Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own Jessie and James or any other cute lil' Pokémon characters. Bummer. :p
Part One - Fate
I believe that I am finally completely tired of walking. Walking seems to be all I have done for weeks now, which may be accurate, for all I know, ever since James and I left Pokémon Tech. And since then we've been walking... but to where?
James stumbles beside me, his face plainly showing the emotions I have bottled up inside. With no coat in this early spring weather, he has developed a nasty cold. It's not that I don't want to help him in some way, but how? All we can really do is continue to plod forward, in the hope that eventually we will find a place to stop and rest, and to plan out our future a little better.
"Jessie... can we stop soon?" James' teeth seem to chatter loudly, and I wish we could stop, but something tells me to keep going.
"Just a little farther, we'll find someplace."
"Where?"
"I don't know where! Do you think I have a map in my head?" He ducks his head a little at my harsh tone of voice, rubbing his arms weakly; I have to remind myself that he has a fever and I shouldn't be so rough. But then, my best friend has always been more sensitive than any other guy I had ever met. "Soon. We'll stop soon," I remind him in a milder fashion.
"I hope it's warm there," he mumbles. For both of our sakes, I hope so too.
But quite some time later, with the weak light of the sun shining just a bit over the horizon, James' pace has begun to lag, and I am having a hard time continuing myself. The packs we are carrying containing what few personal items we have seem heavy, much heavier than they should. It is at this low point that I notice the sign up ahead.
"Sunnytown City Limits. I guess we'll find someplace here." I turn my head to look for James; he finally catches up and is looking so tired that I don't stop him when he holds onto my arm as though to support himself. He seems vaguely happy that we have arrived at a town, but it's hard to tell exactly.
I look back out over the vista spreading before us. It seems like a fairly ordinary city, the only distinguishing feature being a gigantic bridge arching elegantly off into the distance. And also the two people...
Two people?
As I look back again at the sign, I notice there are now two people standing next to it, having plainly not been there before. One is a boy with bright orange hair, and the other is a green-haired girl, both appearing to be around James and my age: 15. The first thing that passes through my mind is that they are certainly dressed funny. They grin crookedly at each other.
"Hey. You two sure look bad off. Got no place to go?" the guy asks without any sort of introduction.
"Well... no," I admit, not really liking to. James is holding my arm much tighter now.
"Wanna join our gang? It'll give ya someplace to go." It is then that I notice two bicycles leaning up against the back of the sign. My mind fuzzily tells me that these strange people must have been riding them.
"What kind of gang?" I ask tiredly.
"Our bicycle gang, what else?" the girl laughs, as if the answer had been so obvious all along.
"Bicycle gang? We don't even have bikes." My statement doesn't even seem to faze them.
"Oh, we have ways to get you a couple," the guy grins widely.
"But Jessie... I can't even ride," I hear James whisper softly to me, his breath feeling much hotter than it should against my cheek.
"Don't worry about it now," I whisper back. "So, are you two so desperate for more gang members that you'll take in a couple of homeless kids?" I ask the pair of strangers.
"Why not? There's always room for more. Name's Chopper," the guy concludes with an even broader grin, if such a thing is possible. He certainly seems to be the more congenial of the two, although he still possesses an air of strength.
"I'm Tyra," the girl speaks up next. She, on the other hand, is a bit harder and colder, yet not so much that I have a bad first impression of her. James and I introduce ourselves as well, then Tyra speaks again. "If you guys really don't have a place to stay - you're strangers here, right? - you could live in our hideout... It's not much of a place, but I guess it would be just right for two people."
"Hey, Ty, you're amazing," Chopper jokes. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"I may be amazing, but you're just slow," the green-haired girl replied bitingly, at the same time elbowing him playfully in the ribs. I realize that they are probably really close friends, much the same as James and I. With a smile, I glance over at him, only to see him looking nearly ready to tip over.
"If you don't mind, why don't we get going now. James..."
"Yeah, he don't look too good," Chopper finished for me with a shake of his head.
"He's been sick for a couple days now... All he really needs is a warm place to sleep, maybe some food later, he'll turn out alright in the end." James nods to confirm my words, obviously not in the mood for speaking now.
"Okay. We'll ride as slow as we can, you just follow." Still supporting James, I follow Tyra and Chopper through the maze of city streets, eventually ending up at a tiny house not too far from the huge bridge I had seen before. For having such a rundown outside, the inside of the "hideout" sure is cozy - there is a small space heater that keeps the largest room very warm, and there is even a tiny bathroom and kitchen which, as Chopper assures us, both have running water. The only kind of furniture to be seen is a few pillows and a pile of blankets in one corner.
"A few of us have spent the night here at times," Chopper explains with a shrug. "All this stuff never got taken back where it belongs, so now it belongs here." Our two rescuers seem to sense the need for James and I to be alone for the moment, and without any comment, they both step outside. When we are alone, I make James sit on the floor, where I pull his shoes off like he can't do it himself.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Jessie?" he questions weakly.
"For now... what else do you suggest we do?" He shrugs, showing that he probably hadn't given it much thought anyway. "Just don't worry about it now." I help in arranging him a bed of sorts from various blankets and pillows, and he doesn't seem to object to the fact that I am trying to put him to sleep right away.
"I won't worry about it, Jess," he murmurs to me as I look down on his flushed and weary face. To avoid looking too sentimental, I merely pull the blankets up around him a little better, nodding.
"That's good. Now go to sleep." He is asleep, almost before I finish my sentence. With a sigh, I stand and look at him again, wishing with an almost desperate fierceness that we didn't have to rely on others' kindness and mercy. That way, I could have taken care of James myself. Or maybe he wouldn't have gotten sick in the first place. I decide not to think about it anymore, instead step back outside to talk to Tyra and Chopper. It is even colder than before, or so it seems after the comfortable heat inside the hideout. The two companions are leaning up against the side of the building, talking amiably about some subject, but they soon stop when they see me.
"He gonna be alright?" Chopper asks.
"He'll pull through, he always does." I hesitate momentarily, trying to think of exactly what to say. "Thanks. I mean... for helping us out. If you hadn't, I..." I trail off, at a loss for anything else.
"It's okay," Chopper says, waving a hand. "Don't like seein' a couple of kids so down on their luck. Plus, you two would look fantastic in our gang," he adds with a huge grin. Despite myself, I have to smile at this comment. Tyra, on the other hand, doesn't seem as impressed.
"They're not in the gang yet, Chopper. They have to pass the initiation first, you know that."
"I know, I know."
"Wait... wait a minute," I speak up in confusion. "What initiation?"
"Oh, it's no big deal," Chopper reassures me. "You guys still need to rest for a few days, and besides that, it's still too cold out. So you don't have to worry about it right away." He exchanges a look with Tyra, then nods. "Well, we better get goin'. Supper's calling," he smiles. "We'll bring you something later, okay?"
I just nod, watching them pedal away at breakneck speed, at least compared to how slow they'd ridden before. Before I go back inside, I wonder to myself why I've always thought that no one in the world could possibly ever be that nice to James and I.
For three days, there is little to do while James recovers. For the most part I content myself with staring out the small window, watching cars pass by, which may not seem too exciting, but it provides me with plenty of time to think. James is usually asleep beneath a pile of blankets; I gave most of them to him since he is ill, after all. Tyra and Chopper show up occasionally to bring food and to chat, but no one else ever appears at the hideout. Chopper admits that it never really was much of a hideout, and besides that, gang members tend to lose interest in riding when it's cold.
But by the fourth day, James is able to sit up and talk to me, and when I feel his forehead it isn't hot at all. I must admit that it is nice to see his face a normal color again, his eyes a clear green instead of fever-glazed. At my insistence, we go outside for a breath of fresh air, and are pleasantly surprised to find that it is a beautiful, warm day.
We are also surprised to find a group of teenagers standing in a rough semicircle around the building, their bikes resting on the ground beside them. All told, there are 20 pairs of eyes staring at us.
James takes an involuntary step back, and I automatically follow suit before spotting Tyra and Chopper standing at the front of the group. In my surprise, I guess I hadn't noticed them.
"Just about to come in and get you," Chopper grins. Tyra seems to be all business.
"Alright, Sunnytown gang. This is Jessie and James, our two new applicants. If they pass the initiation, our gang will be bigger than the Bridge's!" This statement causes a cheer to go up from the other bikers. I glance over at James, who is still blinking in astonishment, then decide that maybe I should do the talking.
"So what's this initiation all about, anyway?"
"Well, the first part," Tyra continues, "concerns Pokémon. You both need at least one each. Sometimes we battle with our rival gang." The other members nod in agreement.
"Oh, that's easy. I have an Ekans and James has a Koffing."
"Good, good. The second part is... The Course."
"Course?" I repeat warily.
"It's just a bicycle obstacle course, Tyra just likes to make it sound intimidating," Chopper jokes. Several people snicker, but it doesn't sound too hard to me. To James, on the other hand... it must sound horrible, but I don't want to think about that just now.
"So where is it?"
"Down the road a ways," Tyra replies. "You two just walk ahead, and we'll follow you on our bikes." I just shrug and head over to start walking down the middle of the road, although I almost have to pull James to get him going with me. He doesn't say anything, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see that he is looking rather pale, and I know he's scared. Not that I particularly blame him.
Miraculously, there are no cars coming down this road, something I had worried about briefly. And in a moment, I see why - both ends are blocked off with metal barrels right across it. The houses are sparse here, so I guess they aren't too worried about angry owners in cars.
"Cops hate it when we do this, so let's get it over with quick," Chopper laughs from somewhere behind us. Spreading out before us now is what is apparently the course itself, what looks like a random mess of old tires and pipes, with a few garbage cans and lawn ornaments sprinkled here and there. Probably whatever they managed to pinch from people's yards, I think in amusement. The route to take is clearly marked on the pavement with a line of white chalk.
"And you expect us to go through this course without bikes?" I speak up with a touch of sarcasm.
"Of course not! Your bikes are over there, didn't we say we'd get them?" Following Chopper's extended finger, I see two bicycles resting at the side of the road, one red and one blue; I must have overlooked them the first time.
"Right then. I'll go first." With a reassuring smile for James, who looks like he is about to throw up, I stride over to pick up the red bike, wheeling it back over to the beginning of the course. I climb on, and at a signal from Tyra, I begin.
It certainly is more difficult than I had at first imagined, especially when it requires I weave in and out between tires and other obstacles with an almost impossible amount of space to manuever in, but I make it through successfully with only a few close calls. My pride as the other members exclaim loudly on how great I did quickly vanishes, however, at the look on James' face.
Now he looks like he's about to cry. I feel terrible.
"That was fantastic! Now it's Jim's turn! C'mon man, show us how it's really done!" Chopper cheers, totally oblivious to James' plight. He seems frozen in place. Carefully, I lean over to whisper in his ear.
"Try it, James. Maybe... maybe you can do it." The unreality of my words isn't lost on me. James had told me once, a long time ago, that he couldn't ride. How was someone who had never gotten on a bike in his life supposed to ride one across an obstacle course that even I, who had used a bike as my main source of transportation for years, had had trouble with?
Yet now he is walking rather stiffly over to the remaining bike, accompanied only by utter silence, and it is too late to call him back now. Maybe he will be able to do it... by some miraculous twist of fate... Maybe he'll astonish me completely...
But when he gets on and barely manages to pedal two feet before tipping over, I realize that no miracle is going to happen. He tries to pick himself up, but remains on hands and knees; my heart goes out to him as I hear people beginning to snicker behind their hands. What have I gotten you into, James... I think to myself as I walk over to kneel beside him. "You okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
"No... I'm fine," he mumbles, so ashamed that he won't even look up. I glance defiantly over at the gang, looking for Tyra and Chopper to judge their reactions. Tyra seems to be calm, her hands on her hips, while Chopper glares angrily as he studies James. I suppose he has a right to be mad. So I am totally surprised at what happens next.
"You've never ridden a bike before, have ya, Jim?"
James finally looks up, still scared. "N... no...."
"Then why the heck didn't ya say so? Ya could've been really hurt! And it most certainly isn't funny." The way he says this last sentence, obviously meant for the other gang members, is so hard and final that no one is laughing anymore. "It's no big deal if he can't ride. I'll help him out and he'll be almost as good as the rest of us. Now. Since I'm partly in charge here," - several people groan good-naturedly at this point - "I say we let both of them join." Then he looks at Tyra for confirmation. She frowns.
"I suppose I'll agree. One probably won't join without the other, anyway." James had actually moved around to sit down on the road beside me where I still knelt, looking with interest at what is happening. I notice that the fall had torn a hole in the knee of his pants, through which shows an angry red gash across the skin. My mouth tightens into a line; he had told me he wasn't hurt. I remind myself to scold him for it later.
"Alright, then! Our gang is officially bigger than the Bridge's! Now clean this up and go home!" At Chopper's command, everyone springs forward to disassemble "The Course", moving so fast that in five minutes the road is clear and everyone but Tyra and Chopper have pedaled away. "Great job, both of you," Chopper grins. "I'll bring Jim somethin' tomorrow that'll help ya lots. Bye for now!" And then even they are gone, leaving me alone with James on an empty street, with daylight fading fast. James turns to me slowly, looking guilty.
"I'm sorry, Jessie... I guess I let you down."
"No... we should have told them, is all," I sigh. "And you should have told me that you got hurt! I asked you, and you..."
Since we obviously can't both ride back to the hideout, we walk while pushing our bikes along. I devote the entire time to lecturing James, but I'm not too sure he is listening. I think he is just happy that I'm not too mad.
As promised, Chopper shows up alone the next day with something to help James: a set of training wheels. James is embarrassed, naturally, but soon gets over it when he finds that he is able to get along just as well as anyone else while using them. I have no doubt that someday he will be able to ride without them.
The first several months are great, as James and I make a place for ourselves among the other gang members. Tyra and Chopper are probably still our best friends, with Tyra and a few other girls hanging around with me more often than not, and James has found a good friend in Chopper, who looks out for James' honor almost as though he is Chopper's younger brother. Noticing this, the other boys take to calling him "Little Jim", which he doesn't really mind, since it's just for fun. And in order to tease the boys a little, they start calling me "Big Jess", which I find almost flattering.
Yes, the first few months were great... but that was when things started to go wrong.
Comments on this one would be appreciated lots. Lots and lots. More lots than previous ones. If that makes sense. :p
