Shizzza
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- They/them
Ruins
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C/W:
Crude language and excessive swearing.
Charlie leaned against the armchair, sighing to himself as he opened up his computer.
Being a caretaker definitely wasn't as easy as one might assume; the pay was decent, but Pokemon could be rowdy and craved attention. It was a tiring profession.
He just recently filed a request for his Psychic Behavioral License, and with that, he could finally become a full-fledged Psychic Behavioral Specialist.
If only gramps were here…
It had been four years since he vanished.
Four years, and not a single trace of his grandfather was found.
He scrolled idly through the forums, skimming over dozens of posts and inane opinions about the now months old Magma and Aqua debacle. There was one particularly ridiculous conspiracy post detailing how Team Magma and Team Aqua were totally linked to the ancient clans of Hoenn, but Charlie didn't read any further as he closed the tab.
He was snapped from his own thoughts by a ringing from his phone.
Lazily picking it up, he answered the call.
"Yooooo! How's it going? Ya did anything interesting today? Had some fun? Oh, come on, stop being such a degenerate!"
Massaging his temple, he felt himself sigh at the obnoxious voice, "The term degenerate doesn't apply to me here, and I didn't even get a chance to respond to your questions before you instantly labeled me as a degenerate…"
The caller simply chuckled to himself, "Well then, how did your day go?"
Charlie smiled softly, "Nothing much. I had to look over a particularly foul Chatot, it was amusing, but also annoying. How about you?"
The voice laughed sheepishly, "Well, uhm, I sorta laid around and did nothing all day."
He felt himself rolling his eyes, "Carmello, learn to be more productive."
"Sorry, man! It's my break day, let me have a moment of peace." He replied, to which Charlie grinned.
"Okayyy, I'll let it slide this time." Charlie said, smiling sheepishly. "Stay safe out there, being a ranger must be some hard work."
He heard Carmello scoff through the phone, "Oh please, my Pokemon make quick work of any wild threats. You should've seen my Exploud the other day, she took down an entire flock of Tailow and their leading Swellow with one attack."
"Oh? I'm not an expert in flying types, but an Exploud taking an entire flock down is pretty impressive. In fact, I wouldn't even think it to be possible, considering Exploud is a terrestrial Pokemon." Charlie commented, and Carmello howled in laughter.
"Oh, Charlie, your expertise in wild battles needs some improvement, it seems." Carmello boomed, Charlie simply scoffed and listened intently. "All it took was one solid boomburst to knock all of those suckers out of the air. No matter how adept Swellow and Tailow may be in aerial combat, you can't fight sound."
Charlie attempted to process the information, it was quite easy to understand in retrospect, but this only showed his lack of knowledge in actual Pokemon battling.
"Shifting topics, I've been thinking of growing my hair out, what do you think about that?" Charlie asked, and he heard random ruffling from the phone.
"What's with this sudden change? Did something happen?"
"W-well, uhm, I'm moving out of my current apartment and stuff, so I thought a new hairstyle would fit the occasion. You know, starting again and shit." Charlie stated, he heard Carmello hum thoughtfully to himself through the phone.
"Send a picture of the hairstyle you want, I'll take a look at it."
Charlie complied, and after a bit of searching, sent the image to his friend.
"Ain't no way," Carmello muttered, and Charlie frowned. "Are you serious?" He asked, the bewilderment clear in his tone.
"...Yes?"
Charlie flinched when he heard Carmello burst into a massive fit of laughter.
"Charlie, I'm gonna be frank with you, if you went through with this hairstyle…I guarantee you, every single person you meet will assume you're a girl." Carmello said amidst his pained laughter.
He felt himself twitch in annoyance at his friend's comments, "How so-"
"Charlie, go take a fucking look in the mirror and come back."
"I-I would…that's preposterous-" Charlie stammered, "Fuck, I don't have any retorts."
"Okay, hold on- I have to do something real quick," Carmello called out from the phone.
He heard some shuffling from the other side of the phone and bedsheets moving around.
"Ah- Sorry about the noise here, but uhm, isn't today your grandfather's birthday?"
Charlie's breath hitched as his grasp over the phone stiffened.
"Oh…I-I probably shouldn't have said-"
Charlie felt himself panicking, "Wait, no! I-It's fine. Its been four years, I've…gotten over it."
An awkward silence fell upon the both of them, Charlie felt his breath heaving and his heart pounding against his chest.
"Shit. Uhm, see you later I guess!" Charlie sputtered, and before the other voice could even respond, the phone call was disconnected.
Heh. Me getting over that old fart?
Impossible.
Charlie knew he never got over his grandfather's disappearance. He knew that.
But it's been four years. He should have already gotten over it.
No, he knows why.
His grandfather vanishing isn't the same as if he were dead. He could be out there somewhere, doing god knows what. This unrelenting curiosity mixed with desperate delusions, it was no wonder why Charlie hasn't gotten over it.
Carmello Jones, on the other hand, was currently his only friend. Charlie, well…wasn't exactly very social. He knew how to talk to strangers well enough, a skill of his trade, but actually making friends was a massive problem for him.
Charlie allowed himself to drown in his own cycle of thoughts as he cleared out some of the furniture and the house, with the aid of Pokemon Movers of course. Most Pokemon Movers were naturally strong Pokemon like Machoke or Gurdurr, who helped move furniture.
After around four years of consistent working, Charlie could finally move out of this crappy apartment. It felt..surreal.
In the four years since his grandfather's disappearance, a lot has changed for him.
He never really got to fulfill his grandfather's final request for him, to well…make friends. He only has one currently, after all.
He personally thinks it can be chopped up to his nature as a psychic. Which is a very complicated and hush-shush topic in society as a whole right now. Charlie himself is a more "internal" psychic, which meant most of his psychic powers are dealing with his own mental state.
Being an "internal" psychic, something like telekinesis was stretching his limits.. He could do it, just not very well. "Internal" psychic abilities would be something like creating a "mental shield" to protect from forced entry into his own conscious by another psychic, or a technique which he calls "psychic reasoning".
Now, psychic reasoning sounds way cooler than it actually is. It's really just Charlie thinking of something "positive", and manifesting that positivity to calm himself down. Usually he will feel a warmth in his chest, or his previous anxiety fading out a bit.
Charlie considered himself to be an adept psychic. He was a Tier III Psychic, which was above average for his age.
As a scale of comparison, Will of the Indigo Elite Four is a Tier V Psychic and Sabrina is a Tier VI Psychic.
Charlie snapped himself from his own thoughts as he saw the door to his grandfather's old room.
His throat ran dry, as he twisted the doorknob.
The door swung open, revealing a dark, empty room.
Charlie walked through the room, clearing out some scrap paper, emptying the notebooks into a bag. He motioned for a Machoke to enter the room, and the fighting type quickly carried out the furniture.
He found himself just staring at the empty room. The windows were the only source of light, and he felt the bright Hoenn sun's reflection against the window shiningagainst him.
Charlie finally breathed a heavy sigh, before walking to the closet.
He emptied out all of the clothes, random objects, etc, throwing them all into a bag, and had one of the Mover Pokemon pick it up.
He crawled through stacks of clothes, notebooks, coloring books…
And when he emptied it all out, there was nothing left.
Well, until there was one thing left.
It was…a box. A safe, actually.
The fuck?
Charlie had never seen this safe before, nor did he think his grandfather even mentioned it.
The box was pitch black, but there was a note drilled into it, the initial "M.S" on the note.
M.S…Mark Samson.
Charlie analyzed the box, it was completely secure. There was a small, slidable keypad with the letters of your average keyboard on it.
Above the keypad was a small screen monitor, he clicked on the letter "A" on the keypad, and sure enough, the letter A appeared on the left of the monitor.
It's a passcode.
Charlie's curiosity was unrelenting, he needed to know the mysteries behind this box.
It seemed the passcode was a seven-letter code. What seven-letter code could his grandfather use as the passcode for a safe-
His eyes widened.
No fucking way.
Charlie's breath hitched, as he felt his fingers hover over the letters.
"C"
"H"
"A"
"R"
"L"
"I"
"E"
The monitor screen flashed green.
Fucking hell…old man, this is why I never allowed you to set your own passwords.
He questioned whether or not he should open the box, It was hidden for a reason after all. But his curiosity won out in the end. What would have been the point in unlocking if not to examine the contents? …Besides.. It wasn't like Gramps was here to stop him..
Charlie slammed the safe open.
He felt a wave of disappointment wash through him.
It's just… a black folder?
Charlie calmed himself, this folder could contain pivotal information to figuring out his grandfather's whereabouts.
He grabbed the pitch black folder, before unfolding it.
There were dozens of collages and images, captured moments of all of the times he'd spent with his grandfather. He flipped through all of them, trying his damndest to ignore the sudden dosage of nostalgia that flushed within his chest,from all of the photographs of his childhood.
After flipping through rows after rows of photos, he finally found it, buried under piles and piles of images.
Charlie, it's you who's reading this, isn't it?
Well met. By the time you are reading this, I've already disappeared.
My dear grandson, I'll be honest with you, I've been…withholding information from you all this time. There is so much you don't know. But I don't have the heart to tell you all of it. You have talent, Charlie. Talent that is being wasted. But, I…I want that talent to be wasted. As harsh as it may sound, Charlie, I'm a terrible mentor. I could've morphed you into an incredible trainer. You could've taken the world by storm. I know you can. But you don't understand the potential you withhold. So, I have one final ultimatum for you.
Either you continue pursuing a normal life, one where you can easily start a family and coast along, enjoying a peaceful existence full of joyous occasions and blissful ignorance.
Or
You can go to the address listed at the end of the note, continuing to pursue me, the craven old man who abandoned you because he was too weak, and pathetic, to the end of your days. Therer, you will meet danger after danger, calamity after calamity, never knowing when the long road ends.. You will obtain information that you wish you hadn't. You might finally know the true meaning behind my departure, but is it worth it? Only you can answer that.
Charlie, please. Choose what's right for you.
I specifically placed this note in this safe to delay you from obtaining it, even if deep down I knew you would eventually find it, and that you deserve to know at least this little. If you wish to know the full truth, even if it means risking your life and tossing aside your perfectly valid life, then so be it. I will never try to force you. I know you have it in you, but I don't have the heart to force you to.
But, most importantly, I wish for you to have people who you hold dear to. Charlie, I don't care if you continue pursuing your current ambitions, or if you continue pursuing me, all I want is for you to have people you love. People you love even more than me.
This is my final message to you. I…
I hope we never meet again.
Goodbye, Charlie.
Charlie gripped the note tightly, true to his word, the author.. His Grandfather.. left an address at the end of the note..
His heart pounded against his chest, and his eyes began to water.
"Fuck.."
He could've simply locked the safe away, never to be seen again. He could've continued his life in blissful ignorance, shifting his curiosity away. Doing everything he could to distract himself from thinking what might have been.
But he knew that he couldn't just leave it at that.
He didn't understand, what had his grandfather seen in him?
It sounded like the man knew something he didn't.
No, it didn't just sound like he knew something Charlie didn't, his grandfather was keeping secrets. He himself said so in his parting message.
Something was wrong with his grandfather, why wouldn't he tell him head-on? What was this deck of mysteries that he withdrew from him?
A storm brewed in his mind, the weak calming effects of psychic reasoning contributed nothing when his mind was being overrun with ideas and questions.
To his surprise, not a single tear even drew from him.
I guess a part of me got over it…
The more he thought about it, the more painful an ambiguous ending sounded to him. His unrelenting desire for a conclusion was irresistible. No matter how much "logic" he tried to beat into himself, he wanted to know. He needed to know.
So, Charlie was met with a dilemma.
Either pursue his grandfather blindly, or live in blissful ignorance.
Who do I have besides gramps?
Right. He didn't have anyone besides his own grandfather. He only had one "friend" present in his life.
The answer became more and more obvious for him.
Charlie gritted his teeth, as he sunk against his seat once again.
Fuck it. It shouldn't hurt to check the address out a bit, right?
Even if it may have seemed rash to make that decision instantaneously, Charlie already had a headache trying to digest all of the information from the final message, and he just wanted closure.
He would go to the address, and make his decision there.
Charlie slid out his phone, before typing the address into the search bar.
His eyes widened, as he read out the address.
It's located in the middle of FUCKING PETALBURG WOODS!?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rustboro City was somewhat close to Petalburg forest.
But even so, it would take an entire day of traveling just to reach the address listed under his grandfather's note.
Charlie ended up taking a psychic teleport pad from the Rustboro PokeCenter to a teleporting station right next to the bridge connecting route 104 to Rustboro.
It had cost him an unreasonably large sum of money, but it shortened his journey by around five hours of just walking through the absurdly large city of Rustboro.
The Hoenn heat was crushing him, every step felt like a slog.
Trainer season was drawing to a close, despite that, training supplies were still at a staggeringly high price. Charlie only nabbed some basic equipment before leaving.
Due to his status as a Pokemon Caretaker, he was able to nab himself a "Rental Pokemon''. Rental Pokemon are Pokemon specially trained to defend the client for a specific time at a price. He ended up renting a Mightyena, which was a very commonly rented Pokemon, to defend himself against the wild Pokemon in Petalburg Woods.
The directions in the message were simple, look for a cabin with an umbrella plastered on the side of the wall and a crooked door with a birdhouse located on the roof. Small cabins are fairly common in Petalburg woods, likely abandoned for bigger houses once industrialization rolled around, or were abandoned because of natural disasters.
Petalburg Woods was… very dimly lit. The thick trees covered up the sun a lot, but it also meant that bug Pokemon were rampant. Most of them were dissuaded by the Mightyena next to him, but as a psychic, he wasn't particularly fond of bug Pokemon.
Charlie avoided thinking about the potential consequences and the mysteries of his grandfather. It made him sick to his stomach thinking about the possible backlash of his actions.
He kept rereading the piece of paper, it was…so oddly structured, as if he was some sort of chosen one.
No, Charlie, stop it. You've been reading too many novels.
He flicked his hands before sliding the paper back into its folder and placing it back into his bag.
As he walked through the woods seamlessly, following the locations and directions listed in the message, he found himself absorbed and buried under his own thoughts and insecurities.
Whether it be about his past with his grandfather, his future, or the present, all of his deepest frights crept up onto his shoulder.
It was suffocating.
What if something terribly wrong happens? I should just walk home, burn this damned piece of paper, and never ever look back again. Do anything less and you will be compelled to risk your life over a man long gone.
But what didI ever have besides my grandpa? Could I really live with regret knowing that I will never know the truth behind his sudden absence?
Even so, should I really be risking my life like this? He said that if I were to indulge myself into seeking him out, there would be risks, and consequences…
Despite his doubts, Charlie gritted his teeth and moved on, scuffling through the bushes and thick leaves.
However, as he kept moving, his thoughts continued to stab him in the back as he further questioned what he was doing.
His insecurities were only exclaimed, when he saw it.
An abandoned cabin with an umbrella plastered next to it, a crooked door, and a random birdhouse on top of its roof.
He gulped.
From here, anything could happen. I don't know what the hell I'm going to find.
This could go horribly wrong.
Charlie, reconsider-
"No." Charlie said firmly, his hand twisting the doorknob as he firmly slammed it wide open.
"My own thoughts be damned." He swore, stepping into the cabin. It was completely empty, with only a few shelves, closet, flimsy doors, and the occasional desk.
Charlie slid out the note from the folder, and turned the page to its back.
Go to the bookshelf in the furthest left and move it out of the way, completely. You will find a large trapdoor.. Therein lies The Ruins.
I wish you luck, Charlie.
His hands quivered as he slipped the note back into the folder. He walked over to the bookshelf in the furthest left. It was abnormally large, perfect for hiding something like a secret entrance.
"Mightyena, return." Charlie called softly, and the rental pokemon was returned to its Pokeball.
Charlie wished he had rented a second Pokemon, because the bookshelves were so abnormally large to where it took him almost forty minutes just to move it completely.
Then, he saw it.
A trapdoor.
Leading to what was called "The Ruins" in his grandfather's final note.
Charlie opened the trapdoor, just halfway. He felt his breathing halt, as he looked down, and saw naught but what looked to be a bottomless pit.
No ladders, no stairs, or anything.
He fully opened the trapdoor, before sticking a part of his chest in, making sure to remain steady to avoid falling off.
As he edged closer, he made sure to stabilize himself.
Charlie felt his psychic senses perking, as his eyes loomed into the pit below. Arceus knows what would happen if he were to jump into the pit from this height.
His curiosity only grew, and he latched onto the trapdoor as he edged closer again-
Charlie felt his psychic shield suddenly shatter. His head throbbed, as he lost balance from the sharp pain caused by the sudden mental attack. Suddenly, he felt his entire body lunge into the pit, as if urged by a foreign power.
He was hurled into the hole, the only thing he saw was the rocky walls which surrounded him. His eyes widened in shock as he screamed, his cries of help echoing through the depths of the hole.
Fuck! I-I'm going to fall to my death…shit…shit…
He flipped himself over, he felt the rush of wind as he raced downwards. Eventually, he'd hit the bottom and perish-
But, to his surprise, he…
Suddenly stopped falling.
He was held mid-air by some sort of…psychic power.
The fuck…?
It was pitch black. He felt as if he was floating. He waved his arms around, and he felt his hands caress the rough surface of the walls surrounding him.
Intruder alert. Examination needed.
Charlie's breath hitched, as he finally saw light.
The walls which surrounded him suddenly quaked, as a massive hole was made in the middle of the wall, light illuminated from the hole. He then heard quaking and loud shuffling, his eyes widened in pure shock as a massive stone platform shot out from the ground, stopping right below Charlie.
He felt himself freed from telepathic control, landing on the rocky platform.
Charlie hastily turned to the hole which illuminated the light, "W-Who's there?!"
Examination complete.
Screening process will be initiated.
"W-who are you?!"
Charlie gaped in shock as a…Claydol suddenly appeared, leaving traces of psychic energy.
The Claydol spun its head around, "Follow me, human."
He felt reluctant, but was firmly pulled by a psychic energy and telepathically pushed from the platform which he stood on into the hole that Claydol had created.
"Welcome to the ruins, human."
"Oi- What the fuck is going on-"
"First screening begins now. Dodge to the best of your abilities."
Charlie's breath hitched, fear ran through his spine as Claydol seemed to charge up…
A hyper beam?
"Y-yo…you've got to be fucking kidding…right?" Charlie gasped in fear, "S-stop.. What.. why..-"
Charlie dashed to the left, as the Cladyol twisted its head around, charging up the hyper beam.
He ran for his life, but fear struck him as the Claydol reared its body back.
"Fuck!"
The beam of pure, shining energy illuminated the entire cavern. Charlie ran for his dear life, but his eyes widened as he saw the hyper beam edge closer and closer to him…
Join my discord!
https://discord.gg/7s6uppCDYz
C/W:
Crude language and excessive swearing.
Charlie leaned against the armchair, sighing to himself as he opened up his computer.
Being a caretaker definitely wasn't as easy as one might assume; the pay was decent, but Pokemon could be rowdy and craved attention. It was a tiring profession.
He just recently filed a request for his Psychic Behavioral License, and with that, he could finally become a full-fledged Psychic Behavioral Specialist.
If only gramps were here…
It had been four years since he vanished.
Four years, and not a single trace of his grandfather was found.
He scrolled idly through the forums, skimming over dozens of posts and inane opinions about the now months old Magma and Aqua debacle. There was one particularly ridiculous conspiracy post detailing how Team Magma and Team Aqua were totally linked to the ancient clans of Hoenn, but Charlie didn't read any further as he closed the tab.
He was snapped from his own thoughts by a ringing from his phone.
Lazily picking it up, he answered the call.
"Yooooo! How's it going? Ya did anything interesting today? Had some fun? Oh, come on, stop being such a degenerate!"
Massaging his temple, he felt himself sigh at the obnoxious voice, "The term degenerate doesn't apply to me here, and I didn't even get a chance to respond to your questions before you instantly labeled me as a degenerate…"
The caller simply chuckled to himself, "Well then, how did your day go?"
Charlie smiled softly, "Nothing much. I had to look over a particularly foul Chatot, it was amusing, but also annoying. How about you?"
The voice laughed sheepishly, "Well, uhm, I sorta laid around and did nothing all day."
He felt himself rolling his eyes, "Carmello, learn to be more productive."
"Sorry, man! It's my break day, let me have a moment of peace." He replied, to which Charlie grinned.
"Okayyy, I'll let it slide this time." Charlie said, smiling sheepishly. "Stay safe out there, being a ranger must be some hard work."
He heard Carmello scoff through the phone, "Oh please, my Pokemon make quick work of any wild threats. You should've seen my Exploud the other day, she took down an entire flock of Tailow and their leading Swellow with one attack."
"Oh? I'm not an expert in flying types, but an Exploud taking an entire flock down is pretty impressive. In fact, I wouldn't even think it to be possible, considering Exploud is a terrestrial Pokemon." Charlie commented, and Carmello howled in laughter.
"Oh, Charlie, your expertise in wild battles needs some improvement, it seems." Carmello boomed, Charlie simply scoffed and listened intently. "All it took was one solid boomburst to knock all of those suckers out of the air. No matter how adept Swellow and Tailow may be in aerial combat, you can't fight sound."
Charlie attempted to process the information, it was quite easy to understand in retrospect, but this only showed his lack of knowledge in actual Pokemon battling.
"Shifting topics, I've been thinking of growing my hair out, what do you think about that?" Charlie asked, and he heard random ruffling from the phone.
"What's with this sudden change? Did something happen?"
"W-well, uhm, I'm moving out of my current apartment and stuff, so I thought a new hairstyle would fit the occasion. You know, starting again and shit." Charlie stated, he heard Carmello hum thoughtfully to himself through the phone.
"Send a picture of the hairstyle you want, I'll take a look at it."
Charlie complied, and after a bit of searching, sent the image to his friend.
"Ain't no way," Carmello muttered, and Charlie frowned. "Are you serious?" He asked, the bewilderment clear in his tone.
"...Yes?"
Charlie flinched when he heard Carmello burst into a massive fit of laughter.
"Charlie, I'm gonna be frank with you, if you went through with this hairstyle…I guarantee you, every single person you meet will assume you're a girl." Carmello said amidst his pained laughter.
He felt himself twitch in annoyance at his friend's comments, "How so-"
"Charlie, go take a fucking look in the mirror and come back."
"I-I would…that's preposterous-" Charlie stammered, "Fuck, I don't have any retorts."
"Okay, hold on- I have to do something real quick," Carmello called out from the phone.
He heard some shuffling from the other side of the phone and bedsheets moving around.
"Ah- Sorry about the noise here, but uhm, isn't today your grandfather's birthday?"
Charlie's breath hitched as his grasp over the phone stiffened.
"Oh…I-I probably shouldn't have said-"
Charlie felt himself panicking, "Wait, no! I-It's fine. Its been four years, I've…gotten over it."
An awkward silence fell upon the both of them, Charlie felt his breath heaving and his heart pounding against his chest.
"Shit. Uhm, see you later I guess!" Charlie sputtered, and before the other voice could even respond, the phone call was disconnected.
Heh. Me getting over that old fart?
Impossible.
Charlie knew he never got over his grandfather's disappearance. He knew that.
But it's been four years. He should have already gotten over it.
No, he knows why.
His grandfather vanishing isn't the same as if he were dead. He could be out there somewhere, doing god knows what. This unrelenting curiosity mixed with desperate delusions, it was no wonder why Charlie hasn't gotten over it.
Carmello Jones, on the other hand, was currently his only friend. Charlie, well…wasn't exactly very social. He knew how to talk to strangers well enough, a skill of his trade, but actually making friends was a massive problem for him.
Charlie allowed himself to drown in his own cycle of thoughts as he cleared out some of the furniture and the house, with the aid of Pokemon Movers of course. Most Pokemon Movers were naturally strong Pokemon like Machoke or Gurdurr, who helped move furniture.
After around four years of consistent working, Charlie could finally move out of this crappy apartment. It felt..surreal.
In the four years since his grandfather's disappearance, a lot has changed for him.
He never really got to fulfill his grandfather's final request for him, to well…make friends. He only has one currently, after all.
He personally thinks it can be chopped up to his nature as a psychic. Which is a very complicated and hush-shush topic in society as a whole right now. Charlie himself is a more "internal" psychic, which meant most of his psychic powers are dealing with his own mental state.
Being an "internal" psychic, something like telekinesis was stretching his limits.. He could do it, just not very well. "Internal" psychic abilities would be something like creating a "mental shield" to protect from forced entry into his own conscious by another psychic, or a technique which he calls "psychic reasoning".
Now, psychic reasoning sounds way cooler than it actually is. It's really just Charlie thinking of something "positive", and manifesting that positivity to calm himself down. Usually he will feel a warmth in his chest, or his previous anxiety fading out a bit.
Charlie considered himself to be an adept psychic. He was a Tier III Psychic, which was above average for his age.
As a scale of comparison, Will of the Indigo Elite Four is a Tier V Psychic and Sabrina is a Tier VI Psychic.
Charlie snapped himself from his own thoughts as he saw the door to his grandfather's old room.
His throat ran dry, as he twisted the doorknob.
The door swung open, revealing a dark, empty room.
Charlie walked through the room, clearing out some scrap paper, emptying the notebooks into a bag. He motioned for a Machoke to enter the room, and the fighting type quickly carried out the furniture.
He found himself just staring at the empty room. The windows were the only source of light, and he felt the bright Hoenn sun's reflection against the window shiningagainst him.
Charlie finally breathed a heavy sigh, before walking to the closet.
He emptied out all of the clothes, random objects, etc, throwing them all into a bag, and had one of the Mover Pokemon pick it up.
He crawled through stacks of clothes, notebooks, coloring books…
And when he emptied it all out, there was nothing left.
Well, until there was one thing left.
It was…a box. A safe, actually.
The fuck?
Charlie had never seen this safe before, nor did he think his grandfather even mentioned it.
The box was pitch black, but there was a note drilled into it, the initial "M.S" on the note.
M.S…Mark Samson.
Charlie analyzed the box, it was completely secure. There was a small, slidable keypad with the letters of your average keyboard on it.
Above the keypad was a small screen monitor, he clicked on the letter "A" on the keypad, and sure enough, the letter A appeared on the left of the monitor.
It's a passcode.
Charlie's curiosity was unrelenting, he needed to know the mysteries behind this box.
It seemed the passcode was a seven-letter code. What seven-letter code could his grandfather use as the passcode for a safe-
His eyes widened.
No fucking way.
Charlie's breath hitched, as he felt his fingers hover over the letters.
"C"
"H"
"A"
"R"
"L"
"I"
"E"
The monitor screen flashed green.
Fucking hell…old man, this is why I never allowed you to set your own passwords.
He questioned whether or not he should open the box, It was hidden for a reason after all. But his curiosity won out in the end. What would have been the point in unlocking if not to examine the contents? …Besides.. It wasn't like Gramps was here to stop him..
Charlie slammed the safe open.
He felt a wave of disappointment wash through him.
It's just… a black folder?
Charlie calmed himself, this folder could contain pivotal information to figuring out his grandfather's whereabouts.
He grabbed the pitch black folder, before unfolding it.
There were dozens of collages and images, captured moments of all of the times he'd spent with his grandfather. He flipped through all of them, trying his damndest to ignore the sudden dosage of nostalgia that flushed within his chest,from all of the photographs of his childhood.
After flipping through rows after rows of photos, he finally found it, buried under piles and piles of images.
Charlie, it's you who's reading this, isn't it?
Well met. By the time you are reading this, I've already disappeared.
My dear grandson, I'll be honest with you, I've been…withholding information from you all this time. There is so much you don't know. But I don't have the heart to tell you all of it. You have talent, Charlie. Talent that is being wasted. But, I…I want that talent to be wasted. As harsh as it may sound, Charlie, I'm a terrible mentor. I could've morphed you into an incredible trainer. You could've taken the world by storm. I know you can. But you don't understand the potential you withhold. So, I have one final ultimatum for you.
Either you continue pursuing a normal life, one where you can easily start a family and coast along, enjoying a peaceful existence full of joyous occasions and blissful ignorance.
Or
You can go to the address listed at the end of the note, continuing to pursue me, the craven old man who abandoned you because he was too weak, and pathetic, to the end of your days. Therer, you will meet danger after danger, calamity after calamity, never knowing when the long road ends.. You will obtain information that you wish you hadn't. You might finally know the true meaning behind my departure, but is it worth it? Only you can answer that.
Charlie, please. Choose what's right for you.
I specifically placed this note in this safe to delay you from obtaining it, even if deep down I knew you would eventually find it, and that you deserve to know at least this little. If you wish to know the full truth, even if it means risking your life and tossing aside your perfectly valid life, then so be it. I will never try to force you. I know you have it in you, but I don't have the heart to force you to.
But, most importantly, I wish for you to have people who you hold dear to. Charlie, I don't care if you continue pursuing your current ambitions, or if you continue pursuing me, all I want is for you to have people you love. People you love even more than me.
This is my final message to you. I…
I hope we never meet again.
Goodbye, Charlie.
Charlie gripped the note tightly, true to his word, the author.. His Grandfather.. left an address at the end of the note..
His heart pounded against his chest, and his eyes began to water.
"Fuck.."
He could've simply locked the safe away, never to be seen again. He could've continued his life in blissful ignorance, shifting his curiosity away. Doing everything he could to distract himself from thinking what might have been.
But he knew that he couldn't just leave it at that.
He didn't understand, what had his grandfather seen in him?
It sounded like the man knew something he didn't.
No, it didn't just sound like he knew something Charlie didn't, his grandfather was keeping secrets. He himself said so in his parting message.
Something was wrong with his grandfather, why wouldn't he tell him head-on? What was this deck of mysteries that he withdrew from him?
A storm brewed in his mind, the weak calming effects of psychic reasoning contributed nothing when his mind was being overrun with ideas and questions.
To his surprise, not a single tear even drew from him.
I guess a part of me got over it…
The more he thought about it, the more painful an ambiguous ending sounded to him. His unrelenting desire for a conclusion was irresistible. No matter how much "logic" he tried to beat into himself, he wanted to know. He needed to know.
So, Charlie was met with a dilemma.
Either pursue his grandfather blindly, or live in blissful ignorance.
Who do I have besides gramps?
Right. He didn't have anyone besides his own grandfather. He only had one "friend" present in his life.
The answer became more and more obvious for him.
Charlie gritted his teeth, as he sunk against his seat once again.
Fuck it. It shouldn't hurt to check the address out a bit, right?
Even if it may have seemed rash to make that decision instantaneously, Charlie already had a headache trying to digest all of the information from the final message, and he just wanted closure.
He would go to the address, and make his decision there.
Charlie slid out his phone, before typing the address into the search bar.
His eyes widened, as he read out the address.
It's located in the middle of FUCKING PETALBURG WOODS!?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rustboro City was somewhat close to Petalburg forest.
But even so, it would take an entire day of traveling just to reach the address listed under his grandfather's note.
Charlie ended up taking a psychic teleport pad from the Rustboro PokeCenter to a teleporting station right next to the bridge connecting route 104 to Rustboro.
It had cost him an unreasonably large sum of money, but it shortened his journey by around five hours of just walking through the absurdly large city of Rustboro.
The Hoenn heat was crushing him, every step felt like a slog.
Trainer season was drawing to a close, despite that, training supplies were still at a staggeringly high price. Charlie only nabbed some basic equipment before leaving.
Due to his status as a Pokemon Caretaker, he was able to nab himself a "Rental Pokemon''. Rental Pokemon are Pokemon specially trained to defend the client for a specific time at a price. He ended up renting a Mightyena, which was a very commonly rented Pokemon, to defend himself against the wild Pokemon in Petalburg Woods.
The directions in the message were simple, look for a cabin with an umbrella plastered on the side of the wall and a crooked door with a birdhouse located on the roof. Small cabins are fairly common in Petalburg woods, likely abandoned for bigger houses once industrialization rolled around, or were abandoned because of natural disasters.
Petalburg Woods was… very dimly lit. The thick trees covered up the sun a lot, but it also meant that bug Pokemon were rampant. Most of them were dissuaded by the Mightyena next to him, but as a psychic, he wasn't particularly fond of bug Pokemon.
Charlie avoided thinking about the potential consequences and the mysteries of his grandfather. It made him sick to his stomach thinking about the possible backlash of his actions.
He kept rereading the piece of paper, it was…so oddly structured, as if he was some sort of chosen one.
No, Charlie, stop it. You've been reading too many novels.
He flicked his hands before sliding the paper back into its folder and placing it back into his bag.
As he walked through the woods seamlessly, following the locations and directions listed in the message, he found himself absorbed and buried under his own thoughts and insecurities.
Whether it be about his past with his grandfather, his future, or the present, all of his deepest frights crept up onto his shoulder.
It was suffocating.
What if something terribly wrong happens? I should just walk home, burn this damned piece of paper, and never ever look back again. Do anything less and you will be compelled to risk your life over a man long gone.
But what didI ever have besides my grandpa? Could I really live with regret knowing that I will never know the truth behind his sudden absence?
Even so, should I really be risking my life like this? He said that if I were to indulge myself into seeking him out, there would be risks, and consequences…
Despite his doubts, Charlie gritted his teeth and moved on, scuffling through the bushes and thick leaves.
However, as he kept moving, his thoughts continued to stab him in the back as he further questioned what he was doing.
His insecurities were only exclaimed, when he saw it.
An abandoned cabin with an umbrella plastered next to it, a crooked door, and a random birdhouse on top of its roof.
He gulped.
From here, anything could happen. I don't know what the hell I'm going to find.
This could go horribly wrong.
Charlie, reconsider-
"No." Charlie said firmly, his hand twisting the doorknob as he firmly slammed it wide open.
"My own thoughts be damned." He swore, stepping into the cabin. It was completely empty, with only a few shelves, closet, flimsy doors, and the occasional desk.
Charlie slid out the note from the folder, and turned the page to its back.
Go to the bookshelf in the furthest left and move it out of the way, completely. You will find a large trapdoor.. Therein lies The Ruins.
I wish you luck, Charlie.
His hands quivered as he slipped the note back into the folder. He walked over to the bookshelf in the furthest left. It was abnormally large, perfect for hiding something like a secret entrance.
"Mightyena, return." Charlie called softly, and the rental pokemon was returned to its Pokeball.
Charlie wished he had rented a second Pokemon, because the bookshelves were so abnormally large to where it took him almost forty minutes just to move it completely.
Then, he saw it.
A trapdoor.
Leading to what was called "The Ruins" in his grandfather's final note.
Charlie opened the trapdoor, just halfway. He felt his breathing halt, as he looked down, and saw naught but what looked to be a bottomless pit.
No ladders, no stairs, or anything.
He fully opened the trapdoor, before sticking a part of his chest in, making sure to remain steady to avoid falling off.
As he edged closer, he made sure to stabilize himself.
Charlie felt his psychic senses perking, as his eyes loomed into the pit below. Arceus knows what would happen if he were to jump into the pit from this height.
His curiosity only grew, and he latched onto the trapdoor as he edged closer again-
Charlie felt his psychic shield suddenly shatter. His head throbbed, as he lost balance from the sharp pain caused by the sudden mental attack. Suddenly, he felt his entire body lunge into the pit, as if urged by a foreign power.
He was hurled into the hole, the only thing he saw was the rocky walls which surrounded him. His eyes widened in shock as he screamed, his cries of help echoing through the depths of the hole.
Fuck! I-I'm going to fall to my death…shit…shit…
He flipped himself over, he felt the rush of wind as he raced downwards. Eventually, he'd hit the bottom and perish-
But, to his surprise, he…
Suddenly stopped falling.
He was held mid-air by some sort of…psychic power.
The fuck…?
It was pitch black. He felt as if he was floating. He waved his arms around, and he felt his hands caress the rough surface of the walls surrounding him.
Intruder alert. Examination needed.
Charlie's breath hitched, as he finally saw light.
The walls which surrounded him suddenly quaked, as a massive hole was made in the middle of the wall, light illuminated from the hole. He then heard quaking and loud shuffling, his eyes widened in pure shock as a massive stone platform shot out from the ground, stopping right below Charlie.
He felt himself freed from telepathic control, landing on the rocky platform.
Charlie hastily turned to the hole which illuminated the light, "W-Who's there?!"
Examination complete.
Screening process will be initiated.
"W-who are you?!"
Charlie gaped in shock as a…Claydol suddenly appeared, leaving traces of psychic energy.
The Claydol spun its head around, "Follow me, human."
He felt reluctant, but was firmly pulled by a psychic energy and telepathically pushed from the platform which he stood on into the hole that Claydol had created.
"Welcome to the ruins, human."
"Oi- What the fuck is going on-"
"First screening begins now. Dodge to the best of your abilities."
Charlie's breath hitched, fear ran through his spine as Claydol seemed to charge up…
A hyper beam?
"Y-yo…you've got to be fucking kidding…right?" Charlie gasped in fear, "S-stop.. What.. why..-"
Charlie dashed to the left, as the Cladyol twisted its head around, charging up the hyper beam.
He ran for his life, but fear struck him as the Claydol reared its body back.
"Fuck!"
The beam of pure, shining energy illuminated the entire cavern. Charlie ran for his dear life, but his eyes widened as he saw the hyper beam edge closer and closer to him…
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