GCEA Cameo Short Story Contest
Thread: GCEA Cameo Short Story Contest
Desolate Divine
Mary Mary tell me how your garden grows.
This is something for certain members to participate in. Those members being those who completed GCEA Delta Emerald.
The reason for this is that the characters of Delta Emerald are making cameos in Sinnoh however a lot changes in 17 years. This is both a way to show what has happened to your character in those seventeen years, and to help me figure out what works best for the cameos in Sinnoh.
Something to be aware of. These stories for the most part will contribute to GCEA Canon. However for them to work, there need to be no continuity issues with GCEA lore. Basically if you write a story that has no errors it will be canon by default. If there are continuity issues I will still use the story for canon but might have to adjust the odd thing or two (which I will speak to you about).
If you have any questions about GCEA lore and canon feel free to send me a message here or on discord or Facebook.
Wordcount can be whatever you like. This is pretty informal. I just wanna fill the gaps in the story before we get too involved with the cameos.
@Brettles @DHPflareon @Dragon Master Mike @Rival Max @Suicune's Fire
-Unless time travel is involved (and if it is, let me know and we can talk about how to make it work), or your character decides go work with Chime, the characters will be 17 years older by the time of Sinnoh.
-Those who decided to work with Chime exist outside of time and practically become timeless immortals, with the ability to travel between worlds and time at will however cannot take another being with them. Only Chime can do this (as can certain Pokemon).
-The only character who appeared in the Platinum timeline straight away is Dash. The reason I say this is that he has the technology to find others like him but hasn't in the 17 years he has been there.
-Jacob appeared in the new Kanto timeline. Others can appear here as well however if they want to interact with Jacob, message me first.
-Those given a second chance by Arceus inadverdantly have a piece of Arceus inside them giving them a lifespan of 200-300 years, resistance to sickness and a youthful look. Jacob is 36-37 but looks like he is in his mid to late 20s. However the only way to he aware of this is to be told by a Legendary Pokemon (they can see this signature of Arceus) or certain technology indicating it.
Sophie's Trainer Card
Paired with the awesome FedoraChar.
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Dragon Master Mike
I am aware of the errors littered through this, as I wrote most of it late at night, but will deal with them when it isn't stupid o'clock
"You really shouldn't make it look so easy." Phoebe said with a grin as she had a look at the badge I had just won, "You might get a reputation here."
She passed me back the appropriately named Plain Badge that I had just won from Whitney a half hour earlier.
"I am glad it looked easy, because that Miltank was a pain in the a**." I laughed, as I added it to my collection. Now alongside my eight Hoenn badges, I had three Johto.
It had been a few weeks since Phoebe and I arrived in Johto. We had bought a house here that needed a lot of work, however put off that for a little while in favor of travelling. The plan was for me to participate in tournaments like I have done back in Hoenn the last six months, however to participate in those that have the biggest prizes, gym badges are a prerequisite.
That being said, we were excited to see the house we had bought. It was on the edge of Azalea Town, with part of the backyard being the edge of Ilex Forest. We were there a week ago, and saw it for the first time. There was a lot to be desired from it, but it wasn't too hard to believe it will be finished this time next year, if all goes to plan.
"Well you had me fooled." Phoebe replied as she sipped her coffee. We sat out the front of a cafe in Goldenrod City. The plan was to stay here tonight, before we head depart for Ecruteak City.
In all honesty, it was hard to believe how much everything changed. Nine months ago, I was fighting to end a Shadow Pokemon infestation, and stop a Legendary Pokemon from causing carnage in a completely different world. Now I am here, travelling with my girlfriend, having just bought a house together, and living the life I only dreamt of having.
That being said, it wasn't all lollipops and rainbows. Back there I was dead. And even if I am living and breathing in this world, my friends and family back home don't know that. Mum and Noah would have buried Laura and myself now. And I don't even know how the Phoebe in that world is feeling. One of the last times I saw her, she begged me to let it all go, and to let someone else end this. I didn't, and look what happened.
Phoebe who sat opposite me noticed my silence, before speaking up.
"You're thinking about home again, aren't you?" she asked.
"This is my home." I replied, "Here with you."
"You know what I mean." Phoebe said, "Your old home."
I remained silent, as Phoebe reached out and grabbed my hand.
"There is nothing wrong with that." Phoebe explained, "I would be surprised if anyone else has gone through what you've gone through. Having to leave everything behind in the way that you did. I don't expect you to forget about it all. I would be a monster if I did."
As Phoebe said this, the same question I had asked myself the last nine seven or so months began to repeat itself in my head. Did the others succeed? Did they survive, or end up like me? Was Hoenn safe?
I felt myself start to panic. Containing myself, I let go of Phoebe's hand before grabbing my wallet.
"I'm gonna get the bill." I said quickly, before standing up and making my way to the counter.
As I walked away from the table, I took some deep breaths, and psyched myself into being able to talk to the cashier and not seem like a mental case. I grabbed some cash from my wallet as I stood a few feet behind the person paying their bill.
My attention was piqued by the voice of the man in front of me. There was a familiarity to it, and the more I looked at the silver haired man in front of me, the more I thought I knew him from somewhere. One of my old teachers? It wasn't until he turned around that I recognized him.
Lewis. Lugia.
My expression must have shifted, because when he turned around, and I didn't move, his expression changed to one of concern, before he composed himself, before walking past.
Whilst I said nothing, I had a hunch about what was coming.
"Brick wall. Red bricks. As far as I can see and taller than I can look over. Break a brick, and there is another behind it. Nothing but silence. Just the brick wall."
I focused on this, much to the confusion of the cashier, who was speaking to me, whilst I blocked everything out. No distractions. Just focus.
Then I felt it. It was soft, but after having Gwaine poke through my head enough, if I knew to expect it, it wasn't too hard for me to tell when someone was trying to see my thoughts.
I cringed as I felt a sharp pain, gasping, however not letting go of my focus. The only thing that mattered was the brick wall, which must have been working if Lewis was trying this hard to look inside my head.
The pain disappeared, and for a moment I thought it was over. Just as I was about to turn around and see if he was gone, I swore, as it felt like a knife was shoved into my skull. I tried to focus on the brick wall, however the pain was too much. I felt something warm drip down my face, before everything went black. The last thing I saw was a memory. Myself dodging Lewis' blade, before elbowing him in the face, and kicking his legs out from underneath him, before holding my own blade to his chest.
"Jacob. Wake up." came a muffled voice, as I felt myself being shaken. After a few moments, I woke up, and found Phoebe kneeling on the ground next to me, tears in her eyes, before she hugged me.
"The ambulance is on its way." Phoebe explained, as I tried to sit up.
"I don't need an ambulance." I explained, as I grabbed my wallet, and stood up, using the nearby counter to support myself, "We need to get out of here, now."
"Jacob, you just passed out! You should at least let them check you out." Phoebe explained, as I put some cash on the counter.
"I know why I passed out, which is why we need to get out of here." I explained, "Trust me."
It was a half hour later when we sat down on the edge of Goldenrod City, and I finally caught my breath.
"So are you gonna tell me what happened back there?" Phoebe asked, sitting down next to me.
"I ran into someone I used to know." I explained, "Someone I knew before I came here. Did you see that silver haired p****?"
"The one who walked out just before you passed out?" Phoebe asked, "Did you have some sort of PTSD attack or something?"
"No not that. He attacked me. In here." I explained, pointing to my head. "His name is Lewis, but you'd know him more as Lugia."
"Lugia? Like, the legendary Pokemon?"
"Not like. The Legendary Pokemon." I explained, "When I recognized him, it took me by surprised, and he noticed. So he tried to look inside my head to figure out how I knew him. And when I put up a fight, the bastard pushed harder. Saw a memory of me beating him in a sword fight."
"S***." Phoebe muttered, before looking at me concerned, "Are we in danger?"
I had a think about it. That was the question that had haunted me for the last half hour.
"I don't think so." I explained, "Lewis doesn't like conflict for the sake of conflict, and is pretty controlled. I think that if he were to find us again, he would try and get answers without necessarily hurting us."
"You aren't wrong." said a familiar voice.
When I saw Lewis walking towards me, I stood up, standing in front of Phoebe, and reaching for my belt to grab a Pokeball.
"That won't be necessary." Lewis explained, holding up his hands, "You're right, I want answers, and I don't want to hurt you."
"I'd believe that a little easier if I hadn't passed out half an hour ago." I muttered.
"If you didn't make it so hard, you wouldn't have passed out." Lewis explained, "That brick wall was a nice little trick, but it will only stop some weaker psychics. You did well to hold me off that long."
"Cut the bulls**t." I said, "What do you want?"
"You know what I want." Lewis explained, "You know who I am. Not many humans do, and not many know without me knowing."
"Trust me, I have no intention of seeing you or any of the others again." I said, before realizing my mistake. Before I could focus on the brick wall, I felt a sharp pain in my head as memories of Kya, Donny, L, Bianca, Skye and Chime flooded my mind.
"Can you f***ing not?!" I hissed as I grabbed my head.
"You have met a few of us…" Lewis muttered, "So who are you?"
"Someone who just wants to get on with his life, and hopefully never see another one of you guys." I explained.
"You're not leaving until I get some answers. And I can get them if I want, from either of you, in a less pleasant way."
"Leave her out of this." I explained, "She knows nothing."
"Then tell me how you know me."
I sighed before speaking up.
"I'm not from this world." I explained, "My old world became infested with Shadow Pokemon and somebody created Shadow Deoxys. I died stopping it and Arceus took pity on me, and sent me here."
"You knew me back there?" Lewis asked, "Skye as well."
"We were friends. You showed me how to fight." I explained.
Lewis looked at me for a moment, before seeming content.
"You won't tell anyone who I am?" Lewis asked.
"As I said, I would literally be happy if I never saw you or the others again." I muttered.
"Jacob…" Phoebe said, seemingly hurt for the silver haired man.
"You said we were friends once upon a time. So why now does it seem like you hate me? Was I the one who killed you or something?" Lewis asked.
"Because anybody who gets involved with Legendary Pokemon gets dragged into their war without even realizing it." I replied, "I died fighting your war. My family and friends back in my world buried myself and my sister because instead of you protecting the world, we had to. I'm not putting my family through that again."
I put the Pokeball on my belt, before grabbing Phoebe's hand.
"I'd say it was nice to see you again Lewis, but it really wasn't." I explained, "There aren't many people who could take you down, but I think I could, so next time you see me, look the other way. Are we clear?"
Lewis' expression turned to a scowl.
************************************************** ************
"So what's next?" Clair asked as she handed me the Rising Badge, "Will you take on the Elite Four in the Indigo Plateau? Or take the Kanto challenge?'
"Neither." I replied, "The competitions with the best prize pools require eight Johto badges to participate. Now, I have eight badges…"
Clair looked at me seemingly annoyed. It was generally frowned upon to have money be a primary motivation, and whilst other people weren't usually so open about it, they tended to be not much better.
"So all this battle was to you was a step to making some cash…" Clair replied, almost condescendingly.
"Look, the way I see it there are two reasons people challenge the Elite Four. To test themselves and see how far they can go, and to stroke their ego." I explained, "Fact is, I don't need to find that out how far I could go. I already know. And my ego isn't that fragile that I gotta hinge my self worth on the best person I have beaten. As for the Kanto challenge, I already have eight badges from Hoenn and now Johto. I want to settle down, and that isn't funded by hopes and dreams."
Clair's expression didn't change, however she must have understood that there wasn't anything wrong with what I was saying. I had beaten her with little effort, and chances are the Elite Four weren't going to pose much of a challenge. The only reason people struggle is because of their stupid house rule of battling them back to back. The only way to heal is with items, so the challenge is essentially pay-to-win anyway.
As I made my way out of the gym, I was surprised to see someone waiting for me. Phoebe usually watches my battles, however wasn't feeling to well, so had stayed back at the Pokemon Center. This was our last stop before making our way to Azalea Town where we would, if all goes to plan, stay.
"After what happened in Hoenn, I have to say, I am shocked to see you here."
Chime hadn't changed at all. Whilst I wasn't expecting anything massively different in the nine months or so since I had seen him, he literally looked identical to when we first met.
I sighed at the sight of the man, before walking past him, saying nothing.
"Come on. That's no way to greet an old friend?"
"Well last time I saw you, you sent me on a mission that almost got me killed." I replied, not turning around.
"It was something needed to save your own existence."
"It was something that one of your people could have done, instead of a 19 year old kid."
Chime sighed.
"I'm not here to try and recruit you for anything." Chime explained, "I am here because I just had Lewis contact me about, and I quote, some a**hole from another world who knows who half of us are..."
"I ran into Lewis over a month ago." I explained, "Why is he all of a sudden having a b**** fit about it?"
"I usually exist outside of time. He came straight to me." Chime explained, "This was the best time for us to talk, so I approached you here."
"Best time why?" I asked, "Because I'm alone? What, are you going to take care of me?"
"Arceus no!" Chime muttered, "I just want to talk."
"Well I'm listening, and that's more than I am willing to give most people who bring up my past…"
"Lewis told me what you said to him. That you want nothing to do with him or the others, and that all they do is drag people into their conflicts and get them killed in the crossfire…"
"Look what happened to me, Chime…" I replied irritably.
"Let me finish." Chime explained, "I am doing you a favor by telling you this…"
"I understand you want to go off the radar and retire. Anyone would. But that might not be possible for you."
"And why the f*** not?" I asked, angrily, "Have I not done enough? Put my friends and family through enough? Do I need to hurt two worlds worth of these people?"
"It might not be possible for you because you are marked." Chime explained.
"Marked?"
"When Arceus gave you and the others another chance, his intervention left marks on all of you." Chime explained, "Part of Arceus lives in all of you, and Legendary Pokemon like Lewis can sense this. Even if they have never met you, they will know you are marked by Arceus. You will have their attention."
I listened to what he said however there was something else that stood out to me.
"The others?" I asked, "Like Lucian and Joseph? What happened to them?"
"The same thing as you. They sacrificed themselves to save Hoenn and Arceus gave them another chance." Chime explained, "But I am unsure where they are. You're the first of the trainers that Arceus sent to a new world that I have found."
"And this mark we have. What, am I expected to magically be buddies with the Legendary Pokemon because of this?"
"By all means, no." Chime replied, "But you're already on their radar, and antagonizing them, or threatening them, is going to be detrimental more than anything. Just keep to yourself, and they should do the same. Lewis is the exception to that because of the memories you have of him."
"I'll keep that in mind." I said, as I continued to walk away.
"Come on Jacob, at least talk to me." Chime replied irritably, "I thought you had died. Arceus tells me nothing unless I ask specifically. It wasn't until Lewis contacted me that I realized you were alive. What is so important you can't talk for five minutes."
"I got a house to fix, and once that is done, a girlfriend to propose to once that is done." I explained, "I accepted that my past and everyone in it was behind me. Now all I have is what's here and what's yet to come. Goodbye Chime."
With that, I left, as Chime went silent. I couldn't tell how long he stood there. I didn't look back.
For the next eighteen months, it almost seemed like things had become normal again. After beating Clair, Phoebe and I made our way to Azalea Town, where we spent six months fixing up the house we had bought to the state where it was liveable. Whilst it was by all means, not perfect, we were happy with it, and were in absolutely no debt. Any improvements we wanted to make, I could fund with a lap of Johto, competing in tournaments. After that, I proposed, and six months later Phoebe and I were married.
"So what are you looking forward to most about being a dad?" Phoebe asked, as we sat on the lounged on the couch at home. It was less than four months until Phoebe's due date, and in all honesty, we were still getting our heads around it.
"I'm not sure to be honest." I laughed, "I always thought, if I had kids, I would love to teach them to play piano like I do."
"So you're gonna live out your dreams through them?" Phoebe retorted sarcastically.
"Well I'm 21, married and expecting a kid, so it's safe to say my dreams are dead. I gotta live them out through someone."
Phoebe jokingly punched me on the arm, laughing to herself, before adjusting her position on the couch.
"It is going to be weird though." I continued, "Having a kid, I mean. Like, we've been in Johto, away from our families, for what, two years, and we still haven't figured out how to do this adult thing. And now we got a kid coming…"
"We'll be fine." Phoebe explained, "You've been taking care of Pokemon for years. And they can breathe fire and read your mind."
"Yeah but I can put them in a Pokeball when they give me the s***s." I laughed.
Before anything else could be said, the doorbell rang. My watch read 8:40pm, so the sudden visitor had me slightly surprised.
"I'll get it."
I made my way to the door, flicking on the light out the front, before opening it. In front of me was a man who looked about ten years older than myself. He had shaggy brown hair, wearing a tee-shirt with a red and yellow emblem on it. He looked at me intently, however there was one thing I could tell about him. The way he looked at me, he knew me. He didn't just know of me, but knew me, and that meant one thing. He was a Legendary Pokemon.
"Jacob?" the man asked.
"That's me." I replied. He knew my name which means he had spoken to Chime or Lewis. Most likely Lewis. But which one is he? I already knew Lewis and Skye were Lugia and Celebi. Lewis mentioned Henry, which I assumed was Ho-oh, but I could be wrong. This leaves Raikou, Entei and Suicune.
"My name's Ezra. I was wondering if we could talk?"
Entei. A Legendary Pokemon who I had never met, has found me, and I could guess why.
"I know who you are. Not here." I explained, "My wife is pregnant and I don't want her hearing this."
"Do you have somewhere else where we can talk privately?" Ezra asked.
"Meet me on Route 33 in an hour and we can talk there."
I made my way back inside, entering the study, and booting up the PC, depositing my entire team except Gwaine and Skipper, withdrawing Crush, Magnitude, Spinner and Chaos. All Pokemon that can take on a Fire Type.
"You going out?" came Phoebe's voice behind me.
"Yeah one of the trainers called in sick at the gym and they asked me to cover until 11." I explained, feeling guilty for lying but knowing she would get worried knowing what I was about to do.
The lie itself was believable. I have gotten casual work as one of the trainers at the Azalea Town Gym, who want more of a challenge, and it wasn't uncommon for me to work nights.
"Well hurry home when you're done. I'll try and wait up." Phoebe said, giving me a hug, before making her way back to the lounge, as I walked out the front door…
"I wasn't sure you were going to come." Ezra said as I approached him. It had been a bit over an hour.
"I had to talk to my wife." I explained, "Now what is it that makes me leave her at 9pm and make my way out here, Entei?"
Ezra looked at me slightly surprised, however
"I need your help." Ezra explained, "Lewis told me there was someone from another world in Johto who was capable of stopping Legendary Pokemon."
Ezra stopped in his tracks.
"No?" he asked, "You won't even hear me out?"
"As far as you know, the world could be about to collapse on itself and you would refuse before even knowing?" Ezra asked irritably.
"I refuse because it's not my problem." I explained, "You're the Legendary Pokemon, and you obviously know Lewis. You deal with it."
'We can't. The circumstances of the situation don't-"
"I don't care." I replied, "Until whatever this is knocks on my door, you are on your own."
"I knocked on your door, and you told me to come out here, only to not hear me out?" Ezra asked, "Why?"
"To send a message…"
There was a draconic roar, as Ezra realized what was happening, and started to change. Within seconds, the man had shifted into a two meter tall, two hundred kilogram beast, staring me down.
There was another roar and a flash of light as a purple light shot down from the sky, hitting the Entei, causing it to cry in pain, as a Hydregion dropped down from above, knocking it to the ground, I quickly hit the buttons on the remaining five Pokeballs, letting out a Swampert, who soon Mega Evolved, Gallade, Blastoise, Flygon and Donphan.
Skipper the Mega Swampert, soaked the ground around us, as Chaos continued to maul Entei.
"Hold it!" I shouted, as Skipper attempted to grapple the Legendary Pokemon, who tried to struggle out before Gwaine stepped forward. His eyes lit up as the struggling Entei roared in pain, before being held still by the Gallade's telekinesis and Skipper's grapple.
"Crush, Hydro Cannon! Magnitude and Spinner, use Earth Power!"
Entei roared in pain as the Pokemon launched attack after attack whilst it was held in place. Finally it stopped struggling before eventually collapsing.
"Stop attacking it." I said, "Keep holding it, but don't attack it any more."
I walked over to the Entei who lay collapsed on the ground, barely conscious, kneeling in front of it, before speaking quietly.
"The only reason you will walk out of here with your life is by my good graces and because you have one single use to me being alive." I muttered, looking the Legendary Pokemon dead in the eyes.
"Pass this on to the others. Lewis, Skye, Henry, and the two of you I haven't met yet." I explained, "Me and my family are off limits. If you approach us, or even look twice at us, I will find you, and I will kill you like I could have very easily done right now. Do you understand?"
Entei growled quietly, as it was still held in place.
"Do you f***ing understand?!" I shouted. Entei roared in response.
"Good." I muttered, before turning to Gwaine, "Now knock him out..."
When Entei was unconscious, I called my Pokemon back to their Pokeballs, making my way back into town. It was just after 10pm and I had told Phoebe I would be at the gym until 11, so made my way to a bar not too far from home. I bought a whiskey and thought about what I had just done.
I had almost killed a being who was equated to a god, to send a message to a half dozen or so other identically powerful beings. This could go one of two ways. It could either backfire and there be a bigger fight, in which case we would have to leave Johto, or they will take the hint and leave us alone.
That being said, if we had to leave, where would we go? According to Chime I was marked, and could not hide from these Pokemon. In four months, Phoebe and I will have a baby, but what if I had to leave them, because no matter where I go, these mythical a**holes keep finding me…
"So who is your favorite Sophie?" I asked, teasing the toddler, "Mum or Dad?"
"Gwaine!" she replied enthusiastically. She had only just turned 3 years old, and already she seemed to enjoy my Pokemon's company more than my own.
"S***, I didn't expect that." I muttered to myself.
"S***!" She cried out happily.
"No, no, don't say that!" I replied, "You don't want to say that."
"But you said it?"
''If Mum knew I said it, I would be in trouble."
"So I can say it when Mum's gone!"
"That's not what I was saying." I began to explain before Sophie chimed in again.
"Dad, I'm thirsty."
We sat on a blanket in the backyard. It was a warm autumn day, and Phoebe was at work. I didn't really have a day job. A couple of times a year I would spend two or three weeks travelling Johto, competing in tournaments. They happened every weekend and had a prize pool. The winner could take $1000, or add $1500 to the pot, which gets added to each week, and can be claimed by a weeks winner.
Instead of competing at the one place, I would travel a set route around Johto, competing in all eight of the tournaments one after the other, and taking whatever was in the pot. Some towns I was lucky and there had been a reigning champ for a month or two, and others the pot would only have one weeks worth in it. Either way, last time I travelled I earnt $40,000.
Because of this, I was the stay at home dad for the most part, whilst Phoebe worked part time.
"Do you want some water?" I asked the inquisitive toddler.
"Juice please!" She responded.
"Well Mum doesn't like how much sugar is in juice."
I couldn't help but smile at her persistence.
"Well because you said please, sure." I explained, "But don't tell Mum."
"You say that a lot…" Sophie remarked.
"Don't tell her that either." I replied, "Wait here okay? Don't move."
I went inside and found a clean glass, filling it with some juice from the fridge, before topping it up with water so Phoebe wouldn't realize I had given Sophie some. As I walked out the door and froze when I saw Sophie.
She sat on the blanket, looking up inquisitively at the Pokemon who hovered next to her, seemingly playing with her. Celebi.
I dropped the glass, before reacting to what I had just seen.
"Get away from her!" I shouted, as I let Mushu out of his Pokeball.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Sophie asked.
The Pokemon looked at me cautiously before floating a few meters away from Sophie, however from there it didn't move.
"Flamethrower." I shouted to Mushu, who flew at the Legendary Pokemon, launching a jet of flame at it. Celebi blocked it with a psychic barrier, before fleeing.
I rushed over to Sophie who was now hysterical, picking her up and bringing her inside.
"Why did Mushu hurt it?" she asked.
"It's a very bad Pokemon that will hurt you." I explained, "I want you to promise me you will never go near it. If you ever see it, I want you to find me and tell me."
"Garage at midnight."
Those were the words that I heard in my head when I got home from my last tournament. Since that day Celebi showed up six years ago, I had left Gwaine behind at home to keep an eye on Sophie. Whilst we had spotted Celebi watching from afar, she had never made another attempt to interact with Sophie. Had it been Lewis or Ezra getting that close, I would have made good on my threat, but it was my own fault for moving us on the border of Ilex Forest. Myths said that Celebi lived there, but I didn't believe them, after I had met her in Hoenn. She had a little bit of my grace for being there first, but anything that made me think she would contact Sophie would take her out of those good graces.
I grabbed a beer and made my way to the garage where Gwaine was waiting for me.
"I gotta, say I miss Phoebe and Sophie more than anything when I'm on the road." I said, "But I gotta say, this stuff comes a close second. I really gotta find you some Pokemon beer or something so you can try it Gwaine."
"I'll pass." The Gallade replied, seeming on edge
"So what's going on?" I asked, "Why are we in the garage at midnight?"
"There was an incident while you were away." Gwaine replied, "Celebi."
"F***!" I shouted, before realizing Sophie and Phoebe were asleep, and continuing quietly "What happened?"
"We were playing in the backyard and she was in the trees. Sophie saw her, but I sent her inside to get something, and scared Celebi off." Gwaine explained, "A little while later, Sophie wanted to play with the frisbee, but said you left it on the fridge, so I went to get it. But when I was inside, Celebi must have come back, because Sophie was gone. I found her in the forest, about to be attacked by a Beedrill, so I went mega and knocked it out. But I caught Celebi watching us as we left."
"That pain in the f***ing a**." I muttered, before noticing something Gwaine had said, "Wait, how did you go mega? Sophie?"
"The moment she touched the stone, I mega evolved."
So Sophie was close enough to Gwaine that she could trigger a Mega Evolution. This was usually unheard of for trainers to be able to trigger that on someone else's Pokemon, as it requires a really deep bond both ways. That being said, I shouldn't have been surprised. Sophie loves Gwaine, and has grown up with him around, and Gwaine is the most loyal partner I could have asked for. No wonder they're close enough that she can draw that out of him.
"That's comforting to know." I replied, "But for now, we need to send a message. That my daughter is off limits."
We made our way into my study, swapping out my team for two fire types and three water types, before heading into the forest, eventually finding the shrine to Celebi. I had the water types douse the trees nearby, soaking them and making them unable to ignite, before addressing the fire types.
"Flamethrower…" I muttered as Pyro and Mushu unleashed their flaming breath upon the shrine. I called them back to their Pokeballs, before shouting into the forest.
"My daughter is off limits Celebi! So stay the f*** away, if you know what's good for you…"
There wasn't another incident involving the Legendary Pokemon. At least, not until today. Six years later and Sophie has disappeared. And the only person I know who can help me find her is here…
I rushed through the forest, clicking the torch on and off every few seconds. If I left it on, the light would be drained from it before I got to my destination. After half an hour, I finally arrived. The Burnt Shrine.
"Celebi!" I shouted, "I need to speak to you!"
There was silence, with the only sound being the wind through the trees.
"Celebi! Please!"
The silence continued, however I knew she was here.
"My daughter has disappeared!" I shouted desperately, "I need your help!"
The only noise was the wind. Finally I snapped, and used the name I knew I shouldn't. Not in this world.
"For f***'s sake Skye! I know you care about her, so help me!"
There was silence for a second, before a flash of green light behind me, before I was lifted into the air, and thrown against a nearby tree. The torch dropped to the ground, revealing a young girl, who looked to be Sophie's age, maybe a year or two older, with bright green hair, and eyes glowing green, with her hand outstretched....
Certified Eeveelution Enthusiast
GCEA Staff
I think its done, although I feel like it gets worse the longer the story goes on for.
As the cool sea breeze blew in from the window of the small studio apartment, Joseph could almost detect the smell of brine over the scent of turpentine which permeated his room. In front of him rested a large canvas containing his latest work.
Joseph had only been living on his own in Slateport City for about six months, and making money as an artist was difficult. Still though, somehow between selling art and his job at the pokemart, he was managing to make ends meet, if only barely. Joseph set down his brush for a moment and glanced over at the clock. 6 PM. He would have to stay up late, but at the rate he was working he still had time to finish before the gallery opened the next morning. If he was lucky, the painting would sell quickly.
Joseph stepped out of his room into his kitchen and poured himself a cold glass of water. He sat down for a moment, enjoying a view of the sunset from the window beside his kitchen table. Life was good.
As Joseph walked back into his room, his eyes fell on a small painting sitting beside his bed. Painted in oil was a familiar red and white dragon type Pokemon. It was the first work of art that Joseph had done after the events that had taken place in Hoenn several years prior.
Beside the painting rested the flute that Kya had given Joseph right before the final battle. It was one of only two items that had come with him from his old world, the other item being the statue of Groudon that Max had given him at the start of his journey.
Joseph realized that it had been almost three years to the day since he had arrived in this timeline. As much as he enjoyed his new life, sometimes he still missed being a trainer. More than anything, he missed the friends he had made on his journey. He hoped that they were all okay. Had all of their efforts managed to save Hoenn? In the end, Joseph didn't even know exactly what his sacrifice had managed to accomplish, but he liked to think that it had been enough to save everyone.
Everything was meaningless.
The mid afternoon sun shone through dark curtains, casting the room in a dim light. Strewn about were art supplies and half finished paintings, slowly gathering dust.
Joseph stared blankly out from under the covers of his bed. Nine years had passed since the battle of Hoenn, and in that time Joseph had come to a realization. The people in this universe he had ended up in may look just like the people from where he came from, but they were still different people. His real parents were still back in the timeline where he died. Noone in this universe really knew him, or could understand what he had gone through. Who would believe that he had died battling a cult in another universe?
That's right. Joseph was dead. He knew he should be happy that Arceus had given him a second chance at life, but none of it felt real anymore. He was just an imposter who had taken the place of the Joseph from this timeline.
Again Joseph found himself thinking about the other members of Team Emerald. Lucian, Clea, even Brettles and that bastard Jacob. He wished he could see all of them again. Arceus had given him a vision of every one of them dying. He couldn't stop questioning whether or not the second chance he had given them was enough.
Joseph slowly dragged himself out of bed and opened the door to his room, wincing at the sunlight that shone in from his kitchen window. He pulled his fridge open only to find that the food had run out.
Joseph tugged at his matted hair, brushing it until it looked almost presentable. He made his way downstairs and stepped out of his apartment building. Autumn leaves danced in the street as a cool gust of wind blew by. Joseph found the cool air a refreshing change from his dusty apartment as he walked down the block towards the nearest supermarket.
The streets were mostly quiet barring the sound of distant traffic. As Joseph walked, he wondered why he was even bothering. What was the point? It would be easier if he just-
Joseph stopped in his tracks. He watched as a familiar person walked out from around the next corner and began crossing the street in front of him. Joseph couldn't believe who he was seeing.
"Clea!" Joseph called out as he ran towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder as he caught
up. Clea spun around, slightly taken aback as she brushed Joseph's hand off. One look told Joseph all he needed to know.
"Do I know you?" Clea asked, appearing somewhat nervous. Joseph took a step back, his hopes crushed in an instant. Of course, what were the odds that he would run into the same Clea that he knew. In this timeline, other people he had known prior to the battle of Hoenn existed, so it made sense that the members of Team Emerald could also exist here. Except in this timeline, he had never met them.
"I'm sorry, I… Had you mistaken for someone else." Joseph said, trying to cover his mistake. He turned and briskly started walking back towards his apartment.
"Wait-" Clea's voice was drowned out by the sound of a passing truck. Before she could say anything else, Joseph was already half a block away.
Joseph swung open the door to his room. "Damn it." He muttered, coughing from the dust he had stirred up during his abrupt entry. He moved his curtains aside just enough to open the window. He knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. "Damn it!" he repeated, this time yelling as he slammed his fist against the wall.
Sunlight shone through between the slightly parted curtains, leaving a visible beam of light as it passed through the clouds of dust. The beam fell directly on Joseph's night table where a single Pokeball rested beside the painting of Latias.
"That's right." Joseph thought, calming himself. They might not be here in this timeline, but the other members of Team Emerald could still be out there somewhere. There was no way for him to return to his original timeline, but if he could just find Chime, surely he could at least tell Joseph whether or not the others were okay, and if they had managed to save Hoenn. He couldn't be happy until he had some kind of closure.
Joseph threw open his curtains and made his way to his nightstand, grabbing the Pokeball. He made his way out of his room, this time with a new goal in mind. In his old world, he had obtained all eight gym badges, but died before he had the chance to challenge the league champion. Even if he couldn't see the other members of Team Emerald again, perhaps finishing what he had started would give him the closure he needed.
At the very least, he'd get some payback on the elite four for what they had put him through to get to Arceus, if they were indeed the real elite four and not illusions.
It had been longer and lonelier than the first time around, but Joseph had finally done it.
"I see that you are an exceptional trainer." Juan commended. "You caused a bit of a stir three years back when you beat the first two gyms of the Hoenn League with only a single Pokemon." The aging gym leader commented. "I also hear that you are quite a good artist."
"Thank you, Juan," Joseph responded, "but really, I'm nothing special."
"I'd beg to differ. Not many could beat this gym so easily." The gym leader disagreed. "Quite frankly, had it not been for your Charizard's type disadvantage, I wouldn't have even stood a chance." Juan said with a smile. "Perhaps I'm getting too old for this. But anyway, enough of my rambling. With this gym badge you are ready to take on the Elite four. I wish you the best of luck."
Joseph walked out of the Sootopolis City gym a minute later, a case containing his completed collection of gym badges in hand. As he made his way back to his room at the Pokemon Center, he stopped at one particular spot. Joseph had intentionally avoided this spot on his first walk through the city. It was the last spot that Joseph had seen the rest of Team Emerald all those years ago before they went their separate ways.
Joseph was in a better place now than he had been in a long time, but he couldn't help but feel sad thinking about the last time he had seen everyone. He pulled out the flute that Kya had given him. He had only ever played it once, and this was the spot that he had done it.
Joseph suddenly felt as though he was being watched. At that same moment, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time hit him.
"Paper."
Joseph knelt down and began to rummage through his bag. Pulling out his drawing pad and a pencil, his hand began to move on its own as he furiously sketched out an image. Of course Joseph had tried to locate Chime using the power that Arceus had given him, but he had been unable to use the power since arriving in his new world. Why was this suddenly happening now?
After several minutes, the image was done. Joseph shivered slightly, because he knew exactly the location that was drawn on the image. Clearly depicted was the entrance to Victory Road. Inside those caverns was the place that Joseph's journey had ended.
The picture showed a light layer of snow coating the ground outside. It was still only August, meaning if this picture was predicting the future, then whatever it was predicting wouldn't take place for at least several months. Joseph resolved to travel to victory road during the first snowfall of the year. He hoped he'd find something there that would lead him to Chime.
Crunch.
Joseph could see his breath in the cold December air as he walked through the snow covered streets of Ever Grande City. He made his way up to the north end of the city, where Victory Road was.
Looking at the entrance side by side with his drawing, there was no doubt about it. This was the time and place that he was supposed to be.
"Blaze." Joseph said quietly, releasing the Charizard that had been his companion for the past four years. The light on the fire type's tail dimly lit the way as they moved through the cave.
Joseph reached the exit of Victory Road without event. Before he could leave however, someone stepped into the doorway, blocking his path.
"I'll take it you know who I am?" The familiar girl asked.
"Bianca!" Joseph called out. He caught himself making the same mistake he had made with Clea. Joseph knew that this wasn't the same Latias that he knew. Still, he couldn't help but feel happy.
"If you know who I am, that makes things easier." The legendary Pokemon in human form said. "I know you have an Eon Flute." She continued, pointing at Joseph's backpack. The Latias from this timeline didn't seem quite as warm as the one Joseph knew.
"You mean this?" Joseph questioned, showing the flute.
"Yes, that. There should only be two of those. I know where two of them are, yet somehow you had a third that I didn't know about." Bianca explained. "So, where did you get it?"
Joseph thought that he just might have found someone he could tell his story to that wouldn't think he was crazy.
"Would you believe me if I told you this flute I have came with me from another timeline?"
"I mean, it's certainly possible." Bianca replied. "In fact, it would explain a lot. Is Arceus involved with this somehow?"
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess." Bianca shrugged. Joseph had a feeling that there was something Latias wasn't telling him, but he didn't question her on it.
"Around 13 years ago, In another timeline, my friends and I battled against a shadow cult with the aid of a few legendary Pokemon. I died during that battle, but I was sent here by Arceus. The Kyogre from that timeline gave me that flute." Joseph recounted.
"Was I one of those legendary Pokemon that helped you in that timeline?" Bianca asked.
"Yea, you were… But, I never got the chance to thank you for all of your help."
"I'm happy if some other version of me was able to help you," Bianca began, "but please don't get the two of us mixed up. This is the first time you and I have met."
"I know. I'm sorry." Joseph apologized sadly. Now that he had answered some of Latias's questions, Joseph hoped that the legendary Pokemon might be able to help him.
"The truth is, I've been looking for someone for the past several years. Do you know how I can find Chime?" Joseph asked.
"The fact that you even know that name means that everything you've told me is probably True." Bianca said. "But finding Chime isn't so simple. Usually, it's Chime that finds you, not the other way around.
"Please… there must be some way." Joseph pleaded. Bianca shook her head.
"If a legendary Pokemon looked for him, they could find him, but even then it wouldn't be easy for most. Why do you even want to find Chime so badly?" She asked.
"I just want to find out how the battle in the world I came from ended, and if my friends are okay." Joseph explained.
"That's it?"
"What do you mean that's it?" Joseph questioned, a hint of anger in his voice.
"I just mean that you said it's been thirteen years since all of this happened. It sounds to me like someone is having trouble letting go of the past."
"Don't act like you know me!" Joseph countered.
"I may not know you, but I can sense exactly how you're feeling." Bianca replied,
taking a defensive stance in response to Joseph's hostility. "I'm not telling you to stop looking for your answers. I'm just saying it's not healthy to get too obsessed."
"I'm not obsessed! Joseph shouted back.
"Your anger just proves that I'm right."
"Alright, maybe you are right. But what else was I supposed to do?" Joseph yelled. "There is no one in this world that I can talk to about what I went through. Who would believe me?"
"Well, you just talked to me about it, didn't you?"
Joseph just stood there for a moment, unable to think of a response. He knew Latias was right.
"Anyway, if you want to spend the rest of your life looking for answers that you may or may not get, go ahead. I've got to get going. Latias turned and began to walk away. After a moment, she stopped and tilted her head back to ask one more question.
"Joseph." He responded.
"Joseph… Thank you for answering my questions. I guess if I happen to see Chime I can pass along the message." Bianca's silhouette faded into the bright corridor leading outside.
A lot can change in only three years.
That's what Joseph thought as he sat down on his couch sipping his coffee, looking out at his snow covered backyard. It wasn't much, but it was his. "You're coming with me to the opening at the gallery, right Veronica?" Joseph asked as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
A bit less than three years Prior, Joseph had moved into an apartment in Petalburg City. Shortly after, he had met Veronica at the Pokemon Center where she worked as a nurse. The two had been dating for about two and a half years, but had only recently moved in together.
"I don't know." Veronica responded. "I've got a lot to get done around here. Give me a little while, we'll see." Joseph drank the last of his coffee and stood up. On his feet, he dwarfed the 5'3 girl.
"I'm leaving soon, so let me know." Joseph advised. He headed up to his room and began to get his things together.
Joseph ended up heading out on his own. As he made his way towards the gallery, he passed by the lake, stopping for a moment at a snow covered Gazebo. One of the paintings that Joseph had hanging in the gallery was of this Gazebo. He almost tripped over a large branch that was partially buried in the snow as he walked past.
Joseph arrived at the gallery a bit early, but he wasn't the first one there. A handful of other people made their way around the room looking at the art of several different artists, Joseph's included. Off to the side of the room, an employee was setting samples of cheese and wine on a table.
Joseph made his way to the wall where his own art was hung. The first of his four paintings depicted the streets of Petalburg City covered in snow. The second was his painting of the Gazebo by the lake, a large branch partially buried in the snow in front.
"Wait a second."
Joseph did a double take as he looked at the painting. The snow. The lighting. The branch. It all perfectly matched what he had seen on his walk there earlier that day. Quickly, he began to examine the next painting.
At first glance, it was just a still life, with nothing unusual about it. Suddenly Joseph spotted in the background a calendar and a clock. On the Calendar, the date January 7th was circled.
"Today's Date." Joseph had finished this painting three months earlier. It couldn't just be a coincidence that the current date was circled. He was sure now that his power had caused him to draw the future without realizing it again. The hands on the clock indicated the time was eight. Was that eight AM or PM? If it was PM, then it might have been predicting something still to come. Finally Joseph looked at the last picture.
This one was a drawing depicting a windchime blowing in the breeze.
"Windchime."
"Chime."
Joseph hurried back home to think about what he had just seen.
"7:59." Joseph read the time off of his phone. He had been sitting on a bench at the Gazebo beside the lake for the past half hour. He was sure that this was the spot he was supposed to be. His heart began to race at the thought of meeting Chime. When Joseph had met Veronica, he had finally started to forget about finding Chime. Now that Chime seemed so close however, his desire for answers began to return.
"I knew I'd find you here." A man's voice said. Joseph turned his head and saw the person he had spent so long searching for.
"Chime?"
"Hi Joseph." Chime said, taking a seat on the bench across from Joseph.
"I spent so long looking for you!" Joseph exclaimed.
"Well, to be honest, it took me some time to find you as well. I ran into Bianca and she told me you were looking for me. After that it wasn't hard to find you." Chime recounted.
"You could have just come to my house and knocked on the door you know." Joseph said.
"But I had to test you before you could speak to me." Chime responded. Joseph glared at him, unnamused.
"Sorry, Just a joke. In all seriousness, I've been busy elsewhere. I knew if you wanted to see me as bad as Bianca said you did, you'd be able to predict when and where to meet with that power Arceus gave you." Chime explained. The second Chime gave Joseph a second to talk, Joseph began bombarding him with questions.
"The other members of Team Emerald, are they okay? And Hoenn? Did we save Hoenn? And-"
"One Question at a time, Joseph." Chime interrupted. "I can tell you how the battle ended, but I don't know whether or not you'll be happy with what you hear."
"I need to know." Joseph insisted. "It's been eating away at me for years now."
"When you died, time was reset several seconds. Because of that, Jacob managed to take down Deoxys, but died in the process. Lucian was able to stop Colden, but him and Rain also died in the process.
"And Clea?" Joseph demanded, his heart sinking. Chime shook his head.
"Never made it out of the hospital."
"Then what was the point of me sacrificing myself? Arceus is supposed to be a god, but the best he could do was turn back time a few seconds?! I should have stayed and fought with the others." Joseph yelled.
"Who knows how things would have turned out had it not been for your sacrifice. You died, but as a result, you stopped the Songbird Cult from destroying Hoenn. And besides, it seems you aren't the only one Arceus decided to send to another timeline." Chime explained.
"You mean the others are still alive too?" Joseph asked hopefully.
"I can't say that they all are for certain, but at least some of them are." Chime said. "And that brings me to what I wanted to tell you Something has been causing wormholes to open, and all of them are leading to the same world. Some of the other members of Team Emerald have also gone there. If you want to see them, I can take you there, but I also need to ask a favor of you."
"What is this favor?" Joseph responded.
"Find what's causing these wormholes and put a stop to it. If you do that, you're sure to run into some of your friends along the way." Chime said. Joseph hesitated for a moment.
"If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said yes in a heartbeat, but… I need some time. Things changed. I have someone I need to be here for now." Joseph explained. He was so close to his friends now, but even if he did find them, would they even want to see him? 17 years is a long time.
"Bianca said you seemed pretty desperate to find out about your friends. But I guess a lot can change in a few years. I'll be here again in two weeks. If you want to go then, meet me here. If not, I can't promise you'll have another chance any time soon, so try to decide by then."
"Two weeks…" Joseph said. He felt bad leaving Veronica when they had just moved in together, and he knew she wouldn't be happy about it. Still, he knew he had to do it. "I'll see you then."
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