Mal watched the flock of Pidgey fly off into the distance with mixed feelings, and several heavy thoughts went through his head, whirling around chaotically and putting a heavy pressure in his heart.

On one hand, he was thrilled –he was finally on his journey and would be considered an adult. He and Su Lin and Teddi were going to go around Kanto, winning badges, and become the best trainer he could be. That he would be. He'd make it as far as the Indigo League, if he really was going to put his mind and soul into this journey. And yet...

On the other hand, he was unsure. Confused, even. He was about to face the world for what really would be the very first time. No parents, no staff. Just him and his own skills and smarts, and it was an alarming prospect.

And the truth was –he didn't want to really be a trainer. He had no interest in it.

The fact was, he wasn't a social person like most aristocrats were, and he doubted he ever would be. He preferred the click clack! noises that were made in his workroom. The way he could focus on his hands creating and molding creations, and the satisfaction that came with results.

He was comfortable talking to people. Sometimes he just preferred the semi-quiet of his machines and inventions, even as they made various noises that were attributed only to themselves. Raphael liked to drag him away from his work (and he would for his friend), but Mal was very rarely outside of his workroom or had gone out as much as he probably should have.

That was stuff he could put out of his head though. It wasn't like they were leaving Pallet until tomorrow morning. It wouldn't be so bad if he decided to take a look around, maybe have a look at his cousin's old home.

Mal's breath hitched and suddenly he was looking a lot more forward to exploring Pallet, maybe even stumbling upon the home of the cousin he'd always wanted to meet, despite there never being a chance because she'd been taken from him before he could ever see her with his own eyes.

His walk turned slightly more brisk, and he took in the sights. Pallet was a quiet town, with a few buildings dotting the land here and there, and a few children running around playing whatever games their minds came up with, their sweet laughter filling the air and carefree smiles stretching across their childish faces.

It seemed that the whole pace of life was slower here than in other towns. In Celadon, it was always alive with some sort of activity, whether it was a concert, a first airing of a new film, or various other events or venues the city life of Celadon seemed to bring about. Things seemed to be alive in a more active and fast-paced way, whereas here was peaceful and quiet –almost taking a deliberate way of lethargy, and live day to day, opposite to Celadon's ever-changing, minute by minute lifestyle.

Looking around purposefully, he came across a vintage house right behind Oak's research lab and stopped to take a look at it curiously, wondering about the place and taking guesses that Oak might even live there.

"Ah, Mal," said a familiar kind voice. Mal quickly turned around to see Professor Oak coming towards him, smiling softly in the cooling night. "Staying in Pallet tonight, I hear?"

"Yes, Professor," Mal replied politely, giving a smile back at the elderly professor.

"Well, you are more than welcome to stay in this boring old town until tomorrow," Oak laughed lightly. "I see you have found my house!"

"Is this one yours?" Mal asked, having only guessed at it and hadn't been sure before.

"Oh yes. Myself and my grandson live here. You may have heard of him? Does the name Blue Oak ring any bells?" Oak asked cheerfully, still smiling a bit.

Mal forced himself to stay calm, but it was difficult and he wasn't sure if he could hold his anger in. Damn it all, he knew Blue alright.

He absolutely hated him.

After a few years after his hospitalization, he had snuck out of his lessons to go search the house and had stumbled across a mysterious wing and right into a just as mysterious room, with a mournful father and a music box that had once been held so dear to a cousin he had learned about that day.

His father explained that the music box had once belonged to his cousin, the "Little Duchess" Leaf. She'd been quite loved and doted upon, and even after she had long grown up and set off on her own journey, his father's estranged family and his father had continued to cherish her.

Sometime after her journey (his father had been vague about the circumstances), Leaf had been about to move into the house after Mal's father had gotten everything sorted out and ready for her.

Unfortunately, that day never came. Leaf died in a tragic car accident.

Mal had learned there had actually been a survivor from that accident. Blue Oak. That person had been driving the car at the time it happened, and Mal couldn't help but hate and blame the man.

Blue Oak had caused Leaf to die and no matter what he said to justify it, Mal would never forgive him.

There was a time, a time Mal would have loved to have forgotten, when his mentor and friend, Lance, had introduced him to Blue. Maybe if it had been any other circumstances, Mal would have been honored to meet a League Champion...but it had taken all of Mal's inner strength to prevent himself from attacking Blue and demanding answers right then and there.

"Yes, of course I am familiar with that name. Who wouldn't know the Kanto Champion? I think I've even met him once, when I was younger," Mal said, keeping up the air of civility. After all, he held no grief with Professor Oak himself, or had any problems.

The fact was, Mal had been taught to be at his utmost respectful and polite standard. He had learned his manners and his etiquette, and had taken them all on and ingrained into himself to the highest degree. A point where Raphael (and even his family) liked to tease that he had taken to the extreme.

"He may be around tonight actually," Oak told him casually. "I'm sure he would like to see you all grown up and ready to take on a big adventure like this," a hearty grin moved onto the professor's face.

Mal froze up. It felt like a nightmare he'd dragged himself into. He was split in two, because he both wanted and didn't want to meet Blue. He was in turmoil about this. He wanted to get the answers he was desperate for, but he wanted to do it in private and away from prying eyes. There was the other part of him that wanted nothing to do with Blue...

"That would be nice. I do hope he still remembers me at least," Mal said with a strained smile. He then politely bowed. "If you would excuse me, Professor, I think I still have some last minute checks to do before tomorrow, and I don't wish to end up rushing in the morning."

Mal gave a fake laugh and then quickly fled the scene as normally as he could in a person's eyes. By now it was getting dark and Mal decided to sit on a bench near the research center that he was spending the night at, and started laughing bitterly to himself. Of all the people he had the potential to run into...It had to be stupid Blue Oak.

He did a lot of thinking then, unable to stop his mind. The one thing he could do was turn his thoughts to things that were in the present, and not in a past that he had no control over.

He had absolute certainty of two things that were going to affect him. No matter what, he would have to try to deal with Raphael and Sonia, who seemed determined to be at each other's throats. He understood Sonia's icy exterior and if she wanted space, that was understandable, even given the fact they were all traveling together and were in close quarters. He'll have to find a way to get Raphael to get along with Sonia too, even if the truth was that she may or may not hate him, or simply refused to get along with anyone at all.

There was no reason that they couldn't be civil about their journey together, in his eyes, even if she was a Darkin and unreasonably hated Raphael simply because of the name he bore as a d'Alcott (though his friend had been rather rude to her...). Or if Raphael would stop and read Sonia's "atmosphere" correctly at the times where she really just didn't want to talk to anyone. If he was optimistic (or deluded more probably), maybe after they spent some time together they could find something that they could relate to each other with and go from there. Honestly, that seemed far-fetched, even to Mal, but he could only hope with those two.

The other thing preoccupying his mind was how he needed to sort out his mentor's thoughts and what Lance was in the midst of planning, in regards to whatever mission the man was probably undercover on.

Lance had heard that he was going on this journey and he sent Mal a rather simple letter saying good luck on the trip, but had included another (and more interesting) letter saying he had managed to retrieve more details about that "sordid machine" he had been keeping track of. Apparently, once Lance would reach Pewter, the details would become much more clearer to him, but Mal knew his mentor tended to see things differently on what was and wasn't going to be "clear" to someone's eyes.

Still, he grew uneasy and flashes of that time in his childhood evaded his thoughts, visions of a man in black and a blue P on his front the most prominent of the memory. He felt nauseated, could feel his throat seize up tightly, and it was almost like an invisible hand was choking him...

A nudge against his cheeks caused him to break out of his anxiety attack, and he calmed down, seeing the tender eyes of Teddi and Su Lin staring at him in concern.

Both of his pokémon had been hanging on his shoulders for most of the day, but now that he was sitting down, they settled on his lap in a relaxed and content mood. He smiled softly, and ran his hands across their silky fur, spoiling them but also further using the act to calm himself more.

Idly, Mal glanced at his bag and noticed how it was bulging more than it should have. Curious, he opened it up and saw that there was something that he didn't pack in there. He pulled it out, feeling his breath catch in his throat and feel a cacophony of emotions explode inside of him.

It was the beloved music box his father had made for Leaf, little dancing bears and elegant swans and all.

The black lacquer glowed slightly from the light of the night's starlight, and he noticed there was a note attached to it. He bit his lip as he read it, eager to read his father's words.

Dear Mal,

Good luck on your trip, son. I am truly sorry that I couldn't see you off, but I hope this makes up for it. I know how much you love this song and hold it just as dear to you as I do. I felt it was fitting for you to take it with you.

Please be gentle with it.

Remember your mother and I will always be proud of you, regardless of what you set off to do, and if you ever need anything, please come to us. You need never to hesitate to seek your family.

I'm proud of you, Mal, and I hope to hear from you soon,

Dad

A tear slowly rolled down Mal's face, feeling his emotions finally overcome him. This was one of two greatest gifts he'd ever received, the other having been his meetings with his beloved pokémon who had steadfastly stuck with him through everything.

For his father to give him a cherished keepsake that meant so much to both of them...It meant so much to Mal. At that moment, it meant the world.

He wound up the music box carefully and closed his eyes, smiling as he listened to the soft melody and letting it waft through him, almost encasing him in its embrace...

Mal started to hum to it as he wistfully looked up into the night sky. He wondered what Leaf would say if she was still around.

What was she like?

What were her interests?

...What would she think of him?

"It's alright, Mal. Always believe in yourself and live in the moment. You never know what will happen!"

Mal could almost picture her and hear her voice, and he felt his heart squeeze in pain.

"Hey..." he thankfully heard someone interrupt his thoughts. "I had a friend who loved that song..." The stranger's voice sounded almost longing.

Mal looked up to see who the voice belonged to, but unfortunately the small town of Pallet didn't have a huge number of outside streetlamps in that area, so he only had a vague outline of the person addressing him.

"Yes. It truly means a lot to myself and my family as well," Mal said quietly, feeling the pain start to creep up on him again. He tried to refocus on the stranger. "Would you tell me about your friend? What were they like?"

The man sighed in sorrow. "She was amazing," he chuckled a little, seeming to reminisce. "She was such a lovely girl. She was adventurous! Fun! So utterly lively...I could always count on her to have a smile on her face no matter what was going on. She was the type of person that would always be around to help you if you were down. She was...a woman who I genuinely loved," the man ended in a pained voice.

"I see," Mal said, feeling sympathetic and relating a bit to the man. He knew he would have loved Leaf, and found true family in her. "Can I...ask what happened to her?"

As soon as he asked, he regretted it. He regretted it more so, when he heard the answer.

"She died.... some years back. It should be two years now."

"I'm so sorry," Mal murmured, feeling insensitive for pushing for an answer. "What was her name?"

"Her name..." the man began fondly "...was Leaf Alexiandre."

Mal's breath quickened and his body stiffened up. His hand automatically grabbed his bag, rapidly digging for his flashlight and he practically flung it in the direction of the talker, turning on the light in distress. He looked at the man he was talking to and then felt fury building up in him like a volcano about to erupt.

"Blue Oak!" Mal stared in shock and was barely withholding his anger, now that he was face to face with the man who killed his cousin.

He was desperately trying to hold onto his parents' values and his self-held beliefs and attitude, trying to keep the anger at bay and not blow up at this man, but there were very few things that got under his skin. This man and what he'd done absolutely encompassed the list.

"Calm yourself, Mal. When you feel yourself about to scream out, take deep, even breaths and count to five."

'Easy for you to say, Lance,' Mal wanted to throw back at his mentor, since he couldn't even stand to look Blue in the eye.

"Wait a minute," Blue said slowly, starting to grin a bit. "You're Mal Thrones, that friend of Lance's I met!"

Suddenly he was all smiles. "Well, it certainly has been awhile, hasn't it, kid? Look at you, all grown up now, huh. I'm betting you're here to start your own journey," he took a step closer to Mal.

"Don't you dare come near me," Mal said furiously, though at least he was managing not to yell. He abruptly stood up, and his two pokémon moved in unison to be in attack positions, growling towards Blue.

"Hey!" Blue was taken aback by what he saw as a sudden change to the interaction between them. He held up his hands. "What the hell's up with the hostilities, kid?"

He wanted to scream at Blue, tell him not to call him 'kid.' He wanted to blurt out everything he's thought up about this so-called Kanto Champion. Right now, Mal couldn't believe he had actually felt any sort of sympathy or thought he could relate to this man in any way.

"Leaf..." Mal enunciated slowly, feeling his jaw clench, "happens to be my cousin."

Blue stood there in shock, probably running over the revelation in his mind several times and processing it.

Honestly, Mal may have never known her or have met her before...but none of that mattered to Mal. He would take any family members he could get, since he'd cherished them all and gave him the sense of belonging and worth he seemed to be craving for all the time.

And this was Leaf. This was someone who had been so precious to his parents, and who his father had painstakingly shared with Mal. This was the same girl whose image had kept him from being too lonely in his childhood, who he had imagined talking to him and being real family to him. Leaf's presence, imagined as it was, kept him from being too afraid of reaching out to others and actually trying to be around people and try talking to them.

"Mal, I'm so sorry," Blue muttered, looking down remorsefully. He tried to come close, but Mal's Teddiursa and Pancham determinedly kept him back by pushing at his legs. In any other situation, Mal would have thought this had been adorable and called off his two friends with a roll of his eyes, but anyone could tell they were deadly serious and Mal wasn't in a playful mood.

"Listen closely to me, Blue," Mal stared the "Champion" straight in the eyes, picking his words carefully. "I have read every report about that night and do you know what conclusion I have come to? I'm disgusted by you. I think you were selfish and messed up in the head."

"You don't know the whole story!" Blue gritted his teeth. "If you want to blame someone, blame Giovanni and Team Rocket! They did something to Leaf. They changed her. She wanted to be League Champion and then they came along and made her want to quit!"

It was like all of this had built up in Blue for all this time, and now he was lashing out and ranting with a mad fervor.

"Especially that Giovanni bastard!" Blue snarled venomously. "He's a fucking snake! He's probably the whole reason somehow. He changed Leaf's mind! You know, I always wondered if she fell in love with him. If he twisted her around his finger and played mind games, until she was so sick and messed up in the head that she stopped thinking right. Yeah, that's it...that's how it was...

"You think I don't share the sadness that your family is feeling?" Blue barked out furiously. "What would you know?! And why the hell are you sad, you damn brat?! You've never met her!"

Mal flinched back. It was like a blow to his heart, and he felt tears pricking at his eyes, despite the fact he hated the thought of crying in front of this jerk.

But it was also the last straw. Mal wanted so badly to punch Blue in the face, but he knew he was better than that. His parents, Lance...they taught him better than that. And Leaf...even though he hadn't met her, he felt like he had and he knew she wouldn't want him to. She would probably be disappointed in Blue...

After a deep breath, he spoke out with steady but sincere and emotional words.

"I don't care about Team Rocket," Mal said deliberately. He saw Blue's eyes flash angrily. "All I care about is what I know and feel is the truth, and the facts that are known. What is fact is that I hold you 100% responsible for what happened to her and nothing you say will ever change that.

"It is true I have never met her..." Mal couldn't help it. His tears started streaming down his face, "...but I wanted that chance! Unlike you, I believe in cherishing every bond that comes to me because I will never throw them away," he kept his personal thoughts about Leaf to himself; Blue wasn't worthy of them. "When I heard about what happened to Leaf, it hurt a lot. For some reason, I couldn't stand the thought of that lost chance. And it was because of you! I will never know what she was like or what we could have done together, no matter how much I imagine it!

"I'll never be able to really hear her voice or ever see her face to face! And it's all your fault," Mal ended in a solemn whisper.

He wiped his face of tears and looked at Blue, who didn't outwardly react and held a stoic expression that revealed nothing. Mal spoke again, this time more calmly and determined.

"I may not be able to put you away in prison, but I can do something much more satisfying than that –I swear on my life and on my family...I will get stronger, both of my pokémon partners will find that strength, and together we will get those badges, face the League, and head to our most important goal. You.

"We will face you and then we will take away from you the one thing you love most –your position as Champion. Number your days, Blue Oak, because I promise you that I will take that title from you and I'll keep that promise...not just because a Thrones will always do that, but because that's what she did."

He could visibly see Blue want to snarl at that last part, but instead Blue straightened up and laughed mockingly, sneering at him.

"Alright, kid, do your best. I'll make sure you fail miserably, and you'll never even get a chance to challenge me," Blue spat at him. "You won't get that chance, just like you didn't get that 'chance' with Leaf," he ended cruelly.

Mal took his breaths, and refused to rise to such a low-blow bait. He was better than this. He was better than him.

Mal turned on his heel and walked towards the research center.

"Believe me, Blue," Mal said coolly, not facing the other. "You are underestimating me."

"You didn't know her and you'll never get to know her. I was the only one who did," Blue growled out another retort. "I loved her! You'd never understand. You could never love her as much as I did."

It made Mal pause.

"You say that," Mal spoke quietly, "but are you so sure? You blame Team Rocket and this Giovanni, but if she changed so much and you missed it all, could you really say you knew her? I don't believe you loved her at all, not if you were so selfish as to do what you did.

"But if that's true, and you loved her so much...I'm glad I don't and would never love her so much as to sacrifice her life like you did."

And that had Mal continue on his way, refusing to turn back and acknowledge Blue again.