72 Chapter 72

"Wait! I know exactly what to give to this boy! With so many trainer's from around the world visiting my empire today, I'm sure you've seen pokemons from the recently discovered Paldea region! One of those trainers gifted me with an egg and two pieces of armor. I was thinking of giving it to my son when it hatched but I will turn it over to you!"

Hearing the Emperor's cries, Zennon turned towards Jax to see what his reply would be. Zennon only saw a boy who reminded him very much of his trainer in his younger years. After the short walk down memory lane, he then spoke to the boy. "Boy. Does the Emperor's gift please you? If not, tell me and I will ask for more compensation!"

Hearing the Charizard talk to him, Jax returned to the present from his reverie. With so much happening in quick succession, Jax didn't know what to process first. The colossal Charizard who had the same name as his dad's? If this was his dad's Charizard, where was his dad? Did he know about what happened to his mother? If he did, why hadn't he shown up to rescue her? How was Charizard even speaking in the first place? It wasn't telepathy. Why did it only show up now? With so many questions running through his head, Jax just nodded his head not processing what Zennon had said.

Taking the boy's nod as confirmation to demand more gifts, Zennon smirked and looked towards the Emperor again. 'Heh. Like father like son. Guess the fruit really doesn't fall far from the tree.' In the past, his trainer also had the same attitude. Towards his friends and family, he was a saint but to those that wronged him, his trainer turned into an asura and always demanded more than enough compensation.

"The boy says he wants more. Think hard, Augustus. Your puny empire's fate lies in your hands right now."

'ARGH! Not only his hair, even his attitude is just like his father's! That's already the best thing I have in the treasury right now!'

Over an hour later of constant negotiations, Zennon and Emperor Augustus was able to come to a conclusion. Besides the unknown pokemon egg and two unknown pieces of armor, Emperor Augustus would also 'gift' Jax with a TM maker, an assortment of high level pokemon corpses, an assortment of pokemon materials, an abundance of High-grade evolution stones, and 1 million Pokedollars as compensation for 'emotional' trauma.

Of course, this was all without Jax's knowledge as he was still plagued by the endless questions swarming in his head. Seeing that the boy was still stuck with the same expression an hour earlier, Zennon picked the boy up in his arms before flying off into the distance. He guessed he had some explaining to do or else the boy would forever be stuck in his own head.

Sighing in relief that the natural disaster had decided to spare his empire today, Emperor Augustus plopped down on his throne and wiped off the sweat from his brow. Since everyone had long since scattered, the parade was effectively canceled. With another sigh, the royal family made their way back towards the castle to prepare for the highlight of the night. 'To think the empire that has stood strong since Grandfather's time was almost destroyed by my hands today on its hundredth anniversary.' The irony of the whole situation was ridiculous to the emperor.

Landing in a field outside of the empire's gates, Zennon set the boy down on the ground before laying down on the grass. Looking at the boy who reminded him so much of his trainer, Zennon couldn't help but start thinking about the man he hadn't seen since that disastrous day all those years ago. Still not knowing exactly why his trainer didn't bring him along, Zennon help extremely betrayed and worried for his trainer's safety. 'Sigh. No use taking it out on his son. A father's sins isn't his child's responsibility to clean up.'

"Out with it, Boy. I know you have questions for me. Ask and if I feel like it, I'll answer."

Hearing what he had been wanting to this whole time, Jax sat down and stared at the Charizard before organizing the questions he wanted to ask. "First, what is your name?"

"Zennon, and to answer your following question, yes, the same Zennon that was by your father's side. Don't ask stupid questions, Boy, or we'll be here the whole night."

"It's not boy. My name is Jax."

"I know what your name is, Boy. I was there when your father left the note saying what to name you. Since it seems we'll be here the whole night, I'm limiting you to ten questions out of consideration. You've already used two."

"I've only asked one though?"

"That's three."

"Argh! Okay! Then, where is my father? Why did he disappear!? Does he know my mom was attacked at our house and that she's missing!? Why…why did he leave us? Leave me? Did he not want me?"

Hearing the boy's question, especially his last couple of questions, Zennon felt his heart break at the evident sorrow hidden behind them. Although he looked like a monster and was as strong as one, that didn't make him a monster. His heart was just like any other Charizard's and he loved his trainer with his whole being. That love extended to his trainer's family, as well.

"Sigh. I can only tell you what I know. First, the day your father disappeared; you weren't the only one he left behind. Your father, Oscar, didn't take me with him either. To this day, I still don't know why nor can I figure it out. For the past couple of months before his disappearance, I did notice that his demeanor had become colder, more withdrawn. As a child, Oscar was like any other boy his age. He laughed, he joked, he played pranks. And then, he changed."

Hearing about something completely new to him, Jax perked up his ears and silently listened. This was a side of this father that Headmaster Leon, Count Freiders and not even his mother new about. A side only someone who had been through countless life and death situations with could know. It was time to hear about what his father had been hiding from the one who knew him best.