A Whole Different Level - fic post
Title: A Whole Different Level
Rating: G? PG? I have no idea.
Words: Around 1658.
Summary: She felt isolated... somehow different than everyone else. There was no one who could stand in her way anymore. Her dream had been accomplished and more. And now that it was over, now that she was the strongest, what was left? Was she supposed to keep training when there wasn't a point anymore?
It had been weeks since she had fought him. He was the toughest trainer she had ever battled before; tougher than the Elite Four and Lance, and she respected him for that. Admired him. She'd gone back to see if he wanted to battle again, but he wasn't there. After what was apparently years of being up there training alone, after being defeated by her, he had left. Without a trace.
After a few weeks, she tried to convince herself that she had forgotten about him. She hadn't even caught his name to begin with, anyway, so she couldn't have asked around even if she wanted to. Instead of worrying about it, she had busied herself with helping the various gym leaders train. Pryce on Mondays, Morty on Tuesdays. Then Misty, Bugsy, and Clair. Now, it was Saturday morning, and Falkner was in the Fighting Dojo with her, after demanding a rematch from the week before.
For some reason the battle was so boring for Lyra that her mind had drifted in the middle of it, leaving her to shout out commands on autopilot to her Pokemon, who were ten times as focused. Once it was all over, the Pokemon were recalled, and Falkner walked across the room to stand in front of Lyra, towering slightly over her due to the minute height difference. He looked at her worriedly, shifting his weight to one leg. "Hey... Lyra? That was a good battle, but you seemed kind of..."
Lyra, who has been staring off into space, shook her head and snapped out of it, looking up at Falkner. "Huh?"
He shifted his weight again. "I don't know, you just seemed like you weren't focusing on the battle..." He scratched the back of his head. "Kinda makes me feel like I'm too weak to even care about what you're doing."
She gasped quietly. "Oh! I'm so sorry! That's not what I... You've been getting a lot stronger! Those challengers won't stand a chance against you now!" She smiled proudly.
Falkner sighed. "I know, but if I can't win against you or Morty, what's the point?"
Lyra fidgeted for a second, not knowing what to say. "U-um..." She thought of her own Pokemon, and smiled again. "B-Because becoming stronger along with your Pokemon is something amazing, and when you reach the point where you're stronger than Morty and I, then... You'll feel like you achieved so much more."
Falkner dropped his hand and a smile spread across his face. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Lyra." He pat her on the head. "Same time next week, then?"
Lyra agreed and waved goodbye as the gym leader walked out, and stood there for a few moments. Why had she been so distracted? She shrugged it off and walked outside, and before she knew it, she was heading to Pallet Town on her Pidgeot.
She stepped off in front of Professor Oak's lab and recalled the giant bird. More recently she hadn't felt like being followed by one of her Pokemon, and it was only now she realized the lonely feeling she had before had grown because of it. She looked at the ground painfully, and still.... Still just didn't feel like letting them out.
She walked through the streets slowly, lost in her thoughts. She felt isolated... somehow different than everyone else. There was no one who could stand in her way anymore. Her dream had been accomplished and more. And now that it was over, now that she was the strongest, what was left? Was she supposed to keep training when there wasn't a point anymore?
She looked up and stared at the door of a house. If she hadn't stopped when she did, she would've slammed right into it. She thought for a moment before deciding to knock on the door. A lady opened it almost immediately, stepping into the doorway and staring off above Lyra with a look of pure joy and excitement on her face. Then, slowly, as she stared at air, it disappeared, replacing itself with a look of disappointment, and she looked down at Lyra, smiling weakly. "Oh, hello, dear. You're that new Champion, aren't you? Would you like to come inside?"
Lyra looked up at her and smiled as convincingly as she could, fighting back the sadness she felt at seeing the woman. "Sure!"
She sat down across from the woman at a dining table inside, sticking her hands under her legs and looking around before settling her eyes on the TV. An old black-and-white movie was playing, with a young kid walking down a railroad with a Pokeball in hand. Lyra turned her head to look at the woman. The woman stared at the screen sadly, taking note of Lyra's presence, but not quite seeming to care. Lyra watched her for a while before speaking up. "Do you have any children, ma'am...?"
The woman looked at her almost surprisingly, a tint of pain in her eyes. She looked down when she replied, a pained smile on her face. "Yes, I do. A son. He hasn't been home in years, but... I'm sure he's alright, somewhere out there."
Lyra gasped. "Years? He hasn't come to visit you in that long...?"
The woman shook her head. "The last I saw of him was on the TV there. He had become the Champion... They said he was going to go take an 'ultimate test' somewhere."
Lyra got up and walked over to the woman, taking one of her hands and holding it. "Ma'am, I think I met your son."
The look of sheer joy on the mother's face surpassed any expression of emotion that Lyra had ever seen before.
It was cold, on the mountain top. Lyra didn't bother getting warmer clothes. He hadn't, when she had seen him up here. Why should she be any different? Though she had seriously questioned that decision at first, it wasn't so bad anymore. She didn't want to leave for a second, anyway. If push came to shove, she could have her Typhlosion warm her up. Her Pidgeot brought her food from towns. Her Slowbro made water she could drink. She'd survive.
She was waiting for him. Because she wanted to see him again, and because she had promised his mother that she would take him home. A week had gone by, but she wouldn't give up. She'd keep waiting as long as she had to. And as the boy pushed against the wind, holding the brim of his hat, undeterred by the hail, returning to the place he had come to call home, she didn't have to wait anymore. Lyra jumped up and cupped her hands to her mouth, suddenly filled with determination and.... Something she didn't recognize. The loneliness she'd grown so accustomed to in the past few months was changing on her. She felt happy all of a sudden, and shouted.
"Red!"
The boy looked up, the normally emotionless face being taken over by an expression of shock and confusion. He stopped in his tracks.
Lyra began making her way over to him, her body hardly complying. It hurt to move, as if her joints had frozen themselves while she had waited. But she just stared at the boy, determined, and kept moving until she fell down on her knees in front of him.
Neither of them said anything. After several seconds, Red's face reverted back to the emotionless stare he had before, and he crouched down at Lyra's level.
"Red, p-please listen to me." She began. She didn't realize she was crying until one of Red's hands came up to wipe away her tears. She took it as a sign that he would listen. "I t-talked to your m-mom. She m-misses you. You don't h-have to stay up here anymore. You can g-go visit her. P-Please.... Please go visit her."
Red stared at her.
She didn't continue until she stopped sobbing after several minutes. She looked at him, begging, tears still flowing down her face and making her colder than she already was. "You're not the strongest anymore. You don't have to isolate yourself anymore. You can visit your mom, you can visit your old friends. I'll stay here. I'm the strongest now. I'm the one no one can beat. I'll stay here alone.... So please, go."
She was surprised to feel him hugging her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him. She knew how he felt. She knew now how lonely he had been all those years, feeling different than everyone else, feeling as if there was nothing left to do but wait until someone else came along to take his place.
She hugged him back, and felt... Sobbing. He was sobbing. She smiled, and pat him on the back. "It's alright." She whispered.
"Thank you." Was all he whispered back.
- - -
He had visited his mother that day. Lyra had come with him, and stood to the side happily as mother and son had a tearful reunion. The mother couldn't thank Lyra enough. And she smiled at that, just as she smiled whenever Red smiled at her. After that visit was over, she wanted to go back to Mt. Silver, but Red insisted she come with him. They visited all the gym leaders in Kanto, ending with Blue, who ended up simply punching Red in the face and calling him an asshole, while smiling the same tearful smile she had seen all day.
They went their separate ways, and she visited her own mom by herself, letting her know she'd never forget about her or abandon her. She'd still call her often and come visit every month. And that night, she left her hometown sadly, and made her way back up to the peak of Mt. Silver, where Red was waiting for her and refusing to let her be completely alone.
And she was alright with that. The loneliness was still there, but not as much. She had someone who kept surpassing her, who she could keep surpassing. She didn't feel inhuman, or too strong, or on a whole different level.
She was happy.
They both were.
Rating: G? PG? I have no idea.
Words: Around 1658.
Summary: She felt isolated... somehow different than everyone else. There was no one who could stand in her way anymore. Her dream had been accomplished and more. And now that it was over, now that she was the strongest, what was left? Was she supposed to keep training when there wasn't a point anymore?
It had been weeks since she had fought him. He was the toughest trainer she had ever battled before; tougher than the Elite Four and Lance, and she respected him for that. Admired him. She'd gone back to see if he wanted to battle again, but he wasn't there. After what was apparently years of being up there training alone, after being defeated by her, he had left. Without a trace.
After a few weeks, she tried to convince herself that she had forgotten about him. She hadn't even caught his name to begin with, anyway, so she couldn't have asked around even if she wanted to. Instead of worrying about it, she had busied herself with helping the various gym leaders train. Pryce on Mondays, Morty on Tuesdays. Then Misty, Bugsy, and Clair. Now, it was Saturday morning, and Falkner was in the Fighting Dojo with her, after demanding a rematch from the week before.
For some reason the battle was so boring for Lyra that her mind had drifted in the middle of it, leaving her to shout out commands on autopilot to her Pokemon, who were ten times as focused. Once it was all over, the Pokemon were recalled, and Falkner walked across the room to stand in front of Lyra, towering slightly over her due to the minute height difference. He looked at her worriedly, shifting his weight to one leg. "Hey... Lyra? That was a good battle, but you seemed kind of..."
Lyra, who has been staring off into space, shook her head and snapped out of it, looking up at Falkner. "Huh?"
He shifted his weight again. "I don't know, you just seemed like you weren't focusing on the battle..." He scratched the back of his head. "Kinda makes me feel like I'm too weak to even care about what you're doing."
She gasped quietly. "Oh! I'm so sorry! That's not what I... You've been getting a lot stronger! Those challengers won't stand a chance against you now!" She smiled proudly.
Falkner sighed. "I know, but if I can't win against you or Morty, what's the point?"
Lyra fidgeted for a second, not knowing what to say. "U-um..." She thought of her own Pokemon, and smiled again. "B-Because becoming stronger along with your Pokemon is something amazing, and when you reach the point where you're stronger than Morty and I, then... You'll feel like you achieved so much more."
Falkner dropped his hand and a smile spread across his face. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Lyra." He pat her on the head. "Same time next week, then?"
Lyra agreed and waved goodbye as the gym leader walked out, and stood there for a few moments. Why had she been so distracted? She shrugged it off and walked outside, and before she knew it, she was heading to Pallet Town on her Pidgeot.
She stepped off in front of Professor Oak's lab and recalled the giant bird. More recently she hadn't felt like being followed by one of her Pokemon, and it was only now she realized the lonely feeling she had before had grown because of it. She looked at the ground painfully, and still.... Still just didn't feel like letting them out.
She walked through the streets slowly, lost in her thoughts. She felt isolated... somehow different than everyone else. There was no one who could stand in her way anymore. Her dream had been accomplished and more. And now that it was over, now that she was the strongest, what was left? Was she supposed to keep training when there wasn't a point anymore?
She looked up and stared at the door of a house. If she hadn't stopped when she did, she would've slammed right into it. She thought for a moment before deciding to knock on the door. A lady opened it almost immediately, stepping into the doorway and staring off above Lyra with a look of pure joy and excitement on her face. Then, slowly, as she stared at air, it disappeared, replacing itself with a look of disappointment, and she looked down at Lyra, smiling weakly. "Oh, hello, dear. You're that new Champion, aren't you? Would you like to come inside?"
Lyra looked up at her and smiled as convincingly as she could, fighting back the sadness she felt at seeing the woman. "Sure!"
She sat down across from the woman at a dining table inside, sticking her hands under her legs and looking around before settling her eyes on the TV. An old black-and-white movie was playing, with a young kid walking down a railroad with a Pokeball in hand. Lyra turned her head to look at the woman. The woman stared at the screen sadly, taking note of Lyra's presence, but not quite seeming to care. Lyra watched her for a while before speaking up. "Do you have any children, ma'am...?"
The woman looked at her almost surprisingly, a tint of pain in her eyes. She looked down when she replied, a pained smile on her face. "Yes, I do. A son. He hasn't been home in years, but... I'm sure he's alright, somewhere out there."
Lyra gasped. "Years? He hasn't come to visit you in that long...?"
The woman shook her head. "The last I saw of him was on the TV there. He had become the Champion... They said he was going to go take an 'ultimate test' somewhere."
Lyra got up and walked over to the woman, taking one of her hands and holding it. "Ma'am, I think I met your son."
The look of sheer joy on the mother's face surpassed any expression of emotion that Lyra had ever seen before.
It was cold, on the mountain top. Lyra didn't bother getting warmer clothes. He hadn't, when she had seen him up here. Why should she be any different? Though she had seriously questioned that decision at first, it wasn't so bad anymore. She didn't want to leave for a second, anyway. If push came to shove, she could have her Typhlosion warm her up. Her Pidgeot brought her food from towns. Her Slowbro made water she could drink. She'd survive.
She was waiting for him. Because she wanted to see him again, and because she had promised his mother that she would take him home. A week had gone by, but she wouldn't give up. She'd keep waiting as long as she had to. And as the boy pushed against the wind, holding the brim of his hat, undeterred by the hail, returning to the place he had come to call home, she didn't have to wait anymore. Lyra jumped up and cupped her hands to her mouth, suddenly filled with determination and.... Something she didn't recognize. The loneliness she'd grown so accustomed to in the past few months was changing on her. She felt happy all of a sudden, and shouted.
"Red!"
The boy looked up, the normally emotionless face being taken over by an expression of shock and confusion. He stopped in his tracks.
Lyra began making her way over to him, her body hardly complying. It hurt to move, as if her joints had frozen themselves while she had waited. But she just stared at the boy, determined, and kept moving until she fell down on her knees in front of him.
Neither of them said anything. After several seconds, Red's face reverted back to the emotionless stare he had before, and he crouched down at Lyra's level.
"Red, p-please listen to me." She began. She didn't realize she was crying until one of Red's hands came up to wipe away her tears. She took it as a sign that he would listen. "I t-talked to your m-mom. She m-misses you. You don't h-have to stay up here anymore. You can g-go visit her. P-Please.... Please go visit her."
Red stared at her.
She didn't continue until she stopped sobbing after several minutes. She looked at him, begging, tears still flowing down her face and making her colder than she already was. "You're not the strongest anymore. You don't have to isolate yourself anymore. You can visit your mom, you can visit your old friends. I'll stay here. I'm the strongest now. I'm the one no one can beat. I'll stay here alone.... So please, go."
She was surprised to feel him hugging her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to him. She knew how he felt. She knew now how lonely he had been all those years, feeling different than everyone else, feeling as if there was nothing left to do but wait until someone else came along to take his place.
She hugged him back, and felt... Sobbing. He was sobbing. She smiled, and pat him on the back. "It's alright." She whispered.
"Thank you." Was all he whispered back.
- - -
He had visited his mother that day. Lyra had come with him, and stood to the side happily as mother and son had a tearful reunion. The mother couldn't thank Lyra enough. And she smiled at that, just as she smiled whenever Red smiled at her. After that visit was over, she wanted to go back to Mt. Silver, but Red insisted she come with him. They visited all the gym leaders in Kanto, ending with Blue, who ended up simply punching Red in the face and calling him an asshole, while smiling the same tearful smile she had seen all day.
They went their separate ways, and she visited her own mom by herself, letting her know she'd never forget about her or abandon her. She'd still call her often and come visit every month. And that night, she left her hometown sadly, and made her way back up to the peak of Mt. Silver, where Red was waiting for her and refusing to let her be completely alone.
And she was alright with that. The loneliness was still there, but not as much. She had someone who kept surpassing her, who she could keep surpassing. She didn't feel inhuman, or too strong, or on a whole different level.
She was happy.
They both were.