Hello.
It's great to be back in business after that long rest. There was not much for me to do lately, so I went ahead and started this beginning chapter. I'll admit that the format of the chapter is kind of unconventional, but I am following and enacting my own plans. Trust my judgment and it will get you far. It is what I promised: a continuation and sequel to From Servant to Stardom.
A continuation to the newest plot, I'm still formulating the plans in my head. I have created the beginning, played through vague details, and reached the kind of ending I wanted. The details are still foggy in my mind, so must quickly write them up on paper and start on latter chapters later. Otherwise, it's fine…
So now, please enjoy the first chapter of the sequel…
It was a bright morning. The sunlight peered through the slightly open windows of the houses and buildings below. The sky was clear, devoid of a cloud in vast blue space above. The inhabitants, both human and Pokémon, lived in peace for many years and hoped that the tranquility and friendship will remain and grow as time continued to move on forward. One would think that such perfect conditions to live a healthy, happy life sounded too good to be part of reality. Others would say otherwise, claiming that this luxurious state was well-deserved after enduring a horrible catastrophe ten years ago.
Ten years ago…
Today was the tenth anniversary of the event, the tenth anniversary that all living beings felt pure anguish and darkness consuming them as the balance of their world was destabilized by a madman who lost his own reason for instigating the problem and simply destroyed everything for his own twisted pleasure. He and his organization lost track of their true goal and resorted to the destruction of everything to rediscover it. A trio of young, unlikely heroes stopped the horrible menace the psychotic madman had unleashed upon the world while their friends dealt with the rise of an army of Pokémon, ill and enraged by an artificial virus.
This event was described in the Pokémon history books as "The Wrath of XD00∞." This event in the decade-ago history was contributed to the fact that the greatest threat to mankind was once the Legendary Pokémon, Giratina, brainwashed and turned into a soulless fighting monster with an appetite of destruction and spilled blood. The trio of chosen heroes was the only defense to mankind, having been granted special powers to aid in combat, preventing it from seeking the ultimate destruction of time and space. However, at a great, tragic cost, Giratina was restored and purified to normal, beyond the eyes of many, and the madman's organization was ultimately dismantled for good.
One of the survivors, the sole female member of the revered trio, lived in peace with her two children in Pallet Town. For ten years now, she was concerned about nothing but the healthy upbringing of her offspring, in his honor anyway. The two children were nearing ten years of age, which meant that they will become strong Pokémon Trainers as they traveled across different regions, perhaps the lands he traversed in. This was Anabel's wish…
"Lila! Leon! Time for breakfast!" Anabel called from the bottom of the stairs.
The former Salon Maiden of the Kanto Battle Tower herself lived in the Ketchum household for ten years, having retired from being a Pokémon Trainer herself from that time. Her body had developed into that of a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties throughout the decade. She was slightly taller than she was ten years ago and her feminine features were properly developed during the time as well. She had also allowed her lavender hair to grow somewhat longer than her original preference.
For the ten years Anabel lived in the Ketchum residence with an elderly Delia, she was content with raising two twins, a daughter and son. She loved her children dearly as they were her only reminders to him.
"We're coming, Mom," one of the twin's voices said, a gentle, laidback tone. This was the voice of the youngest son, Leon Paul Ketchum. "Let's go, Lila."
"Don't rush me, I'm coming, you brat," his twin sister said, annoyed by her brother; this was Lila Sato Ketchum. Footsteps were heard running rampart upstairs. Anabel smiled, unfazed by the craziness of her children. It had becoming a morning ritual to them. Anabel and Grandmother Delia would prepare the breakfast, Anabel beckoned the twins to get out of bed, and Leon and Lila wound up fighting as twins often do.
The first to come down was a young boy with short, shiny light purple hair. He inherited his mother's preference for formal-like clothing, wearing a purple and white-streaked collared shirt and khakis. In fact, he mainly inherited most of his genetics from his mother, from the color of his hair to the ability to communicate with Pokémon on empathetic and telepathic levels. A quiet persona he usually wore on his face, Leon would greet any being he came across in the morning, from his mother, to the house Pokémon, and finally to his dear grandmother.
"Lila, you ready yet?" Anabel asked.
"On my way!" Lila exclaimed, running down the stairs with the same fervor as him.
Lila was the eldest of the twins, nearing the same height as her brother, if not taller. She was energetic, slim, and beautiful for her age, inheriting most of her qualities from him. She had raven black hair that slightly reached past her shoulders. She wore a shirt with a white top half outline of a Poké Ball with the colors of blue, green, red, white, and black arranged around. Other qualities she took after him were his enthusiastic personality, the capacity to befriend many people and Pokémon, and the ability to see and control aura.
"You know, I really don't know what I'm going to do with you two," Anabel said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Hey, a week from today and Leon and I will finally turn ten and we can become the kind of Trainers you want us to be," Lila said, "Though I still think Leon might lean towards becoming a Coordinator instead or both. Who knows?"
"I will always be proud of my greatest achievement in life," Anabel said, embracing her daughter. "You and Leon both know that. I know that you two will become the best."
"Mom, stop; I think I might cry," Lila said, giggling and sniffling as she tightened her embrace on her mother.
"Don't I get a hug too?" Leon asked, watching from the kitchen doorway.
"Leon, get in here now," Lila demanded playfully. Leon walked over and joined in on the group hug, caring for his mother and sister, grateful for the love he cherished for his only family in this world.
"Mom, if there comes a time that Lila and I might have to battle each other," Leon started, "I want you to know… Lila's going down!"
"You little brat! Get back here!" Lila yelled, chasing her brother into the kitchen. Though Leon was normally reserved like his mother, he just could not help himself messing with his twin sister. After all, it was a normal sibling thing.
"I'm going to miss them once this house becomes quiet," Anabel sighed.
"It's perfectly normal," an elderly voice said, coming from the nearby living room. Anabel approached Grandmother Delia, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Are you still okay, Mother Ketchum?" Anabel asked, taking her place next to her on the sofa. Delia sipped her tea briefly.
"A grandma can only last so long," Delia said. Her tired eyes were reflected from her new half-moon spectacles. She still looked pretty young for someone in her forties. Her skin was still healthy with not a lot of wrinkles. She still had brown hair that slowly turned to gray overtime.
"Why say that?" Anabel asked. "You're pretty healthy, Delia. You could even outlast me if you wanted. However, I don't blame you for not expecting death to come to you soon." She looked away with a bit of grief that had flashed in her eyes.
"Child, it's okay," Delia said, placing a hand on Anabel's shoulder. "What Ash had to do was the only way. Frankly, I was kind of surprised that he practiced aura, but some rules had to be bent."
"What did you have against the royal Cameran family, anyway?" Anabel asked.
"Not even I could remember," Delia said, staring as the treasures Ash garnered from his journey, from the Badges of Kanto, the Orange Archipelago, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh to the large golden trophy and certificate that officially proclaimed him as Pokémon Master, given to him from Goodshow and Cynthia. "Are you going to tell the twins about their father before they turn ten?"
"I don't know," Anabel said, "Because I'm not sure how they would react to the true story about him. He's gone, that's all I know and I hate having to cover up in front of the twins' eyes." A tear sparked from the corner of Anabel's eye. Delia discovered it, wiping it away before it had rolled down her cheek.
"I don't know why, dear, but I still think he's alive," Delia said. Anabel looked at her graciously, listening to the noisy munching of the twins' breakfast from the kitchen. She glanced out the window, watching the denizens of Pallet Town become active in their morning routines.
"I want to believe you, Delia, truly I want to," Anabel said, looking back towards her, "But I must face facts that he isn't here now. What he gave to all of humanity was a chance of rebirth, to be able to face the truth and become better from past mistakes. He even taught Ardos that."
"But, Anabel dear, you've been single as I have for far too long," Delia said. "Surely you had a thought of finding someone else?"
"My heart has always been with him and to find another would be an act of lustful, desperate infidelity; it is the last thing I would ever do in this lifetime," Anabel explained, proudly affirming her decision. Delia grinned, taking another brief sip of her warm tea. "Though we're not officially married, you and he gladly shared me your surname, just to make me part of his family. I was happy though…" She stared at her lap for a moment, "That Ash proposed to me before the final showdown." Another tear rolled down quickly before Delia could have anticipated it.
"Ash was a great guy; you should tell them the story," Delia said. "They're old enough to handle the truth, something I should have done with Ash about the whereabouts of his own father a long time ago, my only regret in my life. Other than that flaw, I've lived a long, happy life, knowing that I was there for him when he needed his mom the most."
"That's true," Anabel concurred, glancing down. At the foot of the sofa, a Pikachu slightly grown in size and age slept quietly on an Espeon's side. She, too, was rather aged and slept alongside Pikachu. "I think they would agree too, especially Pikachu."
"Then it's agreed that you will tell them of your adventures with Ash and Paul," Delia said, "I know you can get through it without breaking down." She firmly looked into Anabel's eyes, grasping her shoulders just like her son would in serious situations. "You're a strong woman making it this far in life, Anabel. You raised two beautiful children and loved a charming young man. And to top it off, you haven't cried since the day he disappeared." Anabel exhaled calmly, clasping her hands around her heart. "I can't say the same for even the toughest of his Pokémon, wherever they are now. His memory will be preserved through us and his friends." They both giggled lightly, stopping shortly to keep the desired peace and reverence.
"So we both agree that he is still out there, at least I do," Anabel said, grinning with hope. "I've secretly lived with this foolish hope, so call me a fool all you want. I'm a loving fool." Delia responded with a genuine smile, a smile that showed that approval of her courage and willpower. She could not have asked for a better daughter-in-law.
Together they both stood up from the sofa, quietly enough as not to disturb Pikachu and Espeon. Leon and Lila were already a ruckus to the entire household as it was. Anabel and Delia were convinced that now was as perfect as anytime to tell both Lila and Leon about the story of their father and how he saved the world with his most loyal friends. Now was the time as they neared ten years and their individual onsets as Trainers to the world. They deserved to know the real story, not tall tales Anabel and Delia used to stall them.
It was time they all passed and told the tale of stardom.
The real action will begin next chapter. I wanted to start off easy instead of another action packed adventure; there has to be explanation. There has to be a foundation, and this is how it came to me, in the form of the peaceful future. Most of us, well any of us, can say that Ash and friends saved the world. But rather than the "how," I will also focus on the details of "why." I hope I have that in the right order though. I also hope I did not put out too many hints.
If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Any concerns should be told before anything else.
Ciao!