The school yard was full of celebration as the citizens of Pallet Town gathered to celebrate what was perhaps the most exciting thing since the opening of the pier. Most of the town was in attendance and milled about either setting up tables or preparing various grilled foods. Young children wearing the tell tale blue shorts and ballcap of the Youngsters Program darted between legs as they played a merry game of tag with several Rattata who were clearly taking things easy on them. A far cry from their initial introduction, the rodent Pokemon had fully integrated themselves and were now considered a welcome sight by all. Farmers enjoyed their overwatch of the fields and had profited mightily with each passing year. Parents felt that their children were safer now that the woods were less of a threat. Children were happier now that they had Pokemon to play with and act out their fantasies of becoming Trainers one day. All thanks to one boy who had been too angry to run away.
That boy was grown now, and he stood in the schoolhouse proper, anxiously peering out the windows as he watched the small pavilion get bedecked in streamers and lights. Dressed in a green dress shirt and cargo shorts, the boy turned teenager turned young adult awkwardly tugged at the red kerchief below his collar. Sam Himada was graduating from both school and the Youngsters today. In truth he had already been awarded his ACE, but Paul had come up with the idea to hold off on giving it to him until graduation day.
“It’ll be more fun this way.” The Den Master had told him. “Besides… Grant and Obediah are almost done with their ACE projects too. I don’t really want to have to hold three separate Courts of Honor so it’ll be easier on me if y’all do it on the same day. I bet those two will take their sweet time procrastinating until graduation day, so…”
Sam had bickered with the man, initially not wanting to share his special day with those two boys of all people, but then Paul offered the bribe of an all-you-can-eat adventure in Pewter. Sam had seen advertisements on TV for a new Sinnoh-themed buffet and was too tempted by the thought of endless jingisukan and butadon to decline the offer. Somehow Aggie had managed to wiggle her way into coming as well and Blaine promised to meet them there. Sam had held out hope that Grant and Obediah wouldn’t finish on time, but both managed to jam their final reports into Paul’s patiently waiting hands just two days short of the deadline.
His own ACE project had been quite difficult to finish. Obtaining the Achievement of Character Excellence was no small feat and the League had pretty exacting definitions on what could be considered good enough to merit the award. Sam had spent weeks mulling over what to do to satisfy the “must provide the Youngster’s community with a service or installation that will provide ongoing benefit even after project completion” requirement. The “must demonstrate applicable and feasible utilization of Pokemon abilities” checkbox had been easy enough. Sam would just have Crescent help out. It wasn’t until he spotted some older folks struggling to make their way up the stairs at the pier that the epiphany came to him.
Building a walk ramp on the pier had been much tougher than Sam had initially anticipated. From materials selection, structural planning, accessibility, permits, and making things somehow non-slip, prior to this project he had no idea just how much went into building anything. Sam was originally going to just use some pine and nail some boards together, but his Grandfather had stopped him and reminded him about wood rot and the fact that sand tends to shift and settle. It had taken Sam another month or two of talking to experts, drawing and submitting the plans to the League Office, redrawing and resubmitting the plans to the League Office, and re-re-drawing the plans and re-re-submitting them before he got approval to start working. But it was all worth it in the end. The Pewter Times and Gazette had even run a small article on his work and the newspaper clipping of his blushing face cutting the ribbon on the simple, yet well made pier was framed in his Grandfather’s office.
Sam turned away from the window as he clenched and unclenched his fists. A few other graduates milled about the schoolroom. All familiar faces. Aggie was getting one final lecture from the now married Mrs. Brunch in a corner, though she tossed Sam a sly wink. There was no reason to be nervous. He had been in the paper for crying out loud. Standing in front of the Town to receive two certificates was nothing compared to being photographed for a thousand people to see. If anything, he should be more worried about what was coming next for him.
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With the renewed interest that had come with Gram and Dean’s jointly published paper on the Youngster’s Program, Dean had been invited to Azelea in Johto to help advertise and setup a satellite den there. Sam, as a poster child for successfully completing the program, had been invited to go along as well. He had leapt at the chance, especially considering it was a place that his father had once visited as well. As Sam took the time to really consider the prospect, he couldn't help but feel that the world was growing simultaneously smaller and larger than ever before. On one hand, he had grown up in and rarely spent any time outside of Pallet Town and the idea of leaving the country was daunting and terrifying. On the other… the small connections that tied such a faraway place to himself made it feel closer than it otherwise might have been, and it mellowed his fears and gave them a shimmer of excitement at the possibilities.
Sam jolted at Paul’s touch. He really should get better at letting his thoughts drift away on him like this.
“You ready, Sam? It’s about time.” Paul’s smile was wide and proud.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Then let’s do this, kid.”
“Technically I’m not a kid anymore, Paul.”
The older man’s laugh rang out boisterously. “Sam, I’ve watched your ass grow up. You’ll always be a kid to me no matter how tall or old you get.”
“Ew. Quit watching my ass, old man.” Sam ducked as Paul swatted at the back of his head.
“Alright, knock that off. Let’s go, kid, time to take the first step into becoming a real adult.”
Sam followed Paul to the doors of the schoolhouse and could hear the first notes of the melody that was always played at graduations. The somber yet hopeful processional tune was still played on an old record that Mrs. Brunch hauled out each year and insisted upon; no eight-tracks for her. As Paul and Mrs. Brunch began their march to the pavilion followed by most of the graduating class, Sam and the other two boys hung back. Not until their Den Master gave them the signal would they come forward. Aggie nudged him as she passed, her jabbing elbow meant to reassure him, though no words were spoken. Sam watched as the crowd stood and clapped, their cheers following the first group as they took up their seats in front of the pavilion. A soft tap on his shoulder made Sam turn to face what was once a boy who had more than once sent him home with a bloody lip and a black eye. Now more muscle than fat, Grant still had a ruddy complexion and was at least a head taller than him.
“What.” Sam kept his voice low and calm. The almost shy look upon the young man’s face made Sam immediately suspicious.
“I… I uh…well… I just want to say I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
Obediah, who looked more or less the same albeit taller and somehow skinnier than ever, cut in. “What the boss is tryin’ to say is that we are sorry for what we did as kids. You’re probably gonna go off and actually be some kinda great Trainer or whatever and we’ll still be here in Pallet chopping down trees and haulin’ ‘em around…”
“We’re adults now.” Grant’s annoyance at Obediah cutting him off had given him enough courage to speak up again. “Everyone knows that you’re gonna end up doing crazy stuff and get rich and shit. I’m not gonna lie to you and say that I’m sorry for beating you up all the time, but I am sorry for some of the times because you didn’t really deserve it.” He sighed. “Guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry that I was such an asshole. If you ever do strike it big out there, just uh… just try and remember us little people as not that bad.”
Sam felt his lips curl up in both distaste and wry humor. “So you’re apologizing now after eight years just so I might throw you a bone later on when I’m rich?”
“Yeah. Basically.”
“Gotta hand it to you, Grant. You really are still an asshole.”
“Fair ‘nough.”
“But…” Sam turned away to see that Paul had walked up to the podium and was about to direct them forward. “At least you’re an honest asshole. Gotta respect the sheer balls on you to try it. Fine. I’ll try and remember to throw you a bone if I’m ever rich.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it, asshole.”
“Fuck you too, Sam.”
Sam allowed Grant a true smile as they took their first steps into adulthood.