Journey of a Thousand Miles

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I'm cool with failing so long as I know that there are people around me that love me unconditionally."

—Dave Chappelle

I almost forgot how much it hurts to be alive. Not in a depressed, suicidal sort of way, but purely physical: My body hurts from just about every movement, whenever me and my Pokémon get separated. I accept it as another facet of life though, since I'd rather have them here than not here.

When I get up to the Pokémon Center's desk, Nurse Joy tells me that my "uncle" has already gotten my Pokémon. I figure that means Sean's also gone back to the room and saw I left. I'm not as concerned about disobeying him as hearing him go off on me because of it. He's kind of annoying when he talks.

He finally shows as the presentation is about to start. He's walking towards me, then stops for a few seconds to let Grit, Pong, and Stein pass. He comes at me, opens his mouth . . . then shuts it and gestures for me to follow. Slightly confused, I stick behind him as he maneuvers through the crowd. "What, no lecture?"

"I'm tired of them and I assume you are as well. I'm not exactly looking forward to dying of stress so early."

The presentation takes place in the Champion's room, where a stage and microphone have been set up already. Lots of rows of folding chairs are set in front and almost all of them are full. Blue is up there talking to an announcer-type lady. "Do we bring it up now?"

"Too many people around."

"It's not like we're trying to murder him."

"No, but we're saying something equally as crazy, and excuse me for not wanting to be a laughing stock on national television. Besides, I suspect my family will be watching this as well, and . . ." He trails off with the most uncomfortable expression I've seen him make.

"You hate your family or something?" He gives me an equally irritated and astonished look. "I mean, the way you're dodging them and all."

"No, it's . . . No, it's not that I hate them. It's, uh . . ." He looks at me for a long time without blinking, that locked-up expression I'm used to seeing on his face, but suddenly, it's not that locked up anymore. "They wanted something better of me."

"What do you mean?"

He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "I told you already that I'm not a Trainer. What I do is travel around the regions and do my own brand of investigation and research. They're not so lucrative, and I'm not famous because of it. My father thought that, with my intelligence, I'd be a Pokémon Professor or something equally as renowned, but I'm not. I'm more like . . ."

"The world's smartest bum?" He gives me a hard look and I shrug.

"If you want to be crass about it, yes, I'm the world's smartest bum. I do menial work to afford the long journeys I go on that don't end with a big paycheck." Well, I see why he's stingy about money now. "It's not exactly something I can go writing home about."

"Poor you." He gives me a look that can literally kill. "No, I mean it in all seriousness. No sarcasm."

"Alright, everyone be seated, the presentation is about to start," the announcer lady says. Sean starts to walk away and I grab his elbow.

"Aren't you gonna stay and listen?"

"For what?" he says in irritation. "I know nearly everything about Pokémon there is to know."