Pokemon: Next Generation

Chapter 32: Shinx

Chapter 31: Shinx

Daniel

"Em? Come on, where are you?" I called out in the Pokémon Center, searching for her.

I sighed. Where was she? I had to apologize for what I'd done. It's not like a stupid fortune was going to screw up time, not that I'd meant to even tell Misty. It'd just happened. I'd innocently just told Misty a couple of things. What harm could come from that? People made up stories about the future all the time. That didn't mean anyone had to take them seriously, even if they were true.

I got to the entrance of the Pokémon Center and was about to open the door when it swung forward, almost hitting me. I jumped out of the way right in the nick of time, watching Misty run back to her room before I could even ask if she was ok. She certainly hadn't noticed me at all.

Not a second later, Emma came crashing through the door, stopping as she saw me. Her nostrils flared accusingly. "You!"

Oh, boy. "What's wrong?"

"She saw my hat." She took out her dad's hat from behind her back, pushing it into my face. "She wouldn't have come looking for me and realized it was the same exact hat if you hadn't talked to her about the future."

I mouth fell open before I defended myself. "I didn't tell her any specifics. I was just messing around."

"Exactly. All you do is mess around. You don't take anything seriously," she yelled at me. "Won't you ever just grow up and help make things better for once instead of make things even worse?"

My jaw locked. "You're the one who crashed into the Team Rocket building and started the whole thing, not me."

She flinched, then shook her head sadly and began running after her mom again.

My feet were glued to the floor. I stood there, my blood pumping in anger. Why'd she have to blame me for everything? It wasn't MY fault that Team Rocket wanted to ruin the world. It wasn't MY fault that I felt obligated to fix something before the world explodes. It wasn't MY fault that no one knew how to have any fun and take things lightly instead of seriously all the time.

During my entire life nothing I said had ever mattered before to my parents. I'd been frowned at for mentioning anything but school work and my dad's business. The only thing that matter about me to my parents were the things I chose not to focus on- my career that I didn't want, my future that wouldn't make me happy. How ironic that I was stuck in the past now, possibly ruining the future I didn't even want in the first place.

The only one who had ever taken my own needs and desires to heart was Misty. She had always understood me, or at least tried to understand me. She'd always let me be myself. I didn't care what my DNA said- Misty was the only mother I'd ever really known. And the only other person who had ever shared that understanding of me was Emma. She'd been my friend and shared my interests when no one else had. She was the only one I could talk to after school about how life at home sucked and she'd somehow make me feel like not everything was all bad. It was because of the two of them that I really was happy.

My eyes softened. I owed them more than this.

I ran off toward their room, desperate to make things right.

Emma

"Misty." I banged on the door. "Let me in."