Ohhh What's this another one-shot!? Whoop! I hope you enjoy my take on Drew's childhood!

{IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MASTER'S CHALLENGE THEN YOUR ABOUT TO DIVE INTO SPOILERS!}

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"A story?" May asked.

Drew nodded, "Yeah, it's about a boy who lived a very safe life. A promise and a goal, but most importantly its about learning, growing, and finding a way..."

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"Andrew."

"Yes mother?"

"You shouldn't slump so," The woman spoke sternly but smiled regardless.

"Oh sorry."

The woman walked proudly with her hand grasping his carefully but tightly. She wore a lovely pink blouse and a long white skirt. Her hair came down in blondish-green waves and her eyes were brown like the color of coffee with cream in it. The young boy walked beside her, holding her hand gently. He had green hair with emerald eyes. They got on one of the many electronic sidewalks that criss-crossed LaRousse City. The boy looked around with curious and analytical eyes, taking in everything he could. With all the things his family did, they never got much time to just walk around the city for fun; he wasn't even sure he knew every part of the city he was born in. They eventually approached a building tall as the sky.

"Good day, Mrs. Hayden. This way please," A man in a suit spoke.

"Oh Eugene would you mind taking Andrew up to his father? I'm in a rush today," Mrs. Hayden spoke. The man agreed politely and she smiled down at her son as he went slowly to grab the man's hand. She was gone soon after, they always left so quickly.

"So how are you today, Master Drew?" Eugene spoke kindly as they stood in the elevator.

"Fine, sir," Drew said briefly, he never liked chit-chat; it always felt so impersonal to him, too distant like most things he knew.

"Wonderful, ah here we are," Eugene smiled before leading him down a hall to a large office, "Your father's inside."

Drew nodded before leaving behind the proper man and entering the room. His father sat on the phone talking boisterously to someone. His hair was a deep and dark blue-black color and his eyes shone a deep earthy green color, like dirty and unpolished emeralds.

"Yes, I know... Don't worry about it... The man is stopping by... Yeah Wallace... THE Wallace... Yes I've told everyone to get ready for the storm of tourists... He's supposed to be here all week... Alright... Okay... Bye," Mr. Hayden hung up the phone and turned to face his son, "Hey bud, is mom busy?"

"Yes sir," Drew nodded and looked out the window. His father watched him a bit longer before smiling, "Well I have some things I still need to do, but once I finish them we can go out."

Drew tensed, Go out? Just for fun? He decided just to nod his head. He didn't want to get his hopes up. Suddenly he heard the phone ring again and his father was sucked back into the world of numbers and half-conversations. He looked over at the small and out-dated TV and walked over to it. Sitting down, he plugged it in and turned it on, Maybe I can catch the battle channel on this thing. He, like many children, were always excited by the dream or hope of one day owning and training their own pokemon, though for Drew he never was sure that would ever be a reality for him; his father wanted him to one day take over his business, not be a trainer. Finally he got the TV onto the battle channel. There were several channels for battles; a couple for Kanto and Johto, about three for Hoenn and Sinnoh, two for Unova, and an astounding five for Kalos at least on their TV at home; most often he never got to watch them for long though, only when dad wasn't there and his mother was sympathetic. Sadly this TV wasn't so advanced and thus he clicked the channel button in vain until he had landed on a visible and clear channel he thought was the battle channel, boy was he wrong.

"And now Top co-ordinator, Wallace, will now preform with his pokemon, Milotic!"

Drew was going to change the channel, this wasn't the battle channel, but then he was hypnotized. Wallace's Milotic flashed forward through the Water pulse she had used and started to use a combination of Whirlpool, Icy wind, and Mirror coat. This wasn't a battle, it was something so much more. It was like a quiet rhythm to him, though the moves clashed and made noise, it wasn't constant. No... It was subtle... like him... Long before Wallace recalled his pokemon and took a bow, Drew had made up his mind; he was going to be a Top Co-ordinator one day. Wait didn't I hear that name Wallace? He then recalled one of his father's half conversations; Wallace was coming and staying here all week. Hopefully something didn't come up like it always seemed to in his family's busy life. He continued watching the channel until his father told him they were leaving. After leaving the tall tower, they made their way to another electronic walkway.

"We're going to the park, Andrew," Mr. Hayden spoke simply. Drew couldn't help but grumble to himself. Did his parents not even know what he found fun? The slides went no where, the swings never travelled, the monkey bars ended... They were pointless and thus a waste of his time. He wanted to travel the world, he wanted to go outside the city, for he knew, like his tutor taught him, the world never ended; if anything you might just end up reaching the point you started at, which really is life coming in full circle so that wasn't a waste of time but merely a new beginning. His father sat down and started to flip through a book of some sort. Drew stared at him briefly before sighing quietly and walking towards the playground. He couldn't help he was more mature for his age than most, that he was an intellectual... Though with all that, when he did watch the other children laughing and playing he felt conflicted. As though he knew he was missing out on something. He walked over towards the bordering trees and looked up into their branches and spied several roosting Taillow and a Zigzagoon. Finally a smile came to his face. He remembered he had made a goal for himself; it was a nice feeling, because, unlike many things, he owned this goal and thought; it didn't have partial ownership under his parents. He turned to look over at his father and saw the man was still busy with his book. Drew then slipped into the bushes and darted towards the square, maybe Wallace would be there. He could hear the sounds of people cheering long before he reached the open square. People were squashed together like blades of grass, they rippled and swayed like grass too. Drew walked around the crowd, trying to find a place to see Wallace. When he found no such way in, he had to come up with another idea. He gazed over the people and saw that he could fit through their legs. It seemed undignified but if there was ever going to be a time for him to act outside his comfort zone, now was the time. He got down on his hands and knees and began to crawl. Most didn't notice him and would accidentally kick him or bump him. He finally could see the light at the end of the preverbal tunnel and tried to push through. He found he was stuck so he pushed harder until he came rolling out into the open area. He gaze was met with a pale cream color. With a bit of fear he allowed his gaze to travel up until he saw a beautiful Milotic standing over him.

"Well hello there, brave one."

Drew noticed the crowd had grown a bit quieter and he looked over to where the voice had come from. There stood Wallace gazing at him with blue, prism-like eyes and icy hair. Drew studied him for a moment and Wallace took notice of that with amusement.

"You are a very smart young man. A thinker, correct?" Wallace asked and went to kneel in front of Drew. Drew was silent for a moment,

"How do you become a good co-ordiantor?" Drew asked.

Wallace smiled, "Hmmm... I don't think anyone could've ever asked me such a difficult question..."

Drew smiled at that, "The world is full of difficult questions... I think you may need to get used to that."

Wallace simply started to laugh happily, "What a boy!" He looked back down and into Drew's eyes, "I think I see a bright future ahead of you. I think you see the world in the same way I do. Not that that prevents others from becoming Top co-ordinators. Anyone who can see the beauty in anything this grand world has to offer can become one. Art after all is in the eye of the beholder." Drew nodded and looked over at Milotic. Wallace followed his gaze, "Have you ever touched a pokemon?"

Drew looked at him and couldn't stop the small frown that came to his face, "No I haven't but I'd like to."

Wallace looked over at Milotic and nodded. The graceful creature leaned down to let Drew pet him on the head. He felt like he had finally found a sense of belonging. Suddenly a voice rose above the others,

"Andrew! Andrew!"

Drew felt sadness as the hand clasped his shoulder. Why did his father have to snap him out of his game of pretend? His fun on the slide, the swing? His joy?

"What on earth is the matter with you, boy? Running off like that," Mr. Hayden said sternly.

"Is he your son?"

His father locked eyes with Wallace's.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Mr. Reyes. I do hope he didn't bother you any," Mr. Hayden spoke.

"Oh no, you have quite a smart son. He has a fine and creative mind," Wallace spoke with a small smile that seemed directed more towards him than his father. It was yet another thing he felt he owned by himself, that conversation.

"Yes, well thank you. Sometimes he's too clever for his own good," Mr. Hayden nodded and after a few more parting words they left the crowd, Wallace, and his land of pretend. He hoped that wouldn't be the closest he ever got to traveling.

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He didn't get the chance to see Wallace again after that. The celebrity left town after the week was up. It was then that he became much closer to his mother after a particular incident. His father had left on a business trip. A business trip is what his father usually tried to use to persuade him that being a business man gave you many opportunities to travel. Drew never did listen though. They were called business trips because they had a predetermined path and destination, A to B. They weren't called business travels, Travels beginning and ending any possible place and having limitless possibilities. A business trip and traveling were not the same. His mother had allowed him to watch TV battles but now he watched contests and oh were they another creature entirely. Instead of being like a contact sport like battling was, they were a dance, or strategy game in his eyes. Both required skill but contests simply called out to his being. He noted his mother seemed to watch him, watching the TV, more and more. Eventually she came to him and smiled,

"Darling, you really love pokemon, don't you?" She asked softly. Drew looked at her and tried to find some sort of ulterior motive for the question. When he sensed none, he proceeded,

"Yes ma'am. Contests are amazing, they're graceful, and unique."

She nodded, "You know, if that is what you sense calling to you... You should run to it."

Drew slowly let a sly smile come to his face, "Why so fanciful, mother?"

She smiled again, "Your father means well, but he forgets that children must find their way on their own or at least feel that they have. He used to be a trainer, as did I. I suppose he just wants to protect you."

"Doesn't he see he's turning me into a caged Starly though?" Drew asked. His mother nodded,

"He may one day, but then it might be too late," She frowned for a moment before smiling brightly, "I wanted to show you something though."

They travelled out into her garden. The gardeners had finished for the day and thus they were alone. It was then that he was introduced to her friend.

"Rose?" The pokemon chirped after pulling away from the protection of the rose bushes. He heard his mother laugh gaily and at that moment he saw his subtleness in her, his quietness. They played with the pokemon for a long time, before she told him she was tired. They would return to the cage for now.

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A few years later was when she died. A sickness had taken her. It seemed to bring his father back down to earth after all the time he had spent on the top of the tower that reached into the sky. Drew was saddened by the loss of his mother and yet he was able to make a promise again to himself; he would run to what was calling to him. If only father would unlatch the cage. It was almost six months after his mothers death that he finally decided to talk to him.

"I want to become a co-ordinator," he said simply. He was thirteen now and knew what he wanted. His father didn't say much of anything at first before he smiled,

"She did this didn't she?"

Drew nodded, understanding his mention.

"I see, well then... Go. Life is much too short to simply let it pass-by. Only by traveling can you even try to catch up to it."

Drew nodded to his father respectfully and smiled when the man smiled back. It wouldn't be until much later that he could see his short-sightedness and self-centeredness in his father, not until he met May... They said goodbye to each other and embraced. Though he wasn't close to his father all that much, like most, he would miss him and in a way he was thankful for his efforts to give him a good life. He finally left LaRousse City with Roselia following him. He would travel back one day, in person and not through video phone. He would travel back and get to say that the sprawling metropolis wasn't as big as it seemed anymore. He would battle Solidad in his first contest and lose, but ultimately it kept him from being too confident in the long-run. After even more time, he would gain rivals, accomplishments, fans, then friends like May who would work so differently than him with her pokemon... Through her, he would be sternly reminded of Wallace's statement that art is in the eye of the beholder... He would finally feel like he was actually living, feeling, laughing... And these things would simply put air under his wings. One day he promised... I'll fly.

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Okay interesting, hmm? Anywho I felt the need to make this one more poetic since Drew is somewhat more artistic than some of the other boys in the group. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!

Review, Fav, Follow, and Enjoy above all else! :D