“Okay Mr. Coleman”

‘Coleman’

“You can address me as Norman” He said as he looked at the both of them. Heath decided to just sit, and the waitress quickly left as her as she felt like she wasn’t needed.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.” Norman smiled. Heath noticed that Norman expression was commonly sharp. He looked like a couch you would find in a Hollywood movie.

“So, when are we going to leave. I have no more business so when you are ready to go. We go”

“I don’t have anything to do either. One of my pokémon are still healing and the other is not exactly ready for battle.” Heath explained.

“Oh, hard battle?” Norman interest piqued.

“Yeah, I had to fight a enrage Ursaring.” Heath admitted.

‘I already told one person, so why not Norman.’

“So he was talking about you?” Norman asked.

“You met him. I thought you just came here?”

“Yeah I did, he met me on my boat here. His Charizard is really something”.

Heath felt his senses become sharper as his sinus felt warm with stimulation causing his Nose to bleed.

He quickly hid it and cleaned it up with a tissue. Norman became concerned which was obvious by his expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, It’s just dry in here.” Heath lied, He kept holding his nose while they continued their conversation. They decided to leave in after they prepare. Norman wanted to buy some supplies while Heath had everything in his SSD while Norman mistaked it for a normal bookbag due to the format and condition which quickly became damaged with all of the stumbling through the forest getting caught on the trees, and falls he’s taken.

“I should get a new one” Heath thought but he decided to wait until he get back to little root.

“Good so let’s go and get a move on.”

[Time skip: a couple of hours later.]

“I thought when you said get a move on, we’d get a move on.” Heath snorted. Norman sighed with a smile hiding with his hand. They’d been at the same pokémon food shop for over an hour and Heath was quickly becoming inpatient.

“Why don’t you go and chase girls or use this time to- oh wait you can’t. Now stop being annoying and be patient like this cool old man.” Norman pointed at himself indignantly while sitting down. At this point Heath had longed resigned himself to a sat to relax comfortably while Piplup and Guts where in their individual quarters. Piplup had decided that Heath’s head wasn’t its favorite spot leaving Heath a little cold. Heath made no attempt to defend himself and just looked at his pokegear looking at the map and quickest routes home.

“I guess this would be the fastest way” Heath thought as he drew a line similar to the route, he took on the route here.

“Going on those dating apps that you youngsters do?” Norman being nosy tried to peek at Heath’s PokéGear which only served to make Heath chuckle as it reminded him of his past.

“I didn’t think you were so old. By the way, I’m 15”

“So? I had 10 girlfriends when I was your age and I had already defeated a gym leader. From my perspective you are way behind me if becoming a gym leader is your goal in life.”

“Why would I-”

“Excuse me sir.” The clerk interrupted them and had a whole bunch of packages full of what Heath presumed as food for his pokémon.

‘Why does he need so much for this trip?’ Heath thought before helping the clerk put them in Norman’s SSD which was in a egg pouch.

“Yeah, put your back in it.” Norman cheered.

Heath shot glares in it, almost dropping the bag right there but decided continued helping while Norman paid for the food with the other Clerk.

“So Norman is you’re fa-”

“NOT AT All” Heath corrected, he did not want the shadow of being in someone who had such a high position’s shadow.

“Sorry. Forgive me for my incompetence”

“Heath, look at what you did you, hurt the poor guy’s feelings.” Norman jibbed but it caused Heath to look apologetic towards the clerk who was visibly distraught with the situation.

“Don’t worry about man.” Heath looked at the clerk’s nametag which read

‘Luka’

“Luka, nice name. It’s just that old man has his own son, and I am here just on a mission.” Heath smiled putting Luka at ease.

Heath finished and the both of them left the store, making their way out of Oldale City which Heath wished he explored a little more.

‘Too bad that the city is a little too rich for my blood’ Heath thought as he looked a head and saw Norman quickly putting on a disguise. It was a simple baseball cap and black aviator styled shades.

Norman looked over and commented.

“You’ll be back runt. Now I heard you wanted to go and challenge all of the gyms in the Hoenn”

“Not exactly…”

“Goo-”

“I want to challenge the world” Heath claimed, He looked at Norman who eyes widened slightly. They remained quiet with Heath resuming, listening to hear the whistles and rustles from the forest which wasn’t especially windy today.

After a bit of walking, the sky started to show its true colors and the white clouds were overwhelmed by gray storm clouds.

“We should go and get under some cover.” Norman said hurriedly. They started to sprint to a group of trees and Heath opened his pack and took out a poncho.

‘Ponchos are great, can’t believe I forgot about this.’ Heath sighed in relief while looking at Norman who long took off his disguise.

‘I guess he has little use when Little Root is so secluded.’ Heath thought.

“Where the hell did you get the poncho from?” Norman shouted to override the heavy downpour.

“My SSD” Heath answered non chalantly.

“No shit, Do you have another one? Maybe in a bigger size?”

“Yeah, but how much you willing to pay?” Heath chuckled. Norman seemed annoyed like this happened to him a lot.

“Just like my son, you, young people hustling me.” Norman smiled before continuing.

“You get to ask any question you want.” Norman seemed pleased with the answer once more.

‘Is that valuable? I guess I need to know if the Union is a good entity, but most good entities fall to the dark side’ His inner voice started breath laboredly like someone who had problems breathing.

“So yes?” Norman asked impatiently getting increasingly wet from the lack of protection, even under the trees.

“I want 3 questio-”

“Sure, just give it.”

Heath went into his SSD, intermediately taking out the extra poncho. As soon as it was out, Norman snatched it out his hand, Putting it on leaving the hoodie on his head.

“Okay, now we are continuing the journey” Norman said as he headed back out to the heavy downpour. Chat was lessened and the serene silence was replaced by warm rain thumping on top of the two. Norman occasionally voiced his annoyance towards the injustice from Arceus.

‘I didn’t know Norman hated rain... and if he does then why in Hoenn instead. It rains every week here. Not that important to ask’ Heath wondered in his mind. Before the cold brush his scalp from the cooling rain.

‘I hope Piplup will feel better. Maybe Mudkip can get him feeling better?’ Heath rubbed Piplup’s ball which had a vibration to it. After a couple of hours walking, the dreaded rain had let up, and the two of them had determined it would be best to take a break. They quickly set up camp and a lamp was brought out from Norman’s SSD since the landscape was too moist to start any flames. Looking into the fire Heath saw a slight aura from the fire as wells as Norman.

‘SO, I guess that’s what comes out passively by why is the fire white, while Norman’s is purple.’ Heath zoned out to think about his new ability while resting.

-----

The nature resounds through Heath’s mind through every minute of the night as his body laid vacant and his mind searching through the mysterious of his powers. Though Heath was long used to being awake when it came to the vast harshness of the darkened forest, it was evident that he found himself exhausted in his inability to sleep. Soon the stars laid upon the sky and his mind stopped worrying about everything, focusing on the beauty of his situation.

‘I could never fully sleep in the forest, but this is ridiculous, I have pokémon, and the lack of smaller insects should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. this part of the forest for some reason just creeps me out’,

so Heath stood up as guard for most of the time in case of a Pokémon when to attack him and his team. Fortunately, it was unlikely they would attack him for reasons he was not exactly sure.

‘They might not attack me, due to balding baffoon looking at me weirdly’ Heath quietly chuckled to himself as he took a peek at Norman, who was also up. Heath noticed Norman fiddling a branch and messing up an area around the lamp. He saw Norman rummage around his pants’ pockets for a pack of cigarettes and he quickly took one out and lit it on fire via lamp. Norman seemingly took issue with having eyes laid upon him as he took up a big puff and exhaled slowly with frustrating becoming looser by the time he was done.

“Can’t you sleep?” Norman looked at Heath with hard eyes, almost like he was living a nightmare and he had weakened spirit. Heath noticed the purple aura quickly turn a pale blue and expanded. It didn’t bother him rather give him the looming dread of sadness.

“I’m usually the one staying up,” Heath looked back up at the stars and saw none that he recognized. The sky was expanding but his field of vision was tunneled as his vision was limited.

‘Why..’ They both thought.

The quiet silence between them felt tender, it didn’t help that they were across each other with only a small lamp in between. Heath cleared his throat.

“Norman are you okay?” Heath felt like the silence from the two of them had been enough and looked to the older gentlemen during the question. He tone was not somber, but he didn’t find it harshly indifferent either. Norman looked unamused with the thought of speaking and instead took another puff of the quickly fading cigarette that made his face become smothered in the smoke and smog. Norman took his time answering the question and became to the point where Heath thought he was being ignored into he heard the tired hull of Norman’s voice fall onto the air.

“I am wondering if moving to Hoenn is the right move. I think It is but my son, Brendan, he has friends and so does my wife. My town, they accepted us as much even through the pressures of the leaders over there. I never seen two people enjoy their lives so much in Johto, but we just can’t stay there.” Norman admitted slowly letting his words fall upon Heath’s ears.

“I was offered a position as Hoenn’s gym leader because Johto denied letting me challenge for a leader spot over there. Apparently, the role of each of the gym leaders over there are too important for someone to challenge and they wouldn’t let me become a gym leader in a town that didn’t have one and who was I to argue with the organization that I’m supposed to support? What shit policies they run over there. You know, the last gym leader to have any sort of disagreement with them was immediately replaced with their granddaughter. It was the same public debacle that was supposed to shake the people of Johto’s vision, but unlike what most of us that would happen it was surprisingly well received by the public after the Union turned the fault of the problem to the gym leaders themselves. Not many gym leaders stood up against the leaders after that, and it taught me that the Union isn’t the place that I once trusted before. At least over there” Norman stood quiet after that allowing time for Heath to absorb what he had said.

‘So, the Union is bad, but is it bad everywhere? Is it all of the leaders and what about Johto is so bad?’ Heath thought but noticed that Norman said he had to move away from Johto, but he didn’t go to, Alola or Galar but Hoenn.