the trace amounts of toxins retained in Pokeballs after their creation that have been proven to have a brainwashing effect on contacted Pokemon. Moments later, Mewtwo accused the Professor as well as Ms. Joy of criminal acts that paralleled those of kidnapping and cockfighting and stated that if their own children, siblings and friends were in the position of its fellow Pokemon then these inhumane acts would be ended immediately and indefinitely. The professor then proceeded to state that while his knowledge on the beginning of the universe was lacking - due to not having the same resources as the Pokemon - that there were indeed documents relating to the usage and taming of Pokemon dating back at the very least a thousand years. He then followed up with a reminder to the Pokemon, that at one point during that thousand year span there were at least three instances lasting roughly fifty years each in which the Pokemon had retained their freedom, lived peacefully with and at some points even ruled over the humans themselves. Furthermore-"

Jack turned the volume dial on the television to zero and then sat back in his bean bag chair.

"This is getting to be ridiculous," he began, letting out a deep sigh and lighting up a cigarette, "they'll just go round and round in circles for months until one of them finally gets pissed off enough to lash out at the other. They should just put the rulers away and figure their shit out like Hoenn did."

"True that my friend," the little blue Pokemon sat in the bean bag beside Jack and lit up a cigarette of his own, "if only the man wasn't such an eccentric then maybe other regions would take it more seriously. It's just a shame that they had to wake Groudon and Kyogre in order to split open the fuckin' earth just so they could compromise and make a new safe haven for Pokemon. It's just a question of how long it will last really. There's no telling how many eccentrics there are out there that feel Pokemon are just tools or pets. Eventually some ill-willed human will enter that island and set off a chain of events that will lead to the greatest tragedy this world has ever seen."

The little blue Pokemon took a deep puff on the cigarette and then blew three consecutive smoke rings as he shook his head. Jack stared at the Pokemon with his eyebrow raised, the cherry of his own cigarette falling out with the ash as listened to the Pokemon's rant.

"Lappe, have I ever told you that I think you were an Alakazam in your past life? You're just like... way too smart for a Totodile."

"The fuck you say? I don't believe in all that reincarnation bullshit. There's just us and Arceus man. We have our God, our paradise and hell, and you have yours. Man, I just really don't even care about it all, never really have either. It's all real obvious for us Pokemon, you humans are just too naive to realize it. You've all deadened your instincts and that's one of the main reasons we've stopped respectin' y'all. The only real way to save either one of our species anymore is to eradicate the other and that's that. Don't get me wrong, I like you man, I enjoy your company and you treat me like an equal at least. But other humans out there wouldn't see it the same, nor do the other Totodiles, which is the reason I left y'know? Everyone's so consumed with the idea of fighting one another that they don't even really take the time to get to know anyone. Yeah, sure, you can fight someone and learn about them and shit, get to know them and garner a bond from respect out of your combat prowess... but that's just not me man. That's just not me. That's why I can't stand watchin' this shit when Mewtwo fuckin' knows what's goin' to happen. For fuck's sake man, his board of advisers is made up of at least twenty Alakazam that we know about. That Golduck's just a God damn figurehead."

"Shit man," Jack shook his head. "Why don't you just go join the FKPR then if you feel so strongly about it?"

"Did you not just hear what I said? Man, I just don't care about it all. Like, at all. I'm fine livin' here with you and your mom dude. It's chill. Real chill. You got a nice jig y'know? I'm comfy, and don't really care to change shit yet."

"Right? Sucks man, but you know we gotta. That damned law about teenagers and all that. If you want to live comfy it'd be best to just move on now, then we can both be spared the trouble of having to leave this place y'know? Just like, go on a vision quest or somethin', come back in a few years and we can chill again. We just gotta miss the thirteen through fifteen startups and we'll be fine."

"Yeah, I could Jack. But man, much as I'd hate it and how much of a hypocrite it makes me sound, I just can't leave you like that. You and I both know you don't have any real aspirations in life, so maybe just this once, a journey would be good for you. We can do your vision quest instead of mine, and maybe somewhere along the way I'll figure my own shit out too ya feel? And it's not like we have to go far or anything. The rule is just one badge after all, right?"

"Yeah, one badge. That's all we have to get to be able to come back home and get comfy again."

The show that was on television cuts to a commercial which features Mewtwo surrounded by the FKPR, assumedly a call for all Pokemon who grow weary of their internment with the humans. Subtitles flash up on the screen in a language that only the Pokemon can understand and Lappe sighs as he gets up from his bean bag. A knock comes from the door to the duo's room and then it slowly opens, revealing a woman in her early thirties.

"Jack, it's time. I've got your bag packed and everything. You should go ahead and put Lappe back in his ball before you head out."

"You know Lappe doesn't have a ball Mom. He's his own Pokemon. He has his free will, he has his dignity. I'm not going to force him into one of those things."

"You watch too many of those T.V. shows Jack. If you don't put him in a ball he'll be likely to run away and then what? What if he leaves in the middle of a battle? Do you want to be impaled by a Tauros or ripped in half by a Machoke?"

Jack sighed as he got up out of his bean bag chair. He was going to miss the place. Taking one final look around the room, he pushed by his Mother and headed out the hallway. "Don't worry about it," he whispered as his shoulder brushed against hers. "If that happens, then you'll just get to tell me you told me so. One less person to worry about too. I'm going now. I'll see you in a few months Mom."

The woman teared up as her son made his way down the hallway and to the front door. The Totodile followed close behind, snapping his jaws at the woman as he went between her legs.

"Be careful," she whimpered as the tears streamed down her face.

Jack grabbed his backpack and placed Totodile in it, pulling the drawstrings close around him before slinging it over his shoulder. The boy pushed the door open and made his way out into the world, beginning a journey all his own.

 

[Sonata]

Chapter 2 - Invitation to Destruction

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The duo walked through Viridian City, passing by and waving to the elderly and young as they made their way into the forest. In the past, Viridian was well known as being a sort of retirement place for ex-trainers in tandem with Pallet town. With the last and strongest of the region's eight gyms being located here as well as the road to the Pokemon League, it wasn't hard to imagine why. But after the laws were passed that forced young teens to set off on their journeys so long as they already had a Pokemon, Viridian began to blossom as a starting point for all people interested in the life of a trainer. The Viridian preschool was often visited by Professor Oak as well as a few notable trainers who had made it to the Pokemon League and taken the challenge.

Many of the trainers who had retired here had Pokemon strong enough that they could take on any challenge thrown their way, hence the lack of an actual police force in the city. Viridian was small, but it was rapidly growing and expanding. In order to keep up with the growth, the Mayor had funded the building of a battle complex where the guardians of the city could go to practice with the young as well as each other so that they wouldn't grow rusty. Jack had never been himself, seeing as how he lacked an actual 'tamed' Pokemon to enter with, but the people of the city never looked down on him for it. Many of them understood the bond that he and Lappe shared, and at times would even express their regret for not having been able to form bonds more like his in their youth. Nobody here ever really talked about the news, as relatable as it was for them. Most just didn't seem to really care for one reason or the other. Maybe they were just tired of always having to fight against something. Either way, they were happy to gather and see the trainer off on his journey regardless of how he or they truly felt about it.

As the two neared the forest and the sounds of the village faded into the background, the appearance of wild Pokemon increased exponentially. It was as if they'd stepped into another world. There were no more people out here. Buildings were replaced with trees which reached to the sky, and itchy grass which tickled the boy's thighs. Bug-type Pokemon crawled up and down trees, camouflaging themselves with the leaves and bark. Beedrill and Butterfree flew overhead as their brethren hatched from their cocoons and rose into the skies with them. The beauty of the world began to overwhelm Jack, but with the sense of awe there also came stressful thoughts and the feeling that at any moment they could be attacked by these overwhelming numbers of Pokemon. He remembered one lecture that the Professor had given about the strengths and weaknesses of the Bug-types. While not all that powerful individually, they traveled in swarms that at times reached into the hundreds and could easily overpower any single Pokemon.

"Hey man, don't worry about them. They won't attack unless I like, start freaking out or something." Totodile patted Jack's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since you never actually put me into a ball I don't have that 'domesticated scent' that sets them off so often. It's some kind of chemical or side effect of the hypnotism that occurs when we're captured in Pokeballs. The reason that people see Bug Pokemon as so violent is because of these chemicals. Most Pokemon aren't educated due to their lack of rights, which means they never learn about these chemicals and how to discern between them and the pheromones emitted by a Pokemon attempting to impede on their territory. Due to our lack of rights, we have to rely on experienced family members and friends to educate us on the ways that the world works. Bug Pokemon live relatively short lives compared to other types, which means that there's less elderly Pokemon to educate them on the difference in these scents as well. Take me for example, my father was a tamed Pokemon, but he was tamed back when people still used Apricorns to make balls naturally instead of using the mass produced ones. He could discern between the aromas of an enraged wild Pokemon and that of his companions who were captured with one of those mass produced balls. Some Pokemon live much longer lives which lets them pass on more information, while others live for days at a time which ensures they never learn or pass on a single thing."

"And I suppose you think that you're different from all the others, don't you?" A voice called out from above the trees, scattering the hordes of bug Pokemon as it did.

"Who's out there?" Jack's head spun as if on a swivel as he and Lappe searched for the source of the voice.

A massive shadow formed over the two as a Pokemon sped towards them in a nose dive. Just narrowly missing the trainer, the Pokemon leveled out and flew parallel with the ground as it spun around a tree off on the distance and disappeared.

"W-what is that?" Jack muttered under his breath as he stared, mesmerized, into the Pokemon's piercing red eyes.

Stepping out from its cover in the underbrush, the Pokemon fanned its wings out wide showing off its plumage in its fullest glory.

"I am West, the Pidgeotto! I am a free bird, un-caged and with un-clipped wings I fly high above all others of my kind! This is why I was noticed by my master, Mewtwo and brought into the FKPR. I fly high in the skies and gather information from all places for my leader, but as I was flying over you two I couldn't help but overhear this traitorous hypocrite speak."

"Dude I'm neither traitor nor a hypocrite, I'm just me doing my own thing. I don't exactly care about the federation or whatever, so if you don't mind moving out of the way we're going to continue on our merry little way so we can get back to chilling at home soon."

"Your own thing? Blasphemous. You're merely parading around as if you have a will of your own. If your trainer was attacked, you would be forced to jump in and protect him. To this, I will happily demonstrate."

West began to flap his wings, throwing up mighty gusts of wind at Jack as he shielded his face and backed up against a nearby tree. Incisions began to form along the trunk of the tree starting from the top and moving down towards the boy's head. Branches flew off in every which direction and leaves were turned to dust with the piercing blades of wind being thrown at the trainer. Lappe jumped up and shook his head in a circular motion as bubbles spewed forth from it, colliding with the blades of wind and exploding midair.

"Do you see? Due to your inability to see your trainer harmed, you have been proven to be domesticated! You have no more free will than those of our brothers and sisters who have been trapped inside those balls by these monsters and you're a fool to think otherwise! Now come with me my Totodile, join our cause and be truly free once more!"

Lappe looked up at Jack and the incisions in the tree which had come within inches of scalping the boy. The Pokemon shook his head and then stared back at the Pidgeotto with a frown on his face.

"You've got it all wrong West. The reason I protected Jack is because we're friends with a mutual understanding. It's not his perogative to steal anything from me or any other Pokemon. He knows and can comprehend how we feel, he understands what it's like to be forced into doing something… becoming something that you just can't stand! This journey wasn't his choice, and if we could help it then we'd both still just be sitting at home watching Sailor Gardevoir, Pokeformers, or even the news!"

"Then, it's worse than I had first thought." West moved forward, closing the distance between himself and the Totodile. "Not only are you domesticated, but you're not even a pet to him. All you are is a showpiece. You sit in his home, as much a 'wild Pokemon' as you can think and wait for his friends or parents to come in and gawk! He's thrilled at the thought of having tamed you so that you can't even realize the position that you're in!"

"That's enough!" Jack rushed up to the Pidgeotto and slammed his fist into the bird's chest, barely making the Pokemon flinch.

"What are you doing? You dare to have the aud-" West was cut off as his beak was filled with water from Lappe's mouth.

"Stay away from my friend!" The duo screamed out at the Pokemon before lashing out at the Pidgeotto once more with bubbles and fists.

West took a few steps back, caught off guard by the assault and irritated by the hindrance to his vision.

"So be it!" The Pokemon screamed out as he rose into the air, taking roost in a high up branch. "If you want to fight me, then continue to fight! There will be no turning back for you! Travel on, fulfill your petty quest and find me once you're no longer a simple nuisance!" The Pokemon plucked a feather from its wing and quickly snapped its neck in the direction of the forest's entrance. "Ratatta! Ratticate! Seal up the entrance! Ensure that there is no retreat for them. They've lost that privilege. If they both wish to continue this farce, then so be it."

From all over the forest, the rodent Pokemon jumped from the grass in which they were hiding and began to gnaw at the base of the trees which stood at the entrance of the woods. In a matter of seconds, a wall of felled trees formed in front of the forest's entrance ensuring that nobody could enter or leave until they were done away with.

"Your pain and suffering has only begun. From now, the only direction is forward. No longer will others perceive you as a wild Pokemon Lappe. I will ensure that all of Kanto knows of your treachery, and that every step that you take is filled with peril. Soon, you will beg me to forgive your insolence and to allow you into the Republic."

"And I'll still turn you down. I don't really know what you want out of me man, but closing up the entrance to this place was a real dick move y'know? What if there's like, a sick Pokemon or something in Pewter that needs to get through here or something?"

"That's not my problem any longer. I am returning now to my master with news of a traitorous Pokemon making his way to him. I am sure that Mewtwo will have a punishment set aside for you when you finally arrive."

"But I don't have any intention of heading to your base? I just really don't think you're picking up what I'm putting down. Maybe it's because we're not playing with the same amount of cards."

"That's enough out of you. Soon you will see the fruit of my labors. Soon, we will no longer be mocked by humans or Pokemon like you. Farewell, for now."

West rose high into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. The duo stared at the Pidgeotto as it flew away, both wondering what was wrong with Pokemon. Jack shook his head and lifted Lappe back onto his shoulder, allowing the Pokemon to retake its position in his bag. Soon after, the swarms of bugs returned to their formations and flew around peacefully. It was as if nothing had ever happened, but for the humans and this duo, it was only the beginning.

 

[Bay]

So I already mentioned my thoughts on the first chapter from your first thread. And yup, figured Jack and Lappe will have to deal with that federation. Still like that you have Lappe going against the other Pokemon that are so bent on freedom and him deciding to stick with Jack because it's his choice. Look forward to more!

 

[Sonata]

Chapter 3 - Damage Report
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The rest of the trip through the forest was, for the most part, quiet. For a while after West left, it was just Lappe and Jack. Many of the other Pokemon were still too afraid to come out of hiding, fearing for their short lives. There were a handful of trainers along the path to Pewter, but most were too worried about where all the bugs had scurried off to to pay the duo any attention.

"This city isn't set up too badly you know? It's git a kind of rustic charm to it. Compact and thought out in its design. With rocks all around you, it could get overwhelming without direct directions. You got the Poke center right at the entrance to town to make sure when your pals are hurt they can get healed right up, and a shop right next door to ensure they don't get hurt again and also to ensure the city's vitality." Jack rubbed one of the many boulders which made up the city's entry gate as he smiled. "Might not be such a bad place to retire to eventually, eh Lappe?"

"'s not my type'a place. Besides, can't we just take over your parents place once they retire and move away? It's comfortable there. We know people there and where everything is. There's no surprises back home, no worries about anything either. Let's just get on with this shit so we can get back."

Jack shrugged. "Guess you're right. Neither one of us are exactly the travelling type. It's not healthy to uproot trees I suppose. Anyways, I guess we should tell someone about what went on in the forest. We'll never get back home that way if nobody knows that there's a wall of fallen trees in there."

The doors to the Pokemon Center slid open as Jack approached them. A cool, purified air splashed against his face and he took in a deep breath. This was his first time coming in to a place like this, never having really had a reason to go into a Poke Center before now. Everything was white or a light shade of pink, and everything glistened as if it had just been waxed mere seconds before.

"Welcome!" The pink-haired nurse bowed to the boy as he entered from across the room. "This is Pewter City's Pokemon Center. Do your Pokemon need healing, or is there anything else that I can do for you today?"

"No, we don't really need healing. However, we did want to report a crime I guess? Well, I don't really know if it can be called a crime but… we were attacked by a Pidgeotto from the Republic and it kind of told a bunch of Rattata and Ratticate to tear down a handful of trees at the entrance from Viridian City. We were hoping to go home after taking the badge from this city, but since the path back is blocked now we were hoping to find someone able to get rid of the trees for us."

"Hmm, I see. Well for something like that it would be best to talk to Officer Jenny. She would know more about what to do in this situation than I do."

"Officer Jenny, huh? Guess that makes sense. I'm just not really used to having an actual police force in my city." Jack chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head, blushing at his own ignorance. Of course they would have a police force, this wasn't a true retirement village like Viridian or Pewter. This was the beginning of most trainers journeys, it would only make sense to have police around to ensure that none of the buds would be nipped before they'd even had the chance to experience their lives.

"The police station is just outside and to the left. You'll most likely see an elderly lady tending to a large garden first. The station should be just beyond her."

Jack nodded as he turned around and headed back out the door that he'd come in from.

"Just outside and to the left there'll be an old lady and a garden…" the boy whispered to himself as he looked off in that direction. He felt around in his pocket for his cigarettes, but after failing to find them he realized that he had left them back in his room in Viridian. "Shit. Guess I'll just have to hold out hope that someone around here will let me borrow one."

"Really? You forgot the cigs? Here I thought we'd been preparing for this shit for months now. You were supposed to have been stockpiling them for this kind of situation." Lappe shook his head and then rested it on the boy's shoulder. "Guess I didn't teach you anything did I?"

"Yeah you did." Jack sighed as he started walking off towards the fenced off area which was full of flowers. "I learned a whole lot of bad habits from you."

"Bullshit. Smoking hasn't ever killed anyone."

"Maybe not Pokemon, but humans die all the time from it."

"That's just because you're all too weak willed. Go live in the wild for a while and nothing will be able to hurt you anymore."

"Yeah, just like that Pidgeotto didn't almost take off both of our heads."

"I had it under control though, didn't I? We're both still alive, and it seemed to be angriest with me anyways. I'd have gone first and then you wouldn't have even had time to worry about if you were going to die or not."

"Whatever man… anyways, we're here. Let's go tell Jenny about what happened. Maybe she's really strong and we'll be able to get back home right after we finish our business here."

"If she's a woman then I doubt it."

"You know, one of the first Pokemon trainers was actually a woman?"

"Oh really? Just goes to show how weak they are then. While everyone else is fighting with their own strength, they have to go off and enlist the aid of others."

"I'll have you know that not all women are as weak as you think mister!" An elderly lady in the garden next door to where the two were bickering called out at the Pokemon. "Back in my day, we had to wrangle Pokemon with our bare hands. We didn't have these confounded Pokeballs to fall back on like you kids today!"

"Oh jeez, let's just go inside and get this over with or we'll be stuck here for days." Jack tucked his chin and pressed Lappe's head back into his backpack as he walked into the station.

"What can I do for you?" A light-blue haired woman smiled as she spoke to the young trainer standing in front of her. Her navy blue outfit stood out against the the gray of the stone surrounding her, and the merits on her chest shone brilliantly.

"There was uh, there was a uh…" Jack stuttered as he blushed, struck by the attractiveness of the woman in front of him.

Lappe struggled free from the bag which he had been pushed back down into and then stood on top of Jack's head, taking the lead. "There was an attack in Viridian Forest. A Pidgeotto belonging to the Republic ordered a small army of Ratatta and Raticate to tear down the trees at the Viridian entrance and now we can't get home."

"Ah I see," the Officer nodded as she picked up her phone. "I don't think there's anyone with enough strength in this area to get rid of the trees, so I'll call the other Jennys and see if they have seen any trainers strong enough to help out. In the meantime, you two should take on the Pewter gym before Brock leaves."

"Before he… leaves? What do you mean?" Jack raised one of his eyebrows and took a step back towards the door.

"Well, he was just recently accepted into the Elite four, so he won't be in this city for much longer. His little brother is supposed to be taking over for him, but if you want a real gym experience then I suggest taking on Brock as his final challenger. He may even give you a few tips and tricks."

"I see… well then, I guess we had better get a move on. We definitely don't want to miss out on that opportunity… but wait, if he's such a strong guy then why don't you just ask him to take care of the forest?"

"Well, he's been waiting to get accepted into the Elite four for a long time. There's a lot of benefits that come with a position like that, you know? It's really going to help him to take better care of his family and live his dream of being a breeder… but if he misses his induction then that's that. They're pretty big about keeping a schedule, and Brock won't have a second chance if he misses it the first time."

"I guess I understand. Then, do you think that the guy's brother isn't as qualified to be a leader then? Or…"

"No, no that's not it at all. Brock has been the leader of this city for well over thirty years and has ushered hundreds of trainers on in their journeys with new insight. His brother on the other hand, has only just passed the challenges set to become a leader and hasn't ever gone on an adventure of his own unlike nearly every other leader. He's completely inexperienced, and without the necessary experience it will be hard for him to ready anyone for their journeys to come I believe. Which is why I think it best that you hurry along and try to catch Brock before he leaves. Come back to me when you're finished, I should have enough time to set up someone to come and clear out the forest by then."

"Alright then, I understand completely now." Jack bowed slightly and then pushed open the door, going around the back of the building so as to avoid the elderly woman who had began to rant earlier.

"You don't have any plans of going to that gym right now, do you?" Lappe rested his jaw on the top of Jack's head as the Pokemon slouched down onto his friend's shoulder.

"Not at all. You heard her. Brock's brother is supposed to be a pushover who knows next to nothing about battling or the world around him. It'll be a piece of cake to take him out whereas Brock himself could pose a threat to us. It'd be a shame if we had to actually try y'know?"

The Totodile sighed as it climbed back into the backpack. "I guess I'll just take a nap then if we're not going yet."

"I'll wake you up when the time comes man. Don't worry about it."

 

[Bay]

Don't know why, but something about the people understanding what the Pokemon are saying amuses me. Maybe it's because I'm so used to reading fics where the Pokemon usually don't speak the same language as the humans unless technology or telekinesis is involved heh. Jack did deserved that callout from that elderly lady lol. Something tells me Jack's getting ahead of himself waiting to go against Brock's brother and he'll get a dose of reality soon.

 

[Sonata]

Chapter 4 - The First Battle

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?Hey man, it's time to wake up. Day's almost up so we should be all clear for the gym now.?

The Totodile rolled over and yawned, crawling out of the bag that it had fallen asleep in.

?So you're ready to finally go beat up on another little kid so we can go home, right??

?Well, y'know, it's more of you beating him up rather than me. I mean shit, I'm not even giving you orders like everyone else so it's almost like you're the one on the journey and I'm just here to carry you when you get too tired.?

?Yeah, whatever man. Don't read too deep into the shit. Let's go do this shit and get the journey over with already. We're already both out of our comfort zone.?

Jack walked up to the doors of the gym and stared up at the sign. Lappe climbed down from the boys back and began to stretch alongside Jack as they readied for themselves for their first and what they both hoped to be their last battle. Just as the two were moving to enter the building, the doors swung open and revealed a middle aged dark-skinned man with spiky hair.

?Oh, hello there! I suppose you're here to take my challenge? Or, I mean to say the Pewter city gym challenge since it's not exactly mine anymore but my brother Forrest's.? The man chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his head where his hair laid a bit more flat.

?I guess you're Brock then? Good luck in the elite 4.? Jack smiled half-heartedly, and lowered his head slightly.

Brock chuckled again and then nodded his head. ?Hey thanks, I hope to see you there at some point. For now though, take care of my younger brother. He's not got a lot of real world experience, but I've been training with him for a good long while so I'm sure he'll be a good challenge for you regardless of your own level. He'll be using rock types as well, so if you've spent time preparing for me then you won't have to change up your tactics or anything.?

?Oh really? Sweet, sounds great. Guess we'll go on in then.? Jack moved towards the door, turning sideways so as to pass by the ex-leader without continuing the conversation.

?Good luck, and if you don't mind, don't be too rough on the kid alright??

Jack waved the back of his hand at the ex leader as he walked through the doors, struggling not to let slip a sigh.

Lappe jumped up onto jacks shoulder and whispered into his ear. ?You don't really want me to take it easy on him, do you??

Jack shook his head. ?Hell no. Obviously I don't care that the guy's new or else we would have come in earlier instead of wasting precious daylight. Let's just get this shit over with so we can go back and sleep comfortably in our own bed.?

A young man who appeared to be only a few years older than Jack stood in the center of the room, his arms crossed and his chin pointed to the ceiling. "Well then! I guess you're here for the challenge then! Good! You'll be my first official opponent then! Don't think I'll take it easy on you."

Jack scrunched his nose as he leaned his head in closer towards the leader. "Uh, why are you looking at the ceiling? I'm right over here."

"Don't question me! All good leaders should have a presence of grandeur and mystery! I hold my head up high because I know I'm better than you, and you should reach for my echelon! Though it's unlikely you'll ever be as great as me, you should never give up on trying!" The man smiled wide and then turned his back on Jack, walking slowly over to a structure consisting of eight rocks. "So tell me, how much experience as a trainer do you have?"

"Well, I'm not exactly a trainer in the typical sense, so..."

"So then you're not here for my challenge?" The man turned back around and looked slightly upset. "What'd I get all hyped up about then?"

"No no, I am here to fight you. It's just I'm not exactly like the average trainer I guess. My partner isn't really a friend or companion, but an equal instead. He's still a free Pokemon, we just both equally want to defeat you so we came in together on a partnership based on an understanding rather than-"

The man slammed his fist against the wall and clenched his fist before spinning around. With an expression of great joy upon his face he called out to the duo enthusiastically. "So then you are here to fight! Perfect! From the way you're talking now, it looks like you've just started out as well so I'll take it easy on you! I'll assume you don't have any badges, so I'll use my weakest Pokemon against you now. I hope you're ready!"

"Uhh, sure. I guess. Let's get this thing going then." Jack looked over to Lappe and nodded his head. The Pokemon followed his friend's lead and then waddled out into the center of his side of the field.

"Like I said, for this battle I'll be using my weakest set of Pokemon set aside for people with one or less badges. You might have the elemental advantage, but I have power in numbers. For this fight, I'll be using two Pokemon but they're not to be taken lightly. If you don't give it your all, you'll definitely lose this fight."

Jack nodded as he looked at the ground around him and then sat down with his legs crossed. "Fuck 'em up so we can go home Lappe!"

The Pokemon nodded, acknowledging it's friend's words of encouragement. The leader of the gym smiled and nodded as well, formally acknowledging the challenge and ensuing battle.

"Then, for my first Pokemon I'll send out a gift from my brother. Go, Bonsly!"

The Pokemon flew out into the center of the arena and burst free from its ball. The tiny Pokemon which resembled a potted tree let out a powerful yet adorable wail as it bounced its head against the ground in an attempt to intimidate its opponents.

"Guess we'll start the fight then." Jack pointed his finger out at the opposing Pokemon and then dropped it lazily back into his lap. "Lappe, you know what to do so don't make me waste my energy."

"Right. Fuck 'em up."

 

[Bay]

I thought there would be a Pok?mon battle this chapter, but I guess it'll be much shorter than I expect. Jack's explaining to Forrest how he and Lappe are equals was a bit wordy, but I guess it gets the job done. Forrest trying to be mysterious is cute.

 

[Sonata]

5.

Just as a note, I'm not going to include too many actual battles into this story. That's not to say there won't be any, since I'm going to have one within the next two chapters or so, but there's just not going to be a great ratio between battle posts and story posts I guess.

----------

"Well, that was easy enough." Lappe swung his arms around, releasing the tension that had been built up through the battle.


"Y-you cheated… you had to've." Forrest fell to his knees, cradling the defeated Geodude and Bonsly as tears fell from his eyes. "There's no way you could be that strong without having any badges. Bonds like that just don't exist. You didn't even fight alongside him and yet that Pokemon defeated mine so easily... "


"That's just the way it is." Jack planted his fist in the ground and then slowly spun around, pushing himself up into a standing position before shaking out his legs. "Guess I shouldn't have wasted so much time getting comfy if it was going to be that quick."


Lappe spit a ball of water onto the ground beside himself and then began to waddle over to the leader of the gym on the other side of the field. "We'll take out badge now," the Pokemon said as it tilted its head up mockingly.


Forrest sat on the ground, his clothes dampening from his own tears alongside the water still running off of his own Pokemon. Slowly, the leader shook his head. "No."


"No? What do you mean no? We beat you didn't we?"


"No." The leader wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve before standing up. "You tried to deceive me, you don't deserve this medal. You didn't defeat me rightly. Come back tomorrow and try again… or don't come back at all, either one is fine with me." The young man pressed a pokeball against his Geodude and then replaced the two Pokemon in the rock which he'd drawn then from before disappearing through a door in the back of the arena.


"What the fuck man. You've gotta be shittin' me." Jack sighed as he kicked at the ground around him. "What kind of person acts like that? So much for leaders being so mature and shit. Honestly, fuck this shit. We're gonna go talk to Jenny, you hear?" The boy walked quickly up to the door at the rear of the gym and began to bang on it. "I'm gonna bring the police in on this shit if you're gonna cheat me like this!"


Lappe and Jack stood outside the door for nearly ten minutes, kicking and knocking at it as they called out that they weren't going to leave. After those ten minutes passed by however, the lights in the building began to dim one by one and the duo kicked the door one last time before saying 'fuck it' and walking back out into the city.


"So then we're heading back to the police then?" Lappe climbed back up onto Jack's shoulder and cozied himself into the bag on his friend's back.


"I guess. I mean, I don't really know what else to do. Maybe we should have just fought against Brock instead. At least then I would think he'd have the decency to not cheat us like this y'know?" Jack scratched the back of his head and then cracked his neck as he rolled his head around, fixing his eyes on the sky. "I guess we'll just see what happens. Maybe Jenny can get the Elite Four involved somehow and get rid of that guy. He's clearly not ready for a leadership position if he can't even bear to lose against guys like us y'know?"


The Pokemon nodded in agreement. "I guess we'll just wait and see. Not like we can really go home yet anyways."


The two walked in silence through the town until they got to the station. The old lady who had been out tending the garden earlier had fallen asleep in a little rocking chair and was now surrounded by grass-type Pokemon who were taking care of the gardening for her. Jack smirked, remembering the confrontation from earlier as the two entered the station once more.


"Ah! There you are, I have news for you." Jenny smiled as the duo entered the room. "I got ahold of a capable trainer just moments ago. The trainer is currently in Saffron, so it'll take him a short while to get here. The boy said that he and his Machamp would be in the forest sometime during the night and would be finished before morning comes."


"Well that's great news. I guess that means you'll have time to help us out with this other problem we have in the meantime." Jack swung the bag off of his back and let Lappe out of it.


"Oh? And what's that?" Jenny rose from her seat, picking up a belt of Pokeballs and snapping it around her waist.


"Well," Jack began as he thought of whether or not to tell her why exactly they waited so long to challenge the gym after they left. "We got caught up at the Pokemon Center earlier, so we didn't get to the gym until Brock was already gone. But that was fine, because we got to fight Forrest in his place. Or, it would have been fine but after we beat Forrest he kind of just ignored us and left without giving us his badge."


Jenny looked at the two, puzzled and then removed her belt. "Well, what got you so caught up at the Pokemon Center that made it so you couldn't take on the challenge until Brock was out?"


Jack shifted nervously, unsure of what exactly to say to her. The boy looked down at Lappe who looked back at him, shooting him a look which more or less said 'if you make up an excuse which throws me under the bus I'll kick your ass'. "Well, I uh... I had… really… really… bad… uh… poops…"


Jenny tilted her head to the side and scrunched up her eyebrows as she narrowed her eyes. "What?"


"I uh…" Jack swallowed hard as he looked at the floor, trying his best to avoid eye contact. "I had uh… really bad poops… liquidy and stuff… I didn't feel like I could fight with my full strength so we just kind of…"


Jenny sighed as she shook her head, planting her elbow on the table and then her head in her palm. "Just wait until tomorrow. Forrest just got promoted to leader, so it'll take him some time to cope with the fact he's essentially made to be a loser forever. Go back in tomorrow and talk to him. By then he should be ready to give in, and if not come back here and I'll call for the Elite Four to step in. For now, why don't you go to the museum and then get a room for the night? I'll give you a bit of cash since the museum isn't too expensive and it's more or less the city's problem as far as you not being able to move on goes."


Jack nodded, holding his sweaty palms out to the officer as she dropped the few coins into his hand. "So uh, what exactly is the museum about? Natural history or something like that?"


"Sort of. The base floor is dedicated to fossils and special evolutionary stones discovered here in Kanto. The bottom floor is dedicated to the Kanto Space Program. They've got a model rocket, a diagram of our planetary system and a small farm of space based Pokemon like Clefairy and Minior."


"I see, well I guess that sounds kind of cool. We could take some time to check it out I guess. Thanks."


"No problem. The hotel should open up to walk-ins sometime in the next twenty or thirty minutes, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to get a room. Just enjoy what the city has to offer in the meantime and hopefully we'll have everything sorted out by tomorrow."


Jack nodded, picking up Lappe as he turned to walk out the door. After they'd cleared the entrance to the building, he looked down at the Pokemon tucked away under his arm. "So, what do you want to do? You wanna grab a bite to eat, go to that museum or just go wait at the hotel for it to open up?"


"We didn't really get enough from that chick to buy food and that museum just sounds really fuckin' lame. So really the only option left is to just go and wait shit out I guess."


"Eh, if that's fine with you then I guess it's fine with me too. It's only like twenty minutes anyways, and I am starting to get kind of tired. A lot of shit has gone on today man."


"Yeah, well, that's exactly why we're heading back home right after we get this badge. From what I've heard, most days of a trainer's life or journey or whatever are filled with bullshit like what's happened today. It's best for the both of us if we just hit up Jenny early in the morning tomorrow and have her call up the Elite Four. Just completely bypass the step of returning to the gym at all and have the head honchos come give us our badge instead."


"Yeah, that makes sense. It'll waste a lot less time at least. We might even make it back home before dinner tomorrow night." Jack walked up to the wall of the hotel that they'd been told to stay at and sat on the ground with his back up against it, his bag laying on the ground between his legs. "I wonder what Mom's up to now anyways? It must be so different for her without us there, especially after Dad disappeared."


A silence passed over the two as the topic of Jack's father came up. The man had been missing for over three years now, and nobody had any idea why or where he'd gone. At one point in his youth, the man had been a respectable trainer and then as time passed he had gone on to become the Sensei for the dojo in Saffron City. He was a self defense instructor, a man who taught Jack a lot of what he knew now about relationships between humans and Pokemon. While his father had indeed been a trainer back in his day, he didn't fully believe in or support the choices that came with the occupation. He believed that any Pokemon could become a friend and would aid someone regardless of if it had been tamed through capture or not.


Jack's father had released all of his Pokemon from their balls and took on each in a battle of strength. Day in and day out he trained with his Pokemon and taught them all he knew so that they could possibly see each other as equals. But before his efforts bore any fruit, the man went missing. A few months later, Mewtwo appeared and began to fight out against the humans for Pokemon's rights. When the Pokemon had first appeared, it said things which sounded eerily similar to what the boy's father had once tried to teach him. For a while, Jack thought that his father might have run off to join this group of Pokemon who sought freedom from trainers. But at the end of the day it was just another conspiracy theory, and this world was beginning to become filled with things such as those.


Jack let out a sigh, trying his best not to think about his father any more than he had to. He looked up at the hotel's sign, seeing that they still had around ten minutes until it opened. The boy laid out on the patchy grass which surrounded the building and looked up into the sky which was slowly being taken over by the night and its stars.


"Wonder what that is…" Lappe rolled over onto his stomach as he looked off towards the East. A massive, flying Pokemon was crossing the sky and it seemed to have multiple somethings dangling off the bottom of it which seemed to fall off periodically.


Jack met the Pokemon's gaze and then shrugged. "Eh, don't worry about it. It's probably nothing, just a battle gotten out of hand or something."


"I suppose." The Pokemon continued to stare off at the flying creature, wondering what exactly it was and where it was headed to.


"Hey, let's go. Hotel just opened up." Jack stood up, picking up his bag and holding out his hand to Lappe.


"Yeah…" Lappe's eyes remained fixed on the Pokemon in the distance as he took his friend's hand. The Totodile finally looked away and clung to Jack's shoulder as they entered the building. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but it wasn't worth worrying about now. If something were up, they'd find out about it eventually.


"Hello, I'd like a room please…"

 

[Bay]

Way to be like Whitney there, Forrest. Also smooth explanation to Officer Jenny there Jack. The stuff concerning Jack's father was interesting though I think I would like it better if there's like an extra chapter or flashback with the interactions between the two as the way you had it is a bit of an info dump. Either way, I hope we get more development on Jack's father soon.

 

[Sonata]

6. Next chapter will be a long one as I'll be covering a good bit of content - including what I hope is a fight of epic proportions - and there's no real good cutoff for it.

-------------------------

All through the night, Jack's dreams were haunted with disjointed images of his father - most involved him turned away and leaving their home. Jack tried to shout out to him, wanting to call him back to his mother and himself but his voice was drowned out by a slow and constant thud. At one point in the night, he'd even woken up due to the thudding sounds and thought that they persisted even outside of his dreams. Lappe was there on the windowsill, his head resting on the sill as he gazed out towards the sky illuminated with a soft pink.

"Go back to bed Jack. There's nothing for you here right now."

The Pokemon's voice was slow and gravelly, his words hung heavy in the air as he spoke them. He sounded choked up, as if he had just finished crying over something and was trying to appear strong. Jack mumbled some incomprehensible string of words with no real meaning behind them and then fell back to sleep until the morning.

The next morning, Lappe was still in the same position as when Jack had awoken earlier that night. The Pokemon lifted its head and looked over at his friend, heavy circles beneath both of their eyes.

"It's kind of weird sleeping away from home, isn't it?" Jack mumbled and then stretched out his arms as he yawned. "Did you get any sleep? I kept having this really weird dream all through the night, but I guess I got enough sound sleep all in all. I could probably sleep a few more hours but I'd rather do it in my own bed, y'know?"

Lappe nodded his head, his eyes drifting away from Jack as the boy began to grow more aware. "I got just a little. The birds kept me up almost all night though…" The Pokemon's words trailed off as he wiggled off of the window sill and onto the floor. "Are you ready to go see that woman again?"

"Officer Jenny you mean? Yeah, I mean, we need to get that kid to give us his badge so we can go home so it makes sense doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Makes sense."

Jack rolled out of bed, still in his outfit from the day before and made a bee line path for the front door. Lappe followed closely behind him, his head still hung low as he watched his friend's footsteps and fell in behind them. Jack waited around in the lobby of the hotel for several minutes, wanting to pay off the room so they could immediately head home once all was said and done. However, after ringing the bell and calling out for someone to come up to the counter for nearly ten minutes Jack shrugged his shoulders and placed the room balance on the counter before scooting it off the other side of the counter and onto the floor.


"Well, they can't say we didn't try to pay them if they don't find it later." Jack chuckled to himself, but Lappe was already at the door, holding it open wide for them to go through after the tab had been paid. "What are you in such a rush for," Jack questioned as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked outside.

"I just want to get this done with."

"Homesick huh? I get it. But it's not the first time for you, is it?"

"Last time it wasn't really my choice… I guess it's not really any different from now, is it?"

"What's up man? You seem really under the weather today for some reason."

"It's just… last night… I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what? We won the fight so it's not your fault. Sure, you might have fought a little too hard and gave him the wrong impression, but it's not really your fault."

"It's not that man… it's just… nevermind… let's just get on with what we have to do… I'll tell you later…"

Jack looked worriedly out of the corner of his eye at his friend. Lappe had never acted this way before. It was completely out of character for the Pokemon, and it was really beginning to worry the boy, though he knew better than to pry. Lappe would tell Jack when he was well and ready.

Jack stood outside of the Police station and stared at the sign that had been hung over the door from the inside. 'Out on Patrol' stared at him in bright red lettering. All of the lights inside were turned off, and the desk inside seemed to be exactly as it had been the night before. The boy looked at the hours posted on the glass window which indicated when the station was supposed to be open.

"Seven A.M. to twelve P.M.. Officer on duty - Jenny. It's only ten after seven, maybe she's not come in yet."

Lappe nodded. "Let's take a seat and wait a bit for her here then. If we don't see her before then, we should just go confront Forrest again and see what arises from that."

"Yeah, I suppose so. You'd think an officer of the law would be on time to work… but really it doesn't seem like anyone at all is out right now. The old lady next door isn't out with her garden, and I didn't see a single person on the way here did you?"

Lappe shook his head. "No."

Jack stared at the Pokemon and then looked up to the sky. The sky was tinted with a light grey, and seemed much darker to the South but he really thought nothing of it. Nearly an hour passed before Jack finally caved in. The boy rose to his feet and nudged the Totodile beside him.

"Let's go then."

The duo arrived at the gym and burst in the front door. Looking all around and finding the room empty, Jack sighed, cleared his throat and then inhaled deeply. "Forrest! I've come to talk with you about our battle last night!"

Several minutes passed and then the young boy moved one of the rocks at the back of the room and entered. His eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. The boy looked Jack up and down and then rubbed his forearm across his face.

"So you've come to challenge me fair and square then?"

"What? No. I want what's mine. Give me my badge! I already beat you once and that's all that's needed, right?"

Forrest pressed a button by the tunnel from which he'd came, and the formation of rocks split open, revealing eight sets of Pokeballs. The leader grabbed the first ball from the rock third from the top and then stretched his arm out towards the challenger.

"As a gym leader, I must abide by that rule that is correct. But it is also my duty to give all who would wish to challenge me, a battle befitting their abilities. To fight someone with only a fraction of my power because they've only just begun their journeys is only a part of it, I am also here to challenge you the trainer. I must be able to recognize your power and match it with power of my own in order to properly gauge your strength. This is why I've kept the badge from you. Our battle yesterday could only be considered a warm-up due to me not recognizing your full potential and providing an adequate enough battle to test you. Today will be the true thing."

"So what you're saying is, you can't stand the idea that your very first challenger defeated you so easily, so you're going to try harder to defeat me? Great. Are all gym leaders as cheap as you?"

"Don't worry, I won't use my strongest team. I'll only use those Pokemon whose powers rival your own. Now then, if you're ready."

Jack sighed. He stared at his feet for several seconds, wondering if he should risk it and fight once more or if he should just wait for Jenny to return later in the day and talk with her about it. Without the boy's realizing it, Lappe made his way into the center of the arena and stared down the gym leader.

"Jack!" The boy snapped to attention, staring at his partner who had already taken up his position in the center of the arena. "Let's finish this."

Jack nodded and then took his place on the floor, giving his friend a thumbs up for encouragement.

Forrest nodded his head, re-acknowledging their challenge. "This time is for real. If you beat me now, I'll have no qualms about awarding you my city's badge. If you lose thought, it's back to square one. You'll need to challenge me all over again until you finally muster the strength to defeat me. I hope you're ready for what is to come." The leader gently pressed the center of the ball in his hand and released his first of three Pokemon into the center of the arena. "Graveler, I choose you!"

The Pokemon burst free from its ball and un-folded its arms from its body while letting out a mighty roar. The Graveler pointed at Lappe with one of its hands and then turned it into a fist, taunting the Pokemon to come at it. Totodile swayed from side-to-side before unleashing a mighty torrent of water from its maw. The Graveler threw up its arms in front of itself, causing the water to splash away from it, rendering the attack mostly ineffective. The battle had just begun, but it seemed it would be an arduous one.

 

[Sonata]

7.

The Graveler grinned menacingly as it dug its hands into the ground and lifted up chunks of the arena and began to toss them haphazardly at Lappe. The Totodile danced between each impact, using its Water Gun to propel itself quickly in whichever direction it needed. The Graveler narrowed its eyes, and then after launching four more rocks curled into a ball and shot straight towards the Pokemon as it flew through the air with a dwindling stream of water.

?Graveler! Rollout now! Don?t let up, build into your full power before they have anything to do about it!?

The leader was playing much more aggressively than the day before, where he?d shown himself to be much more cautious and ?by the books? in regards to battle etiquette. Something had definitely set a fire under him over night, but what it was was uncertain. Forrest?s eyes gleamed with determination to defeat Jack and show him the true powers of a leader. However, his eyes weren?t the only ones who?d changed by the events of the night.

Lappe snapped his head around towards the Graveler, the Totodile?s eyes glowing a brilliant blue as the rocks scattered about his side of the arena began to float and make a wall around him. Tilting his head back, the Pokemon filled its mouth with a powerful blast of water and then shot it out quickly at one of the boulders which orbited around it - shooting it off like a cannon at the rolling Pokemon.

?Graveler!? Forrest called out as his Pokemon was pelted by one of its own projectiles, knocking it off balancing and causing it to careen into the pit it had made from digging up the arena.

?This is over.? Lappe announced as he rocketed off towards the pit where the Graveler had fallen. As the Totodile flew past the hole, at once the orbiting stones flew into the hole on their own accord, pummeling the helpless Pokemon into submission.

?Shoot? Graveler, I?m sorry.? The leader held out his arm, pressing the Pokeball?s center once more and retrieving his felled ally. ?You surprise me Jack and Lappe. Your win yesterday was no fluke, that is for certain. Your power as a Trainer and Pokemon is real in order to defeat my Graveler. However, from here on you won?t be able to just sit back and relax anymore. This is where the battle gets real. I received this Pokemon on my first trip across the sea to Cinnabar island back before it was destroyed.?

Moving over towards the wall of Pokeballs, the Leader replaced the capsule containing his fallen Graveler and removed the one next to it in the line of three. Without looking back, he threw out his arm and pressed the button, releasing the ancient Pokemon in its full glory. A grin spread across his face as he took in the expression of his opponent.

Jack?s eyes widened as he rose to his feet. There were few who?d ever seen the fossil of ancient Pokemon before, let alone those who could say that they?d either fought against or captured one. The rarity of creatures like these rivaled that of legendary Pokemon, and to tame one was proof of a trainer?s abilities. Even though Jack had never really cared for the idea of being a trainer, he?d always wondered what it would be like to witness either a legendary or prehistoric Pokemon. Seeing the monster here in front of him now, was proof enough that what Forrest said was true. If he wanted to go back home, he?d have to get truly serious here and now.

?Well, what do you think?? Forrest turned back towards Jack with his hands on his hips, trying not to look too smug about having caught his opponent off guard. ?Isn?t my Aerodactyl a magnificent one? My brother used to tell me stories about his encounters and experiences with these fossilized Pokemon once they?d been returned to life. In fact, a few years ago he?d even assembled a couple of teams filled with these prehistoric Pokemon and had hopes of breeding them so their population could flourish once more? one of our brothers even decided to go into schooling to become an archaeologist so he could find even more fossils to resurrect for Brock.? Tears began to fall from the boy?s face as he talked about his older brother. Burying his face in his sleeve for a moment, he gathered himself and wiped away the tears streaming down his face. ?Brock?s done so much for us all? the people of this city and his family alike? we?re all so grateful to him, for everything that he?s done? it?d be a disgrace to his name for me to lose to you now! I?ll use this Pokemon that he gave me so long ago to defeat you!?

The Aerodactyl let out a piercing screech as it took to the skies, flying high up out of the reach of the tiny Water type. Lappe?s eyes began to glow once more as the rocks began to float up from the pit they?d been dropped in.

?Lappe?? Jack whispered.

The Totodile looked behind him at his friend, their eyes meeting. ?I know. It?s awesome, isn?t it??

Jack nodded. ?I never imagined I?d get to see something so cool? but I?ma need you to show me something even cooler? kick its ass so we can head home buddy.?

Lappe looked back towards the sky and then slowly nodded his head. ?Of course, man. It was a dream of both of ours after all? but this journey is not? I have to do my part while you do yours.?

The Totodile filled its mouth with water and then fired at the ground below it, causing the earth to crack and making a giant indention from the pressure. The Pokemon flew up into the sky and faced eye to eye with the Aerodactyl before being ripped away from its stream of water by the claws of the monster. The Aerodactyl flew in a circle, speeding up with each flap of its wings as it swooped in towards the ground and slammed Lappe into it. The Totodile rolled several feet after the impact, the damage done to it in that single hit very clear. The difference in their powers were phenomenal - without even issuing a command, Forrest?s Aerodactyl had nearly done in Lappe with a single strike.

?This is the power of a Leader officially recognized by the Pokemon League. The life of a trainer is not something to be taken lightly Jack. We devote ourselves to our work, the betterment of ourselves and the ascension of others. When you first entered this arena yesterday, you thought of me as nothing, just because I was the first enemy you would have to face you brushed me off as nothing but a stepping stone. But I am more than that, my Pokemon are more than that, gyms and leaders as a whole are so much more than that! We are greater things than just benchmarks for the Pokemon League! We each have dreams and goals of our owns outside of battling!?

?Then what is your dream?? Jack called out from where he was standing, staring at his damaged and dazed friend, feeling anger for the first time. ?And why the hell should I care? I was forced into this journey and told I could only go home once this battle had been won! I didn?t ask for this! If I could have just lived my life without ever leaving Viridian then it would have been all the better!?

Forrest took a step back as his eyes widened. ?What?? He whispered to himself as his whole body began to shake. ?You said??

?Me and Lappe don?t share the same relationship as everyone else that comes through this place! Our bonds are stronger than those of a trainer and his Pokemon! Our connection is much deeper and more special than you could ever imagine! Just because our power may not be as great as yours doesn?t mean that?s a bad thing! Regardless of where we go in life, we will always be together! No matter who we become or how our ideals might change, we?ll always have each other?s backs! Pokemon are more than just pets or tools for battle! They are real companions, sentient beings on the level of any other person!?

?I realize that, but Jack-?

?Enough! Lappe! Get up and turn that fossil into dust before I hop in there and do it myself!?

The Totodile, who had began to silently cry rose to its feet. Wiping away the tears at its eyes, the Pokemon looked up towards the Aerodactyl and barred its teeth. Letting out a loud yell, Lappe kicked off of the ground and latched its teeth around the Pokemon?s wing and began to claw at it, his hands coated in a dark substance. The Aerodactyl screeched and then fell to the ground, unable to shake the tiny Pokemon from its wing. It called out towards Forrest, waiting for its master to give it an order.

The leader fell to his knees and stared at Jack. ?How can you be so strong willed in this moment??

?Let?s get this over with Lappe! Make your Water Gun as strong as you can and blast a hole in that monster?s wing! Make sure it never flies again!?

The Totodile closed its eyes, tears streaming down its face as it unlatched its teeth from the Aerodactyl?s wing and then fired off the strongest Water Gun it could muster. The Aerodactyl didn?t even move, its wing had been too damaged by Lappe?s piercing teeth and the repetitive Shadow Claws. The Pokemon was completely helpless without its trainer?s aid and in the leader?s silence it was quickly done in, the gap in power be damned.

?Jack, do you not think it?s weird that your friend is crying? Why are you so unaffected by what is going on? Do you not see that you?re letting your rage consume you? Are you really just going to turn a blind eye to what happened to Viridian City and live in this fantasy world of yours where everything will be alright if you just win??

?What are you talking about? You?re down to just one Pokemon, so let?s just finish this.?

?No. I refuse to go on any longer. This isn?t right Jack! I was really surprised when you came in today for a rematch so nonchalant. I thought you were so much stronger willed than myself that I just had to meet you, even if I did just lose my brother??

?What? What happened to your brother??

?He was in Viridian City on the way to the Pokemon League? he?d stopped in to meet with an old acquaintance of his and then? he didn?t make it out in time??

?Didn?t make it out? What do you mean by that??

?The bombing run? he was caught in it and? nobody?s heard from him since. Sure, Pokemon are strong and all but? there?s a limit to both what they and humans can take??

?Bombing? run? what?? Jack slowly stepped backwards until he fell down. He looked between Lappe and Forrest, seeing that both of them were neglecting to meet his gaze, he finally understood. ?So this is why? this is why you?ve been acting so distant Lappe? why, why didn?t you tell me? Why didn?t either of you tell me! When we were waiting outside of Jenny?s why didn?t you say something? Why? Why!?

Lappe laid on the ground and buried his head in his hands. ?I?m sorry. I couldn?t bring myself to do it. I?d hoped that we could avoid it for a while longer? the bombs had been going off ever since you went to sleep? everyone went outside but? you just sleep so peacefully not even the apocalypse could wake you.? The Pokemon laughed halfheartedly.

?It?s not fucking funny!? Jack?s eyes began to tear up and his lip quivered. The boy leaned forward and started crawling towards Lappe on all fours. ?Why Lappe? You should have just told me? if I?d have known I? I? I don?t know??

?I?d hoped we could hold off on it for a while. Maybe Jenny could have broken the news to you or we could have just kept moving on with the journey until we had another way to Viridian and I could have broke the news then? I don?t know, I just wasn?t strong enough to tell you? It?s been tearing me up inside all day too? I?ve never felt pain like this before Jack. It hurts. It hurts so fucking bad. I thought if I could just look strong for you and win this fight then? maybe you?d want to keep going on, regardless of whatever came up? I?m sorry??

?How? how did it happen??

Forrest walked forward into the arena and knelt down next to Jack. ?It was an army of Seedot? they were clinging to the feathers of a flock of flying Pokemon which was said to be led by a Pidgeotto and the legendary Pokemon; Ho-Oh.?

?A Pidegotto and? a legendary Pokemon?? Jack?s face turned white as the blood ran away from it.

?The likelihood of it being West is really slim but?? Lappe sat up, his eyes still flowing with tears but his voice unbreaking now. ?He said the only way to go would be forward? do you think he could have been talking about this??

Jack clenched his fist. ?I?ll fucking kill him. I?ll kill all of them if it was their doing. Next time we meet that Pokemon, I?ll ask him myself. I?ll get him to tell me the truth even if I have to rip out each and every one of his damn feathers.?

?Jack, I?m upset about my brother as well, but revenge is not the answer. Besides, you?re not even sure if this is related to that Pokemon.?

?No, it?s definitely related.? Lappe swallowed hard as he stared the leader in the eyes. ?It?s just not sure if West was actually the one leading the bombers or if it was another Pidgeotto. I always knew that the Republic would eventually start a war, I just never thought??

?If we could have just stayed home, we could have helped them?? Jack whispered.

?That?s not exactly true. My brother - one of the Elite Four - was even there along with someone who he said was just as strong or stronger than himself and they couldn?t stop the bombing run. Viridian city is filled with experienced and successful battlers and not one of them was able to stop the attack from happening? and? not one person survived either? It seems that not only was Viridian blown up, but also Pallet Town and most of Victory Road were decimated as well. Their only escape was through the forest but? Jenny?s been there ever since the Seedot started falling and? not a single person came her way.?

?It?s because the exit was blocked.? Jack?s eyes widened to the point that they appeared ready to fall out of his head. ?It was all our fault. Of course? if we hadn?t gone through that battle with West, then the path out of Viridian wouldn?t have been sealed? and this entire bombing wouldn?t have even likely happened? it?s all completely our fault? I can?t??

?Just because there?s not been any reports of survivors, that doesn?t mean there aren?t any.? Lappe placed his hand on Jack?s knee. ?If they are safe, then they?re likely on Victory Road, right Forrest??

The leader nodded his head. ?Of course. If they?d gone through to Pewter or tried to come here they wouldn?t have made it, but only the entrance to Victory Road was really damaged. There?s still a good chance that they?re making their way through there to the Pokemon League on the other side, or even to Johto. It?ll be a few days before we find out anything, but there?s always the possibility.?

Jack nodded his head absentmindedly, staring at his feet and wondering if his Mom were okay. There was no way to get a hold of her even if she was to make it out alive, so hope was all that he really had to hold onto now.

?For now, I think it best you continue on your journey, even if you don?t want to. If this ?West? is part of the Republic and holds a grudge against you, there?s no telling when or where he?ll strike again trying to get back at you. You need to get stronger. The air of the world around us has just changed drastically over night. There?s no telling what might happen next. If a legendary Pokemon was leading the bombing run, then Mewtwo and the rest of the Republic might have even more of them locked up somewhere waiting to play a role. The power of those Pokemon is definitely no joke? even using all of my Pokemon I doubt I?d have a chance of defeating one without a type advantage.?

Jack and Lappe looked at each other, their eyes drying as the time passed. Jack still couldn?t suppress the feeling that things had taken the worst possible turn, but he couldn?t dwell on it now. What Forrest said was true. They?d only just been able to barely defeat the leader?s second Pokemon and that was only because he?d been distracted. If he?d been fighting at full force, Forrest would have decimated the duo. Their powers definitely needed a drastic increase and fast if they were going to take revenge. Like the leader said, there?s no telling how many or what kinds of Pokemon lie in wait within the Republic. The next time they fought West, it might not be one against one.

?What do you suppose we do to get stronger then?? Jack pursed his lips. Deep inside, he knew the answer already, he just didn?t want to admit it.

?Challenge the other gyms of Kanto as you did me. Show them my badge and any others you might collect. Take them on and prevail, bolster your numbers until you can defeat even the gym on Cinnabar. I heard that even the gym of Viridian was destroyed, so for now there is no eighth badge, but by the time you gain a few that will most likely have changed.?

?Great? just what we?d set out hoping to avoid?? Jack sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. ?But how are we supposed to show other gyms your badge if we haven?t even got one from you yet??

?Right, well. I suppose you did defeat me once, and then Graveler was nearly as strong as my entire second team put together so it kind of makes up for it. You?re strong, there?s no doubt about that, but you?ll need to push yourself much harder if you want to prevail. I understand your relationship is different from the average Pokemon and trainer, but you could take some hints from the ways that others battle. I?m sure Lappe?s instincts are good, but nothing beats the insight that a trainer can give to a Pokemon. Don?t rely on just one or the other. You?re partners. You?re in this together now so you need to find a way to make it work. Strategize and try not to just brute force your way through it anymore alright? That?s the last bit of advice I?ve got for you? Now I?m going to go get back on the line with Jenny and see if she won?t go check out Victory Road or get someone else to. If I learn anything, it?ll likely be on the news before I can actually get hold of you again, so pay attention to the television wherever you go or you might just miss your chance.?

The leader pulled the Boulderbadge from the inside of his shirt and placed it in Jack?s hand, closing his fingers around it as he finished speaking. The two?s eyes met and then Lappe crawled onto Jack?s back, taking up his perch on the boy?s shoulder.

?Thanks? until we meet again then I guess.?

Jack placed the badge in his pant?s pocket and then stood up. He waved his hand at Forrest and then headed out the front door. Just as the he left the gym, a siren went off at the entrance to the town. Curious, Jack rushed towards the entrance, the doors to the gym flying open as Forrest burst out from them soon after.

Slowly waddling into town was a Seedot with shreds of blue fabric and a badge caught on the top of its head and its stem. Etched just below the Pokemon?s eyes were the initials of the Freed Kanto Pokemon Republic. As Lappe and Jack came into the Pokemon?s view, it began to glow violently.

?As a representative of the FKPR I bring you a message! Our great and powerful leader, Mewtwo has deigned that you, Jack and Lappe are enemies of our organization and shall therefore experience excruciating pain in every sense of the word! Know here that this attack on your hometown was only the beginning of what is to come!? The Seedot?s glow became even more furious as it spoke, it?s whole body shaking as its eyes closed and its voice wavered. ?West would also like for you to know, that your mother is only the first part of your loss. From hereon, any who you befriend or who chooses to befriend you will meet the same fate. Praise be to Arceus. Praise be? to Mewtwo? long live the Republic.?

The Pokemon?s voice trailed off as a blinding light filled the city. Jack, Lappe and Forrest were all thrown backwards as the Seedot exploded, bits of its body flying off in all directions along with the rubble of a house which had been standing nearby.

 

[Bay]

Oh dear, looks like FKPR are real serious there, especially when someone like Brock had died from the crossfire. When it was mentioned that West and Ho-oh were responsible for the bombing, I looked over a couple chapters back over the description where Lappe noticed a flying Pokemon dropping something, those "somethings" the Seedot. Subtle foreshadowing there.

Makes sense for Forrest to have a fossil Pokemon there. He behaved much better than the last battle he and Jack had. I like how he acknowledged Jack and Lappe having a bond but they still have a long way to go in terms of battling skills.

Looks like now this journey fic finally kicks off. Should be interesting to see how the other gym leaders will react to Jack and Lappe together.

 

[Sonata]

8.

After Jack returned to consciousness, he found that Lappe and Forrest were both still well and unharmed. Forrest had released his Pokemon from their balls and were helping to wall off the city from Viridian. Officer Jenny had returned and was directing the injured away from the forest and off towards the Pokemon Center, her Arcanine had been fitted with a special saddle with two hammocks on each side for carrying away those who were injured to the point of immobility. The Pokemon flew between the forest and the Pokemon Center at amazing speeds yet still being as light as a feather, only barely touching the ground as it passed. Innocent people and Pokemon alike were hurried away and out of the forest and towards the Pokemon Center. Through the trees, Jack could see the outlines of glowing eyes - a great number of Pokemon were still loyal to the Republic in this area regardless of what amount of danger they?d been put in from the haphazard bombing.

?How long was I out for?? Jack walked over to where Lappe was sitting, rubbing the bump on his head caused by the flying rubble earlier on.

?At least two hours.? Lappe looked down into his lap as he bit his lip. ?Forrest was out for about an hour. When he came to, he immediately jumped into action. He sent a Sudowoodo of his off into the forest to retrieve Jenny who seems to have been seriously injured by a swarm of Ratticate? though I guess she?s recovered? I had a lot of free time so I spoke to Nurse Joy and she said the policewoman hasn?t fully recovered, but refused not to pitch in and help secure the city.? The Pokemon fell silent for a moment as he looked off at the wall nearing its completion. ?Joy said that the bones in Jenny?s arm are completely crushed, almost to dust? it?s unlikely that she?ll be able to keep it, and yet here she is helping out in whatever way she can? I?m so fucking useless man, it?s not even funny.?

Jack wrapped his arm around the Pokemon and squeezed it tightly into his chest as they both began to cry silently. ?It?s okay man? I was afraid that I?d lost you??

Lappe chuckled in between tears. ?Don?t think that I?m as weak as you dipshit. Even the weakest of us Pokemon has skin hundreds of times thicker than yours. A little exploding Pokemon or building isn?t enough to do us in.?

Jack laughed back, ?I know, it?s just? I?m glad you?re still here. I wouldn?t really know what to do if I lost you as well, y?know??

The Pokemon nodded its head but remained quiet as it wiped the tears from its eyes. Jack stared off at the Gym Leader as he and his Pokemon worked together to move rocks of all sizes from one side of the city to the other. Pokemon from all over town had joined in to help in the efforts, but their trainers were constantly being warned and scolded by Jenny for getting too close to the barricade. If there were another attack, the Pokemon would be fine to get healed at the Pokemon Center, but the people of the city just weren?t built the same. The elderly lady who?d been watering plants beside the police station slowly walked up to Lappe and Jack and sat down next to them.

?War is a frightening thing. I?d hoped I?d never have to live through another of them, but in this world it?s nearly inevitable. If it?s not one thing, then it?s the other, you understand??

The woman smiled halfheartedly at Jack as he nodded his head and turned away from her. He wondered if she?d already forgotten the day before when Lappe had badmouthed her. The boy watched the woman from the corner of his eye, noticing as she sat there that there was a Pokeball resting atop her cane.

?Is that a Pokeball??

?Yes dear.?

?So you were a trainer??

?I suppose you could put it that way.? The woman laughed softly as she leaned back and put her head in the grass. ?At one time I was a very powerful trainer, at another a scientist, a soldier, a monster?? the woman closed her eyes and breathed deeply. ?I?ve been many a thing in my life, and all of them have revolved around Pokemon. Some of the things I?ve done have been through my own power, but your friend reminded me of something just yesterday. In this world, we may pretend to have power of the creatures we call Pokemon, but we are truly subject to them. We are graced with the gift of life in this world which should otherwise be solely inhabited by them. When the very God who created all that you see around you is a Pokemon, some doubts should start to spread? but the youngin?s these days play at being oblivious towards those facts. It?s no wonder that Pokemon wants a revolution??

?Are you saying that? you think what the Republic is doing is right??

The woman laughed so hard that she began to choke and cough. She held a rag up to her lips and coughed even harder as she sat up from the ground. As she pulled the rag away, spots of blood could see staining the fabric which was once pure white. Her hand began to shake as she wiped her tongue across her lips and folded the rag back up, placing it in her pocket.

?No, these kinds of attacks are not right. However, I do see where they?re coming from. Which is why I?ve resigned myself to staying here ever since the day they founded that organization.?

Jack stared at the woman as she stood up and brushed off her dress. ?What do you mean by that? You?ve resigned yourself to staying here??

?I?ve looked forward to retirement for so many years my child. I?ve seen so many faces, heard so many stories, known so many people? All I wanted was to move on, to forget those people and the things that they?ve said to me, the things that I?ve done? This is my retirement. Having just recently given up my position, it?s only natural that I?d take over at least some of the duties of the one taking my place isn?t it? Besides, so long as I?m here, nobody would dare to attack this place.?

The elderly woman pulled an old photograph from her pocket, something that looked like a family picture. Jack stood up and continued to look at the woman until his eyes drifted down alongside hers towards the photo of a somewhat younger version of her, two teenage boys in red and blue, a much younger woman, two younger looking men and an older gentleman nearly the same age as her. Out of all the people pictured, the elderly man and the boy in blue seemed to spark something within Jack.

?Do I? do I know those two from somewhere?? The boy reached out his hand absentmindedly towards the picture, hoping to take a better look at it.


The elderly woman replaced the photo in her dress and smiled at the boy. ?It?s the youth who will lead the world in the times to come my child. We old people have already had our adventures. You must become stronger if you?re going to do what your father could not Jack.?

?Jack!? Forrest called out from the wall which was entering its final stages.

The elderly woman smiled at the duo and then turned away, slowly making her way back towards her house. Forrest rushed over to where Jack was still standing, completely confused by what had just gone on.

?Jack, I?m glad to see you?re finally awake.? Forrest was drenched in sweat and his clothes had been torn to shreds so that only shorts and shoes remained. ?It?s hard work moving these stones you know? It?s actually a good thing you didn?t get to leave yet though, I?ve got something for you.? The leader held out his hand, an envelope stained yellow with sweat placed in it. ?I?d forgotten all about it earlier after our battle. After you showed me your strength, I knew I had to make some sort of preparations for your journey ahead. While were fighting, I?d already been taken by the idea of sending a letter over to Kris in Cerulean City to up her effort in the fight against you. But since you?re here, it?s probably easier to just let you have it. I added a few more things in there from what I?d originally intended? given the situation we?re in now I thought it was necessary.?

?Forrest?? Jack looked at the leader?s hand and then back over to the elderly woman struggling to make her way up the very slight incline back to her house. ?Who is that old lady??

?That? That?s old Aggy, why do you ask??

Jack shook his head. ?She talked to me, but I didn?t really understand. It was all really vague, but she knew my name for some reason.?

?Hmm, well, Aggy?s been around as long as I can remember. The past few years she?s been giving Brock some sort of special training, but I never really found out for what. All I know is that she?s extremely powerful, but in her old age it?s really hard for her to get out and do things so she more or less just keeps a watchful eye over things around here. We used to have a really bad infestation of Team Rocket members in the area after they were disbanded the first time. I heard she dealt with them pretty handily, but I never got to see since that was when Brock decided to take me to Cinnabar for my first fossil.?

?So, you don?t really know her story then??

?Not really. I mean, she?s strong and she?s been protecting this town for a long time so I welcome the help. I?m not really one to pry into people?s business anyways. If she wants to talk to you, I?m sure she?d be able to find you regardless of where you are though.?

?I see.?

?Yeah, well, anyways you really should be moving on. There?s no telling when the Republic will be making their next move, so you need to gain as much strength as possible for the time being. Also, learn to put more energy into your battles. Lappe is a pretty strong Pokemon, but we can only get so far with our strength as individuals. Where people and Pokemon truly become powerful is in teamwork.? Forrest looked behind him and grinned widely. ?Just look at that wall over there! Prime example!? The leader giggled uncontrollably as he ran over to one of Graveler and slapped its hand before pulling it into a strong embrace.

?Teamwork huh?? Jack whispered. ?Lappe, how do you think we should work together? Half the time it?s hard for me to really follow your movements anyways, so I don?t really know what I could do to help? but?? an image of Jack?s mother flashed across his mind and he began to chew on his nail as he grew worried.

Lappe jumped onto his friend?s back and placed his hand on top of the boy?s head. ?Don?t worry man. I kinda like doin? my own thing anyways. Like that old lady said, Pokemon are the strong ones. If you tried to help out I think you?d only really get in the way and confuse the shit outta me.? The Pokemon began to chuckle lightly as it placed its head against Jack?s.

The boy frowned and then sighed. ?Yeah well, don?t get too ahead of yourself. That was still just the first trial and we only won because Forrest was distracted.? The image of Jack?s mom lingered in the back of his head as he spoke to his friend. ?We have to get stronger, no matter the means??

Lappe looked worriedly at the sky and then nodded his head. ?Whatever the means? hmph.?

 

[Sonata]

9.

?What the fuck is this??

?Well, that?s just what happens y?know? It?ll take a while, so for the time being you can either wait or take the old road around.?

Jack scratched his head vigorously as he stared at the miners standing around the entrance to Mount Moon. It was amazing how quickly they?d all moved in on the work, but for there being eight of them they were moving incredibly slow.

?So,? Lappe began, ?you got any idea just how long it?ll take to open back up the entrance??

?Well,? one of the miners slammed his pick into the ground, clearly agitated at the duo?s questions, ?we been workin? on it ever since the first Seedot fell somewhere in the middle there. It?s not an easy thing to say right now, we don?t know if the cave-in is just at the entrance or if it goes on deeper into the caves. For now we?re just focusing our energy on the entrance and hoping this is the end of it? if I really had to say, then this part will take around four or five days. If the collapse extends even further in, then, well? I can?t really say. Anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It?d honestly be easier to dig a whole new tunnel than clear out the whole cave in this way, but that?s not a luxury we really have. Mount Moon is just too expansive, and is still being expanded? or at least it was? oh Arceus it just hit me? I?ve never seen a dead body, I can?t imagine what?ll happen if we end up digging someone up out of a pile somewhere deeper in. I think, I think I?ma be sick.?

The miner rushed off into one of the tents that had been set up for the workers to sleep in, leaving Jack and Lappe alone. The sound of the miner hurling was not only still audible, but the smell that came with it was moving fast as well. The duo held their noses shut as they rushed into the safety if the Pokemon center.

?So Jack, what's the plan?? Lappe plopped down into one of the seats designed for Pokemon of his size and then leaned back in it, his head resting on the back of the seat and facing his friend. ?Like he said, it could open up in a few days, but it could also take a whole lot longer.?

?You know we don't have time for that.? Jack sighed and walked over to the counter where a man dressed in blue was running the convenience shop. ?Do you sell cigarettes here??

?Of course. Although we only have two kinds in stock; Timid Yellows and Comfy Shorts.?

?Give me a pack of shorts then.?

Jack paid the attendant and nodded his head at Lappe as he went out the door, the Pokemon jumping up to follow after him.

?Don't fuckin? hold out on me now. You best be ready to give me one of those.?

?If you had any cash I?d have had you pay for them yourself since you forgot my pack at home. But yeah, sure, you can have one. I'm not exactly loaded at the moment though, so we'll need to make this pack last until we find a way to make some quick cash.?

?We could always do what the rest of trainers do and pick fights with another one.?

?But we're not trainers, are we??

?Nah. Well, at least not like the rest of them.?

?Obviously.?

?But for the sake of getting vengeance? we do have to get stronger??

?Does that mean we just throw all our morals to the wayside then??

?Nah man, that's not what I was getting at at all.?

?Well let's just not worry about it right now. Once we start hurting for cash it'll probably figure itself out.?

Jack took a final puff on his cigarette and then tossed it off into the grass. The miner who'd rushed away earlier was just leaving his tent with his hands over his gut and his face drained of its color.

?Hey man, you doin alright?? Jack walked up to the burly man and began to pat him on the back.

?Y-yeah? I'll be fine, just need to get back to work and get my mind off of things.?

?Ah, I see. Well, I think we've made a decision. Do you know where exactly this old road around Mt. Moon is??

?Yeah, though you won't find it on any normal map and the roads there are more just like guidelines through the mountains rather than actual directions set in stone? though they are actually set in stone? anyways, I'll be back. I've got just the thing for you back in my tent.?

The miner made his way back into his temporary house and began to rustle around inside of it, looking for whatever it was he?d decided to give to the duo.

?Got it!? The man shouted out from his tent and then emerged, drenched in sweat and a big smile on his face. ?Been holding on to this one for a while, just waiting for my retirement so I could explore Kanto the way they did in the old days? but with the way things?ve been going, I don't think I'll be able to live out that dream.? The man stared down at the rolled up paper in his hand and then up at Jack. ?It'll be a hard journey up around the mountain, but if you're adamant about finding a way around quickly then you'll need this. I'm sure you'll get more use out of it than myself. If you open it up, it's actually got a lay of the entire land with old and new paths alike. It should come in handy if you run into another predicament like this one on down the road.?

Jack nodded his head and smiled, putting out his hand for the miner to shake. ?Hey, thanks man. I really appreciate it.?

The miner smiled and then held on firmly to the boy?s hand. ?Be careful up there. No telling when the last time someone set foot on those paths.?

Jack squeezed the man?s hand back, though his grip paled in comparison to the much more developed miner?s. ?As long as I've got Lappe I'm sure we'll be fine.?

 

[Bay]

The part where Jack and Lappe got reunited after the Seedot incident is sweet. Then there's Aggy. With references of her being a strong trainer before, I'm gonna guess she's Agatha. Wow, is she like over 90 in this story, haha.

Poor miner not able to handle if he were to find a dead body in the rubble. Nice of him to give Jack and Lappe his map. Something tells me they'll be facing more roadblocks like that and perhaps will have to face going against other trainers sooner or later.

 

[Sonata]

With references of her being a strong trainer before, I'm gonna guess she's Agatha. Wow, is she like over 90 in this story, haha.

I haven't actually thought out exactly how much time has passed since the events of GSC in this story, but due to the fact of Oak and Agatha having been rivals that makes them roughly the same age. What I've read puts Oak at around 50 during the events of GSC so I'd say Oak and Agatha are around... 77 or 78 at this time in the story. Not quite ready to dig their graves yet :P

Something tells me they'll be facing more roadblocks like that and perhaps will have to face going against other trainers sooner or later.

;)

 

[Sonata]

10.

"I know he said this path hadn't been taken in a long time, but shit. Ever since we went down this way it's like nothing else even exists." Jack tossed himself against the ground and ran his hand through his hair as he pulled out the map for nearly the twentieth time. "And all these fucking rocks look the same! This map's fucking useless!"

"Chill dude." Lappe threw himself up against a rock that was nearby his friend. The Pokemon looked over the boy's shoulder and pointed one of his fingers at a point of the map labeled 'David's Divide'. "There's a sign up just a little ways more, maybe that's what it's for?"

"If it is, then that means we're still only a third of the way through this shit. And I'm god-damned starving! I could eat a whole Stantler right now if there were any around."

"Let's not get carried away. There might be some regular birds around here somewhere… the map says there's a small lake along the divided path, though it's a few hours in the opposite direction of where we need to actually go."

"Fuck it, that's where we're going. Food or no, I still need a bath and something to drink."

"I suppose I could use a good swim too, it has been a while since I've stretched my gills."

"It's settled then. We get to this divide thing, then head North towards… David's Puddle… who the fuck names these things anyways?"

"Probably someone by the name of David, or at least someone close to them I would assume."

Jack shot a glare at the Pokemon which basically read as, 'I don't have the energy, so don't fucking start with me'. Immediately following, the boy and his Pokemon picked themselves up off of the ground and began to trudge along the mountain path once more.

"...You know, you'd think there would at least be some Pokemon up here. I've been mulling over it for a while, and I understand that most people wouldn't freely venture up here on their own, but Pokemon make their homes pretty much anywhere right?"

"True, I grew up in a rather mountainous part of Johto away from other humans and Pokemon, so the seclusion would make this a rather habitable place for many species. I get where you're coming from and I've been wondering too."

Jack nodded his head. "I figured as much. Stay alert, there may be something else going on here."

"When did you get so formal?"

"I'm not, I'm just… don't worry about it… just make sure you're paying attention to what's around us…"

Lappe waved his hand in the direction of Jack before climbing up onto his back. "Just a little ways more and we'll be at the divide. Are you sure you want to take this side-trip? It could mean we end up in danger."

"Then you'll just have to beat their asses, won't you?"

The Pokemon sighed. "I suppose. It's not like you'd really be able to do anything after all."

"What do you really expect me to do?"

The Pokemon paused, weighing its options. "Sorry."

The two continued on in silence for several more minutes until they'd reached the divide. An old sign sat tucked between two stones with arrows pointing down two separate paths. To the right, Cerulean city lay in wait. To the left, the puddle. Jack looked down both paths, and then turned down the road to the left.

The two continued on until they reached the small reservoir and then took a break. Jack removed his clothes and leapt into the water head first. Lappe took his time, waddling into the water and testing its temperature before fully committing himself to entering into it.

"Now this is refreshing. Fresh and clean mountain water. No people, no Pokemon… maybe when this is over, I'll retire here. Just build up a nice little shack off to the side there, start a little hanging garden and live out the last of my years in solitude."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that last part."

"What do you mean Lappe?"

The Pokemon dove under the water, taking a few minutes before rising back up to the surface. "There's definitely Pokemon around. Down at the bottom there, there seems to be some sort of tunnel. I can see a clear pipe which has Pokemon running through it. I don't think they've noticed us though."

"A clear pipe?" Jack looked confused and then also dove deeper into the water, not having paid much attention upon first entering the pond. Just as Lappe had said, only a few hundred feet down from where they were was a clear pipe. Every few seconds, two or three Pokemon would run through the tube to the other side carrying a box or two each. Jack kicked back up to the surface and gasped for breath. "Amazing, that must be where all the Pokemon are living now."

"Yeah, but why? Why would they all choose to escape underground like that?"

"Who knows. Are you really all that curious to find out right now? We can't even tell what kind of Pokemon they are after all, and if they see us it might spell trouble."

"I'm just concerned that something else might be going on around here. What if they're being forced to work against their will?"

Jack grit his teeth and swam up to shore. "We're not strong enough anyways. There's at least a dozen Pokemon down there and we have no idea who or what they are. We'll come back some other time and deal with it, but for now we just need to move on. There's nothing we can do here now Lappe."

The Pokemon dove back under the water, swimming all the way to the bottom. Lappe pressed his face against the glass of the tunnel and tried to look in both directions. One on end, the tunnel seemed to split open into a much larger area that had a great many more Pokemon in it than a dozen, and on the other end it seemed to continue on for quite some ways.

As Lappe was staring through the glass, a Machamp passed through from the opposite end. The massively muscular Pokemon stepped in front of the Totodile and stared him down. The Machamp turned his head and shouted something, drawing the attention of a number of other Pokemon.

This is exactly what they had hoped to avoid. Without the element of surprise, there was no point in trying to break into the tunnel now. As Lappe turned around to swim back to the surface, he noticed that all of the Pokemon wore a similar badge on their bodies with the letters 'ZR' embroidered on them.


"Jack!" Lappe shot out of the water like a bullet and grabbed onto his friend as he was flinging his shirt around his body in an attempt to dry off somewhat. "We've got to go. Whoever they are, they know we're here now!"

"What! You're fuckin' kidding me man. I told you not to fuck with 'em!"

Jack launched the shirt over his shoulder and shoved his feet into his shoes before picking Lappe up and placing him on his shoulder. The boy picked up a sizable rock and then began to run back the direction that they'd came.

"Just in case, y'know?"

"Quit wasting time Jack! Run faster!"

 

[Bay]

"True, I grew up in a rather mountainous part of Johto away from other humans and Pokemon, so the seclusion would make this a rather habitable place for many species. I get where you're coming from and I've been wondering too."

I think Lappe mentioned leaving a group of Totodile due to disagreements with the FKPR stuff going on. I would think a Totodile would prefer to stay closer to somewhere with water, though moutains can have lakes/rivers and such. Just a random thought here, heh.

The Pokemon dove under the water, taking a few minutes before rising back up to the surface. "There's definitely Pokemon around. Down at the bottom there, there seems to be some sort of tunnel. I can see a clear pipe which has Pokemon running through it. I don't think they've noticed us though."

Hmmmm, this along with the path Jack and Lappe taking being mostly empty sounds suspicious.

This is exactly what they had hoped to avoid. Without the element of surprise, there was no point in trying to break into the tunnel now. As Lappe turned around to swim back to the surface, he noticed that all of the Pokemon wore a similar badge on their bodies with the letters 'ZR' embroidered on them.

Oh dear. Yup, Lappe should've listened to Jack.

 

[Sonata]

11.

By the time the duo had finally stopped running, they were already in the center of Cerulean city. They'd looked back several times but never saw anyone chasing after them, however they didn't exactly want to wait around for someone to finally come along if they were going to.

"So," Jack breathed heavily as he tried to talk, gasping for air in between his words, "I guess, this is, Cerulean, huh?"

Lappe swallowed hard, falling onto the ground as he tried to regain his breath. "Yeah, guess so."

The two laid on the ground for several minutes, trying to regain their composure. Jack rolled over onto his back and looked up at the sky, then at the people who were staring at them curiously while going on their daily business.

"Hey Lappe," Jack whispered, only just now realizing the point to which his lips were chapped, "isn't this supposed to be a sort of beach-y city? I mean, the water-type gym is here isn't it?"

The Pokemon shook its head, trying to fire out a stream of water from its maw but only managing to call forth a few droplets which sprinkled across its face. "Nah, from what I heard on the news, a few months back the old leader retired so she could do some kind of aquatic adventure thing for kids or somethin'. Now it's apparently some chick around your mom's age who uses ice types."

The two fell silent. It had only just happened, so it was hard to remember until it actually came up. The Viridian City bombing happened only four days ago, and the loss of his mother still tugged on Jack's heartstrings every time he thought about her. Lappe's mouth opened, as if he'd wanted to say something. Perhaps an apology for forgetting. But nothing came. The sun shone overhead and after roughly half an hour, the two finally rose to their feet and dusted themselves off.

"Don't get too upset, there's still some hope she's around." Jack muttered to himself, clenching his fist. "We'll go to the Pokemon Center first. I still don't have a ton of money, but we need to stock up on supplies and you need to be healed up before we fight this new leader. My backpack is getting a little light for my comfort, especially when we don't know just how long we're going to be out here. There's a possibility that this could go on for a month, so we might as well get used to it."

As the two entered the Pokemon Center, they were met with a chilling breeze and a room filled with sculptures of what seemed to be a woman surrounded by various ice type Pokemon. In front of each statue, a sign had been placed which described the particular sculpture that it stood in front of. Jack slowly walked up to the nearest statue, his body shaking due to his torn jeans and t-shirt not exactly being meant for travelling in colder areas.

'Sculpture's name: Kris, Our Chilling Heavenly Goddess
Sculptor's name: Matt Prond
Dedication: I give this statue to my symbol of perfection, Kris, in hopes that she one day returns my affection.'

"Oookay. Weird." Jack laughed uneasily as he walked over to the next statue nearest to him and read a similar description. "Are all of these like this?"

Lappe nodded his head as he waddled from the back of the Pokemon Center. "Yeah, seems that all of these are dedicated to this Kris woman in one way or another… and almost every sculptor appears to be a man."

"This is… really, really cringey."

An old man came up from behind Jack and slowly read the description of the statue that he was standing in front of. "Ah, looks like the day's batch is in. This Matt guy, he's really something else. Sends in a different statue every day and the quality and detail to attention just gets better with each one. He's one of the more devoted fans of the new leader."

"So this Kris, she's…?"

"Oh yeah, she's really something else. Far more beautiful than anything I've ever seen. Some say that the reason Misty was so popular with the boys was because of the swimsuit she always wore, but getting later in years it just wasn't doing her justice anymore so she gave up her position cold turkey. I say that's a bunch of Tauros dung though. See, Kris is nearly the same age as Misty, but she's almost always fully clothed. There's just something about her that was missing in Misty y'know?"

Jack's eyebrows raised as he stared at the man from the corners of his eyes. "You sound like a real expert on the subject."

The man chuckled. "Of course I would be, I am after all the one who keeps sending her these statues."

The man turned and faced Jack. On his chest was a rather lazily placed name tag which read 'Matt'. Only after really taking the man in could Jack tell just how unlucky he was to get caught up in conversation with him. For one, Matt's clothes were completely soiled. There was no real telling just how long he'd been wearing the same outfit, although he did well to somehow mask the odor until he was right in the boy's face. Secondly, this Matt character was obviously well into his fifties with numerous grey hairs across his body. He struck Jack as the type of person who his mom would have warned him about approaching a few years back.

"That so?" Jack tried to turn away and walk to another statue, hoping to lose his tail without being too rude. Truth be told, he was somewhat afraid of what this man might do if upset. The man of course followed closely behind Jack, watching over his shoulder as he read the inscriptions on each of the signs in the Pokemon Center. Eventually, the boy had given up getting rid of Matt by passing the time. "Look, is there something that you want?"

Matt smiled, showing the handful of orange teeth that he had left. "You're a trainer, aren't you?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope. I don't own a single Pokemon."

The man looked at Jack, puzzled. "But isn't that Totodile yours?"

"Nah, Lappe is my friend. We're travelling together and helping each other out."

"Huh, I see." Matt bit his lip, looking more than a bit disappointed. "I suppose there's nothing you can help me with then. See you around kid."

Jack and Lappe both let out a sigh of relief, finally being rid of the stalkerish old man. After they'd ensured that Matt had indeed left the building, they made their way up to Nurse Joy. The boy lifted his friend up onto the counter and motioned for Joy to come over and help him.

"Finally, we can take care of what we came here to do. Let's get you healed up and I'll buy the food and potions. Let's beat this leader and get out of this town as fast as we can. I really don't want to come across that guy again if I don't have to."

 

[Sonata]

12.

After Lappe's healing and Jack stocking up on supplies, the duo left the confines of the Pokemon Center to a report on the destruction of Viridian City and Pallet Town. The news wasn't giving away any names on who might have been responsible, but instead touched on how the flames which still continued to burn in the area glowed with a rainbow hue, similar to the flames of the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh.

Jack had been growing more and more impatient as the news story ran on and he awaited Lappe's recovery. He knew who was behind the attacks, so it only irked him further that they were refusing to announce that it was the republic. They deserved whatever backlash was coming their way. If it didn't come from someone else first, then it would definitely be coming from Lappe and Jack.

The moment that Lappe was fully healed and placed back on the counter, Jack snatched the Pokemon by its arm and almost ran out the door. The story on the bombing had passed and was replaced with a report on the rapidly rising number of Pokemon infected with the Pokerus virus over the past week. However, for fear of hearing any more about the incident with Viridian, Jack was more than happy for once, to leave the waiting room and continue on their journey.

Turning almost immediately after exiting the building, Jack made a straight line for the Cerulean gym. Frozen sculptures lined the building's perimeter, and frosty air seeped from beneath the gym's doors. A security officer stood at the building's entrance and held up his hand, motioning for Jack to stop as he drew near.

"Sir, you know you're not allowed in here."

Jack swayed back, caught off guard by the comment. "W-what do you mean I'm not welcome here? I only just came to this city from Pewter. I just want to challenge the leader here and move on with my life."

The security officer shook his head. "No, not you. The man hiding in your shadow."

"The wha?" Jack turned around and, sure enough, Matt was there cowering behind him with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey there friend. Just lookin' to get inside y'know?"

"Sir," the officer began again, "you know that there's a restraining order in place now. You're not allowed inside the building any longer."

"But this boy," the old man stood tall, walking out in front of Jack and then swinging his arm out towards the boy, "this is my friend. I've already told him I was going to see him off to his battle with Kris you see? He came to me in the Pokemon Center and grew frightened of the girl when he laid eyes on my sculptures. I told him that she's not nearly as intimidating as the ice makes her out to be and that I would be happy to show him in and be his rock."

The officer stared at the man, his head tilted lazily to the side as his eyes glossed over, apparently having seen a similar routine at least once before. "Son," the officer looked over at Jack and then sighed, "is what he says true?"

Jack looked between the two as he chewed the inside of his lip. Matt's eyes were alight with a shimmering flame as he awaited Jack's response to the officer. The sculptor's eyes darted quickly between the boy and the officer, and his head gently nudged in the direction of this officer whose own eyes were clouded with doubt and irritation. Jack could tell that the officer had had just about enough of Matt's behavior and was ready to toss him away at the drop of a hat.

As ruthless as he could have been, as quickly as he could have cut all the ties between Matt and himself, Jack just couldn't bring himself to do it. Perhaps it was a sort of fear of the unknown, not quite sure of what this old man was capable of and knowing the limits of his own powers. Jack took in a deep breath and then put on a smile.

"Yeah, this is my friend Matt. He said he'd help me out in my fight, so could you please let him in with me?"

The security officer sighed and then placed his hand over his eyes, rubbing at his temples. "I suppose, if that's how it really is then I can't object. It's a shame a kid of your age doesn't keep better company."

Jack shrugged his shoulders lazily and then walked through the door of the gym. Matt followed close behind and taunted the security officer who shot him a deadly glare which most likely read 'I dare you to try anything'. Matt rushed to catch up with the boy who he'd used to make it inside the building and slapped his hand across the boy's back.

"Haa haa! I knew it! I knew I could count on you kid! I took one look at you and I just knew you were a trainer, I knew you were someone I could count on! I can't believe I'm finally back in here!"

Lappe rubbed at Jack's now bruised back as the boy scratched at his own neck. "So, what did you do in the first place to get kicked out of here?"

"Well, sort of a long story. The short of it all's that I was part of the construction team that renovated this place for Kris when she took charge. Me 'n her actually went on a couple of dates after the completion. I helped to make her up some nice lil statues of herself and her Pokemon, then she goes and dumps me when all's said and done! Needless to say, I tried to confront her about it and she starts screaming for help. One thing leads to the other, now I'm just not allowed around her pretty much at all. Which, is why I'm so thankful for you! I at the very least wanted to see her one more time in person and then also get back the Pokemon I left last time I spent the night here."

Jack nodded his head, wondering what kind of relationship this man and Kris actually had. Just a few feet ahead, a wall of statues dedicated to Kris and ice type Pokemon lingered. In the center of the row of statues was a recessed button, which after Jack pressed it caused the entire wall to shift into the floor. The room opened up immensely afterwards, revealing an entirely ice covered arena with a large glacier in the back of the room which had a woman standing atop it.

"Teal hair, blue eyes, skin tight yellow track shorts, black crop top and perfectly proportioned bosom… that's my Kris alright."

"Matt! What the hell are you doing here! What am I even paying security for if they can't even keep one measly old man out of my sight?"

"Look Kris, I just want my Pokemon and to talk about that night…"

"That night never happened! You used me you old geezer!"

"I used you? The hell do you mean? You used me to build you half this fuckin' gym!"

Kris' eyes narrowed and her mouth twitched, ready to blow Matt up with a strong line of words when she noticed the young boy standing just slightly behind him. "Who's that?"

"My ticket in." He whispered to himself before turning around and smiling at the boy. "This is Jack, a Pokemon Trainer here to take on your gym."

"But I'm not-" Jack began before being cut off by the flailing arm of the sculptor.

"So, you're a trainer huh? Well then, sorry for not making a great first impression. Really just wasn't expecting to see this old fart before his funeral. So, what'd he say or do to get you to bring him in here?"

Jack bit his lip, and diverted his eyes. He didn't know much about love or its trials, but he did know this was one conversation he shouldn't weigh in on.

Kris sighed. "Fine, what do you want old man? The sooner you can get out of here the sooner I can battle Jack and move on with this part of my life."

"I just told you, I want my Pokemon back and to-"

"You can have your Pokemon, if that boy can beat me in battle. And we're not ever going to talk about that night, so just give it up. We both had too many fermented pokeblocks for our own good and we both know what happened was a mistake, so just move on already."

"You can't hold my Pokemon ransom like that!"

"Oh come on Matt, have a little more faith in your 'ticket' wouldn't you?" Kris smiled, watching her words pierce through the sculptor.

"Fine."

Kris nodded. "It's a deal then. Jack, are you ready for our battle?"

Jack's eyes moved slowly between the two people in front of him. "Wow, so all gym leaders really are this immature. Here I thought it was just Forrest"

"Oh yeah, that's right I almost forgot. I was expecting a boy named Jack a day or so ago." The gym leader completely blew off the boy's comment and carried the conversation in her own direction. "Forrest had called ahead and let me know what was going on. You wouldn't happen to be that same one would you? I believe he said you'd have something for me."

"Yeah, hold on just a sec." Jack pulled the pack off of his back and tossed it to the ground. The boy haphazardly pulled everything from the bag and tossed it against the floor, searching for the note that the Pewter City gym leader had given to him. "Here it is." Jack walked up to Kris and handed her the note.

The leader opened the letter, quickly reading through what was written inside. "I see, most interesting. So that Totodile doesn't actually belong to you, huh? I'd be careful about that. It's great and all to have a moral code and try to friends with your Pokemon, etcetera etcetera, but there's people out there in this world that wouldn't think twice about stealing him away from you with a ball of their own. Anyways, I understand fully now what's going on. On your way here you should have grown a little stronger at least, so I'll set the bar higher for you than what I normally would."

Jack looked down at Lappe, wondering if they should tell Kris that they actually hadn't had any encounters on the way to Cerulean save for the underwater tunnel system. The Totodile simply shook its head, its gaze locked with Jack's and they understood. If they were to get strong enough to fight the republic, these challenges were necessary. They couldn't stick to the basic routine of a trainer, they needed to push themselves harder and accept whatever was thrown their way.

Finally, after a long pause, Jack nodded his head. "That's fine. We'll take your heightened challenge."

Kris smiled back at the two of them and then walked away. "That's just what I like to hear! Very well then!" The woman had made her way back to the glacier and had already started to climb up it. "I will give to you the challenge reserved for those trainers bearing at least three badges. While we're fighting, imagine that this is the halfway mark of your journey. You've already travelled over half of the region and met a great number of Pokemon and Trainers alike, and now, finally you come face to face with the mysterious and beautiful ice type leader, Kris! Your challenge begins now Jack and Lappe! Face me with all that you have and overcome your own limits!"