Work Text:
Brock- The MEMORIES
PRESENT
A taxi rushed down the streets of Pewter City. The young man sitting in the passengers seat peeked out of the window, looking at the stone grey City, with a smile on his face. The taxi stopped at the Pewter Gym. The man came out and stretched his arms, to get rid of the fatigue of a long journey.
“Time for the surprise.“, said he in a low voice.
Inside the Gym , Brock called back his Geodude in its Pokeball. He stood in the middle of the rocky battlefield, disfigured by their tough training session.
“You are getting better, Geodude. Perhaps you are ready for the next level.”, said Brock, motivating his Pokemon.
Brock turned back as the Gym's door opened slowly. The young man walked in, flashing his blue leather jacket. The two men gaze at each other.
“So you’re Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader. I have heard a lot about you, they call you the man with Rock-hard will. Are they right?”, said the man, kind of mocking at Brock.
“They are right about me being the Gym Leader, else I don't know. By the way, you didn’t gave your introduction.”, replied Brock in his usual serious tone.
The young man laughed at the reply. “Hahah... as I expected. You didn’t recognize me.” He removed his black sunglasses and gently placed it in his chest pocket. “Maybe this will help you, Brocky!”, He blinked his left eye.
Brock thought a moment before a glow of surprise covered his face.
“Liam! Is it you?”, he asked in a surprised, but happy voice.
“Now you got it.”
The two hug each other, feeling the warmth of a long awaited reunion.
“Where have you been? It has been 12 years.”, asked Brock.
“Come on, you know about it. I pursued my dreams. And see, I have achieved what I longed for.” He pulled out a Pokemon League Association ID from his pocket, displaying it with pride. “I got my commission last week, now I am an official Gym Inspector. But you don't need to be afraid, I’m not here for any inspection. “, he tried teasing Brock, expecting a mutual laugh. But, all he got from Brock is a mere smile.
Congratulations! I am happy for you, my friend.”, Brock replied, sticking to his serious demeanour.
Liam got a little surprised at his friend’s different behaviour, different from how he had known him.
“Yeah!...Me too, Brocky. You also fulfilled your dream. You always wanted to be a Gym Leader, just like your Dad.”, said Liam in a hope of cheering his friend. Although, it only helped in bringing back Brock's memories, that he never enjoyed.
“You are right. I wanted to be Gym Leader, I have even became one. But the meaning of this is no more the same to me.”, said Brock in deep voice.
A brief moment of silence followed the statement, until Liam broke the silence, “What happened Brock? You don’t seem to be happy... What do you mean by a change? What has changed?”, Liam asked.
“Everything has changed Liam. At least for me.”, said Brock in a cold voice that Liam is still not used to. “You want to know what happened?”, asked Brock to Liam. He didn’t answer, but Brock took his silence as a ‘yes'.
Brock led Liam to the small room at the back of the Gym. “You live here?”, asked Liam, examining the room that contained a single bed, a dining table with two chairs and a small handy kitchen. All in the same small room.
“Yes. When I am not at the Gym.”, replied Brock, directing his friend to one of the chairs beside the dining table. He pulled the other chair and sat down, facing him.
He sighs before beginning his narration, “You know, 12 years is a long time. It can be an ally or an enemy. I am confused what it has been to me.” He looks up at Liam, who is still gazing at him. “You remember, we used to play a lot in the Gym when dad was not around?”
“Of course, those are some of the best memories of mine. Hah... childhood. No tension, no worries and no orders from Boss.”, he says and chuckles, but Brock returns just a smile.
“Yes, those memories are precious. We had so much fun together. I used to spend my whole day here, at the Gym, watching Dad take Gym challenges. I admired him a lot. When Mom used to scold me I used to hide behind Dad.”, he pauses to sigh, “But situations never be the same always. I think, they turned against me that day.”
FLASHBACK
A young Brock (10 yrs), running hurriedly through the streets of Pewter City, approached a young Liam (10 yrs), who waited anxiously for his friend. Liam got overjoyed on seeing Brock, who stopped just before him, breathing heavy after the long run.
“You are always late. I thought I would have to go without meeting you.”, complained Liam to Brock.
“Come on, I thought I would meet you at your home.”, Brock gave his argument. “Anyways, good luck for your journey, Liam"
“Thanks a lot. I’ll soon return after becoming a great trainer. Pewter will be proud of me!”, Liam said with a sparkle in his eyes.
“Yeah, and I will become a Gym Leader and then we will see who is stronger.”, Brock said with a challenging and cheerful tone, completely different from the one he has developed since then.
“Of course, but you won’t be able to beat me Brocky!”, Liam teased Brock and blinked his left eye before leaving on his journey.
PRESENT
“I remember, we promised to meet upon becoming stronger.”, Liam interrupted Brock, in a still cheerful voice.
Brock smiled slightly at the comment and continued his narration, feeling no need to reply. “That was about a month after you left. My Dad went to the Mt. Moon on an educational tour that was organised by PLA (Pokemon League Association) for students, meant to teach them about Pokemon in their natural habitats.”, he paused for a brief moment to recollect his memories. “He was about to return that day. I felt bored waiting for him at home, so I went to the park. I returned when I felt he would have arrived, but...”
FLASHBACK
Brock, while happily returning home, heard his mother crying.
“It can’t be true! How did this happen?!”, said his mother, weeping over a dead body covered by a blanket. A few PLA officials stand around her.
“We are extremely sorry to say, but he is no more. It is the truth and you need to accept it.”, said a PLA official, trying to console her.
“I asked how did this happen? Were you not following the safety measures?”, she asked, arguing with the officials.
“Mam, everything was under control till that Onix appeared. It hit the overhanging boulders and some of them broke. He was crushed beneath the...”, the official is interrupted by Brock's mother.
“No!”, she screamed, “What will I tell Brock?”
She continued weeping as the young Brock stood outside the door, listening to the terrifying news, shocked and absorbed in sorrow.
PRESENT
“I could never gather the courage to look at his corpse.”, Brock stopped as Liam began to say something, which he couldn’t utter being moved by the revelation. Brock continued, finding him not saying anything.
“That was the mere beginning. The Gym got closed and we were left to survive on the monthly allowance from PLA. At first, it was enough. But, as they say, problems never come alone.”, Brock paused to take breath.
“Mom once went to the hospital for a check up, after she coughed blood. She was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. She tried really hard to hide her pain. She was a brave lady, probably having a Rock-hard will. She fought it, tried her best to defeat it... but it won. She soon was confined to her bed. Most of the allowance was spent on her treatment. I did anything that I could do to fill our tummies. From hawking newspapers to polishing shoes, but...”
FLASHBACK
Teen Brock (14 yrs) entered his mother’s room with a bowl of porridge in his hands. He looks at her mother, sleeping in her bed. The cancer and its treatment has made her weak and thin. Brock placed the bowl on the table beside her bed.
“Wake up, Mom. Have some breakfast, then you need to have your medicine.”, Brock called his mother.
She woke up with a start, turns her pale face to see her son and gave a weak smile. Brock helped her sit straight.
“Brock, my sweetie. Are you leaving for work.” She places her feeble hand on his cheek and kisses his forehead.
“Yes Mom, shortly.”, he replied, handing her the bowl. “Have your breakfast, Mom, and take rest. We have tomorrow’s appointment with the doctor.”
“I remember my child. Take care of yourself.”, his mother said as he went to the door to leave.
“Okay, Goodbye Mom. I will be back soon. Don’t forget to have your medicines on time.”, he reminded his mother as he left.
PRESENT
“That was the last time I heard her voice. I thought I lost everything. I felt alone. I found no point in living. What is the worth of achievements if there is nobody to recognise them, if nobody feels proud for them? What is happiness if I can't share it with my loved ones? If I become a Gym Leader, who will be with me? ...But, I decided to be a Gym Leader. Not because I felt proud or happy, but to get back the place where I spent the happiest time of my life. This Gym houses the most precious memories of my life that I want to live with, forever.”, he ended his narration.
Liam, moved enough to be unable to speak, looked up at Brock’s face to find it still expressionless. He has really changed. The circumstances have changed him. He has risen above pride and fame. He has got to know the real wealth- feelings, that are well preserved in his MEMORIES.
He got startled by the alarm clock. They both looked at the digital clock, displaying 2:00.
“See, how quickly the time passed.”, Brock said lightly. “You would be hungry, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”, said Liam, nodding in affirmative. Brock got up to head towards the kitchen part of his room, about to prepare lunch for them. Liam sat wondering about what he heard in the past hour.
NOT THE END...