DISCLAIMER: Most Pokemon Trainers own Pokemon. I do not, however, own the Pokemon franchise, so please support the official media as well!

WARNING:

Everyone has a past.

Some are filled with achievement. The people with such pasts look back and strive to be better.

Some are filled with failure. The people with such pasts look back and try to make up for their mistakes.

And others…have pasts filled with horror no one should ever bear witness to, let alone be a part of. The people with these pasts…

Don’t end up living.

Chapter 1: Proper Formalities

My life started in a normal town under normal circumstances.

I was born in Sunyshore City in the Sinnoh region. I had a loving mother and a strong father. I also had a caring older sister and a helpful older brother.

My brother’s name was Cyrus. My sister’s name was Iris. My name is…

I mean, my name was Sirius.

Iris was the oldest of my siblings. She was 8, and she loved me like a sister should and protected me with her very soul. More so than Cyrus. Cyrus was born a year before me, but he was spoiled and always complained.

My life was rich, in both the literal way and the meaningful way. I grew up with money and I flaunted money most places I went. My parents took me and my siblings everywhere possible: The Three Lakes of Sinnoh, Mount Coronet, the Flower Paradise and the Battle Frontier. My mother and father were very powerful Pokemon Trainers. They always teamed up together in Double Battles with combinations that could never be explained, they had to be seen to be believed.

I worshipped my mother and father and the ground they walked on. When I grew up, I wanted to be just like them. Kind, caring, strong and brave.

I never got the chance to ever practice being like them…

At least, I never got to chance while they still walked this Earth.

Everything went…wrong. Horribly wrong.

Now, if you would, listen to my story. The story of my life. The life I had before it was stolen from me.

My name is Zenos. This is my story. A story I can never forget.

* * *

I was four years old when it happened. Iris was 12 and Cyrus was 5.

I was hanging out by the ocean with Cyrus and Iris. We ran around and played tag. The ocean was base.

Our house was right above the beach, so our parents kept close watch on us to make sure we were safe.

Suddenly, we saw them walking toward us on the beach. They were smiling like they always did.

My father yelled. “Ahoy, my children!”

We played along and all together said, “Ahoy, dad!!!”

He ran and picked up Cyrus and swung him around, playing Airplane. Iris was next to me, holding me. My face was in her breasts, and I couldn’t tell whether or not she wanted that…

She was my sister and I loved her so much…but sometimes, she went a little far when it came to the term “brother/sister love”.

My mother picked me up and held me. “Sirius, we need your sister. We need her Pokemon to help us fix up the Lighthouse.”

I nodded.

Iris made a sad face. “Don’t worry, Siri, I’ll be back!”

Her eager attitude made me smile.

My father came up to me. “Go play with Cyrus, Sirius. Iris will be back soon.” He turned to Iris. “Let’s go. Get your Pokemon.”

Iris nodded in agreement. “Right.”

The three walked away toward the Vista Lighthouse, Sunyshore City’s most recognizable landmark, which they intended to fix up.

Cyrus came up to me. “Hey Sirius! Let’s have a Pokemon battle!”

I looked around. “But brother…I haven’t any Pokemon to use.”

Cyrus laughed. “Neither do I, but we can pretend!”

I shrugged. “Are you sure this will be fun?”

Cyrus patted my back. “Positive, little bro! Now let’s battle!”

We took sides on the beach. I took the east, Cyrus took the west.

At the same time, we both said, “Let’s battle!”

I thought for a second about what Pokemon to pretend I had. I always liked Pokemon that were close to the great legendary Pokemon on the Pokedex. They looked so powerful and yet were obtainable, unlike the great legends. Dratini, Larvitar, Bagon, Beldum, Gible…they evolved into very powerful Pokemon who could be compared to the legends!!!

The gods themselves…

“I choose…Tyranitar!!!”

Cyrus laughed. “Your choice stinks! I choose Dialga!”

I frowned. “Cyrus! Dialga is a legendary Pokemon! That’s not fair!!! I don’t want to play if you’re going to use overpowered Pokemon!”

Cyrus made an innocent face but quickly turned it into a face of arrogant cockiness. “Well, one day, I’m gonna own one! I’m gonna own a Dialga, a Palkia and a Giratina!! And even an Arceus!!!”

I laughed at Cyrus. “You’re crazy, Cy!”

He made a prideful expression. “They do call me that.”

We both began to laugh at Cyrus’ never-say-die attitude. Suddenly, an eruptive roar rang out not too far in the distance and silenced our playful laughter.

We looked at the Lighthouse. It was on fire!!!

I looked painfully at the sight. “Mother! Father!”

Cyrus stood in awe looking. He was frozen in place.

I was too, until I realized another thing.

“IRIS!!!”

I broke out of my paralysis, and ran down the street, past crowds of onlookers. They all were frozen in place, like Cyrus, and didn’t do anything. I finally got to the Lighthouse’s ground, which was ablaze.

Multiple emergency forces were at the site already, trying to calm the raging flames. I tugged on a fireman’s uniform. “Mister, mister! Please tell me you can stop this fire! My mother, father and sister are in there!!!”

The fireman didn’t answer as he continued trying to put the flames out. They would not be doused.

My face filled with tears like a cloud and crashed down like a waterfall.

I ran toward the entrance door but two firemen caught me and escorted me back. “NO! I HAVE TO SAVE MY FAMILY!!!”

“If you try that, you’ll get killed too!”

The flames roared and a large explosion occurred in the upper levels of the Lighthouse. The top half of the house sunk into the lower half and with a crash, the building burned to the ground, with explosions ringing throughout it. A wave of smoke blasted into my face and I coughed.

The Lighthouse was…no more.

My family was…no more. There was no way they had survived.

I fell to my knees as Cyrus finally ran to me. “Sirius! Mom and dad? Iris?”

I looked at him with tears in my eyes and he knew. He hugged me. “It’s gonna be okay, Sirius.”

He stood me up. The firemen had sorrowful looks in their faces. The job they failed cost them lives. They would never forget such a thing.

Cyrus pointed to the house close to ours, on the same block. “Grandma and Grandpa live two houses away, remember? We’ll stay with them…”

“Mom…dad…Iris…”

“I know, little bro, I know. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

“Iris…”

“Iris.”

* * *

”Iris.”

We had more than just a brother-sister relationship and when I found out that what we did was not entirely encouraged…I still didn’t care. When we did what we did, I didn’t know better and I didn’t care. Nobody ever found out and it was one of the only secrets I could keep to myself.

A dirty secret at most.

This is what led my life down the drain. I had a near-perfect life. If my parents had lived I would’ve become a Pokemon Trainer, what they always wanted me to become.

Instead, I became a thief, a street rat, shunned from a world that didn’t need a person like me.

What I became after the incident would always haunt my life for what was left of it.

I could blame him, but I’d still be blaming myself.

I could blame anyone, but I wouldn’t escape blaming myself.

Really, my own decline was my fault, but the man I met on that fateful day, fifteen years ago…

I had a feeling he could give what people call “a second chance.”