All the glitters are not Gold- chapter 20

~Gold~

I had to leave. That was the end of it. It was actually dangerous for me to be in this town any longer. I was just too damn unhappy. I had to get out.

I had the worst holiday of my life, and it made me realize just how cruel life could be. Skarmory, though she was tough and she pulled through when she probably should have died, would never fly again.

And a bird pokemon that couldn't fly… that's how I felt right about now. With so many different reasons to believe that I was happy, I couldn't find any of them that weren't lies. I had to face it that my life had gone to shit in the last couple weeks, and now I was in that awkward faze of thinking that things would only get better. After hitting rock bottom, I had nowhere to go but up right?

It was extremely hard to look at the bright side of things in a situation like that, but I was forcing myself to. Even though I left New Bark town for good (hoping that I would never have a reason to go back) and I was miserable with the thought of my broken hearted pokemon…

Things could get better… right?

This was the thought I had in my mind when I decided that Johto had come to an end for me in general. I didn't want to live in a city, and the only small town worth it to me was New Bark town anyways. I felt trapped, like I couldn't breathe, and this was in the end what made me go back to Viridian city.

It hurt more than anything to be in this town, but I decided that if I was going to hurt I was going to hurt AND get over it, rather than just hurt forever. This was my fate now. Viridian City with that quiet little family run coffee shop with the wide windows that peered up at Mt. Silver. I knew that if I was to go anywhere else it was here.

New years I spent alone, watching the fireworks out the window of a small, two bedroom apartment that I decided to purchase suddenly. I think it was the fact the that I just wanted to know I had somewhere to go. It was about time—with my eighteenth birthday approaching at the end of January—that I bought somewhere to call my new home. Of course… it didn't really feel like home at all…

There was new furniture neatly placed around, and urban color walls that I vowed I would paint some day. They were bare and boring since I really wasn't the decorating type, though I did have a narrow and skinny table against the furthest wall, where a framed photograph was standing, displaying my team. We were all young in that picture.

Skarmory was the only one fully grown actually, and she was perched on my much too slender shoulder, rubbing her face against my neck in affection. Ty was just a Cyndaquil, Mamoswine was a sninub, Girafarig was only up to my shoulder in height, Jolteon was still an Eevee, and Kingdra was just a tiny horsea in my arms. He had just hatched the morning the picture was taken.

I always felt a little more at home when I looked at that picture, that's why I put it there, so when I stopped by every time I headed into my kitchen it felt a little better in here. It was bitter sweet to say the least, but I felt like I had proof… proof that there was still part of who I used to be in the history of my life. It was important to me in more ways than just a nice picture.

I saw a boy whose eyes were too wide with wonder, and whose fists were gloved and ready for action. I saw the same stupid hat that now hung by the front door on a hook, only it was too big, like my hair being too long. I was determined, excited, lavishing, and maybe even a little arrogant. That was the perfect picture of who I wished I was today, and also the consistent reminder that I would never again be that person. It bothered me as much as it did help me, but that was ok.

I was walking past this picture now, with a hobbling Skarmory a pace behind me. She hated her new way of life so much, and it pained me to see her have to walk all lopsided with her left wing slightly slung down. I took to carrying her pretty much everywhere out in public, since it was just too painful to restrict her any further in a ball.

Typhlosion was curled up on the cool tile floor of the kitchen, snoring away with his back pressed up in the way of the sliding glass door that lead out onto my porch. He had taken to lying in that spot, and I felt like he was making more of a home out of this place than I was. Jolteon would be curled up on the foot of my bed right about now as well.

The whole apartment was quiet with peace, and I had to admit that this WAS better than being back in New Bark town. After watching my pokemon get shot, and then almost dying and now being permanently disabled, I didn't think I could ever get the bad taste out of my mouth. Regardless of it being the place I grew up, it was different now. Even though that man that destroyed everything and personally became my worst enemy was now in jail, and his daughter was sent back to Hoenn to live with her mother, I still felt wretched about being there.

This place was better… for me at least… and not to mention the chances of me stumbling across Silver (I still refused to call it "looking" for him) where much higher.

"Move big guy." I nudged Ty with my foot and he woke up with a snort, staring at me with a displeased look on his face. He grumbled before shuffling out of the way.

The porch was long and skinny, without much room to put a chair, let alone a table to sit at when the weather was nice, but I didn't mind it. Within the few days that I had been here I realized that it was nice to have some place to overlook the city on. Not to mention I might see Silver wandering into that coffee shop some morning (not that I was looking for him).

I gripped the railing tightly and stared across the city with a sigh before Skarmory came to my side and tapped the metal beams with her beak to get my attention. I glanced down at her sad eyes and tried to give her a weak smile before bending to pick her up and put her at my side on the railing.

"How do you feel?" I ruffled the only soft feathers she had under her right wing. She crooned at me and pushed her face into my cheek.

"I'm fine." I added. "It's not so horrible anymore…"

Even though I was lying to myself…

Her eyes narrowed in a way that I was sure she was suspicious, and if pokemon could talk I knew she would say she didn't believe me. I opened my mouth to give her some ridicules reason for why I was fine, but was stopped by the sound of my pokegear ringing. We both glanced down at my waist where the device was clinging to my belt.

I plucked it off quickly and looked at the screen. My mother, of course, it was always her or Lyra claiming that there was a fire in a town nearby, or that Professor Elm was breeding pokemon to create unrealistic hybrids that would destroy the world. I swore that girl was becoming more and more crazy by the moment.

"Hello?" I asked after putting the phone on speaker.

"Hello honey! I was just calling because the home owners sent a package to my house after they found out that no one was living at our old address anymore."

"Oh…. Kay?" I said in confusion. What would I want with a package for the father and daughter that lived in our house? I grit my teeth together, thinking that it wasn't only Lyra going crazy after all. My mother knew better than to bring them up at all.

"It's addressed to you, sweetie." She explained. "Do you want me to send it to you in the mail?"

My mouth twisted down into a confused scowl. "Who does it say it's from?" Who would be sending me things? Perhaps a distant relative that was too late for Christmas or too early for my birthday? But then again… no one had ever sent me gifts on holidays or my birthday before. The occasion was always something small with just me and my mother and our pokemon.

"It doesn't say, and there is no return address." She said.

"Alright then send it to me." I got the feeling she was hoping I would say that I would come get it from her myself, but that was NOT happening. I had this terrible grudge held against Goldenrod City now that she decided to make her home there. I didn't want to see the place no matter how much she wanted me to.

"Are you sure? It will probably take a couple days in the mail?"

"Yes I'm sure." I rolled my eyes. "You have my address right?"

"Of course…" she sighed. "I will send it out right away. Call me when it gets to you ok? Love you."

"Ok. Love you too." I agreed, wondering what in the world it could be. I was about to ask my mother to shake it around and tell me what it sounded like, but she hung up too quickly and didn't give me the chance. I stared down at the pokegear for a minute before clipping it back onto my belt.

I turned to Skarmory with a sigh and said "It probably isn't important anyways."

She blinked sadly at me with that disbelieving look on her face.

I turned then and headed back into my house that wasn't quite a home.