"I'm afraid it's bad news, Mr. Grady."
Dr. Sanders spoke clearly, his voice firm but gentle. He sighed and handed my father a piece of paper.
"The... results came back. Arthur has a rare form of cancer, and—"
The word hit me like a physical blow.
My ears started ringing, and everything else faded into the background. My mind drifted somewhere far away while he kept talking to my dad.
Cancer?
I have cancer?
Hoenn.
The exchange program.
The promise I made.
Gone.
"—Arthur won't be able to become a Pokémon trainer this year. It'll take months just to overcome the the initial procedures, and even longer to recover. And... well, we're going to stay optimistic, but there's a very real chance you may not win this fight. I'm real sorry, kid. It's just how it is."
The doctor looked defeated. All the anger bubbling inside me didn't vanish, but I felt it condensing into something vile. I felt my dad's hand tighten on my shoulder, but I didn't look up at him. I could almost feel the intensity radiating off him.
"We'll start the treatment plan immediately. It doesn't matter the cost. We'll do it," my father said.
"Dad!" I turned to him, wide-eyed and pleading, feeling almost betrayed, but he cut me off with a sharp look.
"Art. No." His voice was firm, shutting me down before I could even begin to argue. "I know you wanted to go to the trainer school in Hoenn, but this is far more important."
The room went quiet after that.
The kind of silence that presses against your ears and makes every second feel heavier than the last.
My throat felt tight. "But... it's my life."
My father's jaw clenched. For a moment, he looked away, like he was trying to gather himself.
"And it's my job to protect it."
"I trained for years," I said, my voice shaking now despite my effort to stay calm. "Every morning. Every night. You were there. You watched me. You said I could do it."
"I still believe you can," he replied, softer this time. "Just not like this. Not now."
I turned toward Dr. Sanders, desperate.
"There has to be something. People travel all the time. Trainers get hurt, they get sick, they keep going. I'll be careful. I'll listen. I just need a chance."
The doctor hesitated, his expression tightening. That hesitation told me everything before he even spoke.
"Arthur... the treatment will be aggressive. You'll be weak. There will be days you won't even be able to stand, let alone battle or travel across regions."
I shook my head. "I don't care."
My father's hand tightened again on my shoulder.
"I do."
The words hung between us, heavy and unmovable.
For the first time, I looked up at him. Really looked.
His eyes were sharp like always, but there was something else there too.
Something I had never seen before.
Fear.
And somehow, that scared me more than the word cancer ever had.
Dad was the strongest, at least in my eyes.
An Elite trainer for the League.
He was everything.
He could do anything. He would do anything for me, and he had done everything in his power to give me a happy life.
But this...
This looked like it scared him more than any rampaging Pokémon or Alpha ever had.
Something he couldn't fight.
My stomach felt like it was sinking into the floor. I tried to speak, but only a choked sob came out. His arms wrapped around me as he pulled me close, trying to calm me down, but I wasn't listening.
I just wanted to be like him.
I wanted to be something.
I wanted to be someone.
And now I wasn't even sure if I was going to make it to next year.
I pressed my face into his side and let everything out.
The anger.
The sadness.
The disappointment.
Everything.
My dreams were gone just like that. In the blink of an eye.
Instead...
Arceus had cursed me with this fate.
We stayed like that for a while before Dr. Sanders coughed into his fist to get our attention. Clearly, this wasn't really the time or place for a breakdown.
I wasn't gone yet.
I was still here.
I wasn't going to die.
I wasn't going to leave Dad alone.
Dr. Sanders then briefed Dad and me on what was going to happen. I was going to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy, along with the occasional Heal Pulse and egg from a Chansey. Though he made it very clear Heal Pulse would only ease the pain temporarily.
After all, a Pokémon using a move on a human too often could have devastating effects, even helpful ones.
I soaked in the information with a blank, red-eyed stare.
This... this was really happening, wasn't it?
It's over.
My life is completely over.
Even if I got better, it would take months for me to recover fully, and there was still the fact that Dad would be incredibly protective afterward. Hoenn was a pipe dream at this point.
Ah...
And I sent all those messages to Professor Birch too.
He's going to be so disappointed.
A couple months back, when I was applying for the exchange program, I entered a raffle to win access to a starter Pokémon.
I had won.
I was supposed to receive it when I visited his lab in Littleroot.
I wondered what would happen to it now.
I had thanked him profusely for the chance to get my own starter, and he had just laughed it off, saying it was my own luck that got me this far.
Yeah...
My own luck, huh?
Where had that gotten me now?
We were driving back home when my dad spoke softly.
"Your grandmother called me... a couple days ago. She asked if you could visit your mother and her."
His voice was tight with grief and sadness.
I understood.
Even if I didn't want to.
Mom was...
I didn't really know how to think about Mom anymore.
She hadn't always been the way I remembered her at the end.
When I was younger, she used to laugh a lot. She'd cook dinner while humming songs I didn't know. She used to sit with me while I studied Pokémon battle theory and tell me I'd be stronger than my dad one day.
Back then, the apartment felt warm.
Bright.
Alive.
But something changed.
I don't know when it started.
Just that one day things felt... different.
Little things would set her off. A dish left in the sink. A door closing too loudly. A mistake on a practice exam.
Her voice would get sharp.
Sometimes she would grab my arm harder than she meant to.
Other times she would just stare at me like she didn't even recognize me.
The apartment started feeling quieter after that.
Dad stayed at League headquarters later and later.
I spent more time in my room.
Everyone pretending everything was normal.
Arceus above... it must've been five years now since I last saw her.
I didn't even really remember the last day clearly.
Just fragments.
Raised voices.
Something breaking.
Dad standing between us.
After that...
She was just gone.
I never really asked Dad about it.
And he never spoke about her unless there was a reason.
Like now.
Even then, he kept his eyes on the road.
It was like he wasn't even there, like his mind was somewhere else.
He took the separation harder than I did. Who wouldn't? Fifteen years of marriage, gone in the blink of an eye. He never tried dating again, just kept pushing himself and his Pokémon. He was given promotion after promotion. It was how we were able to stay afloat with only one salary.
I remembered his Typhlosion running up to me at full speed with frantic eyes. Just the sight of the usually ferocious beast looking at me like that made me freeze before it led me to him.
On the couch.
Drunk out of his mind.
Crying.
It was the worst thing I'd ever seen. Not him being drunk. It was him crying that made my blood run cold.
In that moment, I realized I'd do everything in my power to make sure I'd never have to see that again.
That sight... that heart-clenching sight was the most terrifying thing I think I'd ever seen.
I slowly reached over and placed my hand on his arm, still resting on the steering wheel.
He stiffened slightly, like he had just been pulled back from wherever his thoughts had drifted.
He glanced over at me.
I nodded.
His eyes softened before he turned his gaze back to the road.
The future was uncertain.
But we had each other.
And right now...
That was all that mattered.
A few days and a couple of checkups later, Dad and I drove over to Pallet, where Grandma lived. I used to love coming back here.
Nowadays... not so much.
The air was different here. Whereas the air in Fuchsia was busy and bright, over here... it was calm. There was a feeling I couldn't quite place whenever I came here.
Like returning home after a long journey.
A quiet sort of peace.
Grandma lived in a medium-sized bungalow not far from the Oaks' house. I remembered them well. Blue was always such a brat... that kid had real potential though.
The last time I saw him, he was glued to the TV when we were visiting Professor Oak's lab, watching the Indigo League. Him and some other kid in a red and white cap...
Red... I think his name was.
Yeah.
Those two were thick as thieves.
They must be almost twelve by now.
Only three years until they can apply to a trainer school.
They're going to go far.
I know they will.
We walked up the front steps. I trailed behind Dad. I'm not sure why, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Was I really that worried about seeing her?
The door swung open before I had time to finish the thought.
Standing there, weathered by time, was my grandmother.
The last time I saw her, she still had a little brown in her hair. Now it was completely silver. Her eyes, though, were still the same bright green I remembered.
Her gaze flickered from my father to me.
And immediately softened.
My body relaxed without me even realizing it. I had missed her.
I really had.
I just didn't know what to say.
It felt like I was frozen in place.
Apparently I didn't have to say anything.
She walked forward and wrapped her arms around me.
I felt a warmth I hadn't known in nearly half a decade.
And I hugged her back.
As tightly as I could.
"It's good to see you, Arthur..." she said softly. "You're so tall now."
I let out a shaky laugh at that.
I had definitely grown since I was ten.
Almost two whole feet.
Standing at a solid six foot now.
And if my dad's genetics had anything to say about it, I probably wasn't done yet.
"Yeah..." I replied quietly.
She released me and waved us inside.
"Come, come. I made snacks. We can sit and talk about how you've been and—"
"Grandma."
The word came out more bluntly than I intended.
I gestured slightly toward Dad without looking at him.
"Did he tell you yet?"
From the corner of my eye, I saw my father's fist tighten.
Grandma stopped mid-step.
Slowly, she turned back toward me.
There was something in her eyes.
Something heavy.
Something that already knew the answer.
"I do," she said quietly.
I pursed my lips and held in the urge to collapse right there. She was... resolute.
Yeah, that was the word.
She was strong.
Way stronger than me.
Because she knew I would pull through.
The look in her eyes said it.
She knew I'd go through this pain, and she knew I'd come out on top.
And that little feeling...
I think it made my whole week.
We followed her into the old house, and all the memories came flooding back. All of the warmth and love that filled this place seemed burned into the very walls, like a time capsule that had never been sealed.
Eventually, we walked out to the backyard, where Mom's Pokémon were resting beneath the shade of a large maple tree.
A Venusaur.
A Houndoom.
And a Raichu.
A smile crept onto my face.
My mother had been a trainer too, but she retired from the adventurous life after finishing her run of the gym circuit. She became a ranger and was almost always home, unlike Dad, who was usually out doing League work.
I was pulled out of the memory by a yellow blur launching itself straight at me.
"Rai!"
My mother's Raichu cried out excitedly as it leapt up and wrapped around my neck like a living pillow.
I laughed and hugged him back.
Then came the lumbering steps of Venusaur, along with the slower, more measured ones of Houndoom.
I hadn't seen these guys in years.
And it seemed they were just as happy to see me as I was to see them.
I reached out and scratched beneath both Venusaur's and Houndoom's necks, humming in satisfaction as they practically melted under my touch.
Yep.
Bunch of softies.
"Rai! Rai, rai Raichu!"
Raichu chattered quickly and enthusiastically as he grabbed my sleeve and tugged me over to the table beneath the maple tree, practically forcing me to sit down.
Dad and Grandma watched the whole thing with amused smiles before walking over to join us.
Dad released his own Pokémon so they could play with the others. After all, it had been quite a while since they'd seen each other too.
He pulled out all six Poké Balls.
With a tap, they expanded in his hand.
Another press, and his partners emerged in flashes of iridescent light.
His Typhlosion.
His Ursaluna.
His Gallade.
His Eelektross.
His Noctowl.
And his Aggron.
Dad's team was incredible. Battle-hardened Pokémon that had faced some of the strongest trainers in the world and come out on top.
I remembered Professor Oak once saying Dad had challenged the Elite Four back when he was still Champion and had made it pretty far, defeating two of their members.
Right now though, they weren't fearsome battlers.
They were just old friends greeting each other again.
They moved toward Mom's Pokémon happily, exchanging calls and playful nudges.
Though I noticed Typhlosion glance at me briefly.
I shook the feeling off immediately.
It almost felt like pity.
I didn't want pity right now.
While the Pokémon played and caught up in the background, Dad, Grandma, and I talked.
About the past.
What had happened in the last five years.
Then the present.
The diagnosis.
I could feel the gazes of multiple people, and Pokémon, on me whenever we talked about it.
Then finally...
The future.
What I was going to do now that I wasn't going to Hoenn.
"You know..." Grandma said thoughtfully. "Oak is looking for a helper in his lab. One of his interns' contracts is ending in about a year."
She leaned back in her chair.
"How would that sound? It wouldn't be much. Feeding Pokémon, taking logs, helping around the lab. Domestic work, mostly."
She spoke casually.
Like she hadn't just offered a position at one of the most renowned Pokémon laboratories on the planet.
Dad gave her a sharp look, but she waved him off.
"What?" she said. "Ben, he isn't going to die. You know that. He's a strong kid. But he needs a plan moving forward. He's not going to Hoenn."
She paused briefly.
"Arceus knows Birch has sent enough messages asking about the boy. He worries about you, you know."
Then she turned back toward me.
"Daniel's always been like that," she continued softly. "Even when he was a kid."
She smiled faintly, like she was remembering something far away.
"He mentioned sending you something to cheer you up. I'm not entirely sure what he meant, but you might want to watch out for a package sometime in the future."
"Mom, this isn't really the time to be talking about—"
Dad started, but she cut him off.
"And when is the right time going to be?" she snapped. "Hm? Go on. When is it? When he's frail and sickly? Give me a break, Ben."
Dad's hand wilted slightly.
He knew where she was coming from.
And honestly...
So did I.
I was going to beat this.
Obviously.
And I needed a plan.
The lab...
That was something.
That was really something.
But I'd have to be in good health by then. That meant beating this in under a year, recovering fast enough, and doing physical therapy alongside it so I could get the position in time.
Yeah...
It was going to be a lot.
But I think it would be worth it.
After all, if this plan worked, I might even get one of the Kanto starters.
I glanced over at Venusaur, who was using Vine Whip to shake Raichu around while the other Pokémon either laughed or sighed at the sight.
Venusaur was a real monster.
I'd seen him in action.
The way his Frenzy Plant ripped through the ground and restrained opposing Pokémon. The blinding power of his Solar Beam...
That was real potential.
Real power.
And I wanted it.
We spoke for a little while longer before the moment I had been dreading, or maybe expecting, finally arrived.
Dad recalled his Pokémon, save for Typhlosion, and we walked out toward the front of the house and down the street.
The church wasn't far from here.
The streets were quiet. I guessed most of the kids and adults were busy at school or work. The occasional car passed us as we walked, and I felt the knot in my stomach grow tighter.
When we reached the church, I paused.
It had been... years since I had been over this way.
Even before everything with Mom, we usually attended a church in Fuchsia. That one was more modern, with more people inside.
This place...
This place felt different.
It felt like a memory.
And that memory was fading.
The white paint on the wooden walls had begun to flake near the bottom. It stood alone in a wide field of grass, quiet and still.
I stepped toward the door when Dad called out.
"Art! We're going to get flowers. You go ahead, alright?"
His voice was steady, but I could tell he was barely holding himself together.
I nodded.
My hand reached for the handle of the double doors. The metal felt cool beneath my fingers. It must've been replaced at some point. I didn't remember it.
I pushed the door open.
And paused.
I had forgotten how beautiful this place was.
A kaleidoscope of colors washed over me as sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows.
Rows of pews lined either side of the room, leading toward the center podium.
Along the walls were massive stained-glass murals of legendary Pokémon.
On the left side were Groudon and Kyogre, with Rayquaza soaring above them.
On the right side were the Legendary Birds on one panel and the Legendary Beasts on another, with Lugia and Ho-Oh above them both.
And at the front...
Dialga and Palkia looked down toward the pews.
Above them stood Arceus.
Its red eyes seemed to stare directly into my soul.
My teeth clenched, and I forced myself to walk forward.
The church was empty, save for the priest standing at the podium. He was reading quietly, murmuring to himself.
He paused when the door opened and looked up.
His eyes widened slightly, like he had seen a ghost.
Then they softened.
He closed the book and walked toward me.
"Arthur... it has been quite some time."
His voice was aged but clear. He wore white and yellow robes marked with a simple X-shaped design.
"Father Ed," I said politely.
His smile widened slightly.
"Just Ed is fine, child. I've known you since you were just a babe, after all."
My lips curled upward faintly, though the weight in my stomach remained.
"I presume you're here for Rose," he said gently.
I nodded.
He mirrored the motion and gestured for me to follow.
We walked through the church and out into the graveyard.
At the edge of the property stood a single large headstone.
It read:
Here lies Rosalyn Grady née Morozova
Beloved Daughter, Wife, and Mother
May she rest in peace
I just stared at it.
Ed stood beside me in silence for a moment before speaking softly.
"She spoke of you... quite often. Up until the day she..."
The word caught in his throat.
He couldn't say it.
I understood.
When Dad told me two years ago, the feeling had been strangely numb.
Mom was dead.
Grandma found her.
She had hung herself.
Dad had to be the one to tell me.
I was thirteen at the time.
He looked like he was going to shatter into a million pieces.
Though if I was being honest...
I had felt something else.
Relief.
I know that's a horrible thing to think about a person, let alone your own mother.
But in that moment...
The only thing I could think was:
She can't hurt me anymore.
I never went to see her.
I didn't go to the funeral.
Grandma and Dad understood, but they were equally heartbroken by my decision.
I knelt down beside the grave and brushed away some dirt and moss.
Then I sighed.
I looked over at Ed.
"Could you give me a minute?"
He nodded.
"Of course, Arthur. I'll be inside if you need me."
I heard his soft footsteps fade into the distance.
And I just... knelt there.
For what felt like an eternity.
Before finally speaking.
"...I have cancer," I said bluntly.
The blades of grass beyond the grave rustled softly in the wind.
It was a good sound.
A gentle sound.
"I'm gonna come out on top," I continued quietly. "I always do."
A pause.
"I'm not you."
...
"Okay... that might've been in bad taste."
I sighed.
"Ah... let's see... gosh, where do I even start?"
I sat down and began speaking to the tombstone.
I talked about the years we'd been apart.
About what my life had been like since then.
Up until now.
I'd like to think...
She would've been happy for me.
Other than the diagnosis, of course.
I'm not sure when it happened, but I felt a small smile creep onto my face as I spoke.
The leaves of the tree to my right rustled gently in the breeze.
I looked up and closed my eyes for a moment.
Just breathing in the air.
Then I looked back down at the grave.
"I don't forgive you," I said quietly. "I probably never will."
A pause.
"I just... wanted answers."
"And now I'll never get them."
"So... fuck you."
The words came out.
But they lacked conviction.
I heard three sets of footsteps behind me.
I didn't turn around.
Instead, I leaned slightly into my dad's hand when he placed it on my back.
He knelt beside me and sighed.
In his hands were sunflowers and orchids.
Her favorites.
Grandma placed an ornamental jar beside the older flowers that were already there, and Dad arranged the new ones carefully inside.
It looked nice.
We spent the afternoon cleaning her grave.
It was slow.
Methodical.
But I didn't complain.
I just helped.
By the time we were finished, the tombstone looked pristine.
Ed had long since gone back inside after bringing the cleaning supplies out earlier.
I stood over the grave and sighed.
I just...
I wanted her to tell me why.
I wanted to hear her say I love you one more time.
And now...
I never will.
I turned around and saw my father and grandmother talking to an older man near the church fence.
I recognized him.
And the girl beside him.
Professor Oak.
And his granddaughter Daisy.
She was my age.
We used to be friends growing up.
But we'd drifted apart over the years.
I glanced back at the grave one last time.
Then up at the stained-glass window covering the back of the church.
Arceus looked down from the center panel, red eyes glowing in the sunlight.
My jaw tightened.
Yeah.
I hate you the most.
I turned and walked toward them.
With a strange feeling in my chest.