Story Notes:
If you're thinking, 'Where have all the reviews gone!? WTF happened?' well it was due to an error, you see when the change over happened from the old AGNPH to the new one happened, I had to add my Co-authors back on, seeing as it took them off for some unknown reason. Anyway, when that happened, 2 copies of this story were made. I tried to delete the one without co-authors but when I did, it also deleted the other one, leaving me with no copies of blood and love, so yeah, have to re-upload. This is a pain in the ass but I heard that there was a problem with the text in all the older stories that made the text all glitchy, so maybe it was for the best that I re-uploaded it. Fortunatly, 'Blood and love' over at FanFiction isn't fucked up so that should make things easier. Also I've now noticed theres a duplicate 'Blood and love' story floating around, why this has happened I have no idea but I'm gonna try get it deleted. Oh, hears the stats for the story before it got wiped out.Views: 26,000Rating: 4.5Reviews: 59Oh, disclaimer. Yeah, Pokemon, I don't own it and I don't intend to make a profit out of it. This was done just for fun.
The truth hurts.
Ethan prepared himself for how Richard would react; he took out a brown blank envelope from his pocket and handed it to Richard.
He stared at the envelope now in his hands, wondering what horrible information it would contain that may destroy him emotionally.
He slowly opened it to reveal some white papers which he then took out and examined. He couldn't believe it; the paper he was holding in his hand had information on his father, and a picture.
He was a lot different than he expected, he looked overweight and his red hair was all messed up, there was something about his face that Richard just hated, he only thought it to be a reaction to him leaving him or dying.
He looked at the list of information below the picture.
First Name: William
Middle name(s): Michael
Last name: Taylor
Age: 49
Eye color: Green
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Weight: 350 IBS (Last time measured)
Current location of residence: Hoenn, Rustboro city outskirts.
Known background information: Born in Johto, Goldenrod city and later joined Johto's army at the age of 18, discharged for disorderly conduct shortly afterward. Later arrested for burglary, assault and arson. Moved to Hoenn at the age of 39.
Status: Alive.
Other information: Medically classified alcoholic, also with a violent tendency. (According to Goldenrod police)
Richard shifted the papers around in his hand and found a similar paper, only this time it was information on his mother. He looked at the picture of the young woman with short brown hair before reading the paper.
First name: Mia
Middle name(s): (No classified name)
Last name: Thompson
Age: 24 (before deceased)
Eye color: Blue
Height: 5 ft 4 in
Weight: 150 IBS (before deceased)
Current location of residence: (INVALID)
Known background information: Born in Johto, Azalea town. Worked as a trainer at the local poke gym before meeting William Michael Taylor. Later died in child birth.
Status: Deceased.
Richard's eyes widened, 'Did my father blame me? Is that why he put me in an orphanage?' he thought to himself. He had to know more now, he couldn't leave it to eat slowly away at him, he needed answers and to get those answers, he had to talk to his father, although he knew it wasn't going to end well. Just a feeling.
"Hey, can we go there?" Richard asked whilst pointing to the text on William's location.
Ethan knew that Richard would want to know more. "Yeah, when do you want to go?" Ethan asked.
Richard felt like saying 'Now' but he knew it was too late to travel there today. He wanted answers and wanted them now though. "Tomorrow." Richard stated. He hoped that Ethan wouldn't say 'no'.
"Tomorrow it is then, I'm sorry to drop this on you." Ethan said with sympathy included. "It's fine ... I wanted to know. Thank you." Richard slowly said along with a struggle to smile.
"Don't mention it; are you and Tera coming to watch something?" Ethan said as he tried to move onto a more pleasant subject.
"Yeah, that and we're going to get something to eat." Richard replied as he gave a small smile, trying to lighten up his own mood.
"Ah, I'll cook you both something up." Ethan said, he hated to admit it but he was actually a really damn good cook.
"Thanks, I'll be on the couch if you need me." Richard said as he left the kitchen. Ethan nodded in response but understood why he would want to stay by himself or think for a moment.
Richard looked around; he could see the Zangoose on the couch but Tera was not there. He then guessed that she was still in the shower. Richard headed for his room, he didn't know why, but it just felt like something was missing. Something that was important.
Emphasis on the word, 'Was'.
He walked into his room and his eyes scanned the room, he saw his combat knife on the bedside table, his eyes then went down to his boot almost as if to confirm what he was seeing. "Huh, that's strange." Richard said to himself.
He never forgotten to take his combat knife with him, not since he became a mercenary, it had almost become a routine for him. Why he would forget now was a mystery to him. He picked it up but stopped himself from slotting it into his boot.
There was something more to this than just forgetfulness, Richard just didn't know what, and maybe it was a sign that he was forgetting his old life, or maybe it was just him over thinking things again. Possibly both.
He thought about why he would even be looking for his combat knife, it's not like they were in any danger right now. He placed his combat knife back on the bedside table and left the room. He walked back downstairs and sat on the other couch and watched the news with the Zangoose.
He just watched dull people talk; his ears didn't even process half of the things they were saying as he thought about everything, about his father, about those cop killers, and about his and Tera's future together.
He was so deep into his own thoughts that he didn't even notice that Ethan sitting on the other couch with the Zangoose, but he did notice one thing, one of the news reporters talking on the TV.
"Casualties were massive on both sides as the army tried to repel a attack carried out by Silas' private army of slavers. Vermillion City is now a shadow of its former glory, the slavers made off with over half of the city's population before the army could react." The reporter said as pictures of burned down and blown up buildings were shown.
"Silas, that fucking bastard." Richard said with a burning hate in his voice which caught the attention of both Ethan and the Zangoose. Every time Richard heard that name it made him wish that those two bullets that struck Silas' arm had hit his head.
"You really hate him don't you?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, the fucker deserves to die. I just wish that my bullets had blown his brains out." Richard said, his voice still containing the hatred.
Ethan was a little confused. "I'm I missing something here?"
"I was on a mission to take him out, I had him in my sights and the fucker got away. He must have thought I was dead when his knife slashed down my chest, I was down on the ground and bleeding badly but I managed to shoot him twice in the arm before he got away. Most of the missions I have been on have been to take out some shady gangs, slavers and criminals that were all supplied with weapons, men and equipment by Silas. If I had killed him, this wouldn't have happened and the world would be a much more peaceful place. But now it seems that even the army isn't a match for him, that man has to die." Richard angrily said as he looked to see Ethan's and the Zangoose's surprised expressions. It seemed that every mission was somehow connected to Silas, the man was pure evil.
Ethan had no idea that Richard had a past with Silas, he had never heard of somebody actually facing him and living to tell about it. "Don't kick yourself over something that isn't your fault, you were wounded and bleeding, there's not much you could have done, besides I think that your the only person in the world that actually managed shoot him and that's gotta count for something." Ethan said in an attempt to make him feel better, he thought that Richard must feel like shit now, first he knows that his father is alive and his mother died giving birth to him and now he thinks that he could have prevented an attack that ended so many people's lives.
Richard knew that it wasn't really his fault, it was Silas' fault, he ordered his men to attack Vermillion, not him. He still felt like he could have done something about it though. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I still want him dead."
"Who doesn't?" Ethan asked rhetorically.
Richard heard foot steps coming down the staircase and he looked around to see Tera walking over to him. Tera lay down on the couch he was on and rested her head on his lap. "Hey, what are we watching?" Tera said happily.
"Oh, just some news stuff." Richard replied with a smile. It was amazing how fast she could make him forget about everything else in the world, he had almost forgotten what he was talking to Ethan about.
Ethan noticed the look of happiness on their faces, he was surprised at how quickly Richard's mood changed.
The Zangoose smiled at the sight of the cuddling human and Lucario, they looked so happy together. She wondered if Tera had finally told him how she feels about him.
Hours passed and Richard and Tera had something to eat and soon found themselves back in Tera's bedroom. Tera remembered that Ethan wanted to talk to him about something. "Did you find out what Ethan wanted to talk about?" Tera asked.
Richard let out a sigh, he dreaded the thought of waking up in the morning and meeting his father for the first time in his life. "Yes, Ethan gave me information on my ... my parents." Richard said painfully.
Tera's ears perked up. "He did? What happened?"
Richard took a deep breath as he began to explain what he had just heard himself. "I found out that my mother died in child birth and my father is still alive in the outskirts of Rustboro city." Richard said as he looked down to the floor.
Tera could see the pain in his face, she couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. "What are you going to do?" Tera asked in a sympathetic tone.
Richard had thought about it and he knew what he was going to do, but he didn't know if he had the mental strength to go through with it. "I'm going to find him and I'm going to get answers, Ethan has agreed to take me to Rustboro ... but I don't think I can do this alone ... will you come with me Tera?" Richard asked.
Tera didn't have to even think about her answer. "Of course I will." Tera said as she placed her paw on his shoulder.
Richard placed his hand over her paw, knew he could rely on her. "Thank you." He said as he smiled faintly. "Come on, lets get some sleep." Richard said while slipping under the covers of the bed. Tera did the same and wrapped her arms around Richard. They wanted to make love but they knew that Ethan and the Zangoose would probably hear them, so they just held each other closely and gently stroked and kissed until they fell asleep happily in each other's arms.
9AM.
The sun shone through the window and onto the sleeping man and Lucario. Tera's eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up and smiled at her man.
Richard awoke shortly after she sat up, he saw the bright smile an her face and smiled back, but then he quickly remembered what day it was. It's the day he finds out everything about his parents, the day he confronts his farther.
Tera saw the look of depression on his face, she wanted to comfort him. "Are you okay Richard?" Tera asked.
"Ugh, I'm fine. I just don't know what to expect from my father but I have a feeling that I wont find anything good. He's got a criminal record and I don't know him, I have to be ready for anything." Richard said as he looked at his hand that was balled up into a fist.
"You don't think he will attack you, do you?" Tera asked concernedly.
A tear fell down Richard's face. He knew that something bad was inevitable and didn't want to tell Tera. Tera did see the tear and wiped it off of his face, comforting him just a tad.
"I don't know, but if he does..." Richard trailed off as he began thinking about all the different situations that could occur. "I just hope I get the answers I'm looking for, after that I don't care what happens to him." Richard added.
"What if he wants to see you again?" Tera asked.
"Well then he had better have a damn good excuse for stuffing me in an orphanage. Come on, Ethan is probably waiting for us downstairs." Richard mumbled in a low tone.
A few minutes later and Richard and Tera were in the back of Ethan's car, on their way to Richard's farther. The more Richard thought about his father the more it pissed him off. Questions kept voicing themselves in his head.
'Why the fuck did he leave me? What kind of fuck up is he? What will he think of me and Tera?' The last question he thought about the most. He didn't care if his 'father' didn't approve, its not like he was ever there for him but still, he couldn't get it out of his head.
The car came to a halt. Richard's heart beat increased, due to the nervousness of meeting his father. "We're here. I'll wait for you two in the car." Ethan stated.
Richard nodded to Ethan before opening the car door and closing it behind him. Tera was by his side, and that gave him the strength to walk up to the cottage that he saw ahead of them. This was it, now he find's out just why he had to live a life of physical pain and loneliness.
He couldn't say that he would rather his farther have raised him knowing his criminal record but still, he had to know. Richard and Tera both walked up to the cottage, Tera looked around her, and the forest was such a calming place even when it was covered in snow. Richard stepped up to the door. "Well... shit, I guess this is it then." He said to himself as he knocked on the door three times.
An overweight man with short messy red hair answered the door dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans. "What the fuck do you want?" The man angrily barked.
'What the fuck do you want?' Richard couldn't believe it, he had thought about this man all his life and the first thing he heard from him was 'What the fuck do you want?'. "Answers, thats what I want." Richard angrily said as visions of him smashing his farther in his face rapidly played in his mind.
"Answers? Who the fuck are you to want answers from me?"
"Who am I?" Richard repeated. "Who am I?" he repeated again, this time with a maniacal laugh that scared Tera. "I'M YOUR FUCKING SON YOU DICKHEAD!" Richard shouted as loud as he could. "NOW GIVE ME THE ANSWERS I WANT!"
The man looked startled for a second. "You're my son? You're still alive?" the man asked his voice now calm and bewildered at the same time.
"Yeah, bet you didn't expect that did you? Now tell me, why did you leave me to rot in some shitty little orphanage in Johto?" Richard asked, his voice engulfed in anger.
"I knew I wasn't going to be a good father, besides I never wanted you, it was your mother that wanted you, not me." The man stated with a chuckle and his voice eerily calm and cold.
"That's your excuse? You didn't want me so you just threw me in some orphanage, that place was a fucking death sentence! Nobody came out of their with any hopes or dreams, we we're fed only what we needed to survive, and the brightest future ahead of us was living with a gang and hoping that you don't get killed by one of their rivals!" Richard could feel the rage rising inside him.
"I don't care." The man said bluntly while folding his arms.
Tera was shocked; this man had no regrets about leaving his son, the man she loved. How anybody could leave such a sweet and caring person behind was a mystery to her. "You're a monster." Tera said with hatred.
The man's head turned to the Lucario. "Is my son some shitty little Pokemon trainer?" the man asked calmly.
"I'm a deputy. What are you? Some washed up drug addict? You certainly look like one." Richard replied snappily with a chuckle.
"And what the hell is your little blue friend doing here?" The man asked, keeping his eerily calm, cold tone.
"She's my..." Richard didn't know what to say. He stopped for a moment. What should he say? My Partner? My Girlfriend? My Lover? My Soul mate? "My... Soul mate." Richard stated.
A surprised expression spread across the man's face "Soul mate? Your in love with a fucking dog?"
Richard couldn't contain his anger any longer. He clenched his fist in complete anger and took a deep breath. He looked at the person who didn't even to be deserved to be called his father.
He raised his fist. His fist then connected with his father's jaw and he watched him stumble and fall to the wooden floor of the cottage.
The man looked up at his son, stunned that the little fucker had the balls to punch him. "You little shit!" He said as he reached for something behind him. The item gleamed.
Richard rushed over to the downed man just as he pulled out a revolver, he managed to grab his father's hand in which he was holding the gun and quickly push it upwards towards the ceiling just as he fired the first round.
Richard brought down his fist on his father's face twice as he twisted the gun out of his father's hand. Richard now held the gun to his father's head; he saw the look of shock and fear in his father's eyes.
Richard weighed the gun in his hands, without moving it. He took a quick glance and quickly noted it as a Colt .45.
His whole body yelled to pull the trigger, to save his life and all the people he had hated. His father's eyes opened, with adrenaline flowing through his body.
Tera watched in horror as the man she loves, was about to kill his own father. She ran up to him and begged, "Please don't do it. He isn't worth it."
The temptation to just spray is father's brains on the floor were great but he didn't do it, he wasn't the killer he was trained to be when Tera begged him.
Richard slammed the handle of the revolver onto his father's nose which than started to bleed profusely; he then raised the revolver again and brought it down sharply onto his father's forehead. Richard now looked down onto his fathers bleeding unconscious form.
"RICHARD!" Tera called out as she opened her eyes, to see him, his father bleeding, and the cottage.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Richard reassured her as he slowly stood up.
"Richard! Tera!" Ethan shouted out as he ran into the cottage and saw Richard holding a revolver and a man on the floor bleeding from his forehead and nose. "What the hell happened here?" Ethan asked.
"He pulled a gun out on me so I knocked him out." Richard stated plainly while showing him the revolver in his hand.
"He was going to shoot his own son?" Ethan asked in shock.
"Yeah, he didn't care if I was alive or dead, he never did." Richard said, now in a depressed state.
"Are you both okay?" Ethan asked,
"I'm fine." Richard replied.
"So am I." Tera said.
"Good, I'll see if I can get any of the cops from this town to arrest this man. Will you two watch him while I go get them?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, just don't take too long." Richard said as he looked down to the unconscious man on the floor.
He still had the gun in his hands and wanted to blow his brains out of his skull and stab him multiple times. The taste and sight of blood fuelled him, only his love for Tera stopped it.
"Alright, I'll be right back." Ethan said as he ran outside the cottage and to his car.
Richard and Tera could hear the car starting and driving off; Richard stuffed the revolver into his pocket. Richard looked around the cottage, it was a dump, beer cans and playing cards were scattered on the floor, the couch was green or at least it looked green but it was hard to tell with about fifty different stains covering it, there was a table and a small sized TV in front of the couch.
Richard saw a framed photograph on the table which looked out of place in the room. He picked up, it was a picture of his mother, he remembered his father saying that it was her that wanted to keep him, and he wondered if she was any different than his father.
He didn't know why but he felt like there was something more to this photograph. Tera looked on as Richard took apart the frame and held the picture of his mother in his hands. He looked on the back of the picture and his eyes widened as he saw the small message left on the back of it.
'Richard, the doctors tell me that I won't survive giving birth to you but I don't care. Your father wanted me to get an abortion but I won't do it. I want you to know that I love you and I will always watch over you. Don't ever feel alone, find happiness and live your life.
-Mia, your mother.'
Richard's eyes leaked with tears, all these years he had thought that she had left him but now he knows that she willingly gave her life so that he could live. He felt his throat tightening as tears flowed down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor from his chin. He breathed in deeply as Tera approached him.
She didn't know what had came over him, all she saw was the man she loved in great emotional pain, and it reminded her of her the night she lost her clan. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly; Richard did the same although the tears did not stop flowing.
For Richard it felt like all of the pain and suffering both emotional and physical was being slowly drained out of him as he held Tera closely and cried his heart out. "Sh-she gave her life for me." Richard blubbered as he sniffed slightly.
"And I never knew!" Richard felt like he was swallowing a brick as he cried into Tera's fur. She had never seen Richard let out this kind of emotion ever. She frowned and her ears flattened. All she could do was comfort him as long as she could.
As a mercenary Richard was trained to be a hardened killing machine but all that training just broke away when he found that note on the back of the picture left by his mother, Mia.
Richard cried out all the pain inside him until there was nothing left, the thing that hurt him the most was knowing that he has a mother that loves him but knowing that a picture would be the closest that he would ever get to her, he would never get to know what she liked or hated or anything else about her.
But at least he knew that he was wanted after all and he wasn't just some mistake. Richard cried until he couldn't cry anymore, he was thankful that Tera was there for him, he was thankful that she comforted him when he needed it most.
Richard let go of Tera and wiped away and tears that were still trailing down his face. Richard thought that he must look like a real mess to Tera. "I'm sorry." Richard said weakly.
Tera gave a heavenly smile and wiped away one tear that was still trailing down his face. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She sincerely said.
A smile grew on Richard's face, Tera always made him feel better when he was depressed or sad about something. Richard looked at the door leading to another room in the cottage; he assumed it was the bedroom. "Can you watch him while I take a look a look around?" Richard asked whilst pointing to the unconscious man.
"Okay." Tera answered sweetly.
Richard walked over to the door that probably led to the bedroom and slowly opened it. He looked around the room; he saw three beds each with a double barrelled shotgun besides them, a window and a large wardrobe. Richard could clearly see something wasn't right here, he guessed that if there were three beds then their owners would probably show up too.
He walked over to the shotguns and checked their barrels, they were all loaded, and he took out their shells and placed them back next to their beds. Richard's eyes then went to the wardrobe; he opened it and instantly wished he hadn't.
He saw a green jacket with an emblem on its shoulder, a customized knife colored in black with a golden Seviper wrapped around its handle on a white background. Richard knew that emblem well and he knew the customized knife even better, the emblem was a symbol of part of Silas' private army, the slavers.
"shit... my father is a fucking slaver." Richard angrily whispered to himself. He noticed that there was only one jacket in the closet which meant that either the other two are either wearing theirs or they are just grunts but either way, this situation was fucked up.
Richard took the revolver out of his pocket and pulled the black pin under its barrel to check the cylinder. 5 rounds left, he pushed the cylinder back into the revolver which then made a little metallic click.
Tera looked to the door and saw Richard, who now had a look of disgust on his face, walking out of the bedroom. "Are you okay Richard?" Tera asked.
Richard looked over to Tera then back down to the unconscious man on the floor. "I can't believe that I'm related to this ... thing. This slaver."
Tera had a shocked expression on her face. "He's a slaver?" she asked.
"Yeah and there's three bed's in that room. That means that they're probably going to show up soon, and we'll have to be ready for them." Richard said as he looked down to the revolver in his hand.
Tera was worried for Richard; he had almost got himself killed trying to save her and that was only 2 days ago. "Richard, promise me that you won't get yourself hurt again." Tera said, her voice filled with concern.
Richard looked back up to Tera, he could understand that she was worried about him; he was worried about her too. "Don't worry; everything's going to be alright. I promise." Richard said as he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead.
Hearing Richard say that made her feel safer, but then she heard something. Shouting.
Richard heard it too; he quickly made his way over to the bedroom window. He saw to men shouting at each other, coming from the snow covered forest at the back of the cabin.
Although they were far away Richard could still clearly see that they were wearing slaver jackets, he looked at their hands but he could see no visible weapons but he guessed that they were carrying revolvers too.
Richard knew what he was going to do, wait till they were fully out in the open and then arrest them, or at least try to. Although he felt like just shooting them right there, he had to remember that he was still a deputy and then meant he had to try to take them alive.
"Tera, stay here. I have to stop these men, but I'll be right back. I promise." Richard stated as he stroked the side of her beautiful face, he hoped he could live up to his promise.
"I'm not leaving you Richard, I'm coming with you." Tera said.
Richard didn't know how to feel, happy knowing that she would willingly follow him into danger to protect him or terrified knowing that he could loose her because she followed him.
He knew that he would never be able to change her mind, if she asked him to stay behind in a situation like this so she could fight off the two men on her own, he wouldn't. "Come on then, let's take these guys down!" Richard said with confidence despite how he really felt, terrified.
Richard and Tera quickly exited the cabin and made their way around the side of the house. They both pressed their backs to the log walls of the cabin, Richard was taking point. He heard the shouts getting louder.
"You fucking knob head, if you had taken him alive you could have gotten about ten grand! Do you know how much good fighters are worth down in the yard?" One voice shouted.
"He was too fucking good! If I didn't shoot him he would have ripped my fucking throat out!" Another voice replied.
Their voices sounded close, Richard quickly turned to Tera and whispered. "Now."
Richard snapped around the corner of the cabin and leveled his gun at one man and Tera moved besides him and lit up with some kind of blue energy, her aura. "Police! Freeze!" Richard shouted.
The men looked in shock as they saw a man with a gun and an angry looking Lucario. The slavers were both out in the open with no visible cover. Both men reached for their guns, Richard saw this and instantly fired upon one man.
There was a loud bang and the slaver gripped his shoulder and he felt the bullet shattering the bone but he still stood. Richard fired another two rounds into his right leg, the first bullet hit the slaver's thigh and the second bullet was lodged into the slaver's kneecap.
The slaver collapsed in the snow, shouting in pain. Richard shifted his aim and saw the other slaver aiming a 9mm semi-auto pistol directly at him. Richard suddenly saw a flash of blue energy as an aura sphere was launched at the slaver.
The slaver dived to his left, he felt the heat of the aura sphere passing over him, he hit the snowy ground and shot at the Lucario and man. A bullet struck the wall of the cabin just besides Richard's head; he ducked down and grabbed Tera by the arm to drag her back into cover.
Tera looked at Richard as if asking him, 'What do we do now?' Richard just stayed behind the wooden wall of the cabin, until he heard the slaver crying out in agony.
Richard didn't know if it was the slaver that he had hit that was crying out in pain or the other one, the cries and shouts of pain filled the air for a solid five seconds, after that there was nothing but silence. Richard took a quick glance around the corner, he saw the downed slaver that he shot with a look of shock on his face.
Richard looked to the left and couldn't believe what he saw, the other slaver was now a corpsical, and he was frozen solid. The frozen slaver looked as if he was grabbing his chest with one hand and aiming his gun at something with the other hand.
Richard saw something running towards the frozen man, something small and blue, it kind of looked like a fox but he couldn't make it out properly. The blue fox thing jumped up at the frozen man and bit into his neck, Richard heard both the crunching of ice and the slaver's wind pipe. The slaver's neck shattered and his head fell onto the snowy ground and split in two, releasing tiny pink ice shards.
The fox like creature then looked directly over to Richard with its big blue eyes. Richard didn't move but he gripped his gun tightly, ready for anything it tries. The creature then entered what looked like a defensive stance, like Richard, it was ready for anything he tries.
Richard knew what this type of Pokemon was although it looked different than the others he had seen, it's a Glaceon. Its body seemed a lighter color of blue than he saw on the others during his travels and battles but that didn't matter now.
The Glaceon stared at the human and his gun, it had heard him say that he was with the police but didn't know if that was true. They stared at each other until they heard a metallic sliding sound, The sound of the slide on a 9mm pistol being pulled back to load one bullet in the chamber.
The Glaceon looked to its left to see the downed slaver pulling up his gun towards its head. The Glaceon was caught off guard and soon a gunshot rang out throughout the landscape.
He stared at the envelope now in his hands, wondering what horrible information it would contain that may destroy him emotionally.
He slowly opened it to reveal some white papers which he then took out and examined. He couldn't believe it; the paper he was holding in his hand had information on his father, and a picture.
He was a lot different than he expected, he looked overweight and his red hair was all messed up, there was something about his face that Richard just hated, he only thought it to be a reaction to him leaving him or dying.
He looked at the list of information below the picture.
First Name: William
Middle name(s): Michael
Last name: Taylor
Age: 49
Eye color: Green
Height: 5 ft 10 in
Weight: 350 IBS (Last time measured)
Current location of residence: Hoenn, Rustboro city outskirts.
Known background information: Born in Johto, Goldenrod city and later joined Johto's army at the age of 18, discharged for disorderly conduct shortly afterward. Later arrested for burglary, assault and arson. Moved to Hoenn at the age of 39.
Status: Alive.
Other information: Medically classified alcoholic, also with a violent tendency. (According to Goldenrod police)
Richard shifted the papers around in his hand and found a similar paper, only this time it was information on his mother. He looked at the picture of the young woman with short brown hair before reading the paper.
First name: Mia
Middle name(s): (No classified name)
Last name: Thompson
Age: 24 (before deceased)
Eye color: Blue
Height: 5 ft 4 in
Weight: 150 IBS (before deceased)
Current location of residence: (INVALID)
Known background information: Born in Johto, Azalea town. Worked as a trainer at the local poke gym before meeting William Michael Taylor. Later died in child birth.
Status: Deceased.
Richard's eyes widened, 'Did my father blame me? Is that why he put me in an orphanage?' he thought to himself. He had to know more now, he couldn't leave it to eat slowly away at him, he needed answers and to get those answers, he had to talk to his father, although he knew it wasn't going to end well. Just a feeling.
"Hey, can we go there?" Richard asked whilst pointing to the text on William's location.
Ethan knew that Richard would want to know more. "Yeah, when do you want to go?" Ethan asked.
Richard felt like saying 'Now' but he knew it was too late to travel there today. He wanted answers and wanted them now though. "Tomorrow." Richard stated. He hoped that Ethan wouldn't say 'no'.
"Tomorrow it is then, I'm sorry to drop this on you." Ethan said with sympathy included. "It's fine ... I wanted to know. Thank you." Richard slowly said along with a struggle to smile.
"Don't mention it; are you and Tera coming to watch something?" Ethan said as he tried to move onto a more pleasant subject.
"Yeah, that and we're going to get something to eat." Richard replied as he gave a small smile, trying to lighten up his own mood.
"Ah, I'll cook you both something up." Ethan said, he hated to admit it but he was actually a really damn good cook.
"Thanks, I'll be on the couch if you need me." Richard said as he left the kitchen. Ethan nodded in response but understood why he would want to stay by himself or think for a moment.
Richard looked around; he could see the Zangoose on the couch but Tera was not there. He then guessed that she was still in the shower. Richard headed for his room, he didn't know why, but it just felt like something was missing. Something that was important.
Emphasis on the word, 'Was'.
He walked into his room and his eyes scanned the room, he saw his combat knife on the bedside table, his eyes then went down to his boot almost as if to confirm what he was seeing. "Huh, that's strange." Richard said to himself.
He never forgotten to take his combat knife with him, not since he became a mercenary, it had almost become a routine for him. Why he would forget now was a mystery to him. He picked it up but stopped himself from slotting it into his boot.
There was something more to this than just forgetfulness, Richard just didn't know what, and maybe it was a sign that he was forgetting his old life, or maybe it was just him over thinking things again. Possibly both.
He thought about why he would even be looking for his combat knife, it's not like they were in any danger right now. He placed his combat knife back on the bedside table and left the room. He walked back downstairs and sat on the other couch and watched the news with the Zangoose.
He just watched dull people talk; his ears didn't even process half of the things they were saying as he thought about everything, about his father, about those cop killers, and about his and Tera's future together.
He was so deep into his own thoughts that he didn't even notice that Ethan sitting on the other couch with the Zangoose, but he did notice one thing, one of the news reporters talking on the TV.
"Casualties were massive on both sides as the army tried to repel a attack carried out by Silas' private army of slavers. Vermillion City is now a shadow of its former glory, the slavers made off with over half of the city's population before the army could react." The reporter said as pictures of burned down and blown up buildings were shown.
"Silas, that fucking bastard." Richard said with a burning hate in his voice which caught the attention of both Ethan and the Zangoose. Every time Richard heard that name it made him wish that those two bullets that struck Silas' arm had hit his head.
"You really hate him don't you?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, the fucker deserves to die. I just wish that my bullets had blown his brains out." Richard said, his voice still containing the hatred.
Ethan was a little confused. "I'm I missing something here?"
"I was on a mission to take him out, I had him in my sights and the fucker got away. He must have thought I was dead when his knife slashed down my chest, I was down on the ground and bleeding badly but I managed to shoot him twice in the arm before he got away. Most of the missions I have been on have been to take out some shady gangs, slavers and criminals that were all supplied with weapons, men and equipment by Silas. If I had killed him, this wouldn't have happened and the world would be a much more peaceful place. But now it seems that even the army isn't a match for him, that man has to die." Richard angrily said as he looked to see Ethan's and the Zangoose's surprised expressions. It seemed that every mission was somehow connected to Silas, the man was pure evil.
Ethan had no idea that Richard had a past with Silas, he had never heard of somebody actually facing him and living to tell about it. "Don't kick yourself over something that isn't your fault, you were wounded and bleeding, there's not much you could have done, besides I think that your the only person in the world that actually managed shoot him and that's gotta count for something." Ethan said in an attempt to make him feel better, he thought that Richard must feel like shit now, first he knows that his father is alive and his mother died giving birth to him and now he thinks that he could have prevented an attack that ended so many people's lives.
Richard knew that it wasn't really his fault, it was Silas' fault, he ordered his men to attack Vermillion, not him. He still felt like he could have done something about it though. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I still want him dead."
"Who doesn't?" Ethan asked rhetorically.
Richard heard foot steps coming down the staircase and he looked around to see Tera walking over to him. Tera lay down on the couch he was on and rested her head on his lap. "Hey, what are we watching?" Tera said happily.
"Oh, just some news stuff." Richard replied with a smile. It was amazing how fast she could make him forget about everything else in the world, he had almost forgotten what he was talking to Ethan about.
Ethan noticed the look of happiness on their faces, he was surprised at how quickly Richard's mood changed.
The Zangoose smiled at the sight of the cuddling human and Lucario, they looked so happy together. She wondered if Tera had finally told him how she feels about him.
Hours passed and Richard and Tera had something to eat and soon found themselves back in Tera's bedroom. Tera remembered that Ethan wanted to talk to him about something. "Did you find out what Ethan wanted to talk about?" Tera asked.
Richard let out a sigh, he dreaded the thought of waking up in the morning and meeting his father for the first time in his life. "Yes, Ethan gave me information on my ... my parents." Richard said painfully.
Tera's ears perked up. "He did? What happened?"
Richard took a deep breath as he began to explain what he had just heard himself. "I found out that my mother died in child birth and my father is still alive in the outskirts of Rustboro city." Richard said as he looked down to the floor.
Tera could see the pain in his face, she couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. "What are you going to do?" Tera asked in a sympathetic tone.
Richard had thought about it and he knew what he was going to do, but he didn't know if he had the mental strength to go through with it. "I'm going to find him and I'm going to get answers, Ethan has agreed to take me to Rustboro ... but I don't think I can do this alone ... will you come with me Tera?" Richard asked.
Tera didn't have to even think about her answer. "Of course I will." Tera said as she placed her paw on his shoulder.
Richard placed his hand over her paw, knew he could rely on her. "Thank you." He said as he smiled faintly. "Come on, lets get some sleep." Richard said while slipping under the covers of the bed. Tera did the same and wrapped her arms around Richard. They wanted to make love but they knew that Ethan and the Zangoose would probably hear them, so they just held each other closely and gently stroked and kissed until they fell asleep happily in each other's arms.
9AM.
The sun shone through the window and onto the sleeping man and Lucario. Tera's eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up and smiled at her man.
Richard awoke shortly after she sat up, he saw the bright smile an her face and smiled back, but then he quickly remembered what day it was. It's the day he finds out everything about his parents, the day he confronts his farther.
Tera saw the look of depression on his face, she wanted to comfort him. "Are you okay Richard?" Tera asked.
"Ugh, I'm fine. I just don't know what to expect from my father but I have a feeling that I wont find anything good. He's got a criminal record and I don't know him, I have to be ready for anything." Richard said as he looked at his hand that was balled up into a fist.
"You don't think he will attack you, do you?" Tera asked concernedly.
A tear fell down Richard's face. He knew that something bad was inevitable and didn't want to tell Tera. Tera did see the tear and wiped it off of his face, comforting him just a tad.
"I don't know, but if he does..." Richard trailed off as he began thinking about all the different situations that could occur. "I just hope I get the answers I'm looking for, after that I don't care what happens to him." Richard added.
"What if he wants to see you again?" Tera asked.
"Well then he had better have a damn good excuse for stuffing me in an orphanage. Come on, Ethan is probably waiting for us downstairs." Richard mumbled in a low tone.
A few minutes later and Richard and Tera were in the back of Ethan's car, on their way to Richard's farther. The more Richard thought about his father the more it pissed him off. Questions kept voicing themselves in his head.
'Why the fuck did he leave me? What kind of fuck up is he? What will he think of me and Tera?' The last question he thought about the most. He didn't care if his 'father' didn't approve, its not like he was ever there for him but still, he couldn't get it out of his head.
The car came to a halt. Richard's heart beat increased, due to the nervousness of meeting his father. "We're here. I'll wait for you two in the car." Ethan stated.
Richard nodded to Ethan before opening the car door and closing it behind him. Tera was by his side, and that gave him the strength to walk up to the cottage that he saw ahead of them. This was it, now he find's out just why he had to live a life of physical pain and loneliness.
He couldn't say that he would rather his farther have raised him knowing his criminal record but still, he had to know. Richard and Tera both walked up to the cottage, Tera looked around her, and the forest was such a calming place even when it was covered in snow. Richard stepped up to the door. "Well... shit, I guess this is it then." He said to himself as he knocked on the door three times.
An overweight man with short messy red hair answered the door dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans. "What the fuck do you want?" The man angrily barked.
'What the fuck do you want?' Richard couldn't believe it, he had thought about this man all his life and the first thing he heard from him was 'What the fuck do you want?'. "Answers, thats what I want." Richard angrily said as visions of him smashing his farther in his face rapidly played in his mind.
"Answers? Who the fuck are you to want answers from me?"
"Who am I?" Richard repeated. "Who am I?" he repeated again, this time with a maniacal laugh that scared Tera. "I'M YOUR FUCKING SON YOU DICKHEAD!" Richard shouted as loud as he could. "NOW GIVE ME THE ANSWERS I WANT!"
The man looked startled for a second. "You're my son? You're still alive?" the man asked his voice now calm and bewildered at the same time.
"Yeah, bet you didn't expect that did you? Now tell me, why did you leave me to rot in some shitty little orphanage in Johto?" Richard asked, his voice engulfed in anger.
"I knew I wasn't going to be a good father, besides I never wanted you, it was your mother that wanted you, not me." The man stated with a chuckle and his voice eerily calm and cold.
"That's your excuse? You didn't want me so you just threw me in some orphanage, that place was a fucking death sentence! Nobody came out of their with any hopes or dreams, we we're fed only what we needed to survive, and the brightest future ahead of us was living with a gang and hoping that you don't get killed by one of their rivals!" Richard could feel the rage rising inside him.
"I don't care." The man said bluntly while folding his arms.
Tera was shocked; this man had no regrets about leaving his son, the man she loved. How anybody could leave such a sweet and caring person behind was a mystery to her. "You're a monster." Tera said with hatred.
The man's head turned to the Lucario. "Is my son some shitty little Pokemon trainer?" the man asked calmly.
"I'm a deputy. What are you? Some washed up drug addict? You certainly look like one." Richard replied snappily with a chuckle.
"And what the hell is your little blue friend doing here?" The man asked, keeping his eerily calm, cold tone.
"She's my..." Richard didn't know what to say. He stopped for a moment. What should he say? My Partner? My Girlfriend? My Lover? My Soul mate? "My... Soul mate." Richard stated.
A surprised expression spread across the man's face "Soul mate? Your in love with a fucking dog?"
Richard couldn't contain his anger any longer. He clenched his fist in complete anger and took a deep breath. He looked at the person who didn't even to be deserved to be called his father.
He raised his fist. His fist then connected with his father's jaw and he watched him stumble and fall to the wooden floor of the cottage.
The man looked up at his son, stunned that the little fucker had the balls to punch him. "You little shit!" He said as he reached for something behind him. The item gleamed.
Richard rushed over to the downed man just as he pulled out a revolver, he managed to grab his father's hand in which he was holding the gun and quickly push it upwards towards the ceiling just as he fired the first round.
Richard brought down his fist on his father's face twice as he twisted the gun out of his father's hand. Richard now held the gun to his father's head; he saw the look of shock and fear in his father's eyes.
Richard weighed the gun in his hands, without moving it. He took a quick glance and quickly noted it as a Colt .45.
His whole body yelled to pull the trigger, to save his life and all the people he had hated. His father's eyes opened, with adrenaline flowing through his body.
Tera watched in horror as the man she loves, was about to kill his own father. She ran up to him and begged, "Please don't do it. He isn't worth it."
The temptation to just spray is father's brains on the floor were great but he didn't do it, he wasn't the killer he was trained to be when Tera begged him.
Richard slammed the handle of the revolver onto his father's nose which than started to bleed profusely; he then raised the revolver again and brought it down sharply onto his father's forehead. Richard now looked down onto his fathers bleeding unconscious form.
"RICHARD!" Tera called out as she opened her eyes, to see him, his father bleeding, and the cottage.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Richard reassured her as he slowly stood up.
"Richard! Tera!" Ethan shouted out as he ran into the cottage and saw Richard holding a revolver and a man on the floor bleeding from his forehead and nose. "What the hell happened here?" Ethan asked.
"He pulled a gun out on me so I knocked him out." Richard stated plainly while showing him the revolver in his hand.
"He was going to shoot his own son?" Ethan asked in shock.
"Yeah, he didn't care if I was alive or dead, he never did." Richard said, now in a depressed state.
"Are you both okay?" Ethan asked,
"I'm fine." Richard replied.
"So am I." Tera said.
"Good, I'll see if I can get any of the cops from this town to arrest this man. Will you two watch him while I go get them?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, just don't take too long." Richard said as he looked down to the unconscious man on the floor.
He still had the gun in his hands and wanted to blow his brains out of his skull and stab him multiple times. The taste and sight of blood fuelled him, only his love for Tera stopped it.
"Alright, I'll be right back." Ethan said as he ran outside the cottage and to his car.
Richard and Tera could hear the car starting and driving off; Richard stuffed the revolver into his pocket. Richard looked around the cottage, it was a dump, beer cans and playing cards were scattered on the floor, the couch was green or at least it looked green but it was hard to tell with about fifty different stains covering it, there was a table and a small sized TV in front of the couch.
Richard saw a framed photograph on the table which looked out of place in the room. He picked up, it was a picture of his mother, he remembered his father saying that it was her that wanted to keep him, and he wondered if she was any different than his father.
He didn't know why but he felt like there was something more to this photograph. Tera looked on as Richard took apart the frame and held the picture of his mother in his hands. He looked on the back of the picture and his eyes widened as he saw the small message left on the back of it.
'Richard, the doctors tell me that I won't survive giving birth to you but I don't care. Your father wanted me to get an abortion but I won't do it. I want you to know that I love you and I will always watch over you. Don't ever feel alone, find happiness and live your life.
-Mia, your mother.'
Richard's eyes leaked with tears, all these years he had thought that she had left him but now he knows that she willingly gave her life so that he could live. He felt his throat tightening as tears flowed down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor from his chin. He breathed in deeply as Tera approached him.
She didn't know what had came over him, all she saw was the man she loved in great emotional pain, and it reminded her of her the night she lost her clan. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly; Richard did the same although the tears did not stop flowing.
For Richard it felt like all of the pain and suffering both emotional and physical was being slowly drained out of him as he held Tera closely and cried his heart out. "Sh-she gave her life for me." Richard blubbered as he sniffed slightly.
"And I never knew!" Richard felt like he was swallowing a brick as he cried into Tera's fur. She had never seen Richard let out this kind of emotion ever. She frowned and her ears flattened. All she could do was comfort him as long as she could.
As a mercenary Richard was trained to be a hardened killing machine but all that training just broke away when he found that note on the back of the picture left by his mother, Mia.
Richard cried out all the pain inside him until there was nothing left, the thing that hurt him the most was knowing that he has a mother that loves him but knowing that a picture would be the closest that he would ever get to her, he would never get to know what she liked or hated or anything else about her.
But at least he knew that he was wanted after all and he wasn't just some mistake. Richard cried until he couldn't cry anymore, he was thankful that Tera was there for him, he was thankful that she comforted him when he needed it most.
Richard let go of Tera and wiped away and tears that were still trailing down his face. Richard thought that he must look like a real mess to Tera. "I'm sorry." Richard said weakly.
Tera gave a heavenly smile and wiped away one tear that was still trailing down his face. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She sincerely said.
A smile grew on Richard's face, Tera always made him feel better when he was depressed or sad about something. Richard looked at the door leading to another room in the cottage; he assumed it was the bedroom. "Can you watch him while I take a look a look around?" Richard asked whilst pointing to the unconscious man.
"Okay." Tera answered sweetly.
Richard walked over to the door that probably led to the bedroom and slowly opened it. He looked around the room; he saw three beds each with a double barrelled shotgun besides them, a window and a large wardrobe. Richard could clearly see something wasn't right here, he guessed that if there were three beds then their owners would probably show up too.
He walked over to the shotguns and checked their barrels, they were all loaded, and he took out their shells and placed them back next to their beds. Richard's eyes then went to the wardrobe; he opened it and instantly wished he hadn't.
He saw a green jacket with an emblem on its shoulder, a customized knife colored in black with a golden Seviper wrapped around its handle on a white background. Richard knew that emblem well and he knew the customized knife even better, the emblem was a symbol of part of Silas' private army, the slavers.
"shit... my father is a fucking slaver." Richard angrily whispered to himself. He noticed that there was only one jacket in the closet which meant that either the other two are either wearing theirs or they are just grunts but either way, this situation was fucked up.
Richard took the revolver out of his pocket and pulled the black pin under its barrel to check the cylinder. 5 rounds left, he pushed the cylinder back into the revolver which then made a little metallic click.
Tera looked to the door and saw Richard, who now had a look of disgust on his face, walking out of the bedroom. "Are you okay Richard?" Tera asked.
Richard looked over to Tera then back down to the unconscious man on the floor. "I can't believe that I'm related to this ... thing. This slaver."
Tera had a shocked expression on her face. "He's a slaver?" she asked.
"Yeah and there's three bed's in that room. That means that they're probably going to show up soon, and we'll have to be ready for them." Richard said as he looked down to the revolver in his hand.
Tera was worried for Richard; he had almost got himself killed trying to save her and that was only 2 days ago. "Richard, promise me that you won't get yourself hurt again." Tera said, her voice filled with concern.
Richard looked back up to Tera, he could understand that she was worried about him; he was worried about her too. "Don't worry; everything's going to be alright. I promise." Richard said as he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead.
Hearing Richard say that made her feel safer, but then she heard something. Shouting.
Richard heard it too; he quickly made his way over to the bedroom window. He saw to men shouting at each other, coming from the snow covered forest at the back of the cabin.
Although they were far away Richard could still clearly see that they were wearing slaver jackets, he looked at their hands but he could see no visible weapons but he guessed that they were carrying revolvers too.
Richard knew what he was going to do, wait till they were fully out in the open and then arrest them, or at least try to. Although he felt like just shooting them right there, he had to remember that he was still a deputy and then meant he had to try to take them alive.
"Tera, stay here. I have to stop these men, but I'll be right back. I promise." Richard stated as he stroked the side of her beautiful face, he hoped he could live up to his promise.
"I'm not leaving you Richard, I'm coming with you." Tera said.
Richard didn't know how to feel, happy knowing that she would willingly follow him into danger to protect him or terrified knowing that he could loose her because she followed him.
He knew that he would never be able to change her mind, if she asked him to stay behind in a situation like this so she could fight off the two men on her own, he wouldn't. "Come on then, let's take these guys down!" Richard said with confidence despite how he really felt, terrified.
Richard and Tera quickly exited the cabin and made their way around the side of the house. They both pressed their backs to the log walls of the cabin, Richard was taking point. He heard the shouts getting louder.
"You fucking knob head, if you had taken him alive you could have gotten about ten grand! Do you know how much good fighters are worth down in the yard?" One voice shouted.
"He was too fucking good! If I didn't shoot him he would have ripped my fucking throat out!" Another voice replied.
Their voices sounded close, Richard quickly turned to Tera and whispered. "Now."
Richard snapped around the corner of the cabin and leveled his gun at one man and Tera moved besides him and lit up with some kind of blue energy, her aura. "Police! Freeze!" Richard shouted.
The men looked in shock as they saw a man with a gun and an angry looking Lucario. The slavers were both out in the open with no visible cover. Both men reached for their guns, Richard saw this and instantly fired upon one man.
There was a loud bang and the slaver gripped his shoulder and he felt the bullet shattering the bone but he still stood. Richard fired another two rounds into his right leg, the first bullet hit the slaver's thigh and the second bullet was lodged into the slaver's kneecap.
The slaver collapsed in the snow, shouting in pain. Richard shifted his aim and saw the other slaver aiming a 9mm semi-auto pistol directly at him. Richard suddenly saw a flash of blue energy as an aura sphere was launched at the slaver.
The slaver dived to his left, he felt the heat of the aura sphere passing over him, he hit the snowy ground and shot at the Lucario and man. A bullet struck the wall of the cabin just besides Richard's head; he ducked down and grabbed Tera by the arm to drag her back into cover.
Tera looked at Richard as if asking him, 'What do we do now?' Richard just stayed behind the wooden wall of the cabin, until he heard the slaver crying out in agony.
Richard didn't know if it was the slaver that he had hit that was crying out in pain or the other one, the cries and shouts of pain filled the air for a solid five seconds, after that there was nothing but silence. Richard took a quick glance around the corner, he saw the downed slaver that he shot with a look of shock on his face.
Richard looked to the left and couldn't believe what he saw, the other slaver was now a corpsical, and he was frozen solid. The frozen slaver looked as if he was grabbing his chest with one hand and aiming his gun at something with the other hand.
Richard saw something running towards the frozen man, something small and blue, it kind of looked like a fox but he couldn't make it out properly. The blue fox thing jumped up at the frozen man and bit into his neck, Richard heard both the crunching of ice and the slaver's wind pipe. The slaver's neck shattered and his head fell onto the snowy ground and split in two, releasing tiny pink ice shards.
The fox like creature then looked directly over to Richard with its big blue eyes. Richard didn't move but he gripped his gun tightly, ready for anything it tries. The creature then entered what looked like a defensive stance, like Richard, it was ready for anything he tries.
Richard knew what this type of Pokemon was although it looked different than the others he had seen, it's a Glaceon. Its body seemed a lighter color of blue than he saw on the others during his travels and battles but that didn't matter now.
The Glaceon stared at the human and his gun, it had heard him say that he was with the police but didn't know if that was true. They stared at each other until they heard a metallic sliding sound, The sound of the slide on a 9mm pistol being pulled back to load one bullet in the chamber.
The Glaceon looked to its left to see the downed slaver pulling up his gun towards its head. The Glaceon was caught off guard and soon a gunshot rang out throughout the landscape.