Wes' Past: Part Two

Wes' Past: Part Two
Season Gold Star, Chapter 68
Written by	Terence Harris
Created by	Terence Harris, Jeremy White
Chapter guide
Previous Wes' Past: Part One	Next Stories Unfolding

I awoke a few days later slowly. Immediately upon waking up, I realized that I couldn't move whatsoever. My body was extremely sore and what's more, it was raining outside. The raining pelted the ground like a million meteors falling from the heavens. It aggravated my head giving me an even larger headache than I had before. Finally, I managed to open my eyes completely to see two Pokemon sitting by my side.

"Ah!" I jumped, while resisting the pain for a second, and slowly scurried over to another section of the place I was sitting in. As my back touched the wall, I felt the pain engulfed my entire body again. But, within that pain, I could feel a rock pointing onto my back from the wall. I used the little strength that I had left to discover that I was sitting in a dark cave. "How did I get in here?"

The two Pokemon that had been by my side when I awoke started toward me. I tried to get away from them because, after my last excursion with that enraged Kangaskahn made me never want or have to do with Pokemon ever again. I was completely frightened by even the sight of the smallest creature known as a Pokemon.

But, as they headed toward me, I felt something emanating from the each of them. It was a strong aura that made me feel better about myself. They reminded me of my mother and father. And, at the moment, I realized who these two Pokemon were. They were the two Pokemon that I have now; my loyal Espeon and Umbreon. This is the first time that I had ever met them.

For whatever reason, I allowed them to come near me. The Umbreon kept me warm while the Espeon used its Morning Sun ability to heal me. It was such a comfortable feeling that I closed my eyes and felt the warmth embrace of these loving Pokemon cover me. I slept until morning, I suppose because I couldn't remember anything that happened after I fell asleep.

When I awoke the next morning, the sun from outside shone on my body, warming it from the cold night that I had a few hours earlier. My eyes didn't open until I heard my parent's voice call out to me as if they there with me at the moment...

"Wes... Wake up, son... A new day has come..."

After I heard that, my eyes jutted open and I jumped up from where I was laying, and looked around the cave that I was still resting in. I searched for my parents but, unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen. Had I dreamed that just now? Was it just my own grief making me hear these things? Or was I truly becoming insane?

Many questions ran through my head but as soon as I saw my new friends, Espeon and Umbreon, I knew I would be better with them by my side. I don't know why but like I said, they seriously reminded me of my mother and my father. So, when I knew that I could walk and I felt back to my old self, I stood up and walked out of the cave with the Espeon and Umbreon trailing behind me.

"Huh?" I asked myself as I turned around to see that the two Pokemon were indeed following me. "Do you guys... want to come with me?" I knelt down to the ground as the Espeon and Umbreon ran over to me, nudging their bodies against my body, answering my question. "Very well then... Let's go then!" I said as I took out two Poke Balls that my father gave to me when he returned and officially caught both of them. They both jumped into the air and happily entered the two Poke Balls without any hesitation. They really wanted to be with me. And, strangely enough, I wanted to be with me. I couldn't explain it to anyone even now. It just felt like... like I needed to be with them.

As I started out for the exit of the grasslands, something caught my eyes as I came out to a clearing that I was sure was very close to its exit. It jumped out in front of me, making me skid backward a few feet through the grass. Standing right before me, still flushed with enraged red eyes was the same Kangaskahn that had killed his parents a few days earlier. At first, I suppose its anger overwhelmed its sight. But then, when it could see a little clearer, it turned its head and glared fiercely at me. It stepped toward me, slowly, making the ground shake beneath it as it walked toward me.

When our eyes connected, I didn't know what to do. I felt just as helpless as before when I didn't have Pokemon and I couldn't do much else to help myself out. But then, I realized something. I had something by my side to help me now. And they rested on my belt loop, also given to me by my father when he returned.

I knew I could exact my revenge against this beast now. But as I took the two Poke Ball's for Espeon and Umbreon off of my belt loop, I wondered to myself, "What could make this beast as angry as it was?" But as it began to increase its speed toward me, I knew there could be no time to think. This was now a survival between life and death. I had to become the Pokemon Trainer that I am today.

I held up both Poke Ball's and shouted, "Come out, Espeon and Umbreon!" I tossed both Poke Ball's up into the air, releasing my two Pokemon onto the field. For some reason, as soon as they came onto the field, a list of their attacks flushed through my head. I smirked confidently as both of the Pokemon charged forward without my command. Not that that was a problem but, after this, I had make them listen to me sometimes.

The Kangaskahn didn't waste anytime trying to get past them and over to me. But then, just as it did, Espeon jumped in front of me and one of its moves popped into my head. I immediately shouted it out saying, "Espeon, Reflect now!" Espeon stood firmly and covered me and itself in a barrier of pure energy that completely surprised the enraged Kangaskahn. It brought its fist down onto the barrier and it flew backward, landing on its back nearby Umbreon.

Umbreon looked back at me and waited for its next command as one of its moves popped into my head. I blurted out to my Pokemon, "Umbreon, Bite now!" Umbreon jumped into the air above the angry Kangaskahn just as it stood back up, biting into its flesh as hard as it could. The angry Kangaskahn roared for Umbreon to let it go but Umbreon's grip on the Kangaskahn was tough and thorough. It wouldn't let go, no matter what. I smiled happily, realizing that I was becoming what my father once was. I was becoming an amazing Pokemon Trainer.

Then, just as Espeon charged toward Kangaskahn, I realized why it was so enraged at anything that came to cross its path. In its pouch, there was something missing. I knew there had to be something there but, I couldn't put my finger on it. Then, as Espeon smashed against the enraged Kangaskahn, I realized what it was. I don't know why I didn't see it before.

The Pokemon, Kangaskhan, always has a baby in its pouch. It takes care of it, nurtures it, and loves it as if there was nothing else in the world beside it. The younger offspring of the Kangaskhan species are very fragile and that was why it was so angry. I had heard something about Kangaskhan going crazy because once their offspring had been touched or harmed, they would attack anything around them, being consumed by the anger that was caused because their baby's were gone. That meant this Kangaskhan was a female and it had lost its baby in the area.

It finally all made sense! The Kangaskhan was so enraged because it was a mother trying to find its baby. Honestly, it probably didn't even recognize me. It was just attacking my family and I because, knowing we were the only human in the grasslands, it went berserk and blamed us for taking her baby. Despite knowing this, this didn't diminish my feelings about what this Pokemon had done my family. What it done to me. It was unforgivable, no matter what the reason was. But maybe, he could win this battle without truly ever hurting this motherly creature!

"Espeon, Reflect now!" I shouted to my Espeon, as it covered its body in the same barrier that it was before. Umbreon jumped back as I shouted, "Umbreon, Taunt now!" Umbreon glared tauntingly at the enraged Kangaskhan making it charge toward it. "Umbreon, Snatch!" As the enraged Kangaskhan came charging at him, Umbreon's eyes glowed a bright white color. Kangaskhan then stopped in her place, confused at what to do next. Umbreon then charged forward and rammed its head into the motherly Kangaskhan, knocking it back a bit. Espeon then smashed its body into the Kangaskhan, making it fall onto the ground.

That was not my initial plan but it seemed to knock the Kangaskhan out. I surmised that it had already been too weakened to fight and only its will to fight against the person who had stolen its baby kept it going as much as it did. In fact, when I looked over to the Kangaskhan as the three of us escaped, I saw that it was covered in bruises that I had not originally caused.

After all of this happened, I traveled for many days. I knew I couldn't ever go back to my house. There was way too many memories there. And so, I stopped there right before completely leaving and burned the entire house down to the ground. I then began traveling through the wasteland of Orre. I suppose I was trying to find my way throughout this region. But the wasteland is long and much too difficult to complete with just two Pokemon and one human. I almost gave up on myself until I reached a town called Pyrite Town.

"Awesome!" I said to myself as I called out my Espeon and Umbreon. "Hey guys, look!" Both of my Pokemon emerged from their Poke Ball's and immediately smiled at the town to know that we had finally gotten somewhere. But, as I started into the town, I was confronted by the name of Gonzap.

This man, in all honesty raised for me for many years. Actually, he really raised for about five to six years. I was completely grateful to him, of course because he took off where my mother and father could not. In fact, he even made a greater Pokemon Trainer because of his influence. However, when I turned seventeen, I finally realized why he really wanted me. I didn't know this until later, however, the man in question was actually... the leader of Team Snagem. And one day, he asked me to join.

Team Snagem was a criminal organization similar to that of Team Rocket. They were ruthless at what they did and they ran through the shadows doing their dirty work while stealing and destroying the lives of people all the while.

Before he truly brought up the question of me joining or not, he took me to the Team Snagem base of operations. It wasn't anything flashy really but they were definitely more powerful than people gave them credit for. He showed me all around the base, telling me all of its secrets and places of origin. He told they were also allied with a group named, Cipher but, for some reason, I had actually never met the members of Cipher. So I know nothing about them.

But, after he basically took me on a "tour" of their entire base, we stopped in his "office" to talk about the situation. He sat in a large spinning chair and asked me, in his most "fatherly" voice, "So, Wes, what do you say? Will you join alongside us?"

"Uh..." I stood in front of his desk, not sure of what to say. I was still a young child at this point and I really didn't know what to say. I had no idea how much trouble an affiliation with a criminal organization could be. Gonzap led me on and since I wasn't as conscious with their evil ways as I am now, I was a bit eager to see what being with this evil organization could be like.

"Well?" Gonzap asked me, as I let the thought jumble around in my head. "Wes... I'm not trying to force you into doing this. But, think about this for a second. With us, you could travel all over Orre, have money, power, and... maybe even give those dead parents of yours a proper burial."

"Really?" I asked him, not knowing the dangers of what lay before me. "I could really do all of that with Team Snagem?"

"Of course," That old bastard lied. "You could do ALL of that and... I suppose, more."

"Like what else more?" I asked sounding a bit eager than before.

"Like... becoming the BEST Pokemon Trainer – Master, even – that your father may have been. You could become the best of the best. All you have to do is decide. Your Pokemon would become even stronger with us." Gonzap stated as my eyes widened in happiness. "Well, Wes, what is your answer?"

I didn't care about anything else but becoming a Pokemon Master at that time. I wanted to become what my father and face problems head on with my Pokemon at my side. I wanted the strength and money to achieve whatever I wanted. I cared about nothing else. So, after he suckered me into all of this, I turned around to him and grabbed his hand firmly saying, "Yes, Gonzap! I will join Team Snagem! And I'll do my best to become the best of the best!"

Gonzap shook my hand and laughed evilly saying, "That's all I ever... wanted from you, Wes. Welcome to the Team."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I was such a fool back then. I believe another reason I joined Team Snagem was to repay Gonzap for taking care me of those years." Wes stated, ending the story of his past. "But, as I became more intelligent and consciously aware of my surroundings, I realized that I had do something to stop them, from the inside out.

"I waited until I knew I would be strong enough to take all of them down. They never expected it and never would have had their entire base destroyed and their Snag Machine stolen if they had simply left me out of it. Then again, it was good for me to join with them or I wouldn't have been able to take them down as quickly as I might have been."

"So..." Kusa said, letting all of his information sink. "That's everything? You've told us everything of your past?"

"Yeah, that's everything... Why? Were you expecting something more?" Wes asked, as Kusa shook her head.

"You just ended the story so abruptly. Don't you think you should have ended it differently?" Kusa asked as Wes glared at Rui who met eyes with him as she walked out of the front door.

"No." Wes said as he stood up and started for the door. "Because, apparently, we couldn't even have privacy here! That damned reporter heard all of my past!"

"What?! When?!" Rich asked surprised not seeing anyone but them in the Pokemon Center.

"Just now! Come on!" Wes said as they all walked out after the girl who had listened in on their conversation.

Rui knew she had been found out because she saw them coming. She tried to run away but as she started running, the ground beneath her feet began to rumble violently. "Huh?! What the-" Machine's Larvitar burst out of the ground and knocked Rui down on her backside, stopping her from running away. "Ouch! That really hurt you little bastard! What the hell was that about?!"

Larvitar stuck its tongue out at Rui as a red light shot from over Rui's head and called it back to its Poke Ball. She turned around just as she realized that she had been caught. "Nice work, Larvitar." Machine said, stuffing his Poke Ball back into his pocket.

"You!" Wes shouted, pointing at her from the middle of the group. She tried to run away but Wes caught her by her collar and picked her up saying, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why would you listen in on our entire conversation?"

"I was... curious?" Rui shrugged, as Wes pulled his fist back and was about to knock her out when Artie stopped him. "Huh?"

"Wes, do you have no manners?" Artie asked, as he glared at Wes. He then set her down and backed away from her, still steamed. Artie stepped up to her and asked, "Rui, are you alright? Did Wes hurt you at all?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you very much." Rui said as she looked at Wes who ignored eye contact with her completely. "So... Are you guys really the Pokedex Holders?"

"Yes..." Wes said, sighing. "THEY are. I believe they made that clear earlier. And I thought I made it clear earlier that I didn't want YOU to listen to my story of the past! How the hell could totally go against my wishes like that?"

"Like I said, you guys saved me. I am in debt to you." Rui said as Wes raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hell no you don't." Wes said, forcefully. "I don't trust reporters like you. How do we not know you're part of Team Snagem or Cipher? How can we trust you?"

"There's no way in hell that I could EVER be apart of Team Snagem! Why the hell would you think when I was captured by their goons?!" Rui asked surprised as Wes smiled nervously, realizing that she was telling the truth.

"Oh yeah." Wes said, in a nervous tone.

"Besides, Wes..." Machine said, patting him on the shoulder. "Rui could be a big help in the long run. Being a reporter, she could essentially break the cover of the groups that we're looking for. Don't you think so?"

Wes sighed and turned away from them saying, "You're right, Machine... Fine. She can join up with us. But, just because she's with us... doesn't mean I have to like this shit." Wes walked away from everyone as Artie sighed at him.

"Don't worry, Rui. He'll warm up to you soon enough." Rich said as Rui sighed at him. "Trust me. He's just that type of person. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he had an underlying subconscious crush on you and he isn't willing to admit it."

"Shut the hell up, Rich! I can still hear you!" Wes shouted to Rich, making the Pokedex Holders laugh heartily.

"Heh... He doesn't seem like it right now..." Rui said, kind of in disappointment.

"Don't worry. Since you're with us now, he'll have to get used to you anyway." Kusa said, smiling at her. "Machine and my boyfriend were the same way when I first joined up with them. But now, we're even better friends because of it."

"Really?" Rui asked, with a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Of course. Just trust me, he'll come to appreciate you." Kusa said as they both smiled at one another.

"Oh!" Rui said as she realized something. "How about this then? Will this help him out?" Rui took out something from her pocket and held it out in front of them. It was an electronic device that resembled the Pokedex that Machine, Kusa, Artie, and Rich had.

"What is it?" Artie asked, as the four of them looked at the electronic device.

"This, gentleman and ladies, is a P*DA. It's kind of like a Pokedex but... for people in Orre. It stands for Pokemon Digital Assistance." Rui said, handing the device to Machine.

This electronic device, known as the P*DA, would truly help them and Wes out here in Orre. It would be, obviously, in lieu of a Pokedex because just like their Pokedex's did, it kept track of the users Trainer info, money, and other such features.

It could also send emails similar to that of their Pokenav's or the Johto Pokedex Holders' Pokegear. In fact, this was a little bit more advance than their Pokedex's or Pokenav because it seemed to also have a ring tone that the user could be able to set. It could also locate certain types of Pokemon, however, there was also a missing spot on the menu. Because of their Pokenav's and Pokedex's, none of the Pokedex Holders needed this.

"Hey, Wes!" Machine shouted to him as he turned around. "Catch!" He threw the P*DA through the air and Wes caught it easily, amazed that one of the Pokedex Holders would give such a fine piece of machinery to him.

"Is this the newest version of the P*DA? How did you get this?" Wes asked, happier than he could express that he had obtained this.

"Rui got it for you. Shouldn't you thank for it?" Machine asked, as Wes sighed and turned around to Rui.

"I guess I have to say... Thanks, um... Rui." Wes said, nervously and kind of embarrassed that this girl was actually part of their group now. "I really... appreciate it."

"No sweat, Wes!" Rui said, as she smiled at him and waved. Wes then turned back around, and put his newly obtained P*DA away into his pocket. Rui shrugged and then asked, "Okay... Where to next?"

"Pyrite Town." Wes said, turning back around to the rest of them. "That's where we're heading next."

"Pyrite Town? Why there? That place is full of thugs, according to what I've heard." Rui said as Wes glared at her, knowing that she was referring to the story of his past.

"I don't really give a damn what you've heard. That's where we're going. So, get over it." Wes said, walking past them and over to his motorcycle.

"Wait a second, Wes." Machine said as he looked over to the stairs that led up to the middle of the city. "What's beyond that point up there?"

"Oh, that?" Wes asked, leaving his motorcycle where it stood. "That's where Phenac Colosseum is located. There are awesomely powerful Pokemon Trainers there and I believe you win some type of prize if you beat everyone there. Why do you ask?"

"Before we go, we have to stop there." Machine said as Wes raised his eyebrow at him.

"Why the hell would you want to go there?" Wes asked, seeing the anticipation build on Machine's expression.

"I want to test my metal there!" Machine shouted as he started charging forward. "Let's go everybody!" Without warning, the rest of the Pokedex Holders ran after Machine, wanting to see how well they would do as well.

"Machine, wait up!" Rui shouted, racing after them, already seeing why they achieved their fame when they did. Wes sighed and smirked, following after them forthwith, wanting to know how well they would do.