A Few Months Ago

Cécile Egardé sat uncomfortably in his shiny new chair. His fingers felt cramped and restricted in the leathers riding gloves he wore as he flexed them. Although he had yet to look up, he knew he had plenty of eyes on him.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, my dear," a soft voice whispered from just behind him as its owner gently grasped the handles behind his shoulders.

Cécile sighed and looked over his shoulder, offering his grandmother a warm smile, "But I do, 'ma. There are Pokémon hurting out there and very few who can help them. I want to be one of those few," he reached up, his arm crossing his chest to rest a careful hand on the small, warm one that had come to rest on his shoulder, "I am going to miss you, 'ma, and 'pa, too. Thank you, both of you," he squeezed his grandmother's hand before lightly lifting it.

The old woman stepped back as her husband's arms enveloped her, both of their eyes shining with unspoken love and unshed tears. The old man nodded.

"You're a great kid, Cécile," he said in a voice like aged leather.

The brunette smiled wider in response. Behind him, the boat's whistle sounded causing his fear and doubt to swell until they burst, flooding his body with excitement, "I know, 'pa. But it's time I became a greater man."

And with that and a wave to the small crowd that had come all this way from Lavaridge, the young paraplegic gripped the rugged wheels of his chair and pushed his way up the ramp onto the boat that would be his first step on a spectacular journey.