ignore this except for Becky (unless you really want to)
Hey, I just needed to post this somewhere for my beta reader to look over, since she doesn't have access to a working computer at this time and can't download files. This was the only place I could think of.
Ciao!
Audeamus~ a Leaf Green Storylocke
Rules
⦁ May only catch one Pokemon per route/cave/forest/city (this includes gift Pokemon). Only the first 'mon encountered in the area may be caught.
⦁ Must nickname all captured Pokemon.
⦁ Starter is determined by the last digit in the player's ID No. (1-3= Bulbasaur, 4-6= Charmander, 7-9= Squirtle, 0= player's choice)
⦁ Fossil choice is determined by the second digit in the player's ID No. (0-4= Helix, 5-9= Dome).
⦁ Eevee evolution is determined by the first digit in the player's ID No. (1-3= Jolteon, 4-6= Flareon, 7-9= Vaporeon, 0= remains an Eevee).
⦁ If a Pokemon faints, it can no longer battle and must be placed in the PC for the remainder of the game (no zombie HM slaves allowed). For the sake of the story, only Pokemon who have fainted from critical hits or an opponent's self-destruct attack will be considered dead. The others will receive major, but not fatal, injuries that prevent them from battling.
⦁ Set battle mode must be on for the entire run.
Prologue
Eggs and hash browns sizzled in a small pool of vegetable oil in the frying pan. The smells of breakfast wafted through the kitchen, and the morning sun shone though the window behind the light green, plaid curtains. Humming to himself, Gary Oak flipped both the eggs and hash browns over.
The phone rang. Turning the heat down low on the stove, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Gary?"
"Oh hey, Daisy."
"Glad to see you're up so early."
"I have school."
"That's right. You've got three more days, don't you?"
"Yeah."
Just then there was a noise from the hallway. The phone ringing and the scents of breakfast had awoken Gramps from his slumber, and he now entered the kitchen, using every piece of furniture as support as he made his way to the table.
"Darn joints, always locking up in the morning," he grumbled. He sat down and reached for the newspaper before him.
Gary was now divvying out the food onto two plates while listening to Daisy. "Oh yeah, he's here. He just woke up, actually."
"How's he doing today?"
Gary hesitated as he glanced back at his grandpa. The old man was peering at the fine print through his reading glasses, mouthing the words as he read them.
"Fine. He's, uh... he's in the kitchen with me."
"Oh. Okay. You can tell me later."
"No wonder life has gotten so boring," said Gramps as he flipped annoyingly through the newspaper. "Nowadays all the news is the same."
"One second, Daisy." Gary moved the phone away from his mouth. "That's yesterday's paper Gramps."
"Oh." He folded it crudely and flung it to the other side of the table. "Where is today's?"
"Hasn't come yet."
His grandpa grunted in reply then slowly stood up to make himself some coffee.
"When do you think you'll get here?" Gary asked, returning to his phone conversation.
She spoke in a sigh. "Sometime tomorrow. Not sure what time. I'll call you when I know."
"Sounds good." Gary set the two plates on the table and reached for the silverware drawer. "Okay, we're getting ready to eat. I'll see you tomorrow... Okay... Love you, too... Bye."
"You talkin' to your girlfriend again?" Gramps teased as he settled himself back down with his coffee.
"That was Daisy, Gramps. I don't have a girlfriend."
Gramps chuckled as though he didn't believe him. Gary ignored it.
"She said she'd be here sometime tomorrow."
"Hm?"
"Daisy. She's coming to visit for a while so she can watch me graduate. Remember?"
"Oh right! Right..." Gramps waved his hand dismissively. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments as they ate their meal. Then Gramps abruptly dropped his fork and sat up straight.
"Gary! You didn't need to make breakfast for me. That was very thoughtful of you."
Gary swallowed a mouthful of hash browns and sighed. "It's... Monday, Gramps. I always make breakfast on Monday."
"Oh right." Gramps looked sadly down at his plate. "Right... thought it was Tuesday."
Gary was quick to jump on it. "Everyone gets the days mixed up when they don't have a schedule. I do in the summer all the time." His grandpa nodded, but his words didn't seem to have had much of an impact. Gramps continued to stare absent-mindedly at his food.
Gary checked the clock. It was almost eight. He scarfed down the rest of his food and went to the sink to rinse his plate.
"Alright, Gramps, I gotta go. My bus'll be here in ten minutes." He grabbed his backpack, which was leaning against the wall in the entryway. "Don't forget to take your pills. Mrs. Reed will be here around noon, and she'll check. Bye, Gramps!"
Gramps smiled and gave a little wave. "So long, uh..." He stared ahead for a moment, like was searching the air for something.
Gary's heart sank. He paused at the door while he waited for Gramps to say his name. It never came.
"Well, have fun at school."
Stunned, Gary nodded quickly, "Th-thanks, Gramps." He hurriedly left the house, locking the door behind him- he knew that Gramps would forget to do it himself. (Not that an unlocked door was such a danger in a place like Pallet Town. There wasn't a person living there who didn't know and respect his grandfather. Being a world-renowned Pokemon professor tends to elevate your status a bit.) But it was the principle of the thing.
As he made his way down the street to the bus stop, Gary watched a small flock of Pidgey fly above him. Springtime in Pallet Town meant the local Pokemon would return from their migration and hibernation. The air smelled fresh and alive; Gary hoped his grandpa would get himself outside today and take it all in. The warmer weather would likely do him some good. He'd been cooped up all winter, whether it had been in his house or in his lab, and Gary had his suspicions that he had become worse for it.
He sighed again as he reached the bus stop. The morning commuter bus from Pallet Town to Viridian City always arrived at 8 o'clock, left ten minutes later, and then dropped Gary off at Viridian High School about eight minutes before the first bell rang.
There was a small crowd already gathered- people heading to work in the city and other students going to school. Some of them were in his grade. He nodded courteously to the people he recognized and exchanged pleasantries with his classmates: "You guys ready to be done?" "Sure am. I've got senioritis bad." "I can't believe Mr. Keller assigned us that stupid paper a week before graduation." "I've already finished." "Shut-up, Oak. You over-achiever."
The bus arrived, and the crowd quickly packed in. Gary and the other students stood so the adults could sit. As he grabbed the hand rail and stared out in the direction of his house, the bus pulled away to take him to school.
Chapter 1- Graduation
"And on this glorious spring day, I stand before you as your proud valedictorian to wish you well in your journeys ahead. The road will be tough, just as it has been for the generations before us, but that same road has not met our class. No, our class is unlike any other, and will storm that road like a herd of Nidoking..."
The girl went on with her speech, but Zackary Reed leaned back and allowed his ears to wander. The esteemed valedictorian for this year's Cerulean Academy graduation class was as dull as a horde of Medapod. He shifted in his seat and leaned over to his friend Mike sitting in the chair next to him.
"It's not a bad speech," he whispered. "If she would just put some conviction into it."
"I know." His friend crossed his arms. "Jesse's was way better."
Zack's eyes moved to the girl in question. Jesse McGalliger, one of two out of this year's salutatorians, and Zack's girlfriend, was sitting up on the stage. Her long, red curls draped gracefully down her white graduation gown, and when she cocked her head, the stage lights reflected off the decorative fake jewels she had put on her cap. They were in the shape of a Staryu, the school's mascot.
Jesse was watching the valedictorian like she was the most interesting thing in the world. But she was overdoing it; Zack could tell. She was just as bored as he was. His thoughts were confirmed when she failed to stifle a yawn. He grinned and gave her a little wave. She blinked and did a double take in his direction before returning the gesture. Zack subtly pointed to the speaker and then not-so-subtly rolled his eyes back and let his mouth hang open so that he looked like a zombie. Jesse grimaced playfully and shook her head at him, then returned to pretending to be interested in what was being said. Zack chuckled and leaned back in his seat.
"I bet you five bucks that she didn't write a proper ending, and she'll just yell 'Go Staryus!'" Mike muttered.
"I bet you ten that it's the only enthusiastic thing she says."
"And so," the valedictorian flashed a huge, toothy smile as she gazed at her glazed-over audience. It was the first facial expression she had made during her speech. "My fellow graduates, go out there, brave that road, and be everything you can be. Show the world what the students from Cerulean Academy are really capable of." She thrust her fist in the air. "Go Staryus!"
This was greeted with thunderous applause, though Zack couldn't tell if it was because the speech was good or because the speech was done. Either way, he and Mike exchanged amused looks as they clapped.
Twenty minutes later, Zack was staring down at his high school diploma, and his tassel was officially moved from the right side to the left side of his cap. The principal dismissed the class in final congratulations, and many of the students threw their caps in the air with a cheer. Zack made special care to keep an eye on his cap as it spun and landed next to a girl in the row behind him. He reached back to grab it as the students began to exit the auditorium.
Once outside, he and Mike made a beeline through the crowd to locate their families and Jesse. They found her first.
"My lady!" Zack mockingly fell to one knee in a bow and offered her his hand. "Oh great silver-tongued salutatorian! Please grace this mortal hand with your enchanted lips!"
Jesse rolled her eyes, but took his hand and kissed it. Zack stood and pretended to swoon and faint into Mike's arms.
"You're such a dork." Jesse said as she adjusted her Honors Society sash.
Zack moved closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yeah, but you like it."
She grinned sheepishly. "I do." She gave him a quick kiss. "So did you like my speech?"
"Well, I mean it was the fiftieth time I'd heard it, but I think this time was the best one."
"At least it was better than Haley's." Jesse groaned as she thought back to the last speech. "God, that was dull. She's a decent writer, but she should never go into public speaking."
Mike, who had been standing semi-awkwardly to the side, spoke up. "Well, I'm going to go find my dad. I'll meet you guys at Sultan's. Seven o'clock, right?"
"Yep. I'll see you, man." Zack and Jesse each gave Mike a quick hug before he disappeared into the mass of white and navy blue gowns.
"I'm surprised I didn't cry," said Jesse when Mike had left." Madison was sitting in the front row bawling her eyes out. I couldn't look at her."
"I'm surprised I didn't cry!" Zack teased. He tenderly brushed a hand across her cheek. "You just looked so beautiful up there. Even more so right here."
Jesse raised an eyebrow playfully. "Mr. Reed, you're trying to seduce me."
"No, I'm serious!" His face softened. "You really are beautiful."
She smiled in bashful thanks and moved in closer for another kiss. But before she could make contact, a hand clasped on each of their shoulders.
"Well, I think you're both beautiful."
Zack glared at the newcomer. It was his older brother, Clark. He could have punched him right then and there. Fortunately he didn't have to. He received a hard smack on the head from his fiance, Louis.
"You're an asshole, baby."
"What? Have you seen these two?" Clark wrapped his arms around Zack and Jesse. "I've never seen a finer-looking pair of graduates."
Zack pushed away from his older brother. "You really are an asshole, Clark."
"Boys, not today." That was Zack's dad. He was making his way through the crowd with his mom in tow. Mom was a small, frail-looking woman of modest dress, and she seemed to be relying on Dad to make a path for her. He was quite the opposite of his wife: tall and beefy, with a bit of a gut that was exaggerated by his tucked-in shirt.
Behind his parents, Zack could see Jesse's family: her mother, step-father, grandmother, and twin siblings. *Though Jesse's mom had taken her second husband's last name, Sanford, Jesse and her siblings had decided to keep their father's last name.*
Zack and Jesse received hugs and congratulations, and Jesse's grandmother gave each of them a small bouquet of flowers. They moved outside of the school and pictures were taken in front of the decorative foliage: Zack and Jesse by themselves, Zack and Jesse together, Zack and his parents, Zack and his whole family, Jesse and her family, Jesse and her grandmother, Zack and Clark, etc.
They stood around in a circle on the school lot talking about what the two graduates were going to do after high school. Jesse had been accepted into Celadon University and had been awarded a handsome scholarship for being a salutatorian. She would be attending there in the fall to major in Pokemon Psychology. Zack was more undecided about his future.
"I'll be taking some classes at Pewter Community College," he explained. "Just basic stuff, and I'll transfer those credits to whatever school I go to. I don't know what I want to do, so I want to keep my options open."
"You still haven't told me what your plans are for the summer," said Jesse.
Zack shrugged. "Like I said, I'm keeping my options open."
"You could get a job," his dad muttered.
"Jesse has a job," said Mrs. Sanford, almost boastfully. Though she had taken her husband's last name, Jesse and her siblings had decided to keep their father's last name, McGalliger. "She'll be working with the grounds keepers at Silph Co."
"What?" Zack looked proudly at his girlfriend. "You didn't tell me this."
Jesse smiled. "I just found out this morning. It's not an internship, like I wanted. I'll mostly be cutting grass and pulling weeds. But it pays $10 an hour." She pulled up her gown sleeve to reveal her arm, still pale from winter. "Besides, I am gonna get so tan."
The group chuckled at this, then someone brought up how it was after 6:30 and they needed to head to the restaurant for dinner. As the families said their good-byes, Zack offered a hand to Jesse's step-father.
"Frank, good to see you again."
The man narrowed his eyes. His arms were crossed, and he didn't accept the handshake. "It's Mr. Sanford."
"Oh yeah." Zack awkwardly moved his hand away and scratched his head. He cleared his throat. "Good to see you... Mr. Sanford."
Mr. Sanford grunted and followed Mrs. Sanford to their car. Frowning, Zack whispered to Jesse, "Does he still not like me?"
"He's just giving you a hard time. He says nothing but good things when you're not around."
"Well he can give it a rest already. We've been going out for over a year."
"I know," Jesse gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "He can be a pain in the ass, but that's just Frank. Don't worry about it." She then announced that she was going to round up some friends she was carpooling with to Sultan's and left. Zack and his family veered off to their own cars.
Plopping himself into the back seat, Zack removed his cap and leaned back in a sigh. It had been such a long day of preparations and running around and "do you have this?" and "did you wash that?" that he was really looking forward to just eating and spending time with his friends. His parents had rented a hotel room for the night, but tomorrow morning he'd be on his way home to Pallet Town for the summer. He frowned as he remembered that Jesse would also be going home. Her family was from Saffron City, which was hours away. Last summer they had attended a Pokemon Trainer's School. They had spent the better half of the season together because of it, but now they were looking at a long four months apart. And even when autumn came around, they'd be in different colleges. Zack stared out the window at the passing cars and trees. He cared about Jesse so much. But how were they going to make this work from such a distance?
Their car pulled into the Sultan's parking lot. Zack saw Mike and a couple other guys entering the restaurant and, taking off his graduation robe, rushed passed his parents to join them.
The restaurant staff had prepared the party room in the back for the large group. Zack wasn't the best judge of numbers, but he guessed there were about 40 people attending. He sat next to Mike at a long table and put an arm over the chair next to him to save it for Jesse. The girls she had ridden with joined them at the table, but Jesse wasn't with them. Zack pointed it out.
"She's calling her dad," one of them explained. "She said it'd be quick."
"Right..." Zack leaned back in his seat and loosened his tie. Jesse's father was a military officer. Just two weeks before their graduation he had received orders from the higher-ups to relocated to a base in Hoenn. Something about a terrorist group causing problems for local Pokemon trainers. From what Zack had heard, the threat wasn't too serious, but they had insisted on calling in Lt. McGalliger. Zack understood why the guy had to leave, but he still held some resentment. Jesse had cried for days when she learned that her own father wasn't going to make it to her graduation.
Zack excused himself, claiming he needed to take a wizz. But he didn't head for the bathroom. He walked to the front of the restaurant where the pay phones were. Jesse was at the end of the row, leaning against the wall and laughing at something her father had said.
"...Um, no! I'm not doing my speech over the phone... Frank recorded it. I can send you a copy..." At this point she looked up and saw Zack. Smiling, she waved him over. "Yeah, we're going to eat soon... Sultan's, it's a Mediterranean place... Oh, it's so good. You have to try it when you get back."
"Tell him I said hi!" Zack whispered.
"Zack says hi," she repeated. "Oh you do? Well make it quick, I'm almost out of minutes." She handed Zack the phone. "He wants to talk to you."
Zack blinked. "Really?" As he brought the phone to his ear, Jesse leaned in close to listen. Zack grinned with amusement and put his arm around her.
"Hello, Mark?"
"Zack! How ya doing?"
"Pretty good." At least he's nice to me, he thought. "How's Hoenn?"
"Hot as hell. They've got us staying near Mt. Chimney, which is still pretty active. It blew out some smoke just the other day."
"Cool."
"Oh yeah, real cool." His voice was dripping in sarcasm.
"Did you find any terrorists yet?"
Mark chuckled. "I'm not allowed to tell you that, son."
"Right, right."
There was a pause before Mark spoke again.
"Listen, Zack. I don't know when I'll be back from this whole fiasco, but do me a favor and take care of my little princess for me, will ya?"
"I can take care of myself fine, Dad," Jesse interjected.
"You were not supposed to be listening in, pumpkin."
"Yeah, Jesse," Zack mocked. "You weren't supposed to be listening." She stuck her tongue out as he added, "Don't worry, I'll keep her out of trouble."
"Thank you," his voice was sincere. "Alright, let me talk to her again. Take care of yourself, Zack."
"You too, Mark." He handed the phone to Jesse, who said a few final words and I-love-you's before hanging up.
"Your dad is so cool," Zack said as she hung up. "Why can't Frank be more like him?"
Jesse elbowed him playfully. "Get off Frank's case."
Zack shrugged. "So how are you doing?"
It was her turn to shrug. "I dunno. I mean, it really sucks that he couldn't make it, but I know he has a job to do. The bad guys don't wait for graduation ceremonies." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, it sounds like I'll be able to see him soon. He told me that they might move his regiment to Slateport sometime, and if that happens he's going to fly me and the twins out to see him."
His face brightened. "That sounds great! I heard Slateport's really nice, too."
"It's supposed to be beautiful. It's got lots of nice beaches and stuff." Jesse blinked as though she suddenly remembered something. "We should head back to the table."
"Of course, but first..." Zack took her hand and looked at her up and down. She was wearing a lavender dress with white roses dotting the bottom half of the skirt, and they matched the hair clips holding her long, red curls in place. The makeup she was wearing made the skin around her eyes sparkle. His face softened. Goddamn, she was beautiful.
"Can I help you?" She teased.
"I just like it when you get all dressed up."
"Well take a good long look while you can, cause it's going to be sweaty work clothes for the rest of the summer."
"Mmm, sexy." He got another elbow to the stomach. But then she suddenly put her arms around him and squeezed tightly.
"I'm going to miss you so much, baby," she whispered.
"I'll miss you too." He returned the hug. He almost didn't want to go back to the table. He just wanted to go off and find a remote field with a tree for the two of them to sit under and talk. Alone. But he knew they had to go be social. They'd be missed soon if they weren't already. He squeezed a little tighter. "We'll see each other again soon. I promise."
* * *
For Zack, the car ride to Pallet Town seemed to drag on forever. He was anxious to get home and relax. He also wanted to sleep, but had the hardest time falling asleep in cars. So he just stared out the window and half-listened to his parents' conversations. On his head he wore the graduation present Jesse had given him: a Pokemon League baseball cap. It was red with a white front, and in the corner was the Pokemon League symbol.
"I'll wear it whenever the matches are on!" He had said when she gave it to him.
"You'd better. We'll have to get together to watch the final tournament at the end of the summer."
"Hell yeah, we do! We'll see each other before then too, right?"
"Of course, babe."
Zack sighed. He had given Jesse the newest book in a series she had been reading called When Kail Met Tad. It took place in a universe in which only Pokemon existed and were sentient with homes and jobs. The main characters, a Cubone and a Mincinno, were on a sort of rescue team that helped other Pokemon. "I know it's for kids," she had admitted. "But I can't get enough of it! The main characters are too damn cute." Zack had been more than happy to get it for her, though. He loved to see Jesse excited over stuff she liked.
"Zack, did you hear me?"
"Huh?" Mom's voice brought him out of his daydreams. "No sorry, wasn't listening."
"Clean you ears out!" Dad barked jokingly
"I said," his mother repeated. "When we get home you should stop by our neighbors' place and visit Gary."
"Why?"
"His grandpa's not doing so well. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few months ago, and it's progressing much faster than most cases."
Zack's eyes widened. He had only been seven at the time, but he remembered when Gary Oak and his sister Daisy first moved to Pallet Town. The Reed family lived next door to Professor Samuel Oak, a world-renowned researcher in the field of human-Pokemon relations. When Zack had learned that the professor's grandkids were going to move in with him, and that one was a boy his age, he was excited for a new playmate. But Gary was always resentful and competitive, and his attitude rubbed off on Zack. The two argued constantly and tried to get the better of one another. It was always a race to see who could get better grades, who could score more points in gym class, who could better impress the girl they both liked, etc. On more than one occasion they got into fist fights at school, leaving both of them going home with black eyes and bruises.
A few years went by like this. Then one day, while they were in detention for another fight, Gary suddenly told Zack about his parents, and how they were army medics who had been killed in the recent war against Sinnoh. After that Zack made a better effort to be friends with Gary, and while shadows of their competitive past still lingered, they became very close. When it came time for Zack to apply for Cerulean Academy, he all but begged Gary to join him. But by this point Daisy had moved out of the house, and it was only him and the old professor. "I can't leave him alone, Zack," Gary had said. "I just can't."
Zack scratched his head. His old buddy had been through so much, and now this happens. "That's awful. Yeah, I'll go talk to him."
"Good. He could use some cheering up." Mom shook her head. "It's just terrible. Sam hardly recognized me when I visited him yesterday. It took me a half hour to convince him it was okay to take his pill. That poor man."
"It's a damn shame," Dad agreed.
"Sweet Arceus..." Zack remembered the professor very clearly. He was always a lively man, excited to share his findings with visitors and teach people about Pokemon. He worked very closely with new trainers, and around this time every year he would invite three local kids to receive their very own Pokemon, bred by professionals to be strong, reliable starter 'mon. Everyone in the community loved the old professor. Zack couldn't begin to imagine his mind deteriorating.
Ciao!
Audeamus~ a Leaf Green Storylocke
Rules
⦁ May only catch one Pokemon per route/cave/forest/city (this includes gift Pokemon). Only the first 'mon encountered in the area may be caught.
⦁ Must nickname all captured Pokemon.
⦁ Starter is determined by the last digit in the player's ID No. (1-3= Bulbasaur, 4-6= Charmander, 7-9= Squirtle, 0= player's choice)
⦁ Fossil choice is determined by the second digit in the player's ID No. (0-4= Helix, 5-9= Dome).
⦁ Eevee evolution is determined by the first digit in the player's ID No. (1-3= Jolteon, 4-6= Flareon, 7-9= Vaporeon, 0= remains an Eevee).
⦁ If a Pokemon faints, it can no longer battle and must be placed in the PC for the remainder of the game (no zombie HM slaves allowed). For the sake of the story, only Pokemon who have fainted from critical hits or an opponent's self-destruct attack will be considered dead. The others will receive major, but not fatal, injuries that prevent them from battling.
⦁ Set battle mode must be on for the entire run.
Prologue
Eggs and hash browns sizzled in a small pool of vegetable oil in the frying pan. The smells of breakfast wafted through the kitchen, and the morning sun shone though the window behind the light green, plaid curtains. Humming to himself, Gary Oak flipped both the eggs and hash browns over.
The phone rang. Turning the heat down low on the stove, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Gary?"
"Oh hey, Daisy."
"Glad to see you're up so early."
"I have school."
"That's right. You've got three more days, don't you?"
"Yeah."
Just then there was a noise from the hallway. The phone ringing and the scents of breakfast had awoken Gramps from his slumber, and he now entered the kitchen, using every piece of furniture as support as he made his way to the table.
"Darn joints, always locking up in the morning," he grumbled. He sat down and reached for the newspaper before him.
Gary was now divvying out the food onto two plates while listening to Daisy. "Oh yeah, he's here. He just woke up, actually."
"How's he doing today?"
Gary hesitated as he glanced back at his grandpa. The old man was peering at the fine print through his reading glasses, mouthing the words as he read them.
"Fine. He's, uh... he's in the kitchen with me."
"Oh. Okay. You can tell me later."
"No wonder life has gotten so boring," said Gramps as he flipped annoyingly through the newspaper. "Nowadays all the news is the same."
"One second, Daisy." Gary moved the phone away from his mouth. "That's yesterday's paper Gramps."
"Oh." He folded it crudely and flung it to the other side of the table. "Where is today's?"
"Hasn't come yet."
His grandpa grunted in reply then slowly stood up to make himself some coffee.
"When do you think you'll get here?" Gary asked, returning to his phone conversation.
She spoke in a sigh. "Sometime tomorrow. Not sure what time. I'll call you when I know."
"Sounds good." Gary set the two plates on the table and reached for the silverware drawer. "Okay, we're getting ready to eat. I'll see you tomorrow... Okay... Love you, too... Bye."
"You talkin' to your girlfriend again?" Gramps teased as he settled himself back down with his coffee.
"That was Daisy, Gramps. I don't have a girlfriend."
Gramps chuckled as though he didn't believe him. Gary ignored it.
"She said she'd be here sometime tomorrow."
"Hm?"
"Daisy. She's coming to visit for a while so she can watch me graduate. Remember?"
"Oh right! Right..." Gramps waved his hand dismissively. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments as they ate their meal. Then Gramps abruptly dropped his fork and sat up straight.
"Gary! You didn't need to make breakfast for me. That was very thoughtful of you."
Gary swallowed a mouthful of hash browns and sighed. "It's... Monday, Gramps. I always make breakfast on Monday."
"Oh right." Gramps looked sadly down at his plate. "Right... thought it was Tuesday."
Gary was quick to jump on it. "Everyone gets the days mixed up when they don't have a schedule. I do in the summer all the time." His grandpa nodded, but his words didn't seem to have had much of an impact. Gramps continued to stare absent-mindedly at his food.
Gary checked the clock. It was almost eight. He scarfed down the rest of his food and went to the sink to rinse his plate.
"Alright, Gramps, I gotta go. My bus'll be here in ten minutes." He grabbed his backpack, which was leaning against the wall in the entryway. "Don't forget to take your pills. Mrs. Reed will be here around noon, and she'll check. Bye, Gramps!"
Gramps smiled and gave a little wave. "So long, uh..." He stared ahead for a moment, like was searching the air for something.
Gary's heart sank. He paused at the door while he waited for Gramps to say his name. It never came.
"Well, have fun at school."
Stunned, Gary nodded quickly, "Th-thanks, Gramps." He hurriedly left the house, locking the door behind him- he knew that Gramps would forget to do it himself. (Not that an unlocked door was such a danger in a place like Pallet Town. There wasn't a person living there who didn't know and respect his grandfather. Being a world-renowned Pokemon professor tends to elevate your status a bit.) But it was the principle of the thing.
As he made his way down the street to the bus stop, Gary watched a small flock of Pidgey fly above him. Springtime in Pallet Town meant the local Pokemon would return from their migration and hibernation. The air smelled fresh and alive; Gary hoped his grandpa would get himself outside today and take it all in. The warmer weather would likely do him some good. He'd been cooped up all winter, whether it had been in his house or in his lab, and Gary had his suspicions that he had become worse for it.
He sighed again as he reached the bus stop. The morning commuter bus from Pallet Town to Viridian City always arrived at 8 o'clock, left ten minutes later, and then dropped Gary off at Viridian High School about eight minutes before the first bell rang.
There was a small crowd already gathered- people heading to work in the city and other students going to school. Some of them were in his grade. He nodded courteously to the people he recognized and exchanged pleasantries with his classmates: "You guys ready to be done?" "Sure am. I've got senioritis bad." "I can't believe Mr. Keller assigned us that stupid paper a week before graduation." "I've already finished." "Shut-up, Oak. You over-achiever."
The bus arrived, and the crowd quickly packed in. Gary and the other students stood so the adults could sit. As he grabbed the hand rail and stared out in the direction of his house, the bus pulled away to take him to school.
Chapter 1- Graduation
"And on this glorious spring day, I stand before you as your proud valedictorian to wish you well in your journeys ahead. The road will be tough, just as it has been for the generations before us, but that same road has not met our class. No, our class is unlike any other, and will storm that road like a herd of Nidoking..."
The girl went on with her speech, but Zackary Reed leaned back and allowed his ears to wander. The esteemed valedictorian for this year's Cerulean Academy graduation class was as dull as a horde of Medapod. He shifted in his seat and leaned over to his friend Mike sitting in the chair next to him.
"It's not a bad speech," he whispered. "If she would just put some conviction into it."
"I know." His friend crossed his arms. "Jesse's was way better."
Zack's eyes moved to the girl in question. Jesse McGalliger, one of two out of this year's salutatorians, and Zack's girlfriend, was sitting up on the stage. Her long, red curls draped gracefully down her white graduation gown, and when she cocked her head, the stage lights reflected off the decorative fake jewels she had put on her cap. They were in the shape of a Staryu, the school's mascot.
Jesse was watching the valedictorian like she was the most interesting thing in the world. But she was overdoing it; Zack could tell. She was just as bored as he was. His thoughts were confirmed when she failed to stifle a yawn. He grinned and gave her a little wave. She blinked and did a double take in his direction before returning the gesture. Zack subtly pointed to the speaker and then not-so-subtly rolled his eyes back and let his mouth hang open so that he looked like a zombie. Jesse grimaced playfully and shook her head at him, then returned to pretending to be interested in what was being said. Zack chuckled and leaned back in his seat.
"I bet you five bucks that she didn't write a proper ending, and she'll just yell 'Go Staryus!'" Mike muttered.
"I bet you ten that it's the only enthusiastic thing she says."
"And so," the valedictorian flashed a huge, toothy smile as she gazed at her glazed-over audience. It was the first facial expression she had made during her speech. "My fellow graduates, go out there, brave that road, and be everything you can be. Show the world what the students from Cerulean Academy are really capable of." She thrust her fist in the air. "Go Staryus!"
This was greeted with thunderous applause, though Zack couldn't tell if it was because the speech was good or because the speech was done. Either way, he and Mike exchanged amused looks as they clapped.
Twenty minutes later, Zack was staring down at his high school diploma, and his tassel was officially moved from the right side to the left side of his cap. The principal dismissed the class in final congratulations, and many of the students threw their caps in the air with a cheer. Zack made special care to keep an eye on his cap as it spun and landed next to a girl in the row behind him. He reached back to grab it as the students began to exit the auditorium.
Once outside, he and Mike made a beeline through the crowd to locate their families and Jesse. They found her first.
"My lady!" Zack mockingly fell to one knee in a bow and offered her his hand. "Oh great silver-tongued salutatorian! Please grace this mortal hand with your enchanted lips!"
Jesse rolled her eyes, but took his hand and kissed it. Zack stood and pretended to swoon and faint into Mike's arms.
"You're such a dork." Jesse said as she adjusted her Honors Society sash.
Zack moved closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yeah, but you like it."
She grinned sheepishly. "I do." She gave him a quick kiss. "So did you like my speech?"
"Well, I mean it was the fiftieth time I'd heard it, but I think this time was the best one."
"At least it was better than Haley's." Jesse groaned as she thought back to the last speech. "God, that was dull. She's a decent writer, but she should never go into public speaking."
Mike, who had been standing semi-awkwardly to the side, spoke up. "Well, I'm going to go find my dad. I'll meet you guys at Sultan's. Seven o'clock, right?"
"Yep. I'll see you, man." Zack and Jesse each gave Mike a quick hug before he disappeared into the mass of white and navy blue gowns.
"I'm surprised I didn't cry," said Jesse when Mike had left." Madison was sitting in the front row bawling her eyes out. I couldn't look at her."
"I'm surprised I didn't cry!" Zack teased. He tenderly brushed a hand across her cheek. "You just looked so beautiful up there. Even more so right here."
Jesse raised an eyebrow playfully. "Mr. Reed, you're trying to seduce me."
"No, I'm serious!" His face softened. "You really are beautiful."
She smiled in bashful thanks and moved in closer for another kiss. But before she could make contact, a hand clasped on each of their shoulders.
"Well, I think you're both beautiful."
Zack glared at the newcomer. It was his older brother, Clark. He could have punched him right then and there. Fortunately he didn't have to. He received a hard smack on the head from his fiance, Louis.
"You're an asshole, baby."
"What? Have you seen these two?" Clark wrapped his arms around Zack and Jesse. "I've never seen a finer-looking pair of graduates."
Zack pushed away from his older brother. "You really are an asshole, Clark."
"Boys, not today." That was Zack's dad. He was making his way through the crowd with his mom in tow. Mom was a small, frail-looking woman of modest dress, and she seemed to be relying on Dad to make a path for her. He was quite the opposite of his wife: tall and beefy, with a bit of a gut that was exaggerated by his tucked-in shirt.
Behind his parents, Zack could see Jesse's family: her mother, step-father, grandmother, and twin siblings. *Though Jesse's mom had taken her second husband's last name, Sanford, Jesse and her siblings had decided to keep their father's last name.*
Zack and Jesse received hugs and congratulations, and Jesse's grandmother gave each of them a small bouquet of flowers. They moved outside of the school and pictures were taken in front of the decorative foliage: Zack and Jesse by themselves, Zack and Jesse together, Zack and his parents, Zack and his whole family, Jesse and her family, Jesse and her grandmother, Zack and Clark, etc.
They stood around in a circle on the school lot talking about what the two graduates were going to do after high school. Jesse had been accepted into Celadon University and had been awarded a handsome scholarship for being a salutatorian. She would be attending there in the fall to major in Pokemon Psychology. Zack was more undecided about his future.
"I'll be taking some classes at Pewter Community College," he explained. "Just basic stuff, and I'll transfer those credits to whatever school I go to. I don't know what I want to do, so I want to keep my options open."
"You still haven't told me what your plans are for the summer," said Jesse.
Zack shrugged. "Like I said, I'm keeping my options open."
"You could get a job," his dad muttered.
"Jesse has a job," said Mrs. Sanford, almost boastfully. Though she had taken her husband's last name, Jesse and her siblings had decided to keep their father's last name, McGalliger. "She'll be working with the grounds keepers at Silph Co."
"What?" Zack looked proudly at his girlfriend. "You didn't tell me this."
Jesse smiled. "I just found out this morning. It's not an internship, like I wanted. I'll mostly be cutting grass and pulling weeds. But it pays $10 an hour." She pulled up her gown sleeve to reveal her arm, still pale from winter. "Besides, I am gonna get so tan."
The group chuckled at this, then someone brought up how it was after 6:30 and they needed to head to the restaurant for dinner. As the families said their good-byes, Zack offered a hand to Jesse's step-father.
"Frank, good to see you again."
The man narrowed his eyes. His arms were crossed, and he didn't accept the handshake. "It's Mr. Sanford."
"Oh yeah." Zack awkwardly moved his hand away and scratched his head. He cleared his throat. "Good to see you... Mr. Sanford."
Mr. Sanford grunted and followed Mrs. Sanford to their car. Frowning, Zack whispered to Jesse, "Does he still not like me?"
"He's just giving you a hard time. He says nothing but good things when you're not around."
"Well he can give it a rest already. We've been going out for over a year."
"I know," Jesse gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "He can be a pain in the ass, but that's just Frank. Don't worry about it." She then announced that she was going to round up some friends she was carpooling with to Sultan's and left. Zack and his family veered off to their own cars.
Plopping himself into the back seat, Zack removed his cap and leaned back in a sigh. It had been such a long day of preparations and running around and "do you have this?" and "did you wash that?" that he was really looking forward to just eating and spending time with his friends. His parents had rented a hotel room for the night, but tomorrow morning he'd be on his way home to Pallet Town for the summer. He frowned as he remembered that Jesse would also be going home. Her family was from Saffron City, which was hours away. Last summer they had attended a Pokemon Trainer's School. They had spent the better half of the season together because of it, but now they were looking at a long four months apart. And even when autumn came around, they'd be in different colleges. Zack stared out the window at the passing cars and trees. He cared about Jesse so much. But how were they going to make this work from such a distance?
Their car pulled into the Sultan's parking lot. Zack saw Mike and a couple other guys entering the restaurant and, taking off his graduation robe, rushed passed his parents to join them.
The restaurant staff had prepared the party room in the back for the large group. Zack wasn't the best judge of numbers, but he guessed there were about 40 people attending. He sat next to Mike at a long table and put an arm over the chair next to him to save it for Jesse. The girls she had ridden with joined them at the table, but Jesse wasn't with them. Zack pointed it out.
"She's calling her dad," one of them explained. "She said it'd be quick."
"Right..." Zack leaned back in his seat and loosened his tie. Jesse's father was a military officer. Just two weeks before their graduation he had received orders from the higher-ups to relocated to a base in Hoenn. Something about a terrorist group causing problems for local Pokemon trainers. From what Zack had heard, the threat wasn't too serious, but they had insisted on calling in Lt. McGalliger. Zack understood why the guy had to leave, but he still held some resentment. Jesse had cried for days when she learned that her own father wasn't going to make it to her graduation.
Zack excused himself, claiming he needed to take a wizz. But he didn't head for the bathroom. He walked to the front of the restaurant where the pay phones were. Jesse was at the end of the row, leaning against the wall and laughing at something her father had said.
"...Um, no! I'm not doing my speech over the phone... Frank recorded it. I can send you a copy..." At this point she looked up and saw Zack. Smiling, she waved him over. "Yeah, we're going to eat soon... Sultan's, it's a Mediterranean place... Oh, it's so good. You have to try it when you get back."
"Tell him I said hi!" Zack whispered.
"Zack says hi," she repeated. "Oh you do? Well make it quick, I'm almost out of minutes." She handed Zack the phone. "He wants to talk to you."
Zack blinked. "Really?" As he brought the phone to his ear, Jesse leaned in close to listen. Zack grinned with amusement and put his arm around her.
"Hello, Mark?"
"Zack! How ya doing?"
"Pretty good." At least he's nice to me, he thought. "How's Hoenn?"
"Hot as hell. They've got us staying near Mt. Chimney, which is still pretty active. It blew out some smoke just the other day."
"Cool."
"Oh yeah, real cool." His voice was dripping in sarcasm.
"Did you find any terrorists yet?"
Mark chuckled. "I'm not allowed to tell you that, son."
"Right, right."
There was a pause before Mark spoke again.
"Listen, Zack. I don't know when I'll be back from this whole fiasco, but do me a favor and take care of my little princess for me, will ya?"
"I can take care of myself fine, Dad," Jesse interjected.
"You were not supposed to be listening in, pumpkin."
"Yeah, Jesse," Zack mocked. "You weren't supposed to be listening." She stuck her tongue out as he added, "Don't worry, I'll keep her out of trouble."
"Thank you," his voice was sincere. "Alright, let me talk to her again. Take care of yourself, Zack."
"You too, Mark." He handed the phone to Jesse, who said a few final words and I-love-you's before hanging up.
"Your dad is so cool," Zack said as she hung up. "Why can't Frank be more like him?"
Jesse elbowed him playfully. "Get off Frank's case."
Zack shrugged. "So how are you doing?"
It was her turn to shrug. "I dunno. I mean, it really sucks that he couldn't make it, but I know he has a job to do. The bad guys don't wait for graduation ceremonies." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, it sounds like I'll be able to see him soon. He told me that they might move his regiment to Slateport sometime, and if that happens he's going to fly me and the twins out to see him."
His face brightened. "That sounds great! I heard Slateport's really nice, too."
"It's supposed to be beautiful. It's got lots of nice beaches and stuff." Jesse blinked as though she suddenly remembered something. "We should head back to the table."
"Of course, but first..." Zack took her hand and looked at her up and down. She was wearing a lavender dress with white roses dotting the bottom half of the skirt, and they matched the hair clips holding her long, red curls in place. The makeup she was wearing made the skin around her eyes sparkle. His face softened. Goddamn, she was beautiful.
"Can I help you?" She teased.
"I just like it when you get all dressed up."
"Well take a good long look while you can, cause it's going to be sweaty work clothes for the rest of the summer."
"Mmm, sexy." He got another elbow to the stomach. But then she suddenly put her arms around him and squeezed tightly.
"I'm going to miss you so much, baby," she whispered.
"I'll miss you too." He returned the hug. He almost didn't want to go back to the table. He just wanted to go off and find a remote field with a tree for the two of them to sit under and talk. Alone. But he knew they had to go be social. They'd be missed soon if they weren't already. He squeezed a little tighter. "We'll see each other again soon. I promise."
* * *
For Zack, the car ride to Pallet Town seemed to drag on forever. He was anxious to get home and relax. He also wanted to sleep, but had the hardest time falling asleep in cars. So he just stared out the window and half-listened to his parents' conversations. On his head he wore the graduation present Jesse had given him: a Pokemon League baseball cap. It was red with a white front, and in the corner was the Pokemon League symbol.
"I'll wear it whenever the matches are on!" He had said when she gave it to him.
"You'd better. We'll have to get together to watch the final tournament at the end of the summer."
"Hell yeah, we do! We'll see each other before then too, right?"
"Of course, babe."
Zack sighed. He had given Jesse the newest book in a series she had been reading called When Kail Met Tad. It took place in a universe in which only Pokemon existed and were sentient with homes and jobs. The main characters, a Cubone and a Mincinno, were on a sort of rescue team that helped other Pokemon. "I know it's for kids," she had admitted. "But I can't get enough of it! The main characters are too damn cute." Zack had been more than happy to get it for her, though. He loved to see Jesse excited over stuff she liked.
"Zack, did you hear me?"
"Huh?" Mom's voice brought him out of his daydreams. "No sorry, wasn't listening."
"Clean you ears out!" Dad barked jokingly
"I said," his mother repeated. "When we get home you should stop by our neighbors' place and visit Gary."
"Why?"
"His grandpa's not doing so well. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few months ago, and it's progressing much faster than most cases."
Zack's eyes widened. He had only been seven at the time, but he remembered when Gary Oak and his sister Daisy first moved to Pallet Town. The Reed family lived next door to Professor Samuel Oak, a world-renowned researcher in the field of human-Pokemon relations. When Zack had learned that the professor's grandkids were going to move in with him, and that one was a boy his age, he was excited for a new playmate. But Gary was always resentful and competitive, and his attitude rubbed off on Zack. The two argued constantly and tried to get the better of one another. It was always a race to see who could get better grades, who could score more points in gym class, who could better impress the girl they both liked, etc. On more than one occasion they got into fist fights at school, leaving both of them going home with black eyes and bruises.
A few years went by like this. Then one day, while they were in detention for another fight, Gary suddenly told Zack about his parents, and how they were army medics who had been killed in the recent war against Sinnoh. After that Zack made a better effort to be friends with Gary, and while shadows of their competitive past still lingered, they became very close. When it came time for Zack to apply for Cerulean Academy, he all but begged Gary to join him. But by this point Daisy had moved out of the house, and it was only him and the old professor. "I can't leave him alone, Zack," Gary had said. "I just can't."
Zack scratched his head. His old buddy had been through so much, and now this happens. "That's awful. Yeah, I'll go talk to him."
"Good. He could use some cheering up." Mom shook her head. "It's just terrible. Sam hardly recognized me when I visited him yesterday. It took me a half hour to convince him it was okay to take his pill. That poor man."
"It's a damn shame," Dad agreed.
"Sweet Arceus..." Zack remembered the professor very clearly. He was always a lively man, excited to share his findings with visitors and teach people about Pokemon. He worked very closely with new trainers, and around this time every year he would invite three local kids to receive their very own Pokemon, bred by professionals to be strong, reliable starter 'mon. Everyone in the community loved the old professor. Zack couldn't begin to imagine his mind deteriorating.