Chapter 1: Do You Remember?
He remembered this day well. 5 Years ago, he saw the sky turn red and Lumiose City consumed by the red vines of a corrupted Zygarde. The land looked barren and hopeless as people left and right ran for any kind of safety. He himself was a part of this wildly dispersing crowd as he watched the events unfold from his own eyes.
“Daddy!” he cried with his eyes full of tears, “Where are you!”
A red vine suddenly bursts out of the nearby shops and burrows into the buildings across the street. A group of people were trapped under the vine crying for help.
“Weavile, use Night Slash!” said someone. A Weavile then appeared over its trainer and splintered the vine with its night slash. The people scrambled to their feet and ran away leaving behind their gratefulness with murmurs of thank yous and praise.
“Everyone! This way, get outta here!” said the Weavile trainer pointing towards one of the many exit routes out of the city.
He remembered walking up to him and asking, “Wi-Will you h-help me find m-my daddy?”
The Weavile trainer turns around and shouts over the chaos, “Sure kid! Tell me where you last saw him!”
He remembers opening his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted by a loud boom coming from the top of Lumiose Tower. He looked to see nothing but a large beacon of water surge from the top of the tower. He watched as the world he lived in suddenly started becoming engulfed in white light.
“Wait,” he thought to himself, “This isn’t supposed to happen.” He reached out his arm towards nothing in particular and wailed in desperation as the light wrapped around his fingertips and his body.
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He jolted himself awake.
At first he was breathing heavy and looking upon the white sheets of his bed, recoiling from the spiral of grief and fear. After a minute, he feels recovered enough to sit up and observe his surroundings. After seeing that everything was blurred and out of focus he reached over to his nightstand and felt around for his glasses. They were large, black, square framed, and looked a little bit nerdy, but he didn’t mind. He brushed his hair out of his face and put them on. His room was cleaner than usual. It looked almost as it did when they moved in. He looked out the window and saw that the sun hadn't even risen over the horizon, but just enough light was out to see that it was snowing. He wasn’t surprised by this as he was in Snowbelle City. He and his mother had to move here after the incident because his aunt lived there and they could no longer afford to live in Lumiose.
He moved his feet over the edge of the bed and put on his slippers. He stood up and observed his attire. He was wearing his pajamas, a simple cream button up and comfy pants. He walked over to the light switch and turned it on. He flinched as his eyes quickly adjusted to the light flooding the room. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and focused upon the standing mirror across his room leaning upon the wall. There he saw his black and wavy hair was almost reaching his shoulders. He toyed with it for a bit before observing himself again. He can see the hazel eyes of his mirror self doing the same.
He turned away and exited his room and walked down a long hallway and went downstairs. Walking down he noticed the blue light of a laptop in the living room on top of a foldable table. The light was accompanied by the light snoring of his mother and a Deerling on the couch. He remembers that Deerling came as a loaner Pokemon from his aunt. She was a traveling business woman and has had a surplus of Pokemon from her travels. He walked over to the laptop and saw that it was on an email page. Upon further inspection it showed several emails from different websites showing available job listings in the area. There were also a few application denials with the mess of emails. He glosses over this and closes the laptop and walks over the light switch.
Light fills the living room and he sees the TV remote on the glass coffee table. He walks over and uses it to turn it on, wanting some background noise while he goes to the kitchen to make breakfast. While cooking, the TV displays a bunch of trainers in white uniforms saluting on a stage in front of Lumiose Tower.
The News Anchor says, “Today, we honor those who bravely defended against the threat of a brainwashed Zygarde after Team Flare's attempted genocide.” The TV cuts to all the region's gym leaders sitting in front of the saluting trainers. “So many brave men and women have risked life and limb to ensure the safety of Kalos, of the world. As the 5th anniversary of the Battle for Kalos comes around the corner, many are preparing for packed streets in anticipation for the celebrations and festivities to celebrate the victory of Kalos.”
At this point, his mother began to stir. She opened her eyes and shielded them from the light with her hand. Still squinting, she poked her head out from the couch and turned towards the sizzling noise coming from the kitchen.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Ceailean,” She muttered, “you’re up early.”
“Couldn't sleep.” Ceailean answers, “What about you, couldn’t make it upstairs.”
Ceailean’s Mom chuckles at this, “Deerling was already sleeping on me, it was too cute for me to disturb.” Ceailean smiles and puts half the eggs and two slices of toast onto a plate and walks over to his mother.
“Here.” gestures Ceailean, holding the plate over her.
“Thanks.” she said, still groggy. She sits up and places the plate on top of the laptop and notices the channel on the TV. Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader, is currently giving his personal speech on the Battle for Kalos. She sighs and picks up the remote and changes it to The Amazing World of Togedemaru, a cartoon. Ceailean had noticed a particular name he always heard regarding the Battle for Kalos, Ash Ketchum.
Ceailean joins his mother on the couch and watches the TV when she asks, “So have you decided what you want to do when school is over.”
Ceailean ponders for a bit, then answers, “Not sure yet.”
“Well you better decide soon,” said Ceailean’s Mom, “all the options will be taken up.”
“I know mom.” Ceailean said. He didn’t want to talk about it as he hadn’t given it much thought.
“Well, what’re you gonna do on your last day of school.” asked Ceailean’s Mom.
“We’re mainly just gonna hang out as it is a half-day.” answered Ceailean, “so...nothin much.”
“If that’s the case, you could just stay here.” suggested Ceailean’s Mom.
“I have friends mum.” replied Ceailean, “I would like to see them one last time before we go our separate ways.”
She leaned back a bit, “Right.” Deerling then began to stir as well. It raised its head and yawned and stretched.
“Good morning Deerling.” greeted Ceailean.
“Deerling!” it said in an endearing voice. Deerling then rolled off the couch and walked over to the kitchen.
Ceailean looked back and said, “Oh-sorry, I didn’t make a portion for you, is poke-food okay?”
“Deerling.” it said as it nodded in understanding.
Ceailean got up to help Deerling. It bit the towel tied to the partially opened pantry and tugged it further open. Ceailean then proceeded to grab the poke-food and pour it into a bowl near the couch. Some time passes and the episode of Togedemaru is almost over. Deerling and Ceailean’s Mom watch in earnest when Ceailean finishes his portion and walks over to the kitchen to place his dish in the sink.
It is then that he decides that it is a good time to check the time. He grabs his moms phone and looks to see that it is…
“7:30!” exclaimed Ceailean. He runs over to the closed window shutter and opens it to see that the street is now brightly lit. He then turns around and runs up the stairs.
“Why the rush?” asked Ceailean’s Mom.
“Bus leaves at 7:45!” shouted back Ceailean as he was already back in his room. He slides open the door to his closet and shuffles through his clothes until he finds what he considered to be his signature outfit. A white 3/4ths polo specially imported from the Galar region. He then runs over to his dresser and fishes out simple black jeans and quickly throws on everything. He dumps his pajamas in the corner and runs over to the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth and comb his ridiculous hair which thankfully cooperated today. He runs back downstairs and meets his mom who already has his white and pale yellow jacket waiting for him. She helps him put it on and Deerling sniffs him curiously.
“Thanks mom.” Ceailean quickly said. He bursts through the front door of their little abode and gets halfway down the pathway when his mom calls out to him.
“Wait! Hold on a minute.” Ceailean stops so fast he could’ve sworn he heard tires screech.
“Come on, what’s the hold up?” asked Ceailean impatiently. His mom walks out shortly after with a scarf and a beanie. He noticed these and assuredly said “Oh come on, I don't need those. I’ll be fine.” He then attempts to quickly unlock the fence gate.
“Ceailean Crimis, you stay right there.” said his mom sternly. Reluctantly, Ceailean complies and begrudgingly turns around to face his mother, accepting his fate. His mom walks up and wraps the red beanie around his head. Deerling walks up to the two and gives them a quizzical expression, its fur speckled from the snow.
“You know I love you to bits, Ceailean.” said his mom, “and I don’t want you to catch a cold anytime soon.” She then wraps the green and blue striped scarf around his neck. “You know why that is, it’s because you’re my special boy.” She pinched Ceailean’s cheek while saying this, causing him to blush a little. She then hugged him tight and said, “I wanna see you do great things.” All Ceailean could muster was a little ‘heh’.
She let go and held him at arm's length on the shoulders, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mum.” said back Ceailean. Deerling then nudges him and smiles up at him. Ceailean crouches down and quickly rubbed Deerling's head and said, “And I will see you later, Deerling.”
“Deer-!” said Deerling happily. Ceailean opened the gate and ran down the snow covered street.
“Be careful, be safe!” waved his mom.
“I will!” waved back Ceailean.
He ran down the street knowing his day will be normal, but having heard what his mother had told him, it would be a long while before those words reveal their true weight behind them.