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[The screen flickers on to show a boy who looks like he’s a little bit in a fog. Behind him, a Buizel bounces around happily through the snowdrifts, nearly disappearing only to poke her head up every now and then, her whiskers and fur caked with snow.]

Hello? Is anyone out there? My name is Shaun Mars. There was this lady who called herself my mom, and she gave me a backpack full of food and clothes and stuff, and I sorta...just wanted to know if that had happened to anyone else. And also, if the food was...safe to eat. It’s like rice, and I think there’s fish and vegetables and stuff too, or something.

I think I might've gotten someone else's Pokegear thing. It says it's my birthday today, but my birthday was two days ago.

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[You know who doesn't recognize you, Nahman. This kid. Shaun draws back from the camera on the pokegear when he sees the look on the older man's face, unchecked fear flashing across his features.

Yeah, he definitely does not trust that. He doesn't even respond to the questions. A strange man asking if he's by himself? He sounds worried. But the man in the policeman's uniform had sounded worried too, when Shaun had told him that his dad was missing.]

Why do you want to know? Who are you?

[Susie bounces over to him, and he hesitantly lets her scamper up to hang on his back, her little claws sinking into the wool of his coat.]

[There's one red flag to be aware of. Even with his mug all over the news after the investigation, Shaun has every right to be skeptical over Norman in this bizarre world.

He decides to tone it down, softening his expression in front of Shaun.]

My name's Norman. I just want to make sure you're okay. It's cold out there, y'know?

[~~Even if Norman survived or made it to the warehouse in the playthrough Shaun is from~~ If Grace ever so much as heard the words 'Origami Killer' on the TV you can bet she'd have turned it right the hell off before Norman's face even came up on the screen.

The softening of Norman's expression turns the look of bald fear on Shaun's face into a quiet skepticism.]

Yeah. I know. It's January.

[Good on Shaun for being skeptical but it doesn't help the fact that he is out there by himself. Norman won't be able to sleep knowing that Shaun might have to wonder Route 29 with just a water weasel in the middle of winter. Wait a minute...

He looks over at the Buizel clinging onto his back.]

Is that your starter?

[Shaun follows Norman's gaze to his starter, squeaking his cheek against the bright yellow innertube around her neck. He looks back at the screen.]

Yeah. I don't have any others yet.

[The irony is mostly lost on him. All he knows is that the Pokedex entry on Buizel actually made him feel reassured about going off on his own, now that he knew he had her to protect him from water.]

[Subtle but it also means that Shaun doesn't have a fire-type to protect him from the elements. Norman is no psychic but he is pretty damn sure a boy his age isn't toting a fluid lighter.]

That's the same way I started, Shaun. But I made a real big mistake back then when I was in New Bark.

[Flying over to get Shaun would be the ideal choice but there is something about Shaun's uneasiness towards him that worries him.]

[At least Susie is a mammal, so she can provide more warmth than most water types.
Shaun doesn't have much in the way of wilderness survival training. He used to be a cub scout, but he didn't get very far before Jason died. And that was a while ago.]

What mistake was that?

[Y...eah that would be the fastest way to get him to hide. And I don't think Norman wants to take a Quick Attack to the testicles, either.]

[A small shiver runs up Norman's spine as he can feel tiny paws climbing up his back. Looks like Alvin the Patrat wants to peek in on what his trainer is doing. He doesn't pay any mind to his scout pokemon. The best way to not over excite him is let him scamper around and let him look at what he wants to look at.]

I tried traveling all by myself. It doesn't look like much Shaun but you got a journey ahead of you.

Edited (whoops I hit that edit button too quick ) 2013-01-23 23:00 (UTC)

[Susie's ears prick up when she sees the Patrat on the screen, and she grins and offers a cheerful "Zel!"

Shaun is too busy focusing on what the man is saying to try to calm her down.]

Three days to the next town, right?

[excuse, he was stuck in that well longer than that.]

I can make it. I want to get away from here.

I know you do but this isn't a walk down the block. You need to go with someone.

[Alvin sticks his head out to get a good look at the Buizel over the boy's shoulders. He looks at her curiously and returns with a tiny "Raaaat?" under his breath.

Norman knows Shaun is a tough kid but he'd rather not see him go three days with little food or a fire to stand close-by. His best bet is to find a party to tag along until they've reach Cherrygrove.]

I know your parents are already worried sick about you.

[Susie lifts a paw and waves cheerfully at the Patrat.

Shaun had fallen into a petulant sulk when Norman started treating him like a six-year-old who still needed to hold someone's hand while crossing the street ~~he's the smart brother, remember~~.

But then Norman said that, and the boy's demeanor shifted drastically. If these were Xtranceivers, the resolution on the screen might be high enough to see the tears that well in Shaun's eyes. As it is, he just reels back like he's been stung, and Susie jumps down off of his back and butts her head against his thigh, his hand, trying to soothe him without knocking him over.

When his answer comes, his voice is small and tight with tears.]

My mom will be.

What...?

[His eyes widened in horror.

That...That can't be possible. Ethan Mars is alive. He made it through the trials, all the shit Carter and the entire Philadelphia Police Department put him through. It couldn't be possible. It can't be possible. And yet, he doesn't need to ask Shaun again. The tears prickling from his eyes confirms his speculations. The question now is 'How?

Alvin notices how slightly pale Norman is in the face. It doesn't happen often but to the Patrat it meant that his trainer is going cold. He found that staying close to him helps so he doesn't move a muscle.]

Shaun? Did something happened to your dad?

[And now Shaun is too distressed to notice that this man seems oddly invested in his father's fate for someone who's supposedly a complete stranger. He'll notice eventually.

Susie is making quiet distress noises as she grabs Shaun by the hand and tries to pull him over to a place where he can sit down, the ring around her neck deflated a little.

Shaun nods.]

My dad is dead. [A short sob escapes him, his head turned away from the screen.] He said he wouldn't leave me again... He promised.

[Norman doesn't say anything for a moment.

Nothing adds up. How could Ethan Mars possibly be dead? Did something go terribly wrong during the time Norman was away? He needs to know. But...

The boy sobbing in front of the camera stops him. This is a kid who has been through trials of his own. Right now Norman needs to get him over to the next town safely.

He takes a breath. There is an odd silence present, the small winds blowing from the outside and Shaun on the other end of the line seem like a backdrop to all of the thoughts running in Norman's head.]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.

[Susie finally realizes that it's whatever is on the screen that's upsetting her trainer, so Norman is treated to a nice view of the weather in New Bark as she takes the Pokegear from Shaun's hand and briefly gives the human on the other end the shittiest of shitty glares before she puts it down and lets Shaun cry into her fur when he clings to her. His voice is muffled and about three feet away from the microphone, his face buried in Susie's fur.]

I miss him so much.

[It takes Norman by surprise seeing Shaun's PokeGear taken away from his starter but he doesn't mind the dirty glare given by her. Good to see that his Buizel is keeping a good eye on him. Alvin on the other hand doesn't quite get what's happening. He continues to cling on Norman's back, sniffing the pine-y scent in the room.

The camera is a few feet away from Shaun but he doesn't switch the feed onto audio mode.]

Your dad...He loves you a lot.

[A slip of the tongue using that present-tense there. Norman can still vividly remember the man sitting before him in the interrogation room with his mind on nothing else but saving his son.]

[Shaun stops with a pathetic sniffle, and then he realizes what Norman just said. It clicks. It finally clicks, and then he breaks out of Susie's hold and crawls to the PokeGear, his face hovering over the screen and making the camera take a minute to adjust to the change in lighting.

His tone is desperate.]

How do you know my dad?

I'm a profiler, Shaun. You know what a profiler does, right? We look for the person responsible for doing all of those bad things to you. I don't know your dad personally but I know he did everything he could to look for you.

[Shaun sits down on the snowy ground, holding the PokeGear in his faintly trembling hands.

This man is the only link he has right now to his dad. He has to fight to be able to speak around the lump in his throat.]

I-I know. He found me... Like that man said he would.

You're not a policeman, are you?

[This is all starting to become quite curious. Why is he suddenly asking whether Norman is with the police? Where is the connection to this?]

A policeman? No. I'm an agent with the FBI. All I do is help the police whenever they're stumped.

[Or whenever they decide to dick around and not try to find the real culprit but hey- details.]

[Shaun looks scared, briefly, and then angry.

Like, really angry.]

Were you helping them when they shot my dad?

[For a second Norman shows a look of disbelief, processing that last line. In what world was that even possible? He was there throughout the entire investigation. Even afterwards when he was stuck filling out the paperwork. What reason would the police have to shoot down Ethan Mars?]

No. No, Shaun. Of course not. Your dad didn't do anything.

[Norman finds his forehead resting on the palm of his hand and quickly pulls away. His palms are beginning to sweat.]

Shaun, I need you to tell me something. When did this happen?

[Shaun's expression is still angry, but he believes the disbelief on Norman's face.]

Right after he rescued me. He said he had to put me down so he could open the door, and then...and then...

[His voice tightens up again, and he has to blink away tears. Even though it's been three months, he still remembers the safe feeling of being carried in his father's arms. The metallic screech of the warehouse door opening. The thrum of the helicopter blades, and the man with the beard ordering them to fire.

The blood somehow still soaked into his clothes, even with as wet as he already was.]

They just started shooting him... And he wouldn't get up.

[He goes quiet. Not from the shock from what he just heard but in an attempt to piece it all together. Hearing everything from Shaun brought the story into life in some way. He doesn't know how but this is Shaun's reality. Who was he to deny what he saw with his own two eyes? Does it make any sense? Fucking of course not. But he just made a little boy recall those events. Norman felt a twinge of guilt but the truth is out there in the open.]

Shaun, listen to me. I can't explain why the police did that to your dad but I know your dad is innocent. He didn't do anything to deserve that.

[He tells him simply and straight to the point with his brows furrowed.]

[Shaun draws a deep, shuddering breath at that, and swallows.]

I-I know. He'd never hurt me. I know it wasn't him. The police apologized to me and my mom, after they found out Dad was innocent...

But that doesn't change anything. He's still dead.

[Shaun's expression is defiant and angry, daring Norman to try and justify the police gunning down an innocent man in front of the son he'd been willing to give his life to save.]

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