The Eon Academy [S.S. Wishmaker Side-Story]

[[Desolate Divine]]

Side-Story/Epilogue: Closure

Spoiler:

The visiting room at the Johto Regional Medium Security Prison was cold, as Jon sat face to face with Daniel Mason, the man who Jon had once called father. It was December 29th, and winter was in full swing.

Jon’s relationship with his father was destroyed to say the least. Daniel solved his emotional problems originally by drinking, and eventually with other, less legal substances, and seeked to solve financial problems by selling those substances. Jon carried many scars, both physically and emotionally due to Daniel’s actions when he was under the influence of those substances, and occasionally between highs, to the point of changing his own name, so that if he wound up the centre of media attention when he battled competitively, it wouldn’t alert Daniel to where he was or what he was up to.

Daniel was the reason Jon’s mother had died. He hadn’t pulled the trigger himself, but given his actions in years prior, he may as well have. And when Daniel was arrested, and Jon was sent to live with Daniel’s parents, it was a second chance at life he never knew he would have. And since then, Jon had run from the life he had escaped from. For fourteen years he ran, changing his appearance, using his middle name, and taking his wife’s surname, to not have to face Daniel again.

It took the desire to cover up what the Diamond Ladies had done, by taking the fall himself as Jon Drake, and living under his real name, Ryan Mason, for Jon to even consider seeing his father again. He knew that at some point he would have to face his past, especially when he had kids of his own, not wanting to lie to them about why they never see their paternal grandparents and what happened to them, or why their dad’s driver’s license says Ryan Mason. However, not being ready to stop running had put the idea of Jon and Alyssa having kids themselves on the backburner.

This was the third time Jon had seen Daniel since that night Jon was taken by the police to live with his grandparents. The first was when Alyssa was pregnant with Amelia. Jon hadn’t wanted Amelia to grow up running away from Jon’s past with him, so made the decision to face it himself.

That first meeting was awkward to say the least. Whilst Daniel had been sober for years, Jon had no way of knowing whether that was because he had to be or not, and if he got let out, whether the man he knew fifteen years earlier would reappear. The other thing that Jon wasn’t sure about was whether Daniel actually had any remorse for what he had put Jon through, and his role in his wife’s death. The pair sat in near silence, only speaking when the silence itself became more difficult to sit through than actual conversation. Daniel didn’t apologize, and Jon wasn’t sure whether he was too ashamed of his past to even speak, or if he just didn’t care.

Jon didn’t share much either. He told Daniel about his name, and why he used it. He also told Daniel that he was married, and that he and Alyssa were expecting a daughter in the late spring. Daniel had mentioned that whilst he had seen reports of the High Seas Tournament, and Jon Drake, a seasoned yet somehow unknown battler, taking the top prize, and being revealed to be a part of the investigation that took place into the Diamond Ladies, but he had no idea that was his son. It wasn’t until Daniel was told his son had come to visit him, and he saw Jon, the trainer he had seen on TV, that he understood.

The second time Jon visited Daniel was nine months later. Whilst the tension still existed, the conversation was easier. Whilst Amelia was a few months old at that point, Jon hadn’t visited as there was a matter of weeks between Amelia being born and the Eon Academy starting its first summer program. Making the flight from Mossdeep to Johto wouldn’t have been fair on Alyssa, and Jon knew he didn’t owe Daniel anything. If Daniel had to wait a few months to hear about the birth of his granddaughter, he could do that.

During this second meeting, Daniel apologized to Jon. About what he put Jon through, and his role in Jon’s mother’s death. He didn’t apologize expecting forgiveness, and that wasn’t going to be enough for Jon to forgive him. And unlike the apologies Jon had heard as a child, where there was always some reason or excuse, there was none. He simply apologized because he knew that he owed that to Jon, and Jon owed him nothing in return.

After that, whilst still very difficult, Jon did find it easier to talk to him, just a little. He talked about what he had been doing during the summer, and didn’t roll any punches when he mentioned the circumstances behind Dylan becoming an unofficial part of he and Alyssa’s family. He also talked about the different challenges he faced, between Chris’ near-death experience in Shoal Cave, Charlotte’s self-destructive determination, Abbee losing her father during the summer, and three of his students getting arrested. Jon also heard a little bit about how Daniel spends his days in incarceration.

Whilst this was the third time visiting Daniel, there was a first to this. Daniel had asked the prison to contact Jon, and ask him to come visit. Which surprised Jon slightly, though he was certain Daniel wanted something from him.

It took Jon days to decide whether or not to visit Daniel. It had only been a few months since the last visit, and if Daniel did want something from Jon, he didn’t want to give the impression that he felt he owed his father anything, and that he would come whenever he was asked.

Jon talked to Alyssa about it at great length, and ended up also talking to Jack Mason, Daniel’s father and Jon’s grandfather. The man who took him in, and made some leeway in correcting Jon’s course, teaching him to battle.

Jon knew that Jack had been visiting Daniel since his incarceration. Jon was okay with Jack doing that, as Daniel was still his son, however the agreement was that Jon didn’t want to hear anything about his father, and wanted his father to know nothing about him.

During the phone call with Jack, Jon for the first time asked Jack about Daniel, specifically what he thought. Jack had always respected Jon’s wish to not be informed about his father, so what Jack had to say was something Jon heard for the first time.

Jack told Jon that during Daniel’s first years of imprisonment, he refused to accept any responsibility for what had happened. Daniel blamed everyone but himself, including Jack. However once he became sober, he went from blaming others, to refusing to think about it at all, before finally accepting that he was there because of his own mistakes. And especially in recent years, when Jack would visit Daniel, Daniel’s biggest regret was that his own son wanted nothing to do with him. Daniel had asked about Jon before, and Jack had told him Jon wanted his life to be kept private, but that he is doing well. And whilst at first this irritated Daniel, he eventually came to understand, and stopped asking for specifics, instead, only asking ”Is Ryan still doing well?” and nothing else.

Jack told Jon that visiting Daniel like this doesn’t mean he has to forgive him, or owes him anything. If this turns out to be a waste of time, Jon can easily cut Daniel out of his life, and Jack would support that separation as much as he could. But there was little harm in hearing Daniel out just this once.

That was how Jon found himself in the visiting room again, face to face with his father.

“Alyssa doing well?” Daniel asked awkwardly.

“She’s doing well,” Jon answered. “She’s taking on more hours from home, and is glad for that, really. She loves her work.”

“What about Amelia?”

“She’s doing what babies do,” Jon replied. “Still growing, but not a great deal else. She’s started crawling, which is pretty early from what I’ve heard…”

“And Dylan?”

Jon was surprised that Daniel had remembered Dylan’s name, or even asked about it, considering Dylan was in a similar situation to the one Jon grew up in, at Daniel’s hands.

“He’s doing well,” Jon said. “He’s still very quiet, but once you get him talking, he can go on forever if he wants to. We’ve had a few schools do camps at the Academy for a week or so, and he has done well working with the kids during those camps.”

There was an awkward silence before Daniel spoke again.

“Look Rya-...” he began. “Jon. I do enjoy the fact you visit me these days, but I know you’re smart enough to know I didn’t ask you to come here just to chat…”

“You’re right,” Jon said sternly. “In fact, I wasn’t even sure whether I should, because my first thought is that you asked me to come because you want something from me…”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you come then?”

“I spoke to Grandpa, and asked him what he thought. Whether I would be making a mistake by indulging you by coming here at your request,” Jon explained, not intending to come across as cold or hurtful, but to make it abundantly clear how independent of Daniel he was, and that any decision he makes is his own.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I am grateful you decided to come,” Daniel said. “And you’re right. Even though I have no right to ask, I do have something I want to ask of you.”

Jon sat back. He would hear Daniel out, but wasn’t going to offer any more until he knew exactly what Daniel wanted.

“My non-parole period is almost over, which means that I could technically be released within the next six months on parole,” Daniel explained. “Whilst nothing is certain, and they could tell me I need to spend the next three years in here, it wouldn’t hurt my chances if someone whom my actions had affected were to go on the record and say I have changed…”

Jon was shocked to hear what Daniel was asking. He wanted Jon to vouch for Daniel’s release.

“I understand that I deserved to be in this place for the last fifteen years. The things I did are unforgivable. And I know I have no right to ask this, or want anything more than what I have now,” Daniel continued. “But if I spend the next three years in here, that will be three years less I have with my own parents. Three years less to do what I can to try and show you that I am sorry for what happened, and actually be a father to you.”

“In the fifteen years I’ve been here, you’ve grown up. Become a famous battler, worked undercover for the League, got married, and even had kids of your own,” Daniel said. “If you were okay with it, I’d love to meet Alyssa, and especially love to meet Amelia, and see the life you’ve built for yourself without me.”

Jon remained silent. There was too much going through his head hearing these words. Whilst he was now much more comfortable with the thought of seeing his dad than he was two years ago, he still had not let himself consider the idea of Daniel meeting his wife and daughter. He was only okay coming here because he knew that this part of his life was locked away in a prison in Johto.

“I don’t expect you to make a decision now, or even tell me about it. If you would rather I stay in here, and decide not to go on the record, I wouldn’t hold it against you. You’ve made much better decisions with life than I have, and if you think I am not ready to leave this place, you are probably right…” Daniel concluded. “But if you are able to give me this one chance, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t regret that decision.”

“I…” Jon began. “I need to think about this. And I need to talk to Alyssa about it all as well…”

“That is fine,” Daniel said. “My hearing isn’t for another month.”

“I’ll think about it, and won’t promise anything more than that,” Jon said.

“That’s all I can ask for…”

************************************************** ************************************************** *****

Jon didn’t stick around much longer after that discussion. There was too much going through his mind in order for him to be able to bring himself to stay and talk, and thankfully, Daniel didn’t seem to take Jon leaving so soon badly.

Leaving the prison, Jon took a taxi to the Magnet Train station, taking a train bound for Saffron City in Kanto, then another train from Saffron City to Vermillion City in the south. From there he took another taxi to a retirement Village in the north-eastern corner of the city.

Jon made his way through the small streets that made up the retirement village, finding himself out the front of one house in particular. Number 90. He knocked on the door, and a few minutes later, it opened, revealing a woman in her early eighties, with a wide smile on her face.

“Ryan!” she said happily. “It’s great to see you again!”

“It’s great to see you too, Grandma,” Jon said. Whilst there were very few people he still spoke to that knew him as Ryan, his grandparents were the only ones he didn’t correct.

She ushered Jon inside, closing the door behind him. As he walked through, he heard a familiar cry. On a soft bed next to the couch in the living room was an elderly Flareon, who was the last of Jack’s battling team from his younger days. Jon gave it a scratch behind the ears, to its delight.

“Jack’s in the backyard,” Wendy, Jon’s grandmother, said. “He wanted to see your Pokemon, and knew you couldn’t fit them in the house, so wants to have lunch out there.”

Jon nodded, as he walked through the small house into the smaller backyard.

It saddened Jon a little to see his grandparents in this small house. Part of that was missing the first home he had where he truly felt safe, and the other part was a feeling of sadness that it represented them not being able to do the things they truly wanted. The house they had lived in for decades before this had a large backyard, where Jack was able to train his own Pokemon, and battle others. However the property and house became too difficult to manage in their older age, and Jack’s Pokemon eventually passed away, with the exception of Flareon. As much as Jack would have loved another Pokemon, and Jon had offered, he knew that it wasn’t wise. It would outlive him, and it wasn’t fair on the Pokemon to create that bond, only for it to be broken by his own death.

Jack and Wendy had moved into this house five years earlier, after Jack had one too many falls and it became obvious that things needed to change. Having lived in Hoenn since he married Alyssa, Jon had only been here a dozen or so times, the last time being three months earlier, when summer ended and all his students went home. He, Alyssa and Amelia had spent a few days visiting, and it was during that time Jon made the trip to Johto to visit Daniel for the first time since Amelia had been born.

“Hey Grandpa,” Jon said, as he walked into the backyard, where Jack sat at a small outdoor table, by a large gas heater.

“Ryan,” Jack said with a smile. “I’m glad you could come visit.”

“I appreciate you letting me stay the night,” Jon said. “I hate flying to and from Johto in one day.”

Jon knew what was coming next.

“So let me see your Pokemon!” Jack said. “I want to see how well you’re looking after them…”

Jon smiled before letting out his Jolteon. It cried out happily seeing Jack, and upon hearing the noise, Jack’s Flareon, who was Jolteon’s father, emerged from inside the house, and cried out happily as well.

“I didn’t think it possible, but Jolteon looks better than ever…” Jack said, seeming slightly shocked.

“That’s Dylan for you,” Jon explained. “I thought I was good at cooking Pokemon food, but Dylan is a genius… He’s been organizing food for all my Pokemon, and I think they’re starting to like him more than me…”

Jack laughed at Jon’s explanation.

“I’d love to meet the young man,” Jack said. “It sounds like you’re all doing well given the circumstances.”

“You would know,” Jon said with a laugh. “I didn’t turn out too screwed up.”

“No, you turned out just fine…”

“Dylan’s actually in Goldenrod right now,” Jon explained. “One of his friends from the Academy invited him to stay with her and her brother for New Years Eve. I considered dropping in to say hello but…”

“Let’s save that talk for later,” Jack said. “I want to see the rest of your Pokemon!”

One by one, Jon let out his Pokemon, letting his grandfather appraise them. Whilst Jack wasn’t as familiar with Blaziken and Absol, due to living in Kanto all his life, and access to reliable information not being as easy during his battling career, he held a certain expertise with Nidoking, Scizor and especially Jolteon. Finally, it was Latios’ turn.

Even though Jack didn’t know much of Hoenn Pokemon, Latios was by far his favorite.

“I still can’t believe it,” Jack said. “My grandson, training a Legendary Pokemon…”

Jon thought over what he was about to say next. Whilst Wendy did have a tendency of accidentally telling people things she shouldn’t, he knew Jack was like a bank vault. After all, he had not shared any information about Jon when he would visit Daniel during the last fifteen years.

Making sure he was quiet enough that his grandmother wouldn’t overhear from inside the house, he spoke.

“I actually have one more Pokemon that I couldn’t bring with me…” Jon said quietly. “But you need to keep this a secret. Not even grandma can know.”

“How big of a secret?” Jack asked, slightly surprised at the change in Jon’s tone.

“I could wind up in a secret military jail for the rest of my life if this gets out type of secret…” Jon said, as Jack’s eyes widened.

“What did you do?” he whispered hoarsely, sounding nervous.

“The military p**sed off this Pokemon and were going to try and kill it, so Steven, the Hoenn Champion, asked me to capture it before they could, and train it in secret,” Jon explained, as he opened his phone, and quickly searched for a news article from a year earlier, detailing Rayquaza causing a plane to make an emergency landing, finding a photo from the aircrafts cameras of the Legendary Pokemon. He quickly passed the phone to Jack.

Jack’s jaw dropped when he saw the photo.

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” Jack asked.

“No, I’m serious…” Jon explained. “It is hidden in an unregistered Pokeball back home. When I can slip away from home for a weekend, I take it to an island in the south of Hoenn to train it.”

“I heard that the issues with that Pokemon stopped, but I didn’t know that was because of you…” Jack said quietly. “What will you do with it?”

“Truth is, I actually think it is safe enough for me to release it back into the wild now,” Jon explained. “The problem is that the moment the military know where it is, they will go after it. Maybe once enough time has passed, I will capture it officially, and that way, if something comes up and I have to be seen with, I won’t be thrown into jail. But right now, it would be too obvious I had something to do with it disappearing…”

As they spoke, Latios hovered upright in the air, looking curiously at the gas heater.

“Do you want a beer?” Jack asked, as he made his way to the mini-fridge he kept next to the barbeque.

”Can I please have one?” Latios said telepathically to Jon.

“Sure. And if you have enough, could Latios have one as well?” Jon replied, before turning to Latios. “Only one…”

Latios beamed, as Jack passed Jon a can, which he opened and handed to the Eon Pokemon.

“I can’t say I’ve heard of a Legendary Pokemon liking beer…” Jack said, watching curiously as Latios sipped from the can.

“I never heard of it either,” Jon explained/ “A few months ago, I wondered if he’d enjoy it, and Dylan said there was nothing harmful to him in it, and it would barely affect him, so I gave him one and he loved it. He knows not to use any psychic abilities when he has them.”

“And he’s fine?” Jack asked.

“Yeah,” Jon explained/ “Except for Christmas, I bought him a case, thinking he could have one every couple of days. I had warned him what this does to people, and he thought it wouldn’t happen to him. When I wasn’t looking he drank half the case between dinner and 9pm…”

Latios looked at Jon, and continued sipping his beer, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“He fell asleep on the roof of the lodge where the students usually stay, and woke up with a hangover…” Jon explained. “He hasn’t asked for one since, and has learnt his lesson about moderation.”

“I hope so…” Jack retorted. “A Legendary Pokemon with a heavy thirst can’t be cheap…”

Wendy came out and the three of them, as well as Latios and Flareon ate lunch, and when that was over, Jon finally addressed the reason he flew from Hoenn to begin with.

“I spoke to Daniel this morning.”

“What did he have to say?” Jack asked.

“He is going to be eligible for parole, and has his hearing where they decide if they should let him out in a month,” Jon explained. “He said that if I were to advocate for his release, and go on the record, they may be more inclined to let him out…”

“And what do you think about that?”

Jon was silent.

“I’m torn about whether I should…”

“He is asking a lot of you, considering how recently you actually started to see him again,” Jack said.

“He is. Really, I want to believe that he has changed in there, for the better. I’m not ready to forgive him, but I’m ready to start to move on. I gave the Diamond Ladies a chance to turn things around, and own their mistakes, because I wished that Daniel had been caught and given the chance to get his s**t together. I’d be a hypocrite if I refused to give him that opportunity…” Jon explained. “But the reason I have been okay seeing him now is because it’s been completely on my terms. He is in prison, and I can choose to go see him, or not to. But if they let him out, that control is gone. And I don’t know that he isn’t going to turn back into the a**hole he was, and now I have a wife and daughter to think about too…”


Jack listened silently, as Latios noticed Flareon eyeing the space on Jack’s lap, however seemed to struggle to find the energy to jump up to it like it used to when it was younger. Latios’ eyes glowed, as Flareon gently was lifted into the air and placed on Jack’s lap, and Jack began to scratch it behind the ears.

“Truth is Ryan, I don’t think there is an absolute right or wrong decision to make here. There are only decisions, and whatever one you make about this, I know it will be the right one.”

The thing that shocked Jon was how much certainty Jack had made that statement with. There was no doubt in his demeanour when he said that.

“But how can you say that for sure?” Jon asked.

“Because you didn’t have the best start in life, and have either made good decisions, or brought the best from bad ones…” Jack said. “I feel a lot of shame, both for what my son did, and my own words and actions that contributed to that. But the reason I can still hold my head high is because of how much more proud I am of you and the man you’ve become…”

“I can say for certain that whatever decision you make with this situation will be the right one, because you’ve proven to me that you will do the right thing regardless. So whatever you do, do it with confidence…” Jack concluded. “You’ve earnt the right to be at peace with your own conscience.”

************************************************** ************************************************** *****

Jon spent the night with Jack and Wendy before leaving Vermillion City, and catching a plane from Saffron City back to Lilycove City the next day. He picked up his car from the short term parking, before driving it onto the ferry that would take him home to Mossdeep City. By the time he arrived home, it was nearing 8pm. Knowing Amelia would probably be asleep, he quietly unlocked the door, and entered the house, to find Alyssa sitting exhausted on the couch, trying to take in whatever was on the TV, but struggling to keep her eyes open.

“I’m home…” he said quietly as he walked into the room.

“Hey…” Alyssa said through exhaustion. “Come sit with me…”

Jon sat down on the couch next to her, as Alyssa shifted and rest her head on his chest.

“Lili not going to sleep easy?” Jon asked, feeling guilty he had left his wife to look after their daughter by herself.

“You’d think for how much of last night she was awake, she’d be too tired to try and pull another all nighter…” Alyssa mumbled. “Turns out getting her to sleep again tonight was equally hard.”

Jon chuckled.

“I’ll be the one to deal with her tonight,” Jon said. “Do you want to sleep in the lodge? I can get power turned on and run the heater so you can have a night of peace and quiet…”

“No, I’ll stay here…” Alyssa said. “Being woken up isn’t a big problem when you don’t have to do anything and can go straight back to sleep.”

“Fair enough,” Jon replied. “Just take it easy for a few days.”

“I will…” Alyssa said, sounding more asleep than before. “So what did he want?”

“He’s got a parole hearing next month and wants me to vouch for his release…”

Jon felt Alyssa stir slightly, though she didn’t move, and didn’t open her eyes.

“Will you do it?” Alyssa asked.

“I don’t know just yet…” Jon explained. “There is a lot to take in. And if he is let out, and I keep in contact with him, this will affect you and Lili too. He said he wants to try and make up for what he did. And that he wants to meet his daughter-in-law and granddaughter…”

Alyssa was quiet for a minute, before speaking.

“I don’t know him. Only what you told me about him, and what I have seen in you,” Alyssa said. “For nearly fifteen years you didn’t want to see or hear from him, and the good part of that, even changed your name and how you look to not be found, all because of what he did to you. If you don’t want him to be involved in your life, then I won’t try and push that. But if you do want him to have a place in it, then it is only right that I meet him myself as well, and even Lili. I wouldn’t want to be around him if you’re not there, but if you want to give him a chance, then I’ll support that…”

Alyssa tried to stay awake, but dozed off, so eventually went to bed. Jon stayed up a few more hours, at one point tending to Amelia when she started crying, but mostly considering what he would do. Whether he would try and help Daniel be released from prison, or give himself another few years before having to figure out what his life, and his relationship with his dad, would look like going forward.

************************************************** ************************************************** *****
The next night was New Years Eve, and whilst Jon had invited Steven to come celebrate with them, he had politely declined, stating he would be out of town, though didn’t seem to be able to give a good explanation as to where he was going. Instead, Alyssa’s family visited. Her parents, her older siblings and their partners, as well as their children, Jon and Alyssa’s nieces and nephews. Jon powered the lodge again, and had it ready for guests. Very soon after summer had ended, Jon had gotten funding from the league to build two much larger lodges capable of housing sixty people between them, albeit with shared rooms compared to the students he had over the summer who each had their own space. So this was the first time it had been unlocked since they had left.

During the afternoon, Jon’s nieces and nephews, who ranged from ages four to twelve, wanted nothing more than to battle one-another on the battlefield that the Eon Academy had on its grounds. Occasionally, one of the older, and significantly braver ones even wanted to battle Jon, though he’d hold back, his Pokemon knowing to go down much easier than they would in a real battle. During the evening, they put a few movies on in the lounge for the kids, most of whom fell asleep by 10pm, and were carried by parents to their rooms, whilst the adults sat around the table in the lodge’s dining room, laughing, sharing stories and occasionally playing card games. Midnight came and they celebrated the new year, before everyone, all exhausted, went to their respective rooms, and Jon, Alyssa and Amelia went back to the cottage.

Jon had never considered how handy the property and lodge were for personal gatherings, outside of what it was built for. He didn’t have many friends on Mossdeep Island, Steven, and one or two others whom he would consider inviting over, and whilst Alyssa had a large family now that her and her siblings had families of their own, Jon was an only child, born from two only children. His only family left was his grandparents, and whilst he wanted to have them visit sometime soon, knew with their age it was becoming more and more difficult. He didn’t realize just how much he had missed out on, until he was able to host his in-laws and actually share a fun night with them. But a series of thoughts crept into his mind, the most prevalent being 'in a few years, could he be here with us for something like this?'

Whilst Jon loved Alyssa’s family, and how much they accepted him as one of their own, and supported him even when the footage of Jon beating Lance senseless, and the footage of Latios causing problems on the S.S. Wishmaker surfaced, there was still a slight sense of disconnect. They were his family, but at the same time they weren’t. And in twenty years, shy of a miracle, Daniel would be the only of his own family left, save for Alyssa, Amelia and Dylan of course.

New Year’s Day, Alyssa’s family left, thanking her and Jon for hosting and for a good night, before making their way to their homes, her parents in Lilycove, her sister’s family in Fortree, and her brother’s family in Rustboro. Jon spent the afternoon tidying up the lodge, and closing it all down, as chances are it wouldn’t be stayed in for another six months. When evening came, Alyssa, still exhausted from the last few nights, went to sleep early, as Jon stayed up later, helping to look after Amelia during the night.

This was where Jon found himself sitting in front of his laptop, typing quietly, trying to think of the best way to word what he wanted to say.

'To whom it may concern.

I, Ryan Mason, though better known as Jonathan Drake, am writing this letter to speak on behalf of Daniel Mason, my father, with regards to his eligibility for release on parole.

I will not pretend that the actions of Daniel Mason that resulted in his imprisonment, and his actions during the fourteen years before that, were not significant and damaging. They were. To this day, I carry scars both physically and emotionally that are the direct result of the abuse I suffered at his hands, and I lost my own mother at the age of fourteen, indirectly through his own actions. Most sons idolize their fathers and want to be just like them, but, especially as a husband and father myself now, my worst fear is to be like my own father.

Whilst I do wish my childhood could have been different, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, those years of my life taught me strength and resilience. Those years, as well as the years I spent living with my grandparents after Daniel’s incarceration, taught me what it means to be a good husband and father, and a good man overall, even if a lot of that was by contrast.

I have only been in contact with Daniel again in the last twelve months, and whilst I cannot say for certain, I believe he is not the man who abused me and my mother anymore. I have not forgiven him for his actions, and am not sure I ever can. However, he has given me enough reason to consider trying to have some sort of relationship with him, even if it is thirty years late.

To whom it may concern, I ask not to forgive and forget this man of his crimes, however to give him the opportunity to prove to his family and himself that he is not the same man that I spent fifteen years running from, and if he has indeed changed, allow him to leave his old life behind, and allow him the chance be the father and grandfather I want him to be.

Your's truly.
Ryan Mason (Jonathan Drake).

Jon proofread the letter over and over, until finally, knowing he would never be completely at peace with it, pressed send.

As the message was sent, Jon’s phone buzzed. He half expected it to be some sort of confirmation message that his letter was received, however was surprised when he saw the name tied to.

Justin Collins.

Unsure of why Justin was messaging him at near midnight, he unlocked the phone and opened the message.

”Hey Jon, sorry for the late message, but I figured you’d want to hear this.

You know that challenge I wanted to give myself? The one I told you about at the end of summer?

I just completed it.

See you next summer…”

Underneath the message was a photo of a Pokeball. In the background of the photo appeared to be an airport. It took Jon a few minutes to get some sort of idea as to what Justin was talking about. What he had done.

Justin had captured a Legendary Pokemon, and by the look of it, gone to great lengths to capture it. Though he had no clue what Pokemon this was, and could probably get Steven to look into it and let him know, he didn’t want to ask. Justin obviously wanted to surprise Jon next summer, and Jon wanted that surprise.

Jon quickly replied.

“Hey Justin, don’t worry about the late message. Fun thing about babies is they keep you awake all night.

I knew you could do it. Good job challenging yourself, and I look forward to seeing what it is when I see you next summer.

Stay safe, and train hard.

The sky’s the limit.”