[GCEA Event: 20 Years Later] The Reason

[[Desolate Divine]]

“Sophie, wake up! It’s time for training!”

I groaned as I turned over and looked at the alarm clock. It was 7am. I had gotten up at this time every Saturday for the last five years. Ever since I was 13.

I got up and grabbed some loose fitting track pants, a top and a hoodie. It was the middle of winter, so it was freezing. I grabbed my belt with my Pokeballs, and made my way down to the kitchen. Mum sat there, reading a news article on her iPad, and drinking her coffee. She was always an early riser.

“Morning Sophie.” Mum said, “How are you?”

I grabbed a Pop Tart from the pantry and stuck it in the toaster.

“F***ing cold.” I muttered. Mum knew I hated getting up for training every Saturday.

“Language.” Mum said, “And I know you don’t like it, but it is good for you to know these things. We thought we were safe when we were your age, and the world turned upside down. We were lucky to survive, and there were a lot of people that didn’t. We just want to prepare you for anything.”

I knew Mum disliked me swearing, but by this point, it was part of my normal vocabulary. After all, Dad had sworn in his everyday dialogue ever since I could remember. Mum blamed that on the things he saw and what he survived, but excused or not, that doesn’t change the fact that I grew up hearing it.

“We or him?” I asked Mum. My Pop Tart jumped out of the toaster, so I grabbed it and ate it as I made my way out into the backyard. I walked out the back door as I finished it and found Dad waiting. Just like every other week. Next to him was Stryker, his Scizor.

“We will start off with your battling.” He said bluntly. Stryker jumped forward, ready to battle. This would be easy. Dad had made me learn type matchups from the beginning, as well as different strengths and weaknesses of most Pokemon.

I sent out Wolverine, my starter Pokemon. The Typhlosion had the clear advantage here. It was a fire type, which Stryker was doubly weak to. That and he was naturally faster than Stryker.

“Lava Pl-“ I began to say. However before I could say anything, Stryker had used Double Team. Wolverine used Lava Plume; however only hit one of the copies.

“Bullet Punch! Until it’s unconscious.” Dad shouted.

Out of nowhere, Stryker leapt forward, using Bullet Punch. The single attack knocked out Wolverine, which shocked me. Bullet Punch would hit faster than most moves however was a fairly weak move. Even with Stryker’s Technician ability, it should have taken three of that to knock Wolverine out. F***, even at the beginning, Stryker shouldn’t have been so quick to move. Something was wrong, and I knew what.

“You cheated!” I shouted, “I should have seen when Stryker was already out! He had used Agility, and Swords Dance at least twice! And you had already given him an order before the battle started!”

“You’re right.” Dad said with a grin. “You should have seen it.”

He called Stryker back to his Pokeball.

“You need to assume that anyone you battle will go to any lengths whatsoever to f*** you over. Even cheating.” Dad said, “For all you know, I could have had him use agility and swords dance three times each, and you should have been prepared for that. If you had used a Pokemon that were capable of using counter, you would have won. Make it hold that Focus Sash I gave you two weeks ago, and use Counter. Stryker would have been f***ed.”

I was p***ed of. Every week was the same. Dad would pull some bulls*** like this, and say that I need to be prepared for it. Really, I think he just enjoys having a punching bag he can boss around.

“F*** this.” I muttered as I walked to the house.

“Where do you think you are going?!” Dad shouted.

“Somewhere were I don’t have to put up with you and your bulls***!” I shouted back, as I slammed the door. I made my way to the kitchen where Mum was still sitting, drinking her coffee. She noticed me walk in, and sighed.

“What happened?” she asked.

“His usual bulls***.” I muttered.

“Language.” Mum said, “And you will have to be more specific than that.”

“He cheated! He had his Pokemon use moves to boost its strength and speed before I even knew we were battling! Then said it was my fault I lost because I didn’t guess he had done that!” I ranted, “I f***ing hate him.”

“No you don’t.” Mum said, putting down the iPad, “You know he is only putting you through this because he loves you right? He has seen first hand what people are capable of, and wants you to be prepared for it. Something could happen any day and change everything. Hundreds of people could be killed instantly. It isn’t right, but we live in a world where there are powers capable of doing this, and we can only pray that they will stay in the right hands.”

“But isn’t it his job to make sure that it doesn’t happen?” I asked, “Being a Legendary Trainer and all? Granted, you and him both go on about that, but I don’t think have ever seen any link between him and any Legendary Pokemon…”

“Don’t say that. He is.” Mum scolded, “During the Hoenn Crisis, 20 years ago, he fought alongside Legendary Pokemon, and had earned some of their respect. Enough for him to be able to call for their aid when he needs it. But that privilege isn’t something he uses lightly. You have to remember Sophie, they are Gods. He doesn’t keep them in a Pokeball like he would one of his other Pokemon. He respects them, and also respects their right to privacy. Besides, if people knew any more about his link to them, they could target us to get to them.”

“Right. But even then, this is horses***.” I said, “Do you think Brettles would do this with his kids?”

“Don’t let your dad hear you say that.” Mum whispered, “When they travelled together they were close friends, but Brettles was always the one people respected more. He was more honourable and hopeful than your father, but even that had its flaws. There were times when things needed to be done, and Brettles wouldn’t have been able to do them.”

“Things like what?” I asked. Dad usually didn’t like to talk about details of the Hoenn Crisis. A lot of people he knew died in it, and he almost did as well. The fact that Mum was being so open about it was a breath of fresh air.

“Killing.” Mum said, slightly worried. “I don’t want you to think any less of your father because of this. Because he is a good man, even if he still struggles to show it. But part of the Hoenn Crisis involved a Legendary Pokemon that had shown itself to be evil, and was capable of killing hundreds, even thousands of people with ease. There was a time when your father and Brettles disagreed about it. Brettles had always been the optimistic one, and believed that this Pokemon could be captured and tamed. Your father didn’t and believed the safest option was to kill it. And he did.”

“He killed it?” I asked, “Even if there was a chance it could be tamed?”

“There was no way to be certain.” Mum explained, “And it is good that he did. If he had have let it live any longer, in attempt to capture it, he could have lost his opportunity to kill it, and a lot more people could have died, just so he could have a chance at taming it. It is better that he did what he did.”

“Still, why does he have to cut me down with everything?” I asked, “I am stronger now than ever, and he knows it. So now he resorts to cheating just to beat me. Today was a classic example of it.”

“Because even if you play by the rules, and do the right thing, others won’t.” Mum explained, “He knows that, and he wants you to be prepared for it.”

Before she could continue, the doorbell rang.

“We can continue this later.” Mum said, before getting up to go to the door.

I sighed, as I got up and made my way back to my room. She had a point. That didn’t mean that I agreed with Dad’s bulls*** teaching, but she did have a point.

As I made my way up the stairs to my bedroom, I heard Mum greet the person at the door.

“Hello L!” Mum said, shaking the hand of the person at the door, “Jacob is in the backyard.”

“Thanks Phoebe.” Said a strange voice from the door. From the top of the stairs, I saw Mum and a young man in his early to mid twenties walk from the door through the hallway to the kitchen. There was something about him that I disliked. It sounds harsh but there was always something weird about him. Not only the fact that everyone just calls him L, but also the fact that he seems to have known Dad for ages. In fact, L has come by every couple of months, ever since I can remember, but if memory serves me correct, he doesn’t seem to have aged much at all.

I made my way to my room and packed a bag. It wasn’t even 7:30am, and I was p***ed. I needed to get away for a little while. Get away from him.

I scribbled a note and left it on my desk.

Camping in Ilex Forest tonight. Will be back before dinner tomorrow. Have my phone with me. Tell Dad to not come looking for me. I need some time alone.

I took a quick inventory check of the stuff I was taking with me. My tent, which rolled up into a small bag, a pillow, sleeping bag, and my backpack with extra clothes, food and other stuff.

When I was sure I had everything, I called out Serenity, my Togekiss. She was my strongest flyer, and would be most dependable right now.

I opened my window, and looked outside into the backyard. Dad had just walked inside, and L was on his way in. Serenity flew out the window, and I quickly climbed out, landing softly on her back. She took off, and flew away from our Azalea Town home. I looked down, and saw L look up at us. We made eye contact for a second, before he was too far away to see clearly. However it did look like he smiled for a second. A smile of amusement.

We flew to the edge of town, landing there at about midday, where I found a small burger shop to buy lunch. Ilex Forest was too dense for us to fly over. It would take longer, but it is easier to find the campsites by walking along the track than flying over.

After I ate lunch, I began walking through the forest. The thick trees blocked out a lot of the sunlight, but it was still somewhat easy to see. I had walked through here plenty of times before, and camped here a fair few times over the last few years. This was where I would go to get away from Mum and Dad. Well, mostly Dad.

The first few times, he would track me down somehow, very quickly, and drag me home. However they realized that the more they did it, the more I would come here. They finally accepted the fact that they should just let me camp the night and give me some space. I’d always come back a day or two later. After all, if anyone were going to rebel and cause trouble, the daughter of the Legendary Trainer Jacob would be the most suitable candidate.

At about 4pm, I found my usual spot. A small clearing a few minutes walk from the path. It wasn’t an official campsite, so if a Ranger came through here, I’d possibly be in trouble. But I had never had any issues with Rangers before. As long as I kept the place clean, didn’t have too big of a fire, and left no mess after I went home, they were usually pretty cool. I even had one come and sit with me for an hour to chat for a while, which was nice. I come here to get some space, but that doesn’t make it any less lonely.

I set up my tent and bed, before starting a small fire, and letting Snowstorm out of her Pokeball. Even though she was an ice type, the Glaceon seemed to enjoy the warmth of the fire. It was about 5pm before I sat down near the fire, ready to relax.

After about half an hour of me poking the fire with a stick, and trying to convince myself that I wasn’t bored, I saw Snowstorm’s ears twitch, before hearing a slight crunch in the bushes to my right. Snowstorm stood up and began growling.

“I can hear you!” I shouted, “Come out now, or I will have my Glaceon freeze you.”

“You think it’s not cold enough already?” said a familiar voice. After a few seconds the familiar figure that I knew as L stepped out.

I sat back down near the fire, before speaking.

“Did Dad send you to find me?” I asked L, “I didn’t think he was the type to send someone else to do his dirty work, but then again, nothing he does really surprises me anymore.”

L laughed, which unnerved me slightly. There was something I just didn’t like about him. I am not sure what.

“I’m sorry, but you reminded me so much of him there.” L said, as he sat down next to me, “I first met him when he was your age, and he had the exact same tone of voice.”

I said nothing. That was one thing I hated. Being compared to him. Mum said all the time that I take after him.

“But no, Jacob didn’t ask me to go find you. Phoebe went upstairs to tell you lunch was ready, and came down saying you had gone to Ilex Forest for some space. I’ll admit, I was slightly shocked that they didn’t seem too worried that you had gone here by yourself.” L explained, “When they explained what had happened, and how this wasn’t the first time, I thought I might come and join you.”

I said nothing. I didn’t believe he just wanted to spend a bit of time with me. He was Dad’s friend, and probably had some hidden agenda for coming.

“You know he really does care about you, right?” L said, “That is why he does everything he does?”

I chuckled to myself. I was right. Here was the agenda.

“Pack your bags Sophie, we’re going on a guilt trip.” I muttered to myself. I was slightly surprised when L burst into laughter.

“Your dad came out with some pretty funny s*** when he was your age, but I have never heard that one before.” L said with a laugh, “But seriously, I was with him during the Hoenn Crisis, especially when it was at its most dangerous. Him and the others are some of the strongest people I know to keep going after what they experienced. They saw the true evil that existed in humanity; it probably terrifies him to know that that exists in the world that you are growing up in. He just wants you to be ready for anything.”

I said nothing; just wishing L would go away.

“He was saying before how proud he was of you. When he was your age, he was a beginner. But you are stronger now than he was when he was during the Hoenn Crisis.” L continued.

“If that is the case, why does he continue to torture me?!” I shouted, “If I am stronger than he was during the Hoenn Crisis, which everyone seems to go on about, but not tell me anything about it, why does he keep doing this?”

“Because he survived it by sheer luck. If he attempted to do what he did alone, he wouldn’t have lasted a second.” L explained, before pausing, “They didn’t tell you what actually happened?”

“Bits and pieces. But not enough to actually know.” I muttered, “Everyone insists that he is just trying to protect me, but I don’t even know what he is protecting me from! They insist that he is the way he is because of everything he went through, and everyone expects me to understand that, without telling me a f***ing thing!”

L was silent for a moment.

“Would you like to know what happened during his travels?” L asked me, his tone of voice changing to one more serious. This surprised me slightly.

“Will you tell me?” I asked.

“No.” L said gravely, “To tell you wouldn’t do justice to what happened. I can only show you.”

L stood up and kicked some dirt onto the fire.

“Come with me.”

“But what about my tent, and bed?” I asked.

“Nobody will find it here.”

Usually I would have objected, but curiosity got the better of me. L had known Dad for at least twenty years, and my dad wasn’t the easiest person to be friends with. If they have been friends for so long, there must be something special about L. I got up, and called Snowstorm back to her Pokeball, following L.

After about an hour of walking in near silence, we arrived at the Ilex Forest Shrine.

“I can only describe tonight as an act of fate.” L said quietly, “Ilex Forest is home to the Legendary Pokemon Celebi. One whose power of Time Travel is renowned.”

“And you are going to summon Celebi?” I asked.

“Geez, you make it sound like a court case. I am merely going to ask Celebi to see me, from one old friend to another.” L laughed.

“Old friend? How do you know Celebi?” I asked, getting even more curious.

L smiled at me. Suddenly there was a flash of light and in front of me hovered a white and blue, dragon like creature. I had seen picture of it before, but never seen it in person. Latios.

Latios let out a high pitched cry, before changing back into his human form.

You're Latios?!" I shouted as I took a step back.

L burst into laughter.

“Jacob did the exact same thing when he found out who I was. Exactly the same.”

“So you’re the Legendary Pokemon that fought by his side during the Hoenn Crisis? The one that made him a Legendary Trainer?”

“I hate that title. Legendary Trainer. He isn’t training me. He is merely a trainer that I happen to respect enough to help. But yes, that was me.”

A few minutes later, I heard the sound of wings beating. Not big wings, like a Charizard, but quick moving wings, like that of a Beedrill. Within seconds, I saw the source of it. A little green, fairy like creature. Celebi. It hovered in front of us, before disappearing in a flash of light, revealing a girl near my own age. She was small in stature, with dyed green hair, and bright blue eyes, with a lightly freckled face.

“It’s been a while L.” she said, walking over and hugging L.

“Hoenn isn’t as close as you’d think. I come by every time I visit Jacob.”

Oh s***. Does that mean that I have had Legendary Pokemon visiting my house all my life?

“So who is this?”

“This is Sophie.” L explained, “Jacob’s daughter. Sophie, this is Celebi.”

“But you can call me Skye in this form.” She said, “Last thing I want is someone hearing me be called ‘Celebi’ and having a horde of ambitious trainers throwing Master Balls at me. L, we really should look into destroying those things. They are becoming a nuisance.”

“Another time Skye.” L explained, “I called you here for a reason. I want to show Sophie what happened to Jacob twenty years ago.”

Skye’s face dropped.

“No.”

“Why not?” L asked, slightly annoyed.

“She is too young.” Skye said sternly.

“Jacob was her age when it all started.”

“And look what happened to him!”

“What happened to him? He helped end the Hoenn Crisis!” L shouted, “And it still haunts him. And because everyone seems to think Sophie is too young and fragile to know and understand what happened, it is tearing his family apart!”

I was slightly shocked hearing all this. Firstly, hearing Legendary Pokemon bickering like children was not at all what I had expected. Secondly, the fact that L was on my side. I had seen him around all my life but never knew him. And now he was arguing for me.

“Fine.” Skye sighed, “But if I see either of you try to change anything, I will bring us right back. L, I will need your help if we want to go to the right places. I am a time traveller, and being a psychic, have limited teleportation abilities. I will need your help to make sure we get to the right place.”

“You will have all the assistance you need.” L explained, “Rinshin Town first.”

“That’s is where Dad met Brettles, right?” I asked.

“Yes, but a lot more happened there.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Skye muttered, as she took L and my hands. Her eyes began to glow, as did L’s. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, we stood in the middle of a small harbour town. It was late at night, in the middle of the storm. L held up his hand, creating a small telekinetic barrier around us to block the rain and wind. At the end of the block was a Pokemon Center.

“Just remember, we cannot interfere with anything.” Skye explained, “Bad things happened, but they have happened and the consequences were nowhere near as bad as they could have been. I have spoken with Dialga of this, and he says it could have been much worse. We must let the events play out, and try to not accidentally change anything. Try not to be seen.”

I nodded, as we walked towards the Pokemon Center. We crept around the back, and looked in the window. Inside were Dad and a bunch of other young trainers, none of whom I recognised. Dad looked a lot younger, and a lot less scarred. This must have been the start of his journey.

However something was wrong. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. Dad and the other trainers were tied up, having their Pokemon taken from them by a bunch of thugs in blue uniforms.

“That is Team Aqua. A bunch of glorified thieves.” L explained, “When Jacob and the rest of Team Ruby were staying here, they were taken hostage, and had their Pokemon stolen. The only reason they managed to get them back was because they met Brettles, who helped rescue their leader and stop them.”

“The Hoenn Crisis was a bunch of Pokemon thieves?” I asked, slightly annoyed. The reason Dad was such an a***hole was because he had his Pokemon nearly stolen?”

“No. We aren’t following the Hoenn Crisis itself, but the effect it had on Jacob.” L explained, “This is just the beginning, and is probably the most tame part of this journey.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Skye said, looking around to make sure we weren’t seen. She took our hands, and readied herself to time travel again.

As I opened my eyes, I felt the sun beating down on me. It was hot. Unnaturally hot. There was chaos all around me. People running and screaming everywhere. Buildings lay half demolished. I was still trying to get my bearings when I heard someone shout.

“Sophie, run!” Skye shouted at me. I turned around and saw a gigantic creature walking towards me, its titanic foot above me, about to step on the ground. I closed my eyes, expecting to be crushed. However after a few seconds, I noticed that I wasn’t dead. I opened my eyes to see a light blue telekinetic barrier between myself and its foot. I looked over to see L holding his hands out, eyes glowing. He must be the one making it.

“Move!” Skye shouted as she ran towards me and pulled me away. When we were out of the danger zone, she pulled L, and ran behind a building. I looked up to see Moltres and Articuno fighting with Groudon.

“You teleported us under its foot!” Skye shouted, “Are you trying to get us killed?”

“Who do you think I am, Palkia?” L shouted, “I don’t know what is going to be in a given point in space at any point in time!”

“It is the middle of the road during a Groudon attack! Chances are hit foot will end up there!” Skye yelled back at L.

I looked around for where Dad was, and finally I saw him. Being held in the air by a very large guy, who looked a couple of years old than him. There were a bunch of people I recognised from Team Ruby back in Rinshin Town. One of them was a white haired boy who looked a bit younger than Dad. He had what looked like fresh burns on his arms.

L and Skye finally stopped bickering and saw what I was witnessing.

“Jacob saw that Groudon was killing people. He thought that if he rigged a car to blow up when Groudon was near it, it would hurt it enough to slow it down so people could get away.” L explained.

“It doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea.” I whispered.

“Don’t let Magnus hear you say that. Jacob didn’t realize that Aidan was nearby and he got hurt by the blast.” L said, “Then the explosion itself just annoyed Groudon. Enough that it levelled a building, killing everyone inside.”

“So what? He tried to save people, but instead killed them?” I asked.

“Yep. And he held on to that guilt for a long time.” L explained, “I am not sure he has forgiven himself for that yet.”

“Wow.” I whispered. To be so young but already have so much blood on your hands can’t be easy.

I watched as Dad punched the guy who was holding him, before leaving.

“Come on, we gotta move or we will miss the next bit.” Skye said, grabbing L and I by the hand.

We made our way out of the city quickly, hiding in some bushes out near Route 116. Skye used her time travel to about an hour or two later, but we stayed there. From our hiding spot, we saw Dad let a Breloom out of its Pokeball, and have it knock out six trainers’ Pokemon with ease.

“How long had he been training Pokemon by this point?” I asked.

“A few days. Not even a week.” L said, watching intently.

“Wow. He was good.” I whispered. In my eighteen years, I had never seen him in a serious battle. Only the battles we had during my training, and the last few years, he had relied on cheat tactics to beat me, insisting that I needed to be ready for anything. But here, he was battling honourably. No cheating. Just pure skill.

“If only he were using it for the right reasons.” Skye said in a disappointed tone, gesturing towards the people behind him. They were in red uniforms, and looked like a bunch of thugs.

“Team Magma.” L explained, “They were the ones who set Groudon on Rustboro City.”

“And he joined them?” I asked, feeling the respect I had briefly gained for my father disappear.

“Unfortunately, yes.” L said, “Only briefly though. Team Magma made him feel more valued than Team Ruby did. He would never admit it, but he wanted that more than anything, and put his own beliefs in the back seat just to feel that.”

We watched the fight continue, as the big guy from before came along, and beat Dad to the ground. He then ran off, and Dad ran after him. We followed along, remaining hidden, and saw the final scene. Dad saved the big guy. He turned on Team Magma.

“I think we have seen enough here.” L said, before grabbing mine and Skye’s hands, “Next is Dewford Town.”

The two Legendary Pokemon’s eyes began to glow, and we soon appeared in a small dark room. There was a large window, looking down on a Pokemon Gym. However it didn’t seem to be used like a gym.

“This is the Dewford Gym Spectator Box.” L explained, “I probably shouldn’t be here, but we will be brief.”

On the floor was a bunch of people in blue uniforms. Team Aqua. I saw Dad trying to sneak over, before being found. He grabbed a chain, and attempted to use it as a weapon, before being struck by lightning out of nowhere.

“How the f*** did that happen?” I near shouted. “There were no electric types, and he is indoors. Where did that lightning come from?”

“I have no idea.” L said, “Keep watching.”

Note to reader: This is a reference to the fact that the GM didn’t like where Jacob was going with this, so somehow had him be struck by lightning indoors, before having the crap beaten out of him and having him tied up. It makes no sense to the reader or the character…

I watched, and saw them beat the living s*** out of Dad, before chaining him to a post. As they left, I saw them take a girl who was also tied up. He must have been trying to rescue her. Soon after someone who must have been part of Team Ruby arrived, and had her Charmeleon melt the chains away. I watched as Dad screamed in pain, and was struggling not to cringe. I had seen those scars on his wrist, but never asked what they were from.

“Take a look outside.” L said, as he walked towards a door. It led to some stairs that took us to the roof of the building.

When we emerged on the roof, we saw what I could only describe as a s***fight. There was another storm, however this time we could see the source of it.

“Is that Kyogre?” I said, pointing towards the large Pokemon in the water that seemed to be the source of all this fighting.

“Yes.” Skye muttered, “It was captive. Team Ruby with the help of the original Legendary Trainers helped to free it.”

Skye gestured to the ground where Raikou fought. I looked around and saw a bunch of other Legendary Pokemon. One of them was Latios.

“Is that you?” I asked L.

“He both is and isn’t.” L explained. “In the next year, he sacrificed himself to help Jacob stop something from restarting the Hoenn Crisis. My egg appeared later, and Jacob tracked it down, and took care of me after I hatched, until I regained my full power and got my memories back.”

“Where next?” Skye asked, “I don’t want Latios seeing you here.”

“The research facility near the trick house. His first vision.” L said.

Soon after, we found ourselves in a dark room. Dad lay unconscious on the floor.

“Dad!” I shouted without thinking.

I went to touch him, but then realized that could change a lot. My own existence.

“He can’t see or hear you.” L said, gesturing to a stone next to him. “There were five of those stones, and five people picked to find them. Jacob, his sister Laura, and Brettles were three of the five. And when they would touch them, they would get visions of the future. “

I knew that Auntie Laura had been part of the Hoenn Crisis, but never knew how. She still lives in Hoenn, and works at the hospital in Mauville.

“When Jacob wakes up, take us to Scope.” L said to Skye, “It is a short distance, so you should be able to handle the teleport alone.”

I felt L grab my hand, and everything around me dissolve. We were standing in a wasteland, where Dad and the big guy from Rustboro stood, fighting off Shadow Pokemon.

“They can’t see or hear us. This is the vision Jacob had.” L explained.

I watched as they fought off the Pokemon. Then a red and blue Pokemon that I had never seen before floated into the air above them. From it erupted a beam, which killed the big guy. It then turned to face Dad.

“Deoxys…” L muttered.

In a flash, we were in a large cave. Dad must have woken up, and Skye took us to Scope. Whatever Scope was.

In the centre of the room was an orb, showering bright purple light everywhere else. We sat on a ledge high up, watching everything from above. Next to the orb was a woman, who seemed entranced by it. Possessed even. Behind it was a large golem creature. Regirock. Dad and another trainer lay passed out on the ground nearby.

“What is happening?” I asked.

“That orb is infecting Pokemon. Turning them into Shadow Pokemon.” L said, “Watch.”

Suddenly, a trainer appeared with a Gardevoir, taking Dad and the other trainer to another ledge via teleportation, where they wouldn’t be hurt. He then knocked out the possessed woman, and took her there as well. He then grabbed the orb, and attempted to absorb the shadow energy, as hordes of Shadow Pokemon appeared from nowhere. His own Pokemon tried to fight them off but were soon cut down. Eventually the orb was gone, the energy killing him. Regirock awoke, unleashing a rockslide.

I looked over to Dad, who was facing a rock wall. I heard him scream after seeing his friend die, and watched as he smashed his fist into the cavern wall. His hand was a bloody mess, and I’m surprised that he didn’t break it.

I was shocked. Was this the first of Dad’s friends to die? Is this partly why he is so hell bent on me being ready? Whatever it is I need to be ready for?

“S***…” I muttered to myself seeing this. Dad was usually so cold and emotionless. I had always wished he show a bit of emotion, but this was a lot to take in.

“Let’s go.” Skye whispered. She nudged L and gestured at me. She must have seen how it was affecting me. I tried to hide it but couldn’t.

“Next place is a cave in the Hoenn Desert, when Laura found her stone. About six months later.”

Skye grabbed our hands, and we did the jump through time. By this point it didn’t throw off my coordination as much as it did the first time. But it still made me lose my bearings a little.

We found ourselves in the desert, outside a small cave. A sandstorm raged on around us and I could hear angry voices in the distance.

“In here!” L hissed at us, as he ran into the nearby cave. On the ground, I saw a young woman whom I soon recognised as Auntie Laura. Next to her was a similar stone to the one Dad had before, and on the wall was a painting of Deoxys.

“Same deal as when it was Jacob.” L said quickly to Skye, “When she wakes up, do the teleport, to anywhere else. Just don’t let her see us.”

L grabbed my hand and soon enough we were watching Laura’s vision. This one seemed to be based right after Dad’s vision. Turns out Auntie Laura was actually there, and witnessed the whole thing. When she saw Deoxys turn to face Dad, she yelled. Dad told her it was too late and to run, whilst he tried to fight off the Shadow Pokemon with his own. However they were all killed. Dad grabbed a machete off the ground, and ran at Deoxys, hoping to buy enough time for his sister to get away. Then it disappeared, and all of a sudden, we were by a path on a nearby route, still under moonlight.

“Jacob saw this vision, and genuinely believed he would die.” L explained, “To make matters worse, the stone had infected his mind. He began hallucinating, and seeing Deoxys when it wasn’t really there. He was having nightmares about it and he became less and less stable.”

“I think she has seen enough to know what Jacob went through.” Skye said, “We should head back.”

“No.” I said quietly, “There is still more. I know it.”

L looked between Skye and myself.

“It is only downhill from here. You know that right?” L asked me, somewhat concerned, “Are you sure you want to see that?”

I nodded. Skye sighed, before turning to L.

“Where to next?”

“The Safari Zone, when he met my sister.” L said, before we did another time jump.

We found ourselves outside a room where we could hear a discussion happening. I heard a voice I recognised as Dad’s and another that sounded vaguely familiar. Brettles. I had always liked him. He was nearly Dad’s polar opposite. Always cheery and optimistic.

"The Pokemon inside is a Pokemon unlike any other Pokemon you have come across. Like the strands of DNA, this Pokemon is a mutation of life. It can adapt to live in space and isn’t alone. This Pokemon can be used for great evil with its raw psychic energy. In the past, the creature was destroyed to keep it from infecting others. It has been responsible for the death and destruction of generations of people. Just a fraction of it could manipulate everyone on a small island... Imagine how strong it can be when it’s whole. There is a moment however; as the stones form that the creature is at its most vulnerable. With the right amount of energy it can be destroyed. Not all versions of this creature have been evil but most have been and most have sadly come with many lives as a toll."

The voice was unfamiliar. A woman. This must be the sister that L mentioned.

"So you want to destroy this Pokemon without giving it a chance? Because it 'might' by used for evil? That is rather callous. I have a Pokemon who used to be infected by shadow, who is a powerful, and in the wrong hands, dangerous, Psychic. Do you want to destroy him too?"

That voice I recognised as Brettles. Even if I couldn’t recognise the voice, I knew that it was the sort of statement for Brettles to make.

"This Deoxys clearly needs a talented and powerful trainer who can lead it to the light. I don't know it's history, how many times did it have a good strong trainer and turn evil?" said Brettles.

"Please tell me you are kidding Brettles!" said the voice that I recognized as Dad’s, "I have always respected your optimism, even when I couldn't share it, but that is just naive and foolish!"

As much as Dad and I didn’t always get along, I couldn’t help but agree with him. However his temper was starting to get the better of him.

"You have seen yourself die Brettles! So have I! Yet you can't see that this thing cannot be allowed to live!" Dad shouted, "Bianca herself said that the course we are on cannot be changed! We know this thing will destroy and kill anything in its path, and you want to give it a chance? Some good trainer will come out of nowhere and tame Deoxys? Who? Because the legendary trainers are gone! You and I are both going to be killed by this thing! And chances are, everyone else here will be as well! If the legendary trainers are gone, it is up to us to try and do as much as we can to protect Hoenn and everyone in it before the inevitable happens and we are slaughtered!"

"So there is a terrible power coming to kill us. There is no-one else who can save us and we are all going to die!" Brettles said, before pausing, "Yep, must be Tuesday! That is our usual schedule!"


"Don't forget what saved me the battle for Rustboro. It wasn't overwhelming strength! It wasn't some miraculous legendary trainer. It was regular people who somehow found the courage to stand up and fight, when they found they had no other option! Do I want to run away and hide in some cave and hope that the legendary trainers come back to save us? Some part of me does. But instead what I, and you, Jacob, are going to do is keep going forward and do whatever we need to do in order to save this region." Brettles explained, "If that means that you Jacob, need to capture and train Deoxys himself, then that is what you will have to do! I have never seen you back down from a fight, and perhaps sheer bloody stubbornness is what this Deoxys needs to keep it in check. In which case you are uniquely qualified to train it, more than any legendary trainer I have ever heard of!"

"You're not the only one who is getting killed!" Dad yelled, "I have seen my death as well! I don't think I can capture a titanic, legendary shadow Pokemon from the grave!"

Then Dad said something that shocked me.

"Brettles, I swear to Arceus, if I have a chance to kill this thing, and you get in my way, I will not hesitate to cut you down!" Dad shouted, "If we don't stop this thing, if we give it a chance and it proves to be wrong, it is a lot more than our own lives on the line!"

From what I heard from Mum, Dad and Brettles himself, Dad and Brettles were best of friends during their travels. And Dad was threatening to kill him. At first I was angry at him for saying something so harsh, but after a couple of seconds to think about it, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. That can’t have been an easy thing to say, and I know Dad wouldn’t say something that serious if he didn’t mean it. He must have genuinely thought that Deoxys was a danger to everyone if he was willing to kill his best friend to keep him from interfering. Then again, who wouldn’t after seeing what he had seen?

“This was the day I met Jacob.” L explained, “Granted, I already knew more about him at that point than he knew about himself.”

Skye took us to the next place. Climbing up Mt. Pyre, later that day. We followed behind the group, attempting to stay hidden. However before we continued, L pulled me aside.

“What you are about to see is your father at his most scared, angry and desperate point.” L said, “This is probably the last time he ever was like this, but I just want you to know that. He is a good man, even if he wasn’t at this point.”

I nodded, unsure of what I was about to witness. We peeked around the corner and watched the group slow down.

"Do the rest of you mind of we take a small break?" Brettles asked. "It has been a hard couple of days, and I would like to just rest and watch these Pokemon at play. To remind us of what we are trying to protect."

"What a load of s***." Dad sneered at him. "You'd be willing to risk all of these Pokemon's lives on the delusion that there is good in everyone. Some protector you are. Take your damn break. Maybe you can use that chance to have a good hard look at what is going on."

Wow. That was cold. I watched Dad continue walking down the track, as one of the other people in the team whom I hadn’t met before piped up.

"Can you calm the f*** down?"

I watched as Dad stopped suddenly, and began shaking. Before the other guy knew what was going on, Dad had picked up a stick, and smashed it behind the guy’s knee-caps, forcing him to the ground. He then grabbed the guy by the shirt, and held him against a tree, ready to hit him.

"You want to say that to my face, instead of waiting until I have my back turned?" Dad yelled at him, "You're a f***ing coward! Grow a f***ing set of balls, and give me one good reason why I shouldn't give you a concussion!"

“Do it!” The guy said, trying to call his bluff, “I dare you!”

Bad idea.

Dad backed off for a second, and looked like he had cooled off slightly. Wait, nope. That was a feint. Instead he smashed his skull into the other guys face.

“F***ing coward.” Dad muttered as he spat on the ground next to the kid. "If you have any smarta** remarks to make, my back is turned now, you little s***stain."

"What the f*** did you just call me?" the guy shouted as he got up. Dad had begun to walk away, as the guy punched him in the lower back, and then put him in a headlock. Dad took the hit badly, but managed to compose himself quickly, and grabbed the guys arms, before lifting him into the air, and running backwards, slamming him into a nearby tree.

"I called you a s***stain, because that is what you are." Dad shouted, "Now back the f*** down before I put you in a f***ing hospital. I have fought worse than you before, you hyperactive little f***!"

Brettles soon had his Swampert break up the fight, before another guy who looked like he was the head-honcho of the group arrived.

"What’s going on?" Head-Honcho asked.

"Nothing going on here Lucian. We were just discussing.... Battling strategies. Isn't that right gentlemen?" Brettles said.

"You are so full of s***." Dad said to Brettles, "What kind of idiot do you take him for."

Dad began to walk further up the path, but not before stopping and whispering something to the guy, and based on his reaction, it was probably a threat.

The group walked off, and we stayed where we were.

“Jacob left soon after that. I would take you to the next bit, but there is a slight issue.” L explained, “I am there. It is literally just Jacob and myself, with nowhere to hide. We will be seen. But it is important. So I will show you my memory of it.”

I nodded, and L’s eyes began to glow. The mountain trail began to dissolve, and I was looking at Dad who sat down opposite me, with a fire between us. I was seeing the scenario from L’s perspective.

“My friends tell me I have gift of being able to read people and you strike me as a man with a lot of inner turmoil. From the moment you ended up here until now. I have gotten a sense that you are angry and in a way lost..." L said.

Dad chuckled

"With all that's f***ed up in the world these days, it's pretty easy to be angry." he said, "And I'd have to have a pretty decent sense of direction to be knocked out and not be lost when I wake up. If you're going for profound bulls*** you will need to try harder than that."


"Something tells me you were lost well before you started the journey that brought you here." L explained.

"The world around us is scary and frustrating, I agree, but it’s not made any easier when you are carrying the weight of the world around with you. You seem like a man who has the ability to balance out the good from the bad, but maybe even the right from the wrong is starting to seem blurry to you. I realize this may sound corny but you seem like this fire here in front of us."

L grabbed a couple of twigs and threw them in

"This fire has the potential to be whatever I make of it. Think about this fire as your soul. If I choose not to feed the flames the fire grows weak and will eventually fade away."

L paused grabbing a lot of twigs and some leaves.

"However if I overfeed it, the flames will grow reckless and could easily get out of control."

L stepped back as the fire shot up.

"If I keep feeding like that, I will lose control of it. Once I lose control of it may overtake my whole campsite. It may even harm someone close to me. There is even a chance that fire may even take me down if it spreads to fast...."

L paused making his way back to his seat.

As the fire started to die down to normal, he spoke again.

"However if I stop for just a moment and let it burn off the excess twigs it will come back down to just the right level."

"Your anger and hate are the twigs and leaves being constantly tossed at the flames. You are now much stronger then this fire could be.... You have become a forest fire and you are burning through your life and your friends... And you can’t control it anymore."

Suddenly Dad passed out. I blinked and all of a sudden I was back with L and Skye.

“What happened?” I asked, “Why did Dad pass out?”

“I made him see things. See the truth.” L explained, “He woke up a changed man. Much more controlled, and patient.”

“What things?” I asked, curiously. What could he have possibly seen to have changed him so much?

“I know he wouldn’t approve of you seeing this, because it is a time that he’d rather forget. But I am showing you because I think you need to see it.” L explained, “I also know he wouldn’t approve of you seeing what I showed him. Not because he wants to forget it, but because some things are for his eyes only, Sophie. So I won’t show you that.”

I was silent for a second. He was right. I guess that because I was told nothing, my natural reaction was to want to know everything. Even if I had no right to know it.

“There is one more place I want you to see.” L explained, “The moment where he spared thousands of lives, by ending one.”

Note to reader: This event actually hasn’t happened yet, and will probably not happen like this, as I helped plan the end and don’t want to spoil it.

Skye and Latios grabbed a hand each, and we travelled further into the future. When I opened my eyes, we were on another mountain trail, behind Dad. He hadn’t noticed us. He was too focused on what he was tracking. A trail of dry blood. We kept our distance, following him and making sure to remain silent. There was a snowstorm which was able to drown out the noise of our movements well.

Dad looked different to last time. He was heavily bandaged, but wearing new clothes. He had a different bag with him, and his wounds were finally starting to heal, as if he had gone a few weeks without a fight. Strapped to his back was some sort of gun-like weapon.

Eventually he made his way into a cave, continuing to follow the trail, and turned on a torch. We dropped back even further, as the cave walls echoed every noise. We could hear his footsteps. Eventually he stopped. In front of him lay the broken and bloody body of Deoxys. It was alive, but barely. The crystal in its torso lay shattered.

“It’s good to know that without that crystal, you can’t regenerate.” Dad said, as he pulled the weapon off his back. “The fact that three weeks after I hurt you like this, you are still barely alive makes life that much less stressful for me.”

Dad flicked a button on the weapon, as a glowing blue line appeared down the side of it and it began to hum.

“Brettles still seems to think that you can be captured and tamed like a normal Pokemon. Maybe he is right. But after seeing what you have done, I know I can’t take that risk.” Dad muttered, as he looked down the sight of the weapon. “Your life isn’t worth all of those people dying should you manage to get your power back.”

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I never thought Dad would kill in cold blood. This creature was lying here, broken and no threat to him right now whatsoever. He could easily capture it and tame it. But then again, what about when he dies? Deoxys was different to other Legendary Pokemon. From what I had seen of the others in this Time-Travel Adventure that Skye and L had taken me on, most Legendary Pokemon are innately good. But this one was innately evil. Even if it is tamed, if it’s trainer dies, or someone else takes control of it, it could easily turn evil again.

“Goodbye Deoxys.” Dad whispered as he aimed down the sight of the weapon, “I wish that there was another way this could have ended.”

There was a loud noise as he pulled the trigger. Not a bang like a normal gun, but more of a boom.

I went to hide behind a rock, as I half expected him to just turn back and walk away. However he didn’t. Instead he dropped the gun, and fell to his knees. He kneeled there, weeping over what he had done. As much as he hated this Pokemon, now that it was weak, and he actually had a chance to capture it and tame it, he wished he didn’t have to kill it. But even then, he knew he had no choice.

I watched as he pulled his bag off his back, and rummaged through it, muttering something about DNA. He then pulled out a bottle of blue liquid, which I recognized as kerosene. I realized what he was doing. Within a minute, the body of Deoxys was burning. He was making sure it could never come back.

I felt Skye grab my hand, and all of a sudden, we were back at the shrine in Ilex Forest. Everything was exactly the same as when we left it. It had probably only been a few seconds since we last set off.

“I don’t usually jump across time so much, or with so many people.” Skye said with a yawn. “I am going to go rest. If something happens, and I’m not awake to stop it, I’m blaming you L.”

“Thanks for your help Skye. You’ve earned a rest.” L said with a smile.

“Damn right I have.” Skye muttered. With a flash of light, the young girl had disappeared and in her place was Celebi, who quickly flew away into the darkness.

I remained silent for most of the trip back to my campsite. I had too much on my mind. L was right. Everything was as I left it.

“Do you want me to stay around a little bit longer?” L asked, with a hint of concern. He could tell I was slightly shaken up by all that I had seen.

“I will be fine.” I said, “I just need to get some sleep. You can go back to doing whatever it is Legendary Pokemon do in their spare time. What do you actually do in your spare time?”

“Well, I am currently the chess champion of Lilycove.” L said with a grin, “Granted, being a psychic type does tend to make it a lot easier to win.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. However then a question came to me. One I had earlier but forgot in all that I was seeing.

“You said that when you found Dad, he was a mess. Hell, you even showed me.” I said, “Yet you chose to fight alongside him, and spend more time with him than most people. Why? Weren’t there plenty of better candidates? I mean, he referred to your attempt to help him as ’profound bulls***’?”

L suddenly laughed.

“I said before, he came out with some pretty funny s*** when he was your age.” L said with a laugh, “But really, I saw potential in him. He was a mess, and needed a lot of work, but I knew he had what it took to help save Hoenn. Deep down, he had a good heart. And I mean very deep, but still, he was the right person.”

I thought about this for a few seconds.

“And he still does have a good heart. Even if he doesn’t show it.” L continued, “He is so hard on you because he wants you to be strong enough to be able to take anything life throws at you. Even the potential end of the world. His worst nightmare is for you to have to go through what he went through. And he knows that he can’t protect you from all the bad things in the world forever. But he can try his hardest to make it that little bit better for you when the time comes that you’re looking after yourself.”

“I guess you’re right.” I said, unable to help but smile. It seemed strange to smile at a time like this, after seeing all the hell he went through. But I guess I was more smiling at the fact that for the first time, I finally felt as if I understood Dad. “Thanks for everything.”

“Any time Sophie.” L said with a grin, “I might not come around for a while. When Jacob finds out that I took you to every dangerous place he has ever been in… Well, let’s just say he will be dusting off that weapon he used on Deoxys…”

I laughed as L erupted into a flash of light, and Latios appeared in his place. Latios took off into the air, and within a second was gone.

I attempted to get to sleep, but couldn’t. Everything that I had seen still swirled in my mind. Questions I wanted to ask Dad, and things that he had said and done that once confused me but now made sense. After about two hours of trying to sleep, I gave up. I got out of bed, packed up my campsite, and began walking back along the forest track, towards Azalea Town.

I arrived home shortly after dawn, and let myself in. I walked over to Mum and Dad’s room, and opened the door.

“Dad! Get up! Training!” I shouted with a grin.

I walked over to the kitchen and briefly overheard the few words spoken between mum and dad.

“Do you think she is on drugs?” Mum grumbled.

“No… L…” Dad muttered, as he got out of bed, and got dressed. He was right. A legendary Pokemon was probably the most likely reason for a massive change of heart. He’d know…

“Coffee?” I asked as I made myself one. Even though I couldn’t sleep, the walk back had drained me. But I was too eager to see how this would play out.

“No.” Dad said with a yawn. “I’m beating you then going back to bed.”

He made his way out to the yard as I made a cup of coffee. I peeked out the window to see that he had let Stryker out. I watched as the Scizor used Agility and Swords Dance a few times. I drank my coffee and went outside, letting Wolverine out of his Pokeball. The battle began. And this time, I knew what to do.

“Agility!” I shouted. This was to do two things. Firstly, it was to make Dad take the opportunity to try and knock out Wolverine. Secondly was to make it quicker than Stryker.

“Night Slash!”

Stryker’s claws both glowed with a black Aura, as he cut at Wolverine. Dad managed to form a cocky grin as he began to believe he had won. Wolverine dropped to the ground. However then it got back up. I looked at Dad’s face as a nervous frown appeared on his face. He had just noticed the Focus Sash I had put on Wolverine.

“Reversal!” I shouted. Wolverine’s flames erupted, as he spun around and tackled the Scizor, knocking it out. I looked up at Dad who looked absolutely gobsmacked. This was the first time I had beaten him. He called back Scizor, then let out his next Pokemon, Crimson the Golbat.

“Good! You’re learning!” Dad said with the biggest grin I had ever seen him with, “Now you have to deal with my next Pokemon!”

“I thought you were going to go back to bed?” I teased.

“I haven’t beaten you yet.” He said, “Do you really think I am going to let you win? You have only taken down one of my Pokemon. I have five to go.”

“Won’t the neighbours complain about the noise? It is 6:30am on a Sunday?”

“F*** ‘em! They won’t be ready next time the s*** hits the fan, because they were too busy sleeping in! But you will be! I’ll make sure of it! Now hurry up so I can go back to bed!”

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

This was really cool. You definitely have a wonderful grasp on your character and it's really neat to see how you've built him up through all those experiences. Was it all stuff you planned from the beginning or did it sort of fall into place?

I love the relationship Jacob has with his daughter and how she finally understands him and that all his annoying training is just because he wants to protect her so badly but also knows that he can't. It was really touching.

Being someone who has no idea what happens in Emerald besides chaos, it was cool to get an idea of the story by reading this too. Celebi is cute :D Good luck with the contest!

[[Desolate Divine]]

Thanks @Pokemon Trainer Sarah! It means a lot!

As for Jacob, he originally was supposed to be a carbon copy of myself because I was too lazy to make another character. I tried reacting in ways I have/would. For example, when I was in year twelve, one of my mates snuck up behind me and scared me, and I nearly punched him in the head out of sheer shock. I had Jacob do this when put in the similar situation.

However it proved the the GM didn't like this, and there were a lot of instances where Jacob would get himself into trouble by doing the stuff that I would do, even silly stuff, such as asking the cops who were wanting to take their Pokemon (directly after they were stolen) for ID. It became clear that the GM really didn't like him, so I decided to embrace that, and make Jacob the screw up he was meant to be. Every time stuff would go wrong, I'd add to his instability. Eventually I began helping JD write the plot, so I was able to really develop his character around that, and work the plot around him and the other characters.

If you want a rundown of Ruby and Delta Emerald, I did a journal entry that covers most of it. Message me if you want to read it!