Pokemon: Way Of Life Chapter 32

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Lucas is put through some trials and meets the God Pokemon.

Chapter 32

Lucas was back inside the grave in the trailer park, but with one notable difference. Rather than the little boy, he was Lucas Walker, the teenager from the Pokemon World. It was still difficult for Lucas to separate reality from his memories because the terror was still debilitating.

"Grandma," Lucas screamed as he clawed at the walls of his prison, blood streaming down his face. "Please let me out."

"Shut up, brat," Grandma snarled, huffing as she scooped more dirt onto the dead mother and screaming child.

"I don't want any part in this," the man beside her said nervously. "There's no way I'm killing a kid."

Sharon raised the shovel in her hands, threatening the man. "Didn't I already tell you that there is no looking back? Do you want to join him in the grave?"

"You're a crazy bitch," the man shoved Sharon. "I wish I had never gotten involved in your stupid scheme."

Sharon yelled and swung at the man with the shovel, who ducked and tackled the woman to the ground. Trying to free herself, she twisted her body and clawed at his eyes with her fingernails.

He kneeled on her arms, trapping her as he wrapped his hands around her neck. She struggled even more desperately, but she was an old woman, and his strength far outstripped her own. The man kept choking her until her movements ceased.

Lucas watched, horrified, as the man stood and stared down at the woman for a moment, his chest rising and falling with exertion. The man turned and stared down into the grave, his features obscured in darkness.

"Sorry, kid." The man disappeared.

=====

Test of Courage

You must climb out of the grave with your own strength to pass the first test. Escape before you are buried alive.

The system is disabled while the player is attempting the test.

=====

Lucas ceased his cries as the small screen appeared in front of him. He reached out to touch the screen and blinked when it felt solid under his fingertips. The screen's appearance was enough to snap him out of his state and recall his present self.

Lucas looked up and realised that dirt was pouring into the hole steadily. Even worse, the open grave was now about ten metres deep, and the climb looked challenging with the sheer walls.

Gritting his teeth, he dug a foot into the side and twisted it deep to create a foothold to support his weight. He carefully dug his hands into the soil above him and lifted himself until his foot was secure in the foothold. Using his other foot, he created another foothold and repeated the first steps.

Suddenly, something grabbed Lucas' ankle, and Lucas screamed in horror when he saw the lifeless eyes and morbid smile of his mother. Lucas lashed out with a foot, and his mother fell to the ground, and he frantically climbed out of the grave.

"Why are you abandoning me, Lucas?" the voice from below asked.

Lucas froze, not daring to look down and face the horror that was his mother.

"Didn't I promise that we would make a better life together? Why are you leaving?"

"You're dead, Mother," Lucas whispered. "Unfortunately, you trusted the wrong person with your secret. I wish events had unfolded differently for both of us, but we can't change history now. You are already nothing more than a memory buried deep within my heart."

"Was I such a terrible mother? Is that why you are leaving me?"

Tears leaked out of his eyes. "You did your best, mother. In the end, you were trying to change, which means the world to me."

"Do you forgive me for leaving you?"

Lucas looked down, ignoring the dirt pouring over his shoulders, to see that his old mother was back, alive and radiant, smiling up at him.

Lucas stared at her for a moment. "I forgive you. I truly hope that you have found happiness wherever you are now."

After his mother waved at him, she disappeared, leaving him paralysed for a moment, but he did not have time to think about it. Lucas continued his climb, dirt falling over his body, almost dislodging him from the wall and sending him tumbling down to the bottom. He dug his fingers even deeper into the dirt wall and continued to inch his way up methodically.

Finally, Lucas grabbed the hole's edge and pulled himself onto the grass. Next to him lay his dead grandmother, but he was too exhausted to care about her. He was surprised at how difficult it had been without the Gamer's ability to help him.

=====

The player has passed the first trial, The Test of Courage.

=====

Lucas crawled a distance away until his grandmother's body was out of sight, and he folded his legs under him and meditated to calm himself. The skill was not only suitable for restoring his Aura.

The trial forced him to confront some feelings that had been buried deep in his psyche for a long time. It was confronting but also cathartic. The memory was a near-exact reenactment of that horrible night but with some obvious differences. How was it that he had forgotten so much about this memory?

Now that it was fresh in his mind, he could break the memory down analytically without the traumatic experience tainting his perception. He discovered a few insights that had eluded him before, and it truly felt like he was coming to terms with that part of his past.

"So, what have you got for me next?"

The scene changed, and he found himself outside a familiar location that had been a big part of his childhood.

Lucas followed the social worker into the orphanage's front door, dragging a small backpack behind him that contained his meagre possessions.

An old woman with pinched brows and an unhappy expression waited for them at the front entrance. "Mrs Sullivan? I'm Lolitta Gray, the matron of the orphanage. I assume this is Lucas?"

"That's right, Mrs Gray. Have you been informed about his situation?"

"Yes," Mrs Gray waved her hand dismissively. "I'm sure the boy will fit in after a period of adjustment."

Mrs Sullivan reached into her bag and pulled out a card. "He needs to see a psychiatrist every Tuesday for the foreseeable future until he comes to terms with his ordeal. Do you need help arranging transport to his appointments?"

Mrs Gray reached out and snatched the card, not even looking at it and smiling sweetly. "It won't be a problem."

Lucas didn't like the look of the matron. She reminded him of his Grandma, except she was better at hiding her malice. In the blink of an eye, he watched the social worker walk out the door without a second glance. He winced when his arm was gripped by a firm hand. He looked up to see Mrs Gray peering down at him over her spectacles, with no warmth in her eyes.

"Let's show you where you will be sleeping," Mrs Gray dragged him upstairs.

As he followed her down the long hallway, he met the stares of other kids standing idly by, talking with each other. He heard some older kids mention something about fresh meat, whatever that meant. Mrs. Gray escorted him to a small bedroom with two bunk beds, which was already occupied by three other boys talking on the floor.

The kids grinned when Mrs Gray and Lucas entered. They looked much older than Lucas, at least twice his age, and Lucas wondered why he would be sharing a room with them. Didn't they have kids that were closer to his age?

"Boys," Mrs Gray pushed Lucas forward. "This is Lucas, a new resident of our lovely orphanage. Be sure to make him feel welcome."

"Sure, Mrs Grey," one of the kids chirped, walking forward and slinging an arm around the little boy's shoulders. "It's nice to meet you, Lucas. My name is Ben. We are going to get along like a house on fire."

The words were reassuring, and Lucas felt silly for thinking the boys looked mean. He looked at Ben's face, and although he was smiling, it didn't reach his eyes.

Later on, when the lights were turned off, Lucas hugged his Charmander doll to his chest as he tried to get some sleep. He was scared and alone in a strange place, with plenty of traumatic memories close to the surface that prevented him from getting any sleep. An hour later, when he was on the edge of sleeping, he felt a hand grip his ankle and pull him off the top bunk.

Lucas screamed and landed with a painful thump, confused and terrified by the sudden situation. Holding his ankle with tears streaming down his face, he looked up to see the three boys looking down at him with smiling faces.

"Why are you going to sleep, Lucas? We are about to have some fun."

I'm in hell, was his last thought before the kids showed him what they considered fun.

The scene shifted again, and Lucas was shepherded into the bathroom by the same trio of roommates. Ben dunked his head into the toilet and flushed it repeatedly. Lucas struggled to get free, but the boys were relentless. Again, the perspective was strange because he was in his teenage body. Lucas wondered how many scenes he would have to watch before he got to the test.

Once more, the scene changed, and Lucas found himself huddled in bed after another vicious beating. The three boys were in their beds, sleeping like angels as if they had a clear conscience.

======

Test Of Vengeance.

Get back at the three boys in such a way that they will never dare do anything to you again.

=====

Lucas peered over the edge once more to ensure they were asleep before silently climbing down the ladder and stepping onto the floor.

Due to the full moon shining through the window, he had plenty of light to work with. Lucas stood in the centre of the room, wondering how to satisfy the test requirements. For the life of him, he couldn't recall what he did as a kid last time.

However, he would not hold back since it was not real, and there were no consequences. A dark part of him would enjoy watching them suffer after what they had put him through.

Lucas spotted the lighter sitting on the bedside table, which they used to smoke, and sometimes burn him. He thought for a moment before leaving the room and heading down the hallway to the janitor's closet. There was no lock on it since the janitor didn't seem to worry about securing hazardous cleaning products from the kids. He searched for flammable liquids before returning to the room.

Lucas poured the entire bottle on the floor in the centre of the room and stepped back towards the doorway. He pressed down on the lighter trigger and called out to the boys asleep in their beds.

The boys came to slowly, disorientated, before they noticed something was off as they smelled a strong odour. They sat up in bed and then saw Lucas standing in the doorway.

"What the fuck are you doing, little bitch?" Ben asked.

"Getting even," Lucas smirked. He threw the lighter with the lit flame onto the floor and retreated further out of the room. The floor ignited with a whoosh, and the boys started screaming as the fire spread rapidly.

"The window is the only way to escape," Lucas said evilly. "You may suffer injuries jumping from three stories up, but it's better than getting burned alive."

Lucas watched with satisfaction as the boys scrambled to open the window and leap to the ground below.

=====

Test of Vengeance completed.

=====

Suddenly, he came to full awareness, sitting on the floor of a vast empty space; towering above him was a white equine Pokemon with a golden cross-like wheel encircling his abdomen.

Lucas felt his jaw drop as he stared at the most powerful Pokemon in existence, the God Pokemon, Arceus. The one who gave him his gamer ability.

'Hello, Lucas.'

"Arceus? Where am I?" Lucas asked.

'You don't know? You're in your mind, completing the quest I created for you.'

"So what? I completed the quest?" Lucas looked around at the empty space that seemed to go on forever in all directions. "Love what you have done with the place. It really brings out your personality."

Your wit is certainly something I have observed from afar, but sadly, it needs polishing a bit.'

Did he just get burned by the God Pokemon? "Everyone's a critic."

Now, onto serious matters. The fact that you stumbled upon one of the places containing one of the Transcendent Crystals, which stores some of my power, was an extraordinary coincidence. As soon as you entered, I manipulated events slightly to ensure you found the crystal. 'I relied on your curiosity, and I was not disappointed.'

Lucas thought for a moment about the meaning of Arceus's words. "You are the one that caused the tremors! You could have killed someone."

'But it didn't,' Arceus folded its legs and lay down on the floor. 'Despite my waning influence in the world, it is easy to accomplish something like this with my power without hurting anyone.'

"Tell that to Mr Weasley." Lucas retorted. "If I didn't react fast enough, he would be dead."

'But it worked out in the end, didn't it?'

Lucas frowned, still feeling a bit upset about the situation. When he accepted the Gamer's ability, there was no fine print saying he had become a lackey for the God Pokemon

"So everyone is okay?"

'I would not lie to you.'

Lucas hummed. "Um, you said that the crystals store some of your power? Why are you weakening yourself like that?"

'It is not by choice but by necessity. As a result of defeating Giratina and banishing him to the Distortion World, I was gravely wounded. My body could not hold my immense Aura anymore, so I stored them in Transcendent Crystals and had my subordinates scatter them in hidden locations around the world.'

"Subordinates? Oh, you mean the Legendaries."

'Indeed. However, I had not anticipated that opening the Distortion World would cause a cataclysm that would bring a great deal of destruction to the world. The true tragedy was that Balance was disrupted, splitting into the two different energies as you know them today.'

"You are the God Pokemon. How could you not see that coming?"

'A God? Debatable. I am more like a caretaker, which has been my responsibility since I was first hatched from an egg that appeared from the void.

'I did not know why the Distortion World caused such mayhem, and I have been trying to clean up the mess ever since. There are some obstacles in the way, however. First, I cannot physically appear in the world because my power alone, even in my weakened state, is enough to cause untold destruction. Second, as a result of the first incident, the Legendaries no longer hear my voice and have gone off to do their own thing. However, they kept Balance, unlike the other Pokemon.'

"That sucks," Lucas commiserated. He suspected that his role in the affair was about to be revealed.

'So I searched around, looking for hope to help me restore my power so I could enter the Distortion World and find out why the cataclysm occurred in the first place. I recalled seeing an advanced civilisation from another world that had these things called video games, which on a side note, I had used as inspiration to determine a system for measuring Pokemon's strength. I got the idea to grant a human with the power similar to a video game that could grow strong enough to help me.'

"So why did you choose me?"

'You are the only one that is viable; In my eagerness to regain my power, I made a crucial mistake. To grant a human the Gamer ability, I had to change their soul fundamentally, but I had forgotten that it violates one of the tenets I must adhere to in this universe. However, at that time, your soul entered this dimension inexplicably and without the same limitations. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise.'

"So I get an awesome gamer ability, but all it takes is to mess with my soul." Lucas shrugged. "I feel like I should be outraged at this point, but the benefits I received are too enticing."

'I did not take the step lightly. I made sure not to damage your soul in any way, so you may continue on your next great adventure when you eventually pass on.'

"Where have I heard that phrase before?" Lucas shook his head to dismiss his distracting thoughts. "Anyway, so have you retrieved the Transcendent Crystal? Is the quest complete?"

'Yes. I retrieved the crystal as soon as you touched it.'

"If I'm merely returning power to you, why do I have to put myself through that test?"

''Because I feel you need some closure from your past. Tell me, what do you think of your actions in the last trial?'

"It didn't have much effect on me," Lucas shrugged. "I knew that it wasn't real."

'Do you remember the actual event when you were a young boy?'

Lucas frowned, disturbed by the question. He searched his memory but try as he might, he couldn't recall anything. Was there something that happened in his past that he didn't want to remember?

'Let me show you the memory.'

Lucas returned to the room in the orphanage, but this time he was standing to the side as an observer as the younger Lucas climbed down the ladder. He watched as the boy repeated the same actions as himself.

It was at this point, however, that things took a turn for the worse. The young boy poured the liquid onto the edges of the boys' beds. This was enough to ignite them quickly but not enough to wake them up by feeling the liquid soak through the blankets.

The younger boy set fire to the three boys' beds in rapid succession, causing them to wake up and scream in terror as they were engulfed in flames. Young Lucas watched as the three boys rolled onto the ground, trying to douse the flames, but unfortunately, they had dragged the blankets with them, spreading the fire.

"Stop," Lucas shouted.

The scene faded, and he found himself facing Arceus again, but this time he fell to his knees and threw up on the floor.

"I killed them?"

"No," Arceus replied. "It was fortunate that the janitor came by and heard the screams. He was able to put them out with a fire extinguisher, but all three suffered extensive third-degree burns."

"I was a little psychopath," Lucas muttered in despair as he placed his head in his hands.

'How long do you think you have been at the orphanage at that point?'

Lucas shrugged. It was difficult for him to believe what he had done to those boys. That event was so memorable and traumatic, it was hard to imagine how he could have forgotten it.

'You had been at the orphanage for three months. You were abused mentally and physically almost every night by those boys. In light of the fact that you were already suffering from some heavy trauma, it was no wonder you snapped.'

Lucas raised his head and looked at the God Pokemon. "Then why am I unable to remember anything from that night, or even from the following weeks, for that matter?"

"One of the orphans retaliated against you by hitting you with a baseball bat so that he could avenge the boys you had set on fire. Let me restore the memories for you."

The memories of the events following that night returned in a rush, and Lucas recalled waking up in a hospital after weeks of being in a coma. Ironically, he shared that similarity with the Lucas of this world.

Lucas stayed in the hospital, and a psychiatrist treated him three times a week for the following four months. Finally, he was deemed mentally stable enough to rejoin the orphanage.

Things had changed for the better in his absence. Mrs Gray was fired, and stricter rules were put in place. From then on, every kid looked at him with fear and stayed away from him, but at least he was no longer being tormented.

"So, am I cured of my issues now?" Lucas asked humorously.

'That Is for you to determine. Although I removed the Mind Palace, I felt there was something more I could do to help you come to terms with your past; otherwise, you will repeat your mistakes.'

"What do you mean?"

'I'm talking about your romantic relationships. Eventually, you would have pushed away Faith just like all your failed relationships in your past life.'

"Right," Lucas scrubbed a hand over his face, not wanting to dive into that can of worms. "So, can I return to the real world now?"

'I will send you back. I may have tasked you with collecting the Transcendent Crystals, but your life is free to do as you will outside of that. I look forward to seeing your progress. By the way, search around the cavern you are currently in for an easy way out. Goodbye, Lucas.'

The room faded, and he found himself sprawled on his back at the bottom of the mine shaft.

'Are you okay, Lucas?' Dante called.

"I'm fine," Lucas replied. "Out of interest, how long have I been down here?"

'What are you talking about? You only just arrived at the bottom thirty seconds ago. By the way, where did that shiny red light go?'

"No idea," Lucas said with a straight face. "I'm coming back up."

Lucas climbed out of the shaft and sat down for a few moments, considering all he had been through during the trial.

'Why do I get the feeling that you are hiding something?'

Dante asked suspiciously.

"It's just your imagination," Lucas took out his phone and checked his notifications.

=====

Remnants of Arceus’s Power Quest Complete!

Rewards: 5000 Exp, Everstone.

=====

The player has reached level 12!

=====

New Quest received!

The Hunt for the Transcendent Crystals.

Description: The player has recovered a Transcendent Crystal for the God Pokemon’s Arceus. The player must obtain the remaining crystals scattered about the world to restore Arceus to full power.

Objective: Find the remaining Transcendent Crystals. (0/8)

Rewards per Crystal: 10000 Exp (applied to players' Pokemon as well), Evolution Stone of choice.

Final Reward: ????

Time Limit: -----

=====

Lucas retrieved the rope and stored it back in his backpack. He stood up and looked around the area. Now, where could the exit be? He searched the cavern while looking at all the different fossils to see if any struck his fancy. There was a surprising amount of variety, with many from other regions. How did they all end up here together?

Considering that there were dozens of fossils here, he didn't think Ron would mind if he picked out a few for himself. First, he chose the Root Fossil for Faith, which could be revived into Lileep. He then chose the Armor Fossil, which could turn into Shieldon for Jason. As for himself, he spent a great deal of time trying to make his mind up before settling on the Old Amber Fossil. Aerodactyl was just too tempting, even though Imara would evolve into Charizard, covering aerial offence in the team.

After another five minutes of searching, he discovered another hidden door, revealing a narrow shaft leading upwards. A rickety staircase was built into the side, ascending the shaft and turning on itself many times to accommodate the lack of space.

"Do you think it leads to another entrance on the surface?" Lucas asked.

'Only one way to find out. You take the lead.' Dante smirked.

"My hero," Lucas said dryly before cautiously testing the first few steps to test the stability before climbing upwards.

The shaft was surprisingly long, so it took him five minutes to reach the top, where the staircase led to another lever and door mechanism. Lucas pulled it, and the door rumbled as it lowered slowly to the ground, revealing bright daylight beyond.

They stepped out onto a narrow shelf raised high above the ground. Lucas opened his Map to get his bearings and realised that he was located on a large boulder to the east of the cave entrance.

'Try your phone.' Dante suggested.

Lucas took out his phone and was happy to see that he got a reception. He tried calling Faith first, but her cell phone was out of range. Was she still exploring down there? He hoped she was safe.

Next, he dialled Ron's number and was pleasantly surprised when he got an answer. "Lucas, you’re okay!"

He heard a small cheer in the background, which meant the whole team was there. "I'm the protagonist, remember? I have mighty plot armour to help me. Is everyone okay on your end?"

"Yeah," Ron said happily. "Charlie got a knock on the noggin, but considering how hard-headed he is, he should be fine."

"That's great to hear. So you found a way out? Did you find anything good?"

"No," Ron said, his mood darkening. "I thought we would find more than just the iron ore deposits. Don't get me wrong, that is still valuable, but it will take a lot of resources to mine."

"Remember what I said about me being the protagonist?" Lucas boasted. "Well, that includes finding incredible treasure as well. You're not going to be able to guess what I found."

"What is it?" Ron shouted.

Lucas took the phone away and rubbed his ear before speaking again. "I believe I am located east of the initial entrance, on a large boulder with an overhanging shelf. See if you can find me, and I will show you what I found."

"We're on our way," Ron shouted.

Lucas sat down and took out a water bottle from his backpack, taking a long drink before passing it to Dante. He considered summoning his other Pokemon, but since the shelf was so narrow, it might be too cramped, so he merely waited.

Fifteen minutes later, he spotted the group rushing in his direction, and Lucas placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

They looked up and hollered when they saw Lucas standing there. He hammered the metal stake into the ground and secured the rope before throwing it down.

Dante jumped and held onto his neck as he quickly descended the rope.

Ron came up to hug him, followed by the others, before he was glomped by his Pokemon, vying for his attention.

"So, what is it you found?" Ron asked impatiently after Lucas seemed content to drag it out.

"Fine," Lucas sighed, opening his pack and retrieving the Old Amber Fossil.

"A fossil," Mr Weasley exclaimed. 'This is indeed a lucky find —"

Mr Weasley almost swallowed his tongue when Lucas brought out the other two fossils.

"There's three of them," Charlie asked incredulously. "What kind of luck do you have?"

"You're still thinking too small," Lucas smirked. "The cavern that I discovered has dozens of them. These three I picked out for Faith, Jason and myself."

Ron almost fainted. "That could be worth a small fortune."

Lucas smiled. "Well, do you want to go see for yourselves?"

{0(((..)))0}

"Hey, babe," Lucas wrapped his arms around Faith and kissed her. "Did you have fun exploring?"

Faith nodded, tucking her head under his chin. "It was fun, but the tremors were scary. Bill judged they were not close enough to worry about, so we continued exploring."

"Did you find anything good?" Lucas rubbed circles on her back, smiling when she shivered and inched closer.

"Just ore mainly," Faith raised her head. "I hear you had a more exciting time. Why does it always happen to you?"

"Meh, it was nothing," Lucas shrugged it off, which caused the girl to punch his arm. "Hey, what gives?"

"Don't be so flippant," Faith scolded, her finger wagging in front of him like he was a disobedient child. Lucas grabbed her finger and nibbled on it, causing the girl to giggle.

"Hey, none of that here," Jason stood there with his hands on his hips. "Until I get my own girlfriend, no public displays of affection."

"So, that means never?" Lucas teased. "I can't wait that long."

Jason huffed before stepping forward and patting his shoulder. "Buddy, I hear you made another fantastic discovery. Man, being the sidekick of the main protagonist sure makes life interesting."

"You say that with such pride," Faith shook her head exasperatedly.

"So, you found some fossils?" Jason asked Lucas, ignoring the girl.

Lucas opened his backpack and gave him the Armor Fossil and the Root Fossil to Faith. "Not a bad haul for a day's work."

"What Pokemon does this fossil belong to?" Jason asked

"Shieldon," Lucas said. "A Rock-Steel type."

"Cool," Jason sat down and examined the fossil closely.

"And mine?" Faith ran her fingers over the rough surface.

"Lileep. A Rock-Grass type," Lucas gave her an expectant look, waiting to be praised.

Faith reached over and kissed him thoroughly, her tongue darting out to tangle with his own. Lucas used his teeth to hold her tongue lightly and sucked on it, causing her to moan.

As things got more heated, Lucas reached down and cupped her fantastic bottom in his hands. Faith pressed up eagerly against Lucas, her breasts flattening against his chest, with two hard points poking him, indicating her arousal.

"Oi!" Jason complained.

So, what do you think? The next chapter will be the start of the tournament.

Thanks for reading.