CHeSHiRe-CaT
A Curious Breed
- 7
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- Age 32
- Ruins of Archaion
- Seen Mar 31, 2010
Well, this is my first Fan Fiction on PokeCommunity. I posted it on SPPf, but of course, the lagging these D/P days proves annoying. @_@ I'll be posting the other chapters here as well. Hope you enjoy!
There was once a familiar world inhabited by creatures far and wide that we spoke of. There were great adventures, some difficult trials, and astonishing legends that boggled the mind there. Blue skies and creampuff clouds soared over the land. It was a world of enlightenment, wonder, pain, misery, hope, and mystery. People and Pokémon alike struggled to find the meaning of their existence in the world, and sometimes, they struggled together. It was a beautiful place.
But that place was never to be heard from again.
"Mom…do you ever wonder why the sky is grey?"
She glanced at her son quickly before continuing to drive with her hands clutched on the wheel.
"I mean, it's always been like that," said the boy, peering out the passenger side window at the looming clouds above the planted trees along the streets with shining, blue eyes. "Always dark…it's depressing."
"It's called 'pollution,' Alex," said the woman, stopping at an intersection and turning toward her only thirteen-year-old, tawny-haired son. "This area's become industrialized, after Silph decided to spread the corporation; lots of other companies broadened their horizons, too. The economy's boosted since then, which is nice—"
"But the small businesses don't get by anymore," said Alex, furrowing his brow before he looked out at the stoplight to wait for their signal to go. "Didn't you say Pokémon Centers used to be free to use?"
"Does it matter to us?" she sighed, pushing on the gas pedal slightly as the traffic lights transitioned. "We don't have Pokémon. One less bill for us to pay."
"Yeah, but what if I ever wanted a Pokémon, mom?" the boy complained.
"Out of the question," she replied smoothly, watching the road. "They're far too expensive, and we just bought a house. Maybe you should get working to earn your own money."
"I'm not even old enough to work!" Alex cried hysterically, rolling his eyes. "I could just go catch one myself!"
"Do you think I'd even let you wander that far to go capture some monster and bring it home? For what? Ruining the furniture? The lawn? You can have a Pokémon when I'm dead."
Alex gazed at his mother. She didn't even look at him, but continued driving down Route One toward Oaken Falls. Usually, she was bright, spunky, and spontaneous, but ever since his parents divorced, she could become embittered faster than Rapidash could run. All of her stress was making him sick, and he was fed up with it.
"No, mom," he replied heartlessly. "Because you'll find some way to take it from me, anyway."
And with those words, Alex crossed his arms and stared out the window once more, just as she whipped her head around to glare at him. For a split second, she felt like one of her arteries was going to burst, but as Ms. Gregory watched her only child's expression change to something pained and frustrated, a little guilt weighed down on her. And she knew she was affecting him with the way she was behaving. He had always been receptive to the emotions of others surrounding him.
Just like her.
Markets, businesses, and the sidewalks were booming with people bouncing around from one place to another, commuting back and forth to work, or to shop. Daylight poured into the valley of skyscrapers and glass, casting great shadows of a powerful legacy on the dismal outskirts of the city. Small bands and singers performed and artists displayed their work along the crowded streets as customers flew in and out of ice cream and coffee cafés, laughing with pleasure and excitement. Flying Pokémon perched on statues and buildings, while others dove into the plaza where a glorious fountain was situated, ravaging crumbs and searching for any dropped food. Everything was supersonic and buzzing.
In the masses of colorful bodies spread about the city, a young girl in her early teens jogged past others, garbed in heavy, thick sweatpants and a sweatshirt with sunglasses plastered to her face by the humidity. She breathed calmly as she pulled down her baseball cap over her forehead
"'Scuse me…don't mind me," she called as she pressed between clusters of people.
Eventually, she made her way through to a three-story building with a great logo spread on a sign above the revolving doors leading within: Devon Products. Gradually strolling by it, she looked at everything in the glass display at the front. All sorts of electronic gadgets and new Pokéball prototypes glittered in the shining sun hanging on racks and placed on well-lit shelves. Most of them looked very interesting, but out of the corner of her eye, one little gizmo caught the jogger girl's attention.
She leaned in closer to block the glare on the window, and that was when she saw it. The newest Devon Corporation PokéNav model: Globe. Gaping at the round, smooth, electronic device glazed with a shiny coat of white paint and a glowing screen, she had almost fallen in love before another girl and her younger brother came walking up beside her, glancing at the same product before breathing dreamily.
"They've got all sorts of different colors you can get them in," the newcomer said eagerly to the jogger girl. "Metallic Blue, Strawberry Red, Tulip Pink, Obsidian Black—"
"Not to mention all the cool features!" her little brother cried, earning him a disapproving look from his older sibling. "Like, it has a VS Seeker built in, cell-phone, map, radio, digital music player, clock system…"
"Well, it's my thirteenth birthday today," said the jogger girl, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at the two other kids. "Maybe I'll go have a look-see."
Closing the conversation, the thickly-clothed girl walked by them into the store as they stared at her, and was soon greeted by the coolest breeze from the air conditioning inside. Stacked along aisles and aisles were products of every variety and purpose, with hip combinations of rock and techno music playing over the lobby speakers. Buyers all around her were making purchases at the check stands, and workers scurried about to help anyone with questions. Cold, sleek steel curved the store into an auditorium of technology, and paradise for lovers of that sort of thing. The girl spun in circles, basking in the brilliance of it all.
What to choose from?
Why, it seemed like it was only a few seconds before she had her hands on a box containing a Metallic Blue model of the PokéNav Globe and cheerfully walked straight out of the store, sending security alarms spiraling into mad frenzies of honking and beeping. Several clerks and a few security workers darted after her in response.
"HEY! YOU! MISS! GET BACK WITH THAT NOW!"
From their chilly cavern, they rushed out onto the sidewalk into the burning sun, taking looks about quickly as their eyes desperately worked at adjusting to the vast amounts of light hitting them. Many people scattered at their presence and the clerks went about furiously, barking and asking if anyone had seen where the thief had gone. Eventually, they were led to the two children that had spoken to her before by the display case, who pointed out the direction in which she ran. With lightning-fast speed, the Devon workers raced in the same direction, hoping to catch the perpetrator as the city police gathered at their tail, also swept in by the events of the clever, daylight robbery.
Soon enough, the police dismissed the workers back to the store as they took the reigns in this case. Searching dutifully for the jogger girl, they wandered through the thick neighborhoods in every direction possible. How they had lost her so easily, they were not sure. It seemed like she had just vanished into thin air with the Devon product. So they went around asking and interrogating individuals on the streets who had witnessed the scene to describe everything they possibly could. They also badgered several individuals who were far too busy to be bothered with such affairs. Their cause was pretty beaten.
"I don't think we can track her," said one male officer to another, walking back from a street they had searched. "It's rush hour, and she's done it again. So much for catching the Daylight Robber."
"Hold on a sec, Jakes," replied the other, turning from the pathetic rookie to someone he was already questioning. "So you're sure you didn't see a young kid in all sweats come by here holding the stolen goods?"
"Yeah, I think so," answered a soft-faced girl with long, brown hair and a red and white blouse. She pulled out a lollipop and sucked on it. "Except…I did see someone with sunglasses on that went down Main Street into those cruddy-looking buildings over there. I don't remember if they were wearing sweats, though. I was busy buying a new outfit for my party."
Smiling and shaking the young woman's hand, the officer thanked her and followed Jakes along the crosswalk back to their police cruiser.
"I don't think Jenny will be too happy," said the more experienced cop as he unlocked the doors. "This is the fourth time we lost the thief, and she doesn't even seem to have a pattern. I think it's best we put up more surveillance and caution posters so we can look out for her."
"I think it's ridiculous," the other replied, getting into the passenger side. "Some kid just walks into a store, grabs expensive stuff, walks out, and seemingly vanishes."
Later, they started the car and drove off down Main Street, feeling pretty hopeless and angry about it, too.
Leaning out around the corner, watching as the sirens of the police howled over the streets and into the distance, the brown-haired girl in the red and white blouse frowned at them and sucked on her lollipop. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she pulled out a shiny, new cobalt PokéNav and placed it into her hand, experimenting with the buttons. Concentrated on discovering the features of her prize, the girl calmly walked down the sidewalk and away from the crowds.
"This is Oaken Falls," Ms. Gregory said as they pulled their car into the suburbs of a bright, neat city.
"Great," said Alex sarcastically, staring out of the window at ritzy houses and clean-cut lawns.
"Well, at least all those grey clouds you were talking about haven't hit here yet. I guess it was a storm rolling on," his mother stated quaintly.
Silence. Ms. Gregory sighed heavily.
"Listen, Alex, I'm sorry I've been so tense lately," she blurted, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You know how I get like this. But things are going to be different! I promise!"
"Don't make me promises you can't keep," he shot back, looking at her in the eye. "Look what happened to your marriage."
"Don't you DARE talk like that to ME," she shouted, nearly pulling over into the wrong lane. "I am your MOTHER. I've taken much better care of you than your father could have. You know that, too."
"…I'm…sorry."
"We just…need to work this out," she said wearily, exhaling. "Together. The first few months, we're going to be on a budget you're probably not used to, but soon, we'll be able to do all sorts of things, and we'll have a great time. I won't be so anxious…"
Alex lifted his head slowly toward her.
"And…who knows?" she said, turning to him as well, casting a smile. "Maybe when we're all settled…a Pokémon could be permitted."
"Really, mom?"
"Really. And starting tomorrow, I think that we shou—"
"MOM, WATCH OUT!"
Confused, Ms. Gregory looked at a horror-stricken Alex, and then suddenly shot her eyes to the road in front of her, where someone was crossing the road and she hadn't looked. Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes, feeling a thud and watching as the person in front of them fell to the pavement. Almost right after the incident, she screamed brutally.
Frightened and livid, Alex took no time in opening his door and stepping out onto the street, running out to the person they had hit. His mother soon followed, hand cupped on her mouth, hyperventilating.
"Ow."
As they pulled around to the front of the car, they saw a girl around Alex's age wearing a red and white blouse with long, brown hair steadily stand up, wincing slightly as she did so.
"Oh my God, are you all right?" cried Alex's mom, rushing up to the girl as her son stood a few feet away. "Are you hurt? Do we need to take you to the hospital?"
"Ahh, no, I think I'm fine," said the girl, gritting her teeth. "You just bumped me—I scraped my knee when I fell on the concrete. You just made me jump a little."
"I am SO sorry," Ms. Gregory responded, holding the girl by the shoulders and helping her dust off her clothes. "I should have been watching the road. Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
"Well, it's just my knee."
The girl then glanced down at her leg, Alex's mother following her gaze, and on that exact spot, they found a fairly thick trickle of blood.
"Well, we're not too far from my house. We're new here, you see, so I have some bandages packed in a box there," Ms. Gregory chattered, leading the girl along to the side of the car. "We can get you a bandage, and then give you a lift home. Does that sound all right, sweetheart?"
"Um," replied the girl, biting her lip and placing her hand on one of her bulging pockets, "I suppose so. Yes. Thank you."
Ms. Gregory opened the backseat door for the young girl as Alex walked back to the passenger side, sitting down and shutting his own door. After a few minutes, everyone was inside and buckled up. Alex felt a bit awkward, so he tried not to say much. His mother then put her key into the ignition and started the car, then proceeded to drive back on course to their new house as fast as she could without getting pulled over for speeding.
For the longest time, there was quietness between all of them, so she tried to break the ice.
"So, darling, what's your name?" Ms. Gregory asked politely, watching the road carefully this time.
"I'm Anneliese Valsign. Most people just call me Annie, though," she replied softly, her eyes wandering in the backseat. In fact, she felt almost obligated to speak, as these strangers were helping her graciously.
"Well, pleased to meet you, Annie. I'm Janice Gregory, and this is my son, Alexander."
"I usually go by Alex," the boy piped up, looking in the rearview mirror at Annie. "It's only Alexander if there's trouble involved."
Annie laughed, and the atmosphere seemed to lighten up a bit. Ms. Gregory smiled, and Alex couldn't help but smirk himself.
"Same here. There's a lot you can do to get into trouble in Oaken Falls," said Annie jokingly.
"You know, this place has changed…a lot since I lived here when I was a little girl," said Ms. Gregory, scanning the horizon of buildings cluttered in the center of the city. "I remember when this place was just called Pallet Town."
"Yeah, and Viridian City is just another district of Oaken Falls now," said Annie, glancing out of the back windshield. "After development, they named it all Oaken Falls. Named after some famous scientist, I think."
"Of course!" Alex's mother exclaimed, getting an odd look from her son. "Professor Oak! I remember him dearly. He was the gentlest of gentlemen. We used to be his neighbors. Well, then again, the town was so little, everyone was practically a neighb—"
"Wait," said Alex, hesitating and taking this in. "Professor Oak? The creator of the Pokédex? The father of modern Pokémon research?"
"That's the one," said Annie approvingly.
"Why the heck is the city named after him? Isn't he still around?" asked Alex.
Ms. Gregory suddenly became solemn. Annie looked somewhat at loss for words. The tire axles hummed against the interior of the car.
"A long time ago, Professor Oak left on an expedition to Hoenn with his grandson…and granddaughter," Alex's mother stated gravely, swallowing. "It was for some exploration across the sea. We had moved away from Pallet a while before that, so I only saw it on the news. You were about four when it happened."
"My older brother told me about that," said Annie, bowing her head. "There was a monster tsunami and…their ship didn't make it through."
"No survivors?" Alex asked quietly.
Ms. Gregory shook her head, blinking repeatedly.
"Whatever happened to his lab? He had an observatory."
"It's still here," said Annie as the car took a right turn into an older neighborhood. "His estate and lab are on the outskirts. They're abandoned, though."
"How come?"
"After Professor Oak...died," replied Alex's mother, "his fellow researchers couldn't keep the funds and grants going long enough to maintain the laboratory. With their lead authority figure gone, a lot of his assistants were…just…discredited and dismissed. No one thought there was any quality left in the Pokémon research field."
For a moment, Alex analyzed this information. This man…this single human being had held together a scientific society, and revolutionized the world as they knew it. After disaster struck, everyone just…lost hope and faith? How could anybody ever let that bring them down?
"But that was a long time ago."
Alex looked to his mother, and he thought for a moment he saw tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry I asked. I didn't mean to do this," he apologized quickly.
"No, no, it's fine, Alex," said his mother, wiping her face with her free arm. "I mean…he was such a wonderful person. He was the heart of Pallet. It's only right that this place should be named in his honor. It was very humble of the city council members."
For the last few minutes of their drive, they discussed the new aspects of the city and what sorts of things they could do there, such as going to the cinema, visiting museums, and activities at Pier Four on the edge of the Sea of Kanto. Meanwhile, Annie was trying her best to hide the fact that she had stolen a rather expensive item only an hour or so before they had all "met." She was certainly proud of what she had done, because if everyone had to pay such ridiculous amounts of money for what they wanted, no one would ever be content. She considered herself more of a vigilante than a thief.
Out of the blue, Annie jumped to Alex's side of the car to the window, gaping down the street outside, gasping, and then laughing.
"What?"
"Is this the drive where you guys live?"
"Yup. Color Creek Drive," Ms. Gregory said with dignity, pointing to a two-story white house with red trim just a few yards away, complete with a couple of moving vans parked outside. "That's our new home."
"Seriously? Because I live just across the street," Annie exclaimed, thrusting her head between the both of them, grinning crazily.
They all began to laugh as they spotted a nearly identical house directly across from their own, except with blue trim and an iron mailbox stuck at the end of the carport that read "Valsign."
"If you'll excuse me, I'll just go home and get this thing washed up," Annie explained, motioning to her knee as they slowed down to pull into their driveway. "My mom's got tons of medical supplies."
"You sure you'll be fine, Anneliese? I think it would be best that you tell your parents what happened today."
Annie's thoughts wandered back to the dumbfounded looks on those cops who were scavenging the streets looking for her that afternoon. Ha, she would never be able to tell her parents about that. However, when the Gregorys started to pull their car next to the curb by her lawn, she snapped back to reality.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Janice," she quickly replied, opening the door carefully and stepping out. "It was just an accident. Nothing to worry about."
"Now, don't be a stranger!" Alex's mom called. "We need to plan some kind of block party. In the meantime, you can visit us anytime, all right?"
Annie chuckled, and said before closing the door, "Sure! See you guys. Thank you again for the ride."
Ms. Gregory waved at her cheerfully from behind the wheel, and she waved back. However, Annie's gaze wandered to Alex, who was staring at her from the passenger seat. She watched him for a moment and stared back just as intensely into his deep, blue eyes. It must have rattled him, because after a few seconds, he turned away from her. She smirked, then turned around and walked toward her front door as she heard their car pull into their own driveway. A thought hit her, and she hesitated for a moment before she went into her house.
"Oh, I'll visit," she muttered to herself slyly. She then walked past the door and closed it tightly.
After they had parked the car, the Gregorys jumped out and went straight to the trunk, where they had packed their last bundles of supplies and clothes left from their old home. Together, they unloaded their possessions and carried them up the steps and onto the landing.
"Well, I think she's a nice girl," said Alex's mother, watching him as he brought in an empty fish tank. "You should hang out with her sometime."
"Yeah," Alex replied skeptically, looking at his mom, and then back toward Annie's house across the street. "Sure."
The slender form of dark figure stood on the side of Route One as cars and trucks whooshed by it carelessly. Here, the dark, dreary clouds associated with holding the weight of a hideous storm began to deploy their contents, little by little. She could feel the droplets plucking on contact with her coat, and little beads of the stuff dripping along her rich, velvety hair. No one else could feel it coming, not even the absent-minded souls entering Oaken Falls. She could feel them warning her, telling her not to get involved.
But what did they know?
Swiftly, she lashed out a gloved hand clutching a pair of rusted, coppery keys, and purposefully trudged alongside the road to her next destination, the rain trailing with her like a grudge.
Chapter I: Incoming
There was once a familiar world inhabited by creatures far and wide that we spoke of. There were great adventures, some difficult trials, and astonishing legends that boggled the mind there. Blue skies and creampuff clouds soared over the land. It was a world of enlightenment, wonder, pain, misery, hope, and mystery. People and Pokémon alike struggled to find the meaning of their existence in the world, and sometimes, they struggled together. It was a beautiful place.
But that place was never to be heard from again.
"Mom…do you ever wonder why the sky is grey?"
She glanced at her son quickly before continuing to drive with her hands clutched on the wheel.
"I mean, it's always been like that," said the boy, peering out the passenger side window at the looming clouds above the planted trees along the streets with shining, blue eyes. "Always dark…it's depressing."
"It's called 'pollution,' Alex," said the woman, stopping at an intersection and turning toward her only thirteen-year-old, tawny-haired son. "This area's become industrialized, after Silph decided to spread the corporation; lots of other companies broadened their horizons, too. The economy's boosted since then, which is nice—"
"But the small businesses don't get by anymore," said Alex, furrowing his brow before he looked out at the stoplight to wait for their signal to go. "Didn't you say Pokémon Centers used to be free to use?"
"Does it matter to us?" she sighed, pushing on the gas pedal slightly as the traffic lights transitioned. "We don't have Pokémon. One less bill for us to pay."
"Yeah, but what if I ever wanted a Pokémon, mom?" the boy complained.
"Out of the question," she replied smoothly, watching the road. "They're far too expensive, and we just bought a house. Maybe you should get working to earn your own money."
"I'm not even old enough to work!" Alex cried hysterically, rolling his eyes. "I could just go catch one myself!"
"Do you think I'd even let you wander that far to go capture some monster and bring it home? For what? Ruining the furniture? The lawn? You can have a Pokémon when I'm dead."
Alex gazed at his mother. She didn't even look at him, but continued driving down Route One toward Oaken Falls. Usually, she was bright, spunky, and spontaneous, but ever since his parents divorced, she could become embittered faster than Rapidash could run. All of her stress was making him sick, and he was fed up with it.
"No, mom," he replied heartlessly. "Because you'll find some way to take it from me, anyway."
And with those words, Alex crossed his arms and stared out the window once more, just as she whipped her head around to glare at him. For a split second, she felt like one of her arteries was going to burst, but as Ms. Gregory watched her only child's expression change to something pained and frustrated, a little guilt weighed down on her. And she knew she was affecting him with the way she was behaving. He had always been receptive to the emotions of others surrounding him.
Just like her.
~*~
Markets, businesses, and the sidewalks were booming with people bouncing around from one place to another, commuting back and forth to work, or to shop. Daylight poured into the valley of skyscrapers and glass, casting great shadows of a powerful legacy on the dismal outskirts of the city. Small bands and singers performed and artists displayed their work along the crowded streets as customers flew in and out of ice cream and coffee cafés, laughing with pleasure and excitement. Flying Pokémon perched on statues and buildings, while others dove into the plaza where a glorious fountain was situated, ravaging crumbs and searching for any dropped food. Everything was supersonic and buzzing.
In the masses of colorful bodies spread about the city, a young girl in her early teens jogged past others, garbed in heavy, thick sweatpants and a sweatshirt with sunglasses plastered to her face by the humidity. She breathed calmly as she pulled down her baseball cap over her forehead
"'Scuse me…don't mind me," she called as she pressed between clusters of people.
Eventually, she made her way through to a three-story building with a great logo spread on a sign above the revolving doors leading within: Devon Products. Gradually strolling by it, she looked at everything in the glass display at the front. All sorts of electronic gadgets and new Pokéball prototypes glittered in the shining sun hanging on racks and placed on well-lit shelves. Most of them looked very interesting, but out of the corner of her eye, one little gizmo caught the jogger girl's attention.
She leaned in closer to block the glare on the window, and that was when she saw it. The newest Devon Corporation PokéNav model: Globe. Gaping at the round, smooth, electronic device glazed with a shiny coat of white paint and a glowing screen, she had almost fallen in love before another girl and her younger brother came walking up beside her, glancing at the same product before breathing dreamily.
"They've got all sorts of different colors you can get them in," the newcomer said eagerly to the jogger girl. "Metallic Blue, Strawberry Red, Tulip Pink, Obsidian Black—"
"Not to mention all the cool features!" her little brother cried, earning him a disapproving look from his older sibling. "Like, it has a VS Seeker built in, cell-phone, map, radio, digital music player, clock system…"
"Well, it's my thirteenth birthday today," said the jogger girl, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at the two other kids. "Maybe I'll go have a look-see."
Closing the conversation, the thickly-clothed girl walked by them into the store as they stared at her, and was soon greeted by the coolest breeze from the air conditioning inside. Stacked along aisles and aisles were products of every variety and purpose, with hip combinations of rock and techno music playing over the lobby speakers. Buyers all around her were making purchases at the check stands, and workers scurried about to help anyone with questions. Cold, sleek steel curved the store into an auditorium of technology, and paradise for lovers of that sort of thing. The girl spun in circles, basking in the brilliance of it all.
What to choose from?
Why, it seemed like it was only a few seconds before she had her hands on a box containing a Metallic Blue model of the PokéNav Globe and cheerfully walked straight out of the store, sending security alarms spiraling into mad frenzies of honking and beeping. Several clerks and a few security workers darted after her in response.
"HEY! YOU! MISS! GET BACK WITH THAT NOW!"
From their chilly cavern, they rushed out onto the sidewalk into the burning sun, taking looks about quickly as their eyes desperately worked at adjusting to the vast amounts of light hitting them. Many people scattered at their presence and the clerks went about furiously, barking and asking if anyone had seen where the thief had gone. Eventually, they were led to the two children that had spoken to her before by the display case, who pointed out the direction in which she ran. With lightning-fast speed, the Devon workers raced in the same direction, hoping to catch the perpetrator as the city police gathered at their tail, also swept in by the events of the clever, daylight robbery.
Soon enough, the police dismissed the workers back to the store as they took the reigns in this case. Searching dutifully for the jogger girl, they wandered through the thick neighborhoods in every direction possible. How they had lost her so easily, they were not sure. It seemed like she had just vanished into thin air with the Devon product. So they went around asking and interrogating individuals on the streets who had witnessed the scene to describe everything they possibly could. They also badgered several individuals who were far too busy to be bothered with such affairs. Their cause was pretty beaten.
"I don't think we can track her," said one male officer to another, walking back from a street they had searched. "It's rush hour, and she's done it again. So much for catching the Daylight Robber."
"Hold on a sec, Jakes," replied the other, turning from the pathetic rookie to someone he was already questioning. "So you're sure you didn't see a young kid in all sweats come by here holding the stolen goods?"
"Yeah, I think so," answered a soft-faced girl with long, brown hair and a red and white blouse. She pulled out a lollipop and sucked on it. "Except…I did see someone with sunglasses on that went down Main Street into those cruddy-looking buildings over there. I don't remember if they were wearing sweats, though. I was busy buying a new outfit for my party."
Smiling and shaking the young woman's hand, the officer thanked her and followed Jakes along the crosswalk back to their police cruiser.
"I don't think Jenny will be too happy," said the more experienced cop as he unlocked the doors. "This is the fourth time we lost the thief, and she doesn't even seem to have a pattern. I think it's best we put up more surveillance and caution posters so we can look out for her."
"I think it's ridiculous," the other replied, getting into the passenger side. "Some kid just walks into a store, grabs expensive stuff, walks out, and seemingly vanishes."
Later, they started the car and drove off down Main Street, feeling pretty hopeless and angry about it, too.
Leaning out around the corner, watching as the sirens of the police howled over the streets and into the distance, the brown-haired girl in the red and white blouse frowned at them and sucked on her lollipop. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she pulled out a shiny, new cobalt PokéNav and placed it into her hand, experimenting with the buttons. Concentrated on discovering the features of her prize, the girl calmly walked down the sidewalk and away from the crowds.
~*~
"This is Oaken Falls," Ms. Gregory said as they pulled their car into the suburbs of a bright, neat city.
"Great," said Alex sarcastically, staring out of the window at ritzy houses and clean-cut lawns.
"Well, at least all those grey clouds you were talking about haven't hit here yet. I guess it was a storm rolling on," his mother stated quaintly.
Silence. Ms. Gregory sighed heavily.
"Listen, Alex, I'm sorry I've been so tense lately," she blurted, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "You know how I get like this. But things are going to be different! I promise!"
"Don't make me promises you can't keep," he shot back, looking at her in the eye. "Look what happened to your marriage."
"Don't you DARE talk like that to ME," she shouted, nearly pulling over into the wrong lane. "I am your MOTHER. I've taken much better care of you than your father could have. You know that, too."
"…I'm…sorry."
"We just…need to work this out," she said wearily, exhaling. "Together. The first few months, we're going to be on a budget you're probably not used to, but soon, we'll be able to do all sorts of things, and we'll have a great time. I won't be so anxious…"
Alex lifted his head slowly toward her.
"And…who knows?" she said, turning to him as well, casting a smile. "Maybe when we're all settled…a Pokémon could be permitted."
"Really, mom?"
"Really. And starting tomorrow, I think that we shou—"
"MOM, WATCH OUT!"
Confused, Ms. Gregory looked at a horror-stricken Alex, and then suddenly shot her eyes to the road in front of her, where someone was crossing the road and she hadn't looked. Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes, feeling a thud and watching as the person in front of them fell to the pavement. Almost right after the incident, she screamed brutally.
Frightened and livid, Alex took no time in opening his door and stepping out onto the street, running out to the person they had hit. His mother soon followed, hand cupped on her mouth, hyperventilating.
"Ow."
As they pulled around to the front of the car, they saw a girl around Alex's age wearing a red and white blouse with long, brown hair steadily stand up, wincing slightly as she did so.
"Oh my God, are you all right?" cried Alex's mom, rushing up to the girl as her son stood a few feet away. "Are you hurt? Do we need to take you to the hospital?"
"Ahh, no, I think I'm fine," said the girl, gritting her teeth. "You just bumped me—I scraped my knee when I fell on the concrete. You just made me jump a little."
"I am SO sorry," Ms. Gregory responded, holding the girl by the shoulders and helping her dust off her clothes. "I should have been watching the road. Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
"Well, it's just my knee."
The girl then glanced down at her leg, Alex's mother following her gaze, and on that exact spot, they found a fairly thick trickle of blood.
"Well, we're not too far from my house. We're new here, you see, so I have some bandages packed in a box there," Ms. Gregory chattered, leading the girl along to the side of the car. "We can get you a bandage, and then give you a lift home. Does that sound all right, sweetheart?"
"Um," replied the girl, biting her lip and placing her hand on one of her bulging pockets, "I suppose so. Yes. Thank you."
Ms. Gregory opened the backseat door for the young girl as Alex walked back to the passenger side, sitting down and shutting his own door. After a few minutes, everyone was inside and buckled up. Alex felt a bit awkward, so he tried not to say much. His mother then put her key into the ignition and started the car, then proceeded to drive back on course to their new house as fast as she could without getting pulled over for speeding.
For the longest time, there was quietness between all of them, so she tried to break the ice.
"So, darling, what's your name?" Ms. Gregory asked politely, watching the road carefully this time.
"I'm Anneliese Valsign. Most people just call me Annie, though," she replied softly, her eyes wandering in the backseat. In fact, she felt almost obligated to speak, as these strangers were helping her graciously.
"Well, pleased to meet you, Annie. I'm Janice Gregory, and this is my son, Alexander."
"I usually go by Alex," the boy piped up, looking in the rearview mirror at Annie. "It's only Alexander if there's trouble involved."
Annie laughed, and the atmosphere seemed to lighten up a bit. Ms. Gregory smiled, and Alex couldn't help but smirk himself.
"Same here. There's a lot you can do to get into trouble in Oaken Falls," said Annie jokingly.
"You know, this place has changed…a lot since I lived here when I was a little girl," said Ms. Gregory, scanning the horizon of buildings cluttered in the center of the city. "I remember when this place was just called Pallet Town."
"Yeah, and Viridian City is just another district of Oaken Falls now," said Annie, glancing out of the back windshield. "After development, they named it all Oaken Falls. Named after some famous scientist, I think."
"Of course!" Alex's mother exclaimed, getting an odd look from her son. "Professor Oak! I remember him dearly. He was the gentlest of gentlemen. We used to be his neighbors. Well, then again, the town was so little, everyone was practically a neighb—"
"Wait," said Alex, hesitating and taking this in. "Professor Oak? The creator of the Pokédex? The father of modern Pokémon research?"
"That's the one," said Annie approvingly.
"Why the heck is the city named after him? Isn't he still around?" asked Alex.
Ms. Gregory suddenly became solemn. Annie looked somewhat at loss for words. The tire axles hummed against the interior of the car.
"A long time ago, Professor Oak left on an expedition to Hoenn with his grandson…and granddaughter," Alex's mother stated gravely, swallowing. "It was for some exploration across the sea. We had moved away from Pallet a while before that, so I only saw it on the news. You were about four when it happened."
"My older brother told me about that," said Annie, bowing her head. "There was a monster tsunami and…their ship didn't make it through."
"No survivors?" Alex asked quietly.
Ms. Gregory shook her head, blinking repeatedly.
"Whatever happened to his lab? He had an observatory."
"It's still here," said Annie as the car took a right turn into an older neighborhood. "His estate and lab are on the outskirts. They're abandoned, though."
"How come?"
"After Professor Oak...died," replied Alex's mother, "his fellow researchers couldn't keep the funds and grants going long enough to maintain the laboratory. With their lead authority figure gone, a lot of his assistants were…just…discredited and dismissed. No one thought there was any quality left in the Pokémon research field."
For a moment, Alex analyzed this information. This man…this single human being had held together a scientific society, and revolutionized the world as they knew it. After disaster struck, everyone just…lost hope and faith? How could anybody ever let that bring them down?
"But that was a long time ago."
Alex looked to his mother, and he thought for a moment he saw tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry I asked. I didn't mean to do this," he apologized quickly.
"No, no, it's fine, Alex," said his mother, wiping her face with her free arm. "I mean…he was such a wonderful person. He was the heart of Pallet. It's only right that this place should be named in his honor. It was very humble of the city council members."
For the last few minutes of their drive, they discussed the new aspects of the city and what sorts of things they could do there, such as going to the cinema, visiting museums, and activities at Pier Four on the edge of the Sea of Kanto. Meanwhile, Annie was trying her best to hide the fact that she had stolen a rather expensive item only an hour or so before they had all "met." She was certainly proud of what she had done, because if everyone had to pay such ridiculous amounts of money for what they wanted, no one would ever be content. She considered herself more of a vigilante than a thief.
Out of the blue, Annie jumped to Alex's side of the car to the window, gaping down the street outside, gasping, and then laughing.
"What?"
"Is this the drive where you guys live?"
"Yup. Color Creek Drive," Ms. Gregory said with dignity, pointing to a two-story white house with red trim just a few yards away, complete with a couple of moving vans parked outside. "That's our new home."
"Seriously? Because I live just across the street," Annie exclaimed, thrusting her head between the both of them, grinning crazily.
They all began to laugh as they spotted a nearly identical house directly across from their own, except with blue trim and an iron mailbox stuck at the end of the carport that read "Valsign."
"If you'll excuse me, I'll just go home and get this thing washed up," Annie explained, motioning to her knee as they slowed down to pull into their driveway. "My mom's got tons of medical supplies."
"You sure you'll be fine, Anneliese? I think it would be best that you tell your parents what happened today."
Annie's thoughts wandered back to the dumbfounded looks on those cops who were scavenging the streets looking for her that afternoon. Ha, she would never be able to tell her parents about that. However, when the Gregorys started to pull their car next to the curb by her lawn, she snapped back to reality.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Janice," she quickly replied, opening the door carefully and stepping out. "It was just an accident. Nothing to worry about."
"Now, don't be a stranger!" Alex's mom called. "We need to plan some kind of block party. In the meantime, you can visit us anytime, all right?"
Annie chuckled, and said before closing the door, "Sure! See you guys. Thank you again for the ride."
Ms. Gregory waved at her cheerfully from behind the wheel, and she waved back. However, Annie's gaze wandered to Alex, who was staring at her from the passenger seat. She watched him for a moment and stared back just as intensely into his deep, blue eyes. It must have rattled him, because after a few seconds, he turned away from her. She smirked, then turned around and walked toward her front door as she heard their car pull into their own driveway. A thought hit her, and she hesitated for a moment before she went into her house.
"Oh, I'll visit," she muttered to herself slyly. She then walked past the door and closed it tightly.
After they had parked the car, the Gregorys jumped out and went straight to the trunk, where they had packed their last bundles of supplies and clothes left from their old home. Together, they unloaded their possessions and carried them up the steps and onto the landing.
"Well, I think she's a nice girl," said Alex's mother, watching him as he brought in an empty fish tank. "You should hang out with her sometime."
"Yeah," Alex replied skeptically, looking at his mom, and then back toward Annie's house across the street. "Sure."
~*~
The slender form of dark figure stood on the side of Route One as cars and trucks whooshed by it carelessly. Here, the dark, dreary clouds associated with holding the weight of a hideous storm began to deploy their contents, little by little. She could feel the droplets plucking on contact with her coat, and little beads of the stuff dripping along her rich, velvety hair. No one else could feel it coming, not even the absent-minded souls entering Oaken Falls. She could feel them warning her, telling her not to get involved.
But what did they know?
Swiftly, she lashed out a gloved hand clutching a pair of rusted, coppery keys, and purposefully trudged alongside the road to her next destination, the rain trailing with her like a grudge.
