legend

chapter 2

Steven POV

It's been 6 months. 6 months since she left. It... was just so sudden at the time, I didn't know what to do. Father had forbidden anyone to speak her name since. I've heard, not just once, murmurs about how I've changed after her unexpected departure. Acting distant, cold and spacing out frequently. I'm not going to deny it. It's true. I hardly feel any positive emotions recently, my mind constantly wondering to Arceus knows where.

Father had been the same, continuing to run Devon as if nothing happened, as if he didn't just lose his daughter, though for the first week, it was obvious that he expected her return. And mother... She was devastated. She returned from Johto to find that her daughter had run away from home. Now, my parents were constantly arguing, yelling, late into the night. I try to stay out of these, but that never lasts. They'll always pull me into it, some way or another. 

Actually, didn't father tell me that an old friend of his was going to visit us soon? ...And didn't he say that they'll arrive today? My eyes widened as realization dawned on me, jumping up, off the stairs I've been sitting on for Arceus knows how long. Rushing downstairs, I made it to father's side, just as the bell ran. The doormen opened it to an adult who seemed in his forties and a child, around my age with stunningly blue hair, the colour of the ocean on sunny days. 

'It's wonderful to see you again Juan, I see you've taken on a student.' Father greeted them, nodding slightly to the blue haired boy. I studied him curiously, he seems so...carefree.

He must've felt my presence because he turned unexpectedly, catching my gaze before I could shift it away. Ohno, nowhecaughtmestaringathimandhe'sgoingtohatemefromnowon. My mind was a mess, I could barely even comprehend my own thoughts. Who'd want to know someone like this? 

However, to my surprise (and great relief), he smiled cheerfully, while on the other hand, my eyes widened in shock. Stop it. You look like an idiot. In return, I forced a smile, nodding back. Though, by that time the adults have just finished their rambling on how they missed each other, now they turned to us, expecting our introductions. The other boy turned to me eagerly, waiting for me to begin.

'Pleased to meet you, I'm Steven, 14 years. I hope we'll become close friends in the near future.' I reached out for a handshake. Fortunately he took it, not leaving me hanging unlike some embarrassing occasions I'd fallen victim to. 

'Hi! I'm Wallace, also 14. And you don't need to hope for something like that, we're defiantly going to be friends.' He flashed yet another bright smile and I found myself smiling back unintentionally.

'Good. Then we'll leave you to get to know each other, we'll be discussing some matters in my office if you need us.'

We watched them leave for a while, staring at the door that had closed, cutting off all sounds from the inside.

'Hey.'

His voice prodded me out of my wandering mind.

'Yes? Is there something you need?' I asked, my question purely inquisitive.

'No, no. I was just wondering if you liked pokemon contests.' 

I blinked, startled by the sudden change of subject, not that we had one to begin with but the unexpected change of mood the topic gave off as it came out of nowhere.

'Pokemon contests?' 

He gasped sharply, did I say the wrong answer? My internal query was answered as he began dragging me along the hall, out into the back yard.

'A Pokemon contest, my dear friend, is a contest in which the best looking pokemon win. I myself am training to be a coordinator.' 

'I...see.' Not really seeing.

'Can you watch some of my performances?'

Well, I suppose it can't hurt...

'Alright, why not?'

~hours later~

After watching several attempts of Wallace trying to copy the professional coordinators and multiple videos of contests, I was fairly sure that I understood the concept of them quite thoroughly. Though whether I enjoyed them as much as he did, was an entirely different question. 

'So? What do you think? Do you like them?'

I nodded, deciding to give an honest answer.

'They're interesting, however I can't say that I like them as much as you do, but they are intriguing nonetheless.' 

I hope I didn't offend him, what if-

Unlike my expectations and many others, he smiled and nodded as if not caring at all.

'That's fine, we all have different likes and dislikes, if we were all the same, we might as well be robots. Everyone's different'

I stared at him, not once in my life have I ever heard that. Father had always told me to become someone that people can like, to always act like others within Devon, that I must love the idea of running this company in the future, that there's nothing else more important in my life that doing so, to devote myself to this. But... Wallace has a point. If we were all the same, then we might as well be programmed clones.

'Then what do you enjoy doing?'

Learning about how to run Devon. Say it. It'll please father. Say it. Say it now. Father knows best.

...

But do I really want to? I suppose the only reason that I enjoy doing so is because father never exposed me to anything else other than that. Because I don't have the experience of doing anything else. Father doesn't know best. 

'Hey. Hey? Earth to Steven. I asked you a question so can you please answer it?'

I looked up, my mind still spinning, vowing to be truthful with him no matter what. Standing up, I stared into his aqua coloured eyes.

'I'm not sure.'