Chapter 10 – School Years Part 6

"So tell me again, Jeremey. What exactly are you accusing Finn of doing?" Captain Jenny says, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"It is exactly what I said, he destroyed the science lab at the school with a group of people from Team Anarchy!" The fat little shit yells with an accusing finger pointed at me. I sit silently in my chair, waiting for my turn to speak.

We are in the interrogation room of the Pallet City police station. Captain Jenny is the commanding officer in charge and runs a tight ship, very little crime happens in Pallet City. Not since the League spread it's the authority and sicked the Pokemon Rangers on all the gangs, anyway. Other than threats from gangs to do something vague to x city, that usually is either stopped, they are arrested before they can happen, or they are just empty threats, the entire region is pretty safe and crime-free. Having Pokemon who are capable of protecting their owners and messing up bad guys is a really good deterrent. 

As fatso said, I was here because I destroyed the science lab - which I did. Or at least had a part in doing. See, the dumbass thought up this whole charade, paid gang members to come and attack a children's school, and then made sure it happened in a place with no cameras. The two gang members had already corroborated Jeremy's story saying they were working for me, - no doubt because he paid them to say that - giving him a leg to stand on, and that was the only reason we were here.

See, the issue is that no one believes Jeremy. He had tried to mess with me and Lara countless times over the years, so everyone knows what's up. A story of him valiantly fighting us all off and defeating me easily, is a story no one would believe. Lara and I were considered two of the top new prospects coming into the Jr. League. So much so, and also due to our celebrity status, that the League wants to televise our gym battles and gave us permission to challenge the gyms at higher difficulties to spice up the footage. We were getting paid based on viewer count, and we were gonna challenge them anyway, so it was no big deal to us. Rhonda, our manager, worked the whole thing out and we even have custom costumes being made for each gym battle. The only thing left was for us to choose our gym route, then submit that to Rhonda for final verification.

So, yeah. No one believes that Jeremy, the worst trainer in our year, defeated me even on the off chance that I was working with Team Anarchy. While the buffoon went through the dramatic retelling of his version of the events, I focused on my phone. Lara had just arrived, having finished up school for the day. She wanted to come with me immediately after Jeremy and I were arrested, but as we were in the last week of school, I told her to not waste her time and enjoy being with her friends. She eventually gave in but told me she was skipping club practice to come and pick me up. She wanted to talk about something important with me today.

The fact that they let me keep my phone and didn't check me for weapons or anything is a huge indication of who the police already believe. 

"...bridge? ...Mr. Cambridge, please put down your phone," Captain Jenny said in a disapproving tone, "We need to get your version of events."

"Sorry, ma'am." I say, nodding to her respectfully, "I was just pulling up my statement."

"You wrote it down in your phone beforehand?" She questions interestedly.

"Not at all, ma'am, I just happened to get a video of the whole encounter on my phone. I figured it would be best if my statement spoke for itself." I finish with a smirk at Jeremy whose eyes go wide. Fucking dumbass. Why do you think I was holding my phone? I record all our encounters anytime you call me out. Now, six years of work is finally bearing fruit.

*Sigh* "Mr. Cambridge, if you had a video of the incident, why didn't you submit it in the very beginning? We could have skipped this whole process..." Captain Jenny says, lowering her head down onto the table in defeat.

"Two reasons ma'am, the first is because I wanted Jeremy to make an official statement to the police and to be caught lying about it. The second is because I can only show this video to you for the case for legal reasons."

She rises at that. Not only would I prove that Jeremy blatantly lied to the police, but I would also be able to prove he was an accomplice to this Team Anarchy attack. Now that he was 16, and a legal adult, this carried the prospect of jail time. "I see," she says a look of...worry? on her face? Why would she...oh...OH! The rumor Lara told me! "But why can you only show the video to me for legal reasons?"

I look at Jeremy, who is now white as a sheet, then back at Captain Jenny. She notices and calls for an officer to escort Jeremy to another room while we talk. Once he is gone, I continue.

"Because I will be suing him and his mom, just the two," I emphasize, "for defamation, assault, attempted theft, Pokemon mishandling and mistreatment, and perjury. I have video evidence of these events from a period of about 6 years."

She stares at me for a long moment, before sighing again. "He tormented you in school and you saved all the evidence of that until he was an adult so you could have him tried as an adult." She says, not as a question, but as a deduction.

I say nothing but smile at her all the same. No one fucks with Lara and Pyra. No one. 

Rubbing her eyes, she says, "Just show me the video, Finn."

* | * | *

"Did you catch my fiance being bad, Captain?" Lara asks playfully as we both walk out of the hall separating the lobby from the rest of the station. 

"He is free to go." She says simply, and with a tired frown. 

Jeremy is now being cuffed and moved to a League holding cell. Affiliates of gangs were under the jurisdiction of the Pokemon Rangers, who were the watchdogs of the Pokemon League. This was not a small issue that could be swept under the rug. The fat pig was crying and kicking and otherwise throwing a tantrum as he was being escorted towards the door by the station's resident Pokemon Ranger. Lara is smiling wide at the display, showing absolutely no sympathy for the guy.

Just then, the door burst open, and Mayor Drex storms in. "Dammit, Jeremy! What the hell did you do this time?"

"Shut up! You are not my real dad! Mom says Eric is my real dad and he is a million times better than you! He lets me do whatever I want and buys me all the things I ask for! You are nothing but a...." His voice trails off as the Ranger manages to get him outside and the door shuts. Mayor Drex looks crestfallen and older than he ever has before.

Drex stares out past the door and shakes his head as he slouches in on himself.

"What did I do wrong, Anne?" He asks Captain Jenny - Yea, Jenny is her last name. Weird, huh? - "Am I cursed to forever be a horrible father?"

"No!" She says quickly and rushes over to console him, grabbing his arm and rubbing his back as the city leader holds back tears, "You did nothing wrong! You raised him to the best of your abilities and did all you could to curb his ways. You are an excellent father, Grant, and I know you will be an even better one for ours. It is that bitch Natalie who is to bla-"

*Ahem* Lara clears her voice. 

Both of them blush furiously and quickly part from one another. I stand there with my mouth hanging open at the full realization of their relationship. 

"Congratulations on the pregnancy~~!" Lara says cheerfully.

* | * | *

Lara and I are sitting on the bench in her family's garden. The cool Spring air blows through our hair and the smell of flowers surrounds us. We hear trainers and their Pokemon walking past the backyard gate, greeting friends, and generally just enjoying the nice weather.

"Finn...Your dream is to become a World Trainer, right?"

"In part, yes," I answer my beautiful fiance who has been a bit aloof this entire way back from the police station. 

"Well, the thing is...mine-"

"Isn't. You want to continue your career in music, modeling, and acting after the Jr. League, right?" I hedge and smile as she spins around in shock.

"I...um...yes, that's right...I will complete the Jr. League since Rhonda says it will help my career...but after, I am going to quit. Acting and singing have always been my dream..." She says, clearly off-put. I bet I threw off her whole planned speech. Poor thing.

I throw an arm over her shoulder and pull her in close. "Guess we will be traveling to lots of different regions for photoshoots, filming, and generally just be on tour a lot then, huh? Good thing we already bought a house!"

"We...wait...Finn? What about your dream? I don't want to hinder your trainer progress..."

"Lara, I have to conquer 3 separate regions to be a world trainer. It is going to take time whether I do it in a straight line or not. I would much rather be with my fiance and explore the far reaches of this world together than spend a year or two apart to get it all done. What's the rush? When we travel somewhere for a while, I can go out and visit the smaller villages and towns, find new and interesting Pokemon, and challenge all kinds of gyms! All while being close to the woman I love. I see no downside to this."

Lara, who is shaking and crying tears of joy in my embrace, rubs her wet eyes onto my shirt.

"Hey, don't get your tears on my white shirt!"

'Whoa...Deja Vu...'

She laughs and looks up at me and pulls my face in for a kiss.

"Well if that is the case, I look dumb for worrying about it! ...Thanks, honey. It will be really nice to have you there with me."

"You got it, dude!" I say and we both laugh. Lara understands the meaning, if not the context of the saying from Max's world.

'This is the right time to tell her, isn't it? There is no real reason to hide it now, it is all set up and ready...'

I look around to make sure we can not be overheard. The coast is clear and the gate is closed and locked, so I turn her to face me on the bench.

"Lara, thank you for telling me your dream. I will love and support you in whatever you do...Now it is time to tell you my dream. My real dream, not just being a World Trainer."

She looks at me in confusion, before echoing my earlier statement, "In part...What is your other dream then, Finn? And why are you hiding it from me? We agreed not to hide things from one another anymore, remember? I told you this the second I decided on it..." Her tone turns a little frosty at the end and I quickly raise my hands in surrender.

"I honestly didn't think it would happen," I say, trying to talk down the loaded gun in my face, "It was just an idea I passed to Professor Oak a few years ago and he took it and ran with it. I had not heard anything about it for a while, and then suddenly he told me it was approved by the League and that I was in."

"What is it?" She asks again, curious, but not completely nullified.

 "First off, this is top secret. Like I got a Red Level security clearance badge and could go to jail forever telling others about this, kind of secret. So you gotta stay quiet about it, okay?"

"If it is that secret then should you be telling me this at all? What have you gotten yourself involved in Finn Cambridge?"

"Hush, love. I got permission to tell you from Professor Oak last week and was trying to find the right time. Now seemed perfect. Once we are married, you will be granted the same level of security and we will act as a pair - even if you don't always come with me." I say and move in closer to her and talking low, not whispering. - As whispering is actually louder - "I am one of 5 trainers participating in an endeavor the League is investing huge amounts into. The rest of the members are already famous active World Trainers, but I got grandfathered in due to it being my idea in the first place."

"Okay...what is it for?" She asks, matching my voice and quiet tone.

"We are tasked with finding rare, pseudo-legendary, legendary, and mythical Pokemon and seeing if we can win their friendship and trust. The Leauge is setting up a secret facility on an abandoned island that will work as a reserve for these Pokemon. Humans are expanding out and destroying Pokemon's natural habitats, so it makes sense that some of these types of Pokemon will be affected as well. They will not be forced into anything, mind you, just asked if they want to move to a safe place for them and their kind to live and breed in peace. The idea is to get them used to humans and show them we are not all bad. If we can build bonds with them, then maybe they will offer to help us with research or even work with trainers on their own in the future. It is a long term project for sure." I take a breath here and then continue.

"The League and everyone involved has sworn an oath to Arceus to uphold this sentiment and not force them into any situations against their will. We simply want to help them and make sure none of their kind dies off. Once we find one that is willing, they will be temporarily put in special Pokeballs that are automatically sent to the base. From there, the researchers will work with the Pokemon using a translator Pokemon to design the perfect biome and environment for them to live in."

"Finn! You swore an oath to Arceus? What if one of them interprets your actions as something against their will? What if they attack you? You will need to hurt them a bit to get them to back off! No way you outrun one. Are you insane? " She demands in quiet outrage.

Pause. Since the Pokemon God is real, oaths to them have real meaning. People have dropped dead or lost their minds from breaking oaths to Arceus in the past. They are not to be used or taken lightly. Some even wanted to use oaths in the legal system, but a giant bolt of lighting destroyed their courthouse before they could even try. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Arceus. Resume.

"Yes, but I have no intention of breaking it. I can only hope that Arceus can tell my intentions and doesn't judge me wanting."

"Finn...I mean...shit...well. At least you will probably never run into one. They are called legendary Pokemon for a reas-"

She freezes in her comment. Then slowly looks up at me with wide eyes. "Max's memories..."

"Yup. You picked that up quickly. I have no idea if they are accurate or not, but I know of where they were in the games. Max played all the games, Lara. Many times in fact. I know, roughly, where all of them are or at least a good place to start looking...but there is one more thing I need to tell you..."

"Oh God, what now?"

"The League roped in the trainer with the most experience with legendary Pokemon to participate in this..."

Her wide eyes turn thin and cold. "Finn..." She growls.

"It wasn't my idea or choice, Lara! ...But you guessed right. Your father is going back into the field."

* | * | *

Graduation day! Woot Woot! Party up, People!

Only, not really. I look at the fiends all around me hugging and crying. Saying their goodbyes - For some, forever. This is a tough moment for us all, but it is all part of growing up. People move on and leave to different places and have different lives after school. It is the natural way of the world. What always remains, however, is the memories you shared together. 

I hold a sobbing Lara as we wave a last goodbye to our club members. Rose and Conor are now officially in charge of the club, but there is a good chance the school will be taking over next year. It is the end of an era, to be sure, and I will miss them all greatly. 

As for our close friends, Courtney got an internship at Oaks Lab while she continues her schooling working towards being a Pokemon Researcher. She and Conor are still going strong and we have caught them "Researching" a few times. Jessica is going on tour with her band - Ignoring Rhonda's pleas to at least complete the Jr. League. She does what she wants, lady. You of all people, being her manager, should know that.

Zeek and Kimmy plan to elope and promise to send us info on where they eventually settle down. Turns out Kimmy is engaged and her parents wouldn't let her break it. So she has decided to cut ties and move on with the life she chooses for herself. Zeek's parents love Kimmy and are fighting for them. They are planning on outright lying to her parents and tell them that Zeek went to Johto for his Jr. League and are staying low about the marriage until the heat dies down. Kimmy and Zeek are so happy together and we are all rooting for them. Jessica, Lara, and I also secretly put together a 10 million Pokebucks wedding present for them so that they have an easier time settling down.

Jeremy is in prison, where he belongs, and I have a rather large lawsuit brewing to bring down his mom too. Mayor Drex and Captain Jenny are now engaged and they have never seemed happier. Happy endings for everyone.

On another note, my cousin Abby graduates this year as well and is going to be doing her Jr. League route here in Kanto like Lara and me. We hope to meet up sometimes and catch up. She is still tutoring under Jasmine and, from what I hear, will be starting her own announcing career shortly after completing Jr. League.

Pyra is a beast as always - a cute one, mind you. She is about 8 1/2 feet tall and is pretty close to evolving again, by my estimations. She and Grace, who is about equal in power level, are carefully guiding and protecting the newest addition to our family, the cutest little baby Jolteon ever, as she dashes around everywhere smelling new items and generally doing cute puppy things. I named her Angie and she is exactly what Lara needs on our walk home to cheer her up. 

We get to the entrance of the Ketchum residence and I pull Lara to the side so I can wipe her tears and give her a kiss before she heads in. Serena opens the door right as we are saying our goodbyes for the evening and rushes over to hug us both and wish us congratulations on graduating. We part ways, as Lara is spending her last night with her family and so am I, and I head over to Mr. & Mrs. Rook's house before going home.

We share a heartfelt goodbye and they wish me luck on my journey. I wish them luck, in turn, with their baby girl and promise to call and stop by to visit when I have the chance. 

I head inside my house, picking up the energetic Angie before she can bolt off again, and lead Pyra and myself inside.

...Oh god. I can already hear mom and dad crying...

I join them and Rose for a last dinner together for a while and we share laughs, tears, and memories. Mom gives me a large envelope filled with money for my journey and dad gives me a black item box containing a small golf cart-like car with 4 seats. I thank them and give them big hugs for long minutes before we head off to bed. As I am changed into my nightwear and getting ready to turn off the lights, a knock comes at my door. 

My little sister Rose is standing there in her PJ's and holding her Growlithe, Sophia, in her arms like a plushie.

"Just for tonight...?" She asks quietly and I smile as I let her in. We cuddle up close, enjoying the brotherly and sisterly love, and turn in for the night...at least we try to.

Another knock comes at my door. Both my parents are standing there in their PJ's as well. ""Just for tonight...?""

I sigh at the antics of my family and welcome them all into my room. Persian sneaks in at the end. Aw! Didn't know you cared, bud. It is a bit of a tough squeeze on my queen-sized bed, but we make it work. Cuddled up close with my family and Pokemon, I pass into a wonderful night's sleep - The last one I will spend in this bed.

* | * | *

"Are you both ready?"

"Do you have everything packed?"

"You bought two separate tents, right?"

"...Oh my baby boy...Oh, my baby boy..."

Mom, Serena, Ash, and Dad say respectively.

"Yes! For the 1000th time, yes! We have to go now! We are supposed to make it to Pewter City in less than a week!" An exacerbated Lara says.

"Alright. Call us every night." Ash says.

"Urg. Love you, bye." Lara says and starts walking off down Route 1. 

I hug them all once more and wave goodbye as I rush to catch up with Lara.

"You don't have to pretend. It's alright to cry, love."

Lara is shaking and shivering, holding in tears.

"We will be back before you know it," I say as pull her in close to me and kiss the side of her head. 

"Urg. Whatever. I'm fine. I can't believe you talked me into going on the classic route."

"It'll be fine. 'Ash's daughter, following the same path he took!' Remember how excited Rhonda was for publicity when we told her?"

"Yeah, I guess a couple of weeks of extra travel isn't that big of a deal. I got you, Pyra, and Grace with me. We can do anything together!"

"Jolteon!"

"Yes, how could I ever forget cute little Angie," Lara says before scooping my Jolteon into her arms and cuddling with her while making baby noises...she still is my Jolteon, right?

"Besides, It will be nice to see the route Max took all those times in the games. I know he isn't here anymore, but I feel this is what he would have wanted to do. Taking the scenic route is not always the worst way to travel."

"True...I am not looking forward to Cerulean City though..."

"Hmm? Why?"

"...Misty kinda hates my dad. She thought he would return and marry her when he finished his journey...Instead, she got an invitation to his wedding with Mom."

"Ouch."

"I know right? Apparently, Mom and she almost got into a fight at the wedding, not a battle, but an actual fistfight."

"Shit...But it should be alright now, right? That was years ago and you are his daughter, not him."

Lara Snorts, "Yeah, because women aren't known for holding long grudges..."

We walk in silence for a bit longer, thinking over everything.

"It...It'll be fine. I'm sure." I say in a half-assed attempt at reassuring her.

"As long as we are together, everything will always be fine," Lara says holding me closer as we walk into the early morning sun towards our first real adventure.

---

"Mew. Mew mew mew."

"Ha! So he is the one who came up with it. I should have known...Very well. I wish to assist him in this endeavor. Talk to the three. They are the most in need of this aid."

"Mew?"

"If you want... I am sure that would help him too. He will need a guide, so it is not a bad idea."

Mew! Mew mew.

"Very good, Watcher. I will leave it to you."