Chapter 12 - Fly

Derrick rushed outside when he saw his Pidgey was no longer in the Pokemon Center. With Bulbasaur at his heel, he glanced up to see his missing Pokemon gliding high above him in the direction of Route 1.

"Pidgey, come back!" Derrick cried in panic. The Pokemon, however, seemed to not even hear him, and with quick flying, it found it way back to Route 1 way before Derrick could. Soon, Derrick could not longer see the Pidgey, so he slowed to a halt at the city limits. "Augh!" he grunted furiously, kicking the ground before dropping onto his knees and mashing his hands against his face. He knew that he was never allowed to catch a fainted Pokemon. When it lost all of its HP, even when you were trying to catch it, your trainer simply had to try again with a different, stronger Pokemon. He knew this...

"I was just in a big hurry," he muttered to himself as he felt his other Pokemon's bulb nuzzling against his arm. He lifted his head and peered at his Bulbasaur, who had a concerned look on his face. Derrick's sullen features softened and he gave the Bulbasaur a reassuring scratch behind the ears. "Don't worry about it, guy. It was my fault, not yours. Besides..," his voice trailed as he glanced over his shoulders toward Route 22 where the Pokemon League was hidden, "There are other Flying Type Pokemon here that I can catch. Let's go after a Spearow."

Derrick and Bulbasaur quickly found their way to Route 22, where they began to search the tall grass. Derrick knew that Spearows weren't the most common Pokemon to be found there, but he wouldn't give up until they found one. His Bulbasaur, in the meantime, used the opportunity to level up a few times with the Rattata and Nidoran that were more common in the area. Derrick glowed with pride each time the Pokemon would make its foe faint. His situation may have been dire since he couldn't seem to "wake up" and he didn't have access to Red, but he was living his childhood dream of raising and training his very own Pokemon. No trading card game or console experience could even come close to him seeing his Bulbasaur actually grow and being able to nudge it with the side of his shoe intrusively when he once landed a one-hit KO.

Finally, Derrick and his Bulbasaur stumbled across a Spearow casually picking at the ground with its short beak. He put on a deviant smile. "There, Bulbasaur!" he commanded, "Use growl!" The Bulbasaur took on an intimidating stance and growled fiercely at the Spearow, making it flinch, its plumage becoming disorganized for a moment, before it lifted its head toward its challenger. In retaliation it brandished its sharp peak before charging after the Bulbasaur, using its Peck attack and landing a piercing hit to Bulbasaur's neck. Derrick thought quickly as the Spearow withdrew for a moment, ready for Bulbasaur's next attack. "Tackle!" he commanded, his Pokemon darting into a patch of tall grass for camouflage and leaping to collide head-on with the Spearow. Derrick grimaced as the two met, hoping that the Spearow wouldn't faint from such a strong attack. As Bulbasaur scrambled to Derrick's side, the Spearow shakliy got back onto its feet and glared at them both. Perhaps now he could catch it. Derrick discreetly pulled his only empty Poke Ball from his pocket before flinging it at the Spearow. Suddenly, however, Derrick saw a brown flash, and the Poke Ball was swatted away from the Spearow before landing with a soft thud on the ground.

"Huh..!?" Derrick exclaimed in panic. He rushed to pick the Poke Ball up from the ground before he saw what had happened. His Bulbasaur barked in surprised as they witnessed a Pidgey swooping down to pick a fight with the Spearow. He pecked wildly as he hovered in the air above the Spearow, kicking up a cloud of dust as Spearow fought back. Derrick and Bulbasaur watched the violent spectacle, which didn't last very long at all. Soon the Spearow was shamefully scurrying away, leaving the Pidgey as the winner. Derrick expected the Pidgey to fly away soon after that, being a satisfied victor, until it flew toward them and perched begrudgingly upon Bulbasaur's bulb.

"Wait.." Derrick began at length, "You're my Pidgey?" The Pokemon preened itself silently, making quick eye contact with his trainer occasionally. Derrick knew it was still mad at him. He crouched at Bulbasaur's side, finding Pidgey's eye level. Pidgey reluctantly glanced at him. "You were jealous," Derrick mused aloud, earning him an irritated chirp from the Pokemon. "No, no! You're right," he blurted, calming the Pidgey down for a moment. "You were right...that was my fault. I shouldn't have captured you after making you faint. And when you ran away, I should have diligently chased after you instead of giving up and trying to replace you. That was wrong of me." Pidgey's eyes shone as they finally locked gazes. Derrick sighed, wiping a hand across his forehead. "I've been playing Pokemon for years now, but I still have a lot to learn about being a trainer." He gently lifted a finger to scratch beneath Pidgey's chin. The Pokemon flinched, but gradually settled down and enjoyed the attention.

"I'm sorry, Pidgey," he said softly. When he took his hand away, the Pidgey shifted to fully face him now. "Would you be willing to be on my team? I need your help." The Pidgey clacked its beak a few times, as though it were giving the request some considerable thought, and finally gave a curt nod. Derrick sighed in relief. "Thank you," he chuckled softly. "Would you be willing to learn a new move?" The Pidgey peered at him sideways in curiosity. At that, Derrick pulled the HM out for the Pokemon to see. Bulbasaur looked up from below along with his new team mate at the shiny little disk. Even in the static, grey world Derrick was in, the disk still glowed as though the sun were shining against it. "This is Fly. I want you to use it. I need to get somewhere that I can't without you. Would you like to learn Fly?" Pidgey hopped on top of Bulbasaur, almost excitedly. Derrick smiled, examining the disk in slight confusion. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to actually teach an HM to a Pokemon.

Suddenly, the disk seemed to emit a quick flash of light. Pidgey jumped in surprise, only to become still again a moment later. Derrick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Did you...just learn the HM?" he asked the Pokemon. It chirped blankly in reply. Scratching his head, Derrick stood. "Alright, then. If you can use Fly, then how about you show me? Use Fly, Pidgey." The Pokemon gave a hearty flap of its little wings before becoming airborne. It hovered a few feet above Derrick, who still scratched his head a bit. "Can you...carry me?" he asked, half imagining the Pidgey would refuse. It lowered its altitude, however, now hovering only about a foot above Derrick's head. He looked down at his Bulbasaur, who was returning his look with the expression of a blank-faced dog. Heaving a sigh, Derrick pulled Bulbasaur's Poke Ball from his pocket and drew the Pokemon inside for safe keeping. After pocketing the ball, he lifted his arms and grabbed hold of Pidgey's little feet uncomfortably. The Pidgey gave a trill that almost told Derrick to relax.

"Alright, alright," he replied, shifting his grip to be more firm and natural. He didn't believe that Pidgey would possibly be able to lift him off the ground until his feet went limp beneath him and the trees around him began to shrink. A wave of fear passed over him, mainly with the speculation of how Pidgey was able to hold his weight, and he bit his lip as Pidgey began to soar over Route 1. Derrick gulped down his fear and examined his surroundings. The world looked two dimensional from this high up. "Pidgey," he called up to his flying Pokemon. "We need to go to Cinnabar Island. Do you see all that water?" he pointed with his foot toward the edge of the approaching Pallet Town, where they could then reach Route 21. "Go that way. We can go straight there if you go that way." Pidgey chirped in affirmation, making its way straight toward the water.

Time to Whore Myself

So I know it's been literal ages since I last posted an actual blog post, and I know what you're thinking. "You come back here just to whore yourself out? Pah!"
Well, first of all, yes. ; w ;
Second of all, keep your saliva to yourself.
I've opened up an Etsy account, called NerdyHatsNCraft, and it's to raise money for the next little bit while I look for a solid income.
If you have a moment and are interested in crocheted amigurumi or hats, please feel free to visit my shop here and buy something if you like. I promise the best quality in everything I make.

Here's a Captain Falcon .gif for your trouble.

-Churl~

Chapter 11 - Catching a Pokemon

Derrick slid into Professor Oak's laboratory, stopping to watch the static figures that represented his lab assistants cross the room one step at a time. It was rather odd to be in this sort of world without the accompaniment of Red. Without him nothing in the world seemed real at all. In fact, it wasn't - which meant that there might be a possibility he could get his hands on the remaining Pokemon that sat idle on Professor Oak's little table. He approached it quietly, slightly creeped out by the professor's blank expression as it faced straight forward. He stared cautiously at the man as his hand reached out to clasp around the capsule. Nothing happened. He raised the Pokeball off the desk and held it close to his chest. Nothing happened. He stared at it, suppressing a moment of giddiness at being able to hold a real Pokeball in his hands. Still nothing happened.

"Well, that was easy," he muttered to himself, tossing the sphere into the air casually as he exited the lab and made his way back out into Pallet Town. He wound back the ball and threw it toward the ground with a commanding "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" As he did, a flash of light emitted from the ball and the red-eyed Pokemon materialize before him. He bit his knuckle with excitement, glad that he was the only one around to notice how silly he acted. Bulbasaur wasn't his first choice as a starter Pokemon, of course, since he had chosen the Charmander for Red, but any Pokemon in his possession right now would help.

"Alright, Bulbasaur," Derrick barked to the creature, almost jumping in surprise as it perked up a nubby ear to acknowledge him. He would have to get used to this Pokemon actually responding to him like this. He cleared his throat. "Alright, Bulbasaur, I need to catch a Pokemon, and I need your help to do it. We'll need to go onto Route 1 to catch a Pidgey so I can teach it this Fly HM. Think you can give me a hand?" The Pokemon bleated in response, waiting for his new trainer to lead the way. Derrick almost bounced through Pallet Town with his Pokemon. It had been a boyhood dream of his to one day own a Pokemon, and now was his chance!

Minutes passed before Derrick and his Bulbasaur reached Route 1. Before them stood frayed, tall grass. Derrick had grown used to seeing this looming landscape as he and Red traveled, but Bulbasaur shifted nervously at his side. His trainer looked down at him, nudging his gently with the side of his shoe. "Hey, don't worry," he reassured the creature before heading into the thick brush. "The Pokemon here are weak compared to you. You can take them on easily!" Gradually Derrick heard the soft rustle in the grass behind him of his Pokemon following. They exited one patch of grass and soon found themselves in another, until suddenly, a Pidgey caught the boy's glance. He gestured behind him for his Bulbasaur, pointing at the wild Pokemon. "There's a Pidgey," he said. "Now, go after him! Use Tackle!" The Bulbasaur scrapped a foot against the ground before charging. The Pidgey turned to see Bulbasaur heading straight for him a moment too late. The two Pokemon collided, Bulbasaur's momentum throwing the Pidgey back and limply onto its side. Derrick's jaw dropped a bit.

"Oh, no!" he moaned, scrambling up to the wild Pokemon and examining it. "You hit it too hard and made it faint. I mean...I don't have a Pokeball to have thrown at it even if you didn't make it faint, but..." Derrick faltered as his Pokemon nuzzled its cheek against his leg, giving him an apologetic look. "Oh, you have it all wrong, buddy," Derrick started over. "It's good to make Pokemon faint. But I want to catch one of these." He glanced back over to the still Pidgey before an idea struck. He picked the body up, feeling creeped out by his impulse, even if the Pokemon was 'fainted,' and continued to make his way north toward Viridian City. His Bulbasaur followed, growling in confusion softly behind him. "Don't worry, Bulbasaur," he said, trying not to look at the Pidgey in his arms. "I'll be catching this one. I just hope I can make him fly." Bulbasaur's rumbling continued until they reached the City limit in Viridian. He headed straight for the PokeMart, Bulbasaur close behind him. When they reached the entrance, Derrick let the limp Pidgey rest on the ground before he turned to the grass Pokemon.

"Can I get you to look after this guy for just a bit? If he wakes up or does anything weird, just tackle him again. I won't be in the PokeMart but for a minute." The Bulbasaur gave him an odd look before nodding. Derrick then entered the store where he found a few inanimate characters loitering against shelves and looking around. If Professor Oak hadn't noticed him do anything to his lab when he took Bulbasaur, perhaps...

He examined the store for a moment, finding many of the shelves empty. It figured, since Red technically selected everything he needed from the screen on Derrick's SP. Finally he saw a short row of Pokeballs behind the counter. Casually he hopped over the counter, selected two, just in case one didn't work, and slid them into his pocket before exiting the store as though nothing had happened. His Bulbasaur had begun poking at the fainted Pidgey with his foot when he arrived outside. The Pokemon shifted backward as Derrick approached the body, tossing his Pokeball at it. It opened and enveloped the Pidgey, shutting closed with a flash of light and shaking violently for a few moments before it stopped. It took little effort, since the Pidgey was fainted.

"Wow...I'm breaking all the rules today," he said to himself, crouching to pick up the Pokeball that now held his second Pokemon. After examining the Pokeball for a moment and basking in how proud he felt to have actually caught a (fainted) Pokemon all by himself, he stood, smiling at Bulbasaur. "Alright...let's go heal you both up, even though you don't really need any healing..." Nonetheless, Bulbasaur chirped excitedly, following his trainer toward the Pokemon Center.

"C'mere, Bulbasaur," Derrick called, his Pokemon turning at hearing his name and crossing the floor of the Pokemon Center, hopping up onto the small sofa that always sat near Nurse Joy in the building. "Ready to see your new companion?" He asked, winding back his hand, Pokeball at the ready. He released it with a grunt, a flash of light blinding the Center before a rejuvenated Pidgey emerged from the Pokeball. It hovered a few inches from the ground, looking about in confusion. "Hello, Pidgey," Derrick called out to the Pokemon, watching it turn its attention toward his new trainer. It almost had a reluctant look on its face. "I know, I know," Derrick grumbled softly. "But I healed you! You should feel much better now. I just needed to catch a Pokemon of your species. Sorry for taking your fainted body and capturing you that way...it was kind of unfair." Pidgey squawked in agreement, fluttering toward his trainer but taking refuge atop Bulbasaur's bulb. "Well...would you at least take this HM so that you can learn how to carry me? I need to find Red, and quick!" The Pidgey hopped off the bulb and puffed out its feathery chest menacingly, giving him a distancing look. It spread its wings as Derrick tried to stand and approach it, flapping them rapidly and forming a gust inside the Center. Derrick shielded his face, giving the Pidgey just enough time to take flight, gliding out the Pokemon Center and into the City sky.

Chapter 10 - Breaking the Mold

Derrick swallowed heavily, trying to look anywhere in the static Pallet Town that he could other than into Red's eyes. The gaze continued to bore into his soul, just like the eyes of the boy in his recent nightmares. He hadn't answered Red's question.

God, did you hear my question? I asked if I was born here.

"Yes...!" the Derrick snapped, a bit more angrily than he would have preferred. "That's your mother in the living room here, your rival is out collecting badges and trying to beat you to the Pokemon League, and he's lived next door to you all this time. Professor Oak has had this adventure planned for you for--"

You're lying to me! Derrick flinched outright at the remark. Red had never raised his voice before. He was so used to it being static and almost monotonous, just like the landscape in which they both stood. Where was I really born?

"You were born here, Red," Derrick pressed, his finger shooting out from a balled fist and pointing firmly to the floor of Red's home. "This - Pallet Town - is your home. You were raised in this very house."

Then why do I not remember anything beyond the day that I got my first Pokemon? Why does my own mother not show any kindness or care for me when I visit her!? Why have I never seen any of these wild Pokemon before and have to use this device to identify them? Red reached into his bag and whipped out his Pokedex, brandishing it toward his companion, his knuckles white as he gripped it hard. Derrick finally brought his eyes to the trainer, surprised to see an almost sad expression on his face, his eyes to the floor. Why does it seem like my life started on that day?

Derrick couldn't take it anymore. He wished more than ever that the nausea would return, everything blurring before his eyes before he returned to reality instead of this insane dream, if it even was a dream. He pinched himself sharply, letting out small yelps of pain as he pushed through, trying to wake himself up in any way that he could. As he did, he could see Red raise his eyes to see what he was doing, and the gaze turned feral. He dug into his belt loops for a Pokeball, tossing it in the middle of the house and with a flash of light, a Victreebell came into view.

Victreebell, subdue him, Red commanded the grass Pokemon. The Victreebell let out a screech, slender vines stretching out from its body and wrapping around Derrick's body. The vines held firm, despite Derrick's panicked wiggling about in the attempt to get free. Red approached him, almost menacingly, and brought his usually static eyes close to Derrick's.

You're not leaving me again, God, the trainer hissed. You're going to answer my questions - truthfully! I know you're hiding something, and I won't let you get away without telling me the truth. Derrick could hardly breath in the creature's hold, his panic rising by the moment. He finally nodded rapidly in agreement, hoping that would decrease the pressure of the Victreebell's vines. And it did. He took a deep breath, softly panting as its hold on him loosened enough for him to comfortably rest in the tendrils.

"I warn you, though," Derrick responded, his heart pounding in his chest as he chose his words carefully. "I don't feel like it is right for you to know the truth...you may not like what you hear."

At this point...any sort of closure is better than being in the dark a moment longer. Derrick watched as Red took a seat at the table that his mother sat at, summoning his Victreebell to carry Derrick over to another seat so he could explain everything. The trainer's eyes looked sullen, languid almost. For the first time in Derrick's life, it occurred to him that perhaps Red had a soul - maybe not a dynamic soul like what he had, but a soul nonetheless. It was going to kill him to explain everything, but he knew that if he made one slip, the Victreebell's tendrils may very well squeeze the life out of him. He heaved a deep breath.

"Your life is a game," Derrick spoke softly, seeing the trainer's eyebrows furrow immediately. "Everything that we've seen here is a game, and you are the star...you did honestly grow up here, but...you were never meant to have any manifested existence until the day that you got your first Pokemon...just like you said. The people that you speak to here have programmed words to say, and will never say anything that they're not meant to...they're all here to support you on your journey."

So...I'm the only actually living person in this place...? Red asked, his voice like that of a child. Derrick gave a shaky nod of the head. God...why would you make a world like this?

"Th-That's another thing," he added, swallowing hard again. He felt like he was giving a public speech with the way his voice trembled. "I'm...not God. I simply control your game from a device...your real Gods live in a place where there are many of the same game...and other people do the same thing to a copy of  you." This left the trainer speechless. In the already silent environment of Pallet Town, the silence was almost as painful as the vines wrapped around Derrick's torso. He watched Red sulk motionless for what seemed like hours until the trainer suddenly gestured toward the Victreebell. The vine's suddenly left Derrick's body, and Red stood abruptly from his seat, drawing the Pokemon back into its Pokeball and making his way toward the door.

Nobody controls me...he growled, his voice barely audible as he stepped outside. Derrick followed, watching Red summon another Pokemon - his Pidgeot - and climb on top of its back.

"What are you doing!?" Derrick called out over the Pidgeot's powerful wings beginning to flap.

Nobody controls me, God, came the same monotonous reply that he was used to. I control myself. With that, the Pidgeot took flight, easily soaring high above Derrick, despite his attempt to grab hold of the creature, and it flew off, in the direction of Cinnabar island. Derrick immediately resumed pinching himself to wake himself up. He needed control of the game again! He dashed back into Red's house, and froze. The trainer had been in such a hurry to leave that he forgot his bag. Derrick picked it up, rustling though its contents - Super Potions, Antidotes, TMS...wait.

"Yes...!" Derrick hissed excitedly, opening the TM case and finding Red's Hidden Machine for Fly. He could catch up to him, if only he had a Pokemon himself that could Fly. He tapped the HM against his head rapidly, trying to think. His thinking led him to exit the house once again, and he looked up into the sky, seeing Red's Pidgeot as only a small dot on the horizon. "How can I catch a Pokemon...?" he asked himself, scanning all of Pallet Town. He couldn't just wrestle a Pokemon with his bare hands. He needed one that was already caught. Then his eyes drifted to Professor Oak's Laboratory.

Pokemon W2 - Storytime

So excited, man!

Yes, I'm still alive, and yes I'm still playing Pokemon White 2. I just needed to get an old friend of mine up do date as far as levels are concerned. Here we go:

Luz (Chandelure) - L43
Cesar (Serperior) - L43
Corro (Crobat) - L43
Ross (Ampharos) - L44
Eris (Krookodile) - L45

By the way, POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT. 

Anyway, I had been backtracking like a mofo through Route 13 to level up Ross up to his final evolution form. I was about halfway trough the process before I realized that I could use my Lucky Egg to speed things along. It's been a while, m'kay? ; w ; I'm juggling FireRed and an Emerald Nuzlocke aside from this run-through.

But why, you might ask, am I on Route 13? Well, y'see, I'm at the part of the game where I'm reminded quite a bit of the aspect that half of the map is frozen solid, and thus is not accessible. After you defeat Skyla in Mistralton City and earn your flying-type badge, that's pretty much as far as you can go. I ended up having to use one of her planes to fly to a place called Lentimas Town. I'm not even gonna lie, it looked like something out of Arabian Nights.

Bulbapedia's

Using this town as a segue, you're able to then traverse Reversal Mountain. What's cool about Reversal Mountain, depending on the game you get, is that the inside will look different in Black 2 and in White 2. According to Bulbapedia, the interior for White 2 is lava-like with a hot color scheme, with Black 2's cave been cold color schemed. The creators even put different trainers in the different games. 

Not bad, Game Freak. Not bad.

Thus, you are now back up to par with where I am. The cave ended up leading me to the opposite side of the map, in Undella Town. It surprised me at first because that's where you usually end up in after you've beaten the Elite Four in Black/White. It had some strong Pokemon and trainers, good for level grinding, and I ended up in Lacunosa Town, where I last saved my game. You get a little history lesson about how the town's name came to be. I won't tell it, though, because it was actually not that bad to read about.

So there. I'll also be uploading a new chapter next week for Glitchy Red Retold. I've been making a point to write more often.

Also, go make yourself some banana bread. I did...tastes delicious, too, if only I hadn't spilled the vanilla extract in the bowl...

-Churl

Pokemon W2 - Adorable Poodles

Because I can't draw today. ; w ;

So at the beginning of this month I finally got a chance to pick Pokemon White 2 back up and realized something: I forgot what I was doing. I also forgot to level up my Pokemon as I went, so now I'm a little bit behind. Firstly, because the trainers around Undella Bay are powerful. ; w ;

Secondly, because I seriously have lost my patience in using Lucario. You may throw vegetables at me if you like, but I can't do it, man. ; n ;
So, with that said, I'm backtracking and leveling up one of my old team members. You'll find out who it is next go-'round.

Also, I've been extremely busy concerning writing. The school year's starting back, so there's writing with homework. Also, I'm proud to say that I finally have the last of the plotline down for the Glitchy Red Retold chapters, so I'll be posting a new chapter soon. I'm also writing my first fanfic in a looong time. If you're a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fan, you may want to check it out, once it's done.

Most importantly, however, is that I've gotten my first writing gig. I'm helping script for a Choose Your Own Adventure flash game. Doesn't have a name yet, as far as I know, but when stuff runs along more, I'll get permission to post previews and whatnot. I'm SUPER excited about it, though, so I'm pouring a lot of my soul into it.

So yeah, those are my excuses. ; w ;
Here's a video of a dog walking on its hind legs for your entertainment, so I can hopefully sneak away unscathed.
- Cheryl

Chapter 9 - Reality Check

"Derrick, can you help me wash dishes down here? I could use a hand."

The boy swallowed absently, pressing START on his Gameboy SP and finding the Pidgeot in his team, commanding it to Fly to Fuchsia City. His glazed eyes followed the pixelated bird as it flew back and forth across the screen, carrying Red to his desired destination. The upbeat theme for the City struck up as Red landed, but Derrick instead pressed the volume on the side of his handheld down to mute it, bringing it from his eyes so he could wipe his hand down his face and think. Maybe a run through the Safari Zone would help change the pace.

"Derrick!"

"What is it, mom!?" he called back, trying to coat the annoyance in his voice.

"Come down here and help me with these dishes!" came the equally annoyed response. Derrick snapped his SP shut, placing it on his bed as he slid from atop of it and exited his room, making his way down the stairs as his mother continued to reprimand him: "I had to call you four times before you even answered. If you were that busy why didn't you just tell me? It's probably that game - you've been playing it entirely too much lately!"

"You're exaggerating, mom," Derrick retorted half-heartedly, stepping into the kitchen and finding a clean cloth to help her dry dishes with. "I haven't played it that often."

"I beg to differ," his mother pressed, pausing her washing to place wet fingers at his chin and turn his face toward her, earning her an embarrassed groan from her son. "Look at you. Look at your eyes! You've hardly been sleeping because you've played that game so often."

Derrick softly pulled from his mother's grip on his chin, rubbing the bags beneath his eyes a bit. He will admit, he hadn't gotten as much sleep as he wished. "It's not the game, mom," he murmured, wiping along his face once more. "My system's back light won't work with this game, so I can't play it into the early morning or anything. It's been those nightmares." His mother's expression softened a bit at that.

"The one from those other times...you're still having those?" she asked. As her son nodded, she crossed her arms and pursed her lip, eyes concerned. "That's strange. Usually recurring dreams like that mean something special." Derrick gave a light shrug, resuming his drying duty. When he was reluctant to meet her eyes, she raised an eyebrow. "Derrick, you can't hide forever. If you're having the same dream over and over, then you probably should begin digging up a few skeletons you may have forgotten to confront."

"Maybe..." he responded, biting his lip.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derrick maneuvered Red through the Safari Zone, pacing the character back and forth in the tall grass, even making him stand still and simply facing him different directions to save steps, hoping for a good Pokemon.

"Dude, you're hopeless," remarked Scott, peeking over at him from his phone and smirking. "I'll never know what you see in those sorts of games."

"It'd be awesome if I could find a Chancey," she whispered to himself, having not heard his friend, running or throwing bait at various wild Pokemon as he went. As he gradually became more bold in his steps, making Red walk more and more instead of reserving steps in the Zone, the bells sounded for his time to quit. "Bah," he blurted in defeat, watching his character return to the Safari Zone's lobby.

"No luck?" his friend muttered with a roll of the eyes.

"Hmm?" came the absent reply. Scott's mouth curled into a frown.

"Okay, screw that game!" she blared, bring his phone to his lap. "Turn that thing off and let's actually do something! We haven't been hanging out that much this summer. Let's go find you and me a ladyfriend so maybe this summer won't be so dull, because all you've been doing when we hang out is play on that stupid SP and hardly pay attention to the world. I don't know what your deal is lately, but we need to get you...Derrick...wait, are you okay?"

Derrick lifted his face toward his friend, exposing how clammily white it had become so suddenly. The boy doubled over a bit, nausea filling his mind and stomach. He saw his friend come to his aid, fanning his head, shaking him, shouting into his ear, but the more nauseous he got, the less he could hear or feel Scott with him. In fact, he couldn't feel or hear anything, it seemed. With painful gradualness, his nausea subsided, and he found himself in Pallet Town.  He also saw Red standing, staring at his small house.

"I thought we were supposed to be in the Fuchsia City," she muttered, hoping almost that Red couldn't hear him.

...I did, too. But we're here again.

Derrick looked around. He knew Pallet Town's tiny structure like the back of his hand, but it seemed surprisingly quiet now. There was no heartfelt background music like he was used to, and everything looked excessively static.

It's a bit strange, Red muttered, still staring at his house. Derrick joined him after a bit of wandering, looking  over to his his eyes pasted to the building.

"What's strange?" he asked, hoping that would draw his eyes from the building. It was beginning to unnerve him.

Well...many things, actually. It's strange that we somehow are back to the beginning place after a run in the Safari Zone, but...it's more strange how little I know about this place. God...was I born here?

"Well, yeah," came the boy's reply, as he leaned back against one of the rows of fence erected near his house. "You were born here and lived here until you decided to become a Pokemon master."

But that can't be...I don't know anything about this place. I don't even remember being raised here. Derrick swallowed as Red's eyes finally broke from the house to meet his own. The first thing I remember from this place is waking up in a room and going downstairs from this house and finding my way into tall grass, where I met Professor Oak. I had never met him before then. I had never met my rival, either. Even my 'mother'...

"That's your mother, Red," Derrick tried to reassure him. Red's eyes blazed for a moment at the remark. He beckoned Derrick follow him into the house where his mother sat at the table staring at the wall opposite from her.

This is my mother? Does she know anything about me? Does she ever mention me to other people?

Derrick couldn't respond. He only bit his lip and stared at Red's less-than-neutral expression.

She says the exact same thing whenever I talk to her now. Before I met Professor Oak, she would tell me that kids my age normally leave home, but after I started training Pokemon, she simply heals my team and wishes me off. She doesn't ask me to sit down and talk about my travels, or compliments me on how well I've been raising my Pokemon. She's...she's hardly even human!

Derrick watched the sprite of his character's mother as it remained perfectly still, most likely waiting on her son to talk to her so she could heal his Pokemon. She couldn't believe how right Red sounded.

I couldn't have been born here, from a static mother who talks about only two things, and with people I hardly know...God, where was I really born?