Heart of Steel [Pokémon Fanfiction]

02| Opened Doors

After I had been caught outside, Dad put me on a "lockdown" of sorts. He didn't trust Mom with watching me now, so whenever I wasn't with my tutors he would send one of his employees to our house to see if I was there. I could have still snuck out regardless, but Dad made sure my tutors gave me more than enough work to keep me busy. Two weeks of this transpired, two weeks that felt like months.

One morning I woke up... This in itself was strange. Dad would always be the one to wake me up when he got up so I could get an early start. Not only that, sunlight was peeking through the blinds. What time is it? I rolled over to look at the clock on my nightstand. Eleven forty-three? I bolted upright and jumped out of bed, realizing that I had once again fallen asleep in my clothes. I couldn't believe it. It was almost noon and neither of my parents had woken me up! I was going to be in so much trouble.

As I was searching through a pile of textbooks for my book on Algebra, I noticed that it was oddly quiet. Usually I'd be able to hear Mom downstairs. Out of curiosity, I decided to go check. My parents' room was empty and so was the study, where was everybody?

Next, I looked downstairs. The stairs creaked loudly underfoot, making me wince with each step. I eventually made it to the first floor and entered the dining room, only to be surprised to see my parents sitting at the table.

"Happy Birthday, Steven!" Mom said happily, leaving her seat so she could hug me.

"Yes, Happy Birthday, son," Dad echoed.

For a second, I had no idea what they were talking about. Then it hit me like a Hyper Beam, I had been so wrapped up in my studies that I had actually forgotten that my birthday was today! The shroud of exhaustion lifted from me in an instant. I didn't know whether to feel happy, or utterly embarrassed.

I freed myself from Mom's Ursaring-hug and looked at the table. On it was a small cake with white frosting and a trio of wrapped boxes off to the side. I knew two of the presents were from my parents but who the third was from was a mystery to me.

"To think that it has already been sixteen years," Mom said wistfully. "I almost can't believe it!"

Feeling's mutual, I thought.

After we finished the cake I couldn't help but get excited about opening my gifts. Even though I was sixteen now, that didn't mean I was incapable of appreciating a present.

Mom had given me the latest edition of the PokéNav, except this one was custom-designed. It was dark gray with silver lining the screen and jagged purple lines spreading across the device like cracks left behind by an earthquake. In all honesty, it was really cool looking.

The next box was very small, around the size of a ring box. I opened it and saw a stickpin laying upon the box's velvet lining. The pin itself consisted of a thumbnail-sized, round, multicolored gemstone set inside a circular piece of silver.