Chapter 43: Remembrance

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Nearly five years ago

I was still hurt by Cynthia's negligence, bringing bitterness into my heart that I'd never felt before. But I ignored it. I didn't want to succumb to it. I would hate myself if I did so.

But it didn't stop me from disliking all Pokemon. Every time I looked at them it reminded me of her. And I couldn't stand it.

I couldn't even look at Pokemon without sorrow clutching at my heart.

And so, my dad and I moved to Celadon City, the largest city and Kanto and the eighth most populous city in the entire Pokemon World.

"It's a fresh start," he said. "Things will be different from here on out, you'll see."

But naturally, he was wrong.

Things are never different for a Chosen One of Giratina, apparently. Fate never stopped playing tricks on us, never stopped stabbing us in the throat.

I went to a new school and began a new life.

But I quickly began to notice I was constantly under the students' scrutiny. They knew me as Cynthia's son. And apparently, they didn't expect me to be such a loner. I didn't even have a Pokemon.

And in this fucked up world, not having a Pokemon was a sin—it made you an outcast in the eyes of everyone else. Why shouldn't everyone have a Pokemon? It's normal—everyone has one, after all.

But these shitty people merely wanted an excuse to feel superior to someone else. Humans kick people while they're down to feel better about themselves. Dreams and aspirations meant nothing to the strong.

I was immediately made fun of by the other students, bullied constantly, beaten to a pulp, and always scorned.

But I couldn't bring myself to fight back. I didn't want to harm another human being. I didn't want to cause suffering.

Because if I didn't have Pokemon by my side, and if humans constantly hated me, who would I have?

I would remain alone.

One day, I was sitting in a secluded corner, crying while my head was buried in my knees.

Suddenly, a warm voice spoke in my mind, the shadows covering me like a blanket as it did.

"You are not alone. And you never will be."

***

I heard talk of two new transfer students from the Hoenn region. From what I could gather, they were children of the Champion Steven Stone. He also owned some big company called the Devon Corporation.

Meaning these two were rich kids who for some reason transferred to our school. I already didn't like them and I hadn't even met them.

But I was still curious about them.

Because Steven Stone is my dad's best friend. And he's also my godfather, believe it or not. I didn't know he had kids, though.

A week later I heard a commotion coming from the courtyard. Normally, I wouldn't care about spectating, but something caught my eye.

I realized that the ones battling were the two Stone siblings and the two strongest Trainers in the school, Tyler and Matthew, who were brothers. Despite them being eleven-years-old, they were talented and considered prodigious. Though, in hindsight, Gabriel is way stronger than them.

I managed to push through the crowd and take a glimpse of the Stone siblings.

The guy was tall for his age. He had messy steel-blue hair and steel-blue eyes that were focused on the battle. His face was relatively handsome, like someone who would grow to be a pretty boy and attract girls later on in life.

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