Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon (no, really). :p
Chapter Two - New Friends?
"Well, everything seems to be fine here so far. I doubt we'll find anything out of the ordinary today anyway, we never do... And could you two hurry it up a little?"
The green-haired girl turned back with a smile to see the pink, ponderous forms of her two Slowpoke still walking along at the same slow speed behind her. "Honestly, you seem to get slower and slower every day. But then, you're Slowpoke, so I guess it's okay," she concluded, laughing a little. "Isn't that right, Lemon? Do you think so too, Lime?"
"Sloooow..."
"...poooke..." they seemed to agree. The girl laughed again, bending down to scratch behind their ears.
"Alright then, I guess you've had enough exercise for this morning. Back into your balls with you." She reached into the front pocket of her overalls to feel for the tiny objects, then pulled them out and pushed the button to expand them. With a flash of red light, the two Pokémon were back in their balls; the girl dropped them back into the pocket before continuing down the forest trail.
It was the perfect kind of day, really - the sun shining just right through the trees, not high enough yet to be hot, although the leaves protected the earth here from most of the heat. Still... the girl figured there were better ways to spend her summer than wandering around Viridian forest in search of any poor Pokémon trainers unlucky enough to have been attacked by one or more Beedrill. The attacks had become more recent since summer began, probably because more trainers were out due to warmer weather. Or maybe more Beedrill were out because of warmer weather. Whatever it was, someone needed to patrol the area where most of the attacks were occurring to make sure the victims were properly treated for stings, not to mention the fact that some solitary trainers might be totally incapacitated and far from help of any kind.
"And, since I'm such a nice person, I volunteered," she sighed to herself. "It's so hard being nice..." Then she grinned good-naturedly, shifting her red-framed glasses up higher on her nose as she scanned the new area for anything unusual. Satisfied that nothing was out of the ordinary, she continued on her way, whistling occasionally. In about half an hour or so, she'd stop for lunch, and...
Then she heard it - the faint sound of someone, or perhaps a Pokémon, making an insistent and definitely pleading cry. Forgetting everything else, she quickly ran off the trail in the direction of the sound, feet pounding on the hard ground as the noise solidified into what was without a doubt a Pokémon's cry. Her medicine bag bounced wildly and a bit painfully on her back, but she barely noticed things like that when someone needed help; she was glad, however, that she had returned her Slowpoke before this had happened.
All of that fled her mind when she finally reached the source of the disturbance. A boy lay sprawled out on his back on the grass of a small clearing, several discolored, swelling patches of skin on his face and arms showing that he had indeed been stung. The fact that he was unconscious was immediately evident by the way he wasn't responding to her presence or to that of the squeaking Marril. Without pausing to note the details of the boy's appearance or even to marvel at how the Pokémon had been unharmed, she quickly knelt by the boy's side, rummaging through her bag for the necessary items to at least treat the visible stings, for now.
Half an hour later, when she had originally been thinking of lunch, the boy was resting fairly peacefully on the cot at her station, a small one-room building that housed her supplies. But instead of eating, she was still watching the boy. The Marril lay close by his head, resting as well.
She had barely managed to support his weight on the five minute walk there, let alone carry two packs at once. Yet she had managed somehow, and the puffiness was beginning to recede from around his face, leaving him looking almost normal again, except for his lip, which still seemed to insist on swelling. How he had managed to get stung inside his mouth was something she would probably never know. Removing his clothes to check the rest of his body for stings had resulted in nothing, probably because the Beedrill wouldn't have had much interest in a target that had most likely stopped moving early on. She didn't dare attempt re-dressing him, so she had had to content herself with covering him with a blanket. The gold bracelet on his wrist had caught at her curiosity, but not for too long.
"This job does have the occasional perk," she mused aloud to herself, grinning widely. "You really aren't that bad... just a little skinny," she told the boy self-confidently, barely managing to suppress a laugh that might disturb him. She knew that he had not passed out from fright, or even from the toxin in the stings, but from sheer exhaustion. Hopefully he would wake up on his own before too long so he could tell her what he had been doing to make himself so tired.
She cast one last look at his face, still finding herself attracted in a way to his delicately handsome features, figuring him to be somewhere around 17, although his hairstyle made him look more boyish. Then she finally turned to start looking through the pack he had been laying on, in the hope that it would provide some kind of clue as to his identity.
Lemon and Lime were already snuffling curiously at the bag with their broad noses; she knelt and shooed them away with a smile. "I let you two out and you try to get into trouble. Snooping... well, I guess that's what I'm doing too, but at least I'm allowed." Unzipping the pack, she carefully let it's contents fall to floor to begin sifting through them.
The first thing that caught her eye was a piece of white material marked with bright red. Unfolding it showed that it was a long-sleeved shirt, the red being a large "R" on the front.
"Team Rocket..." she whispered in amazement, immediately recognizing the symbol. "Don't tell me I've unknowingly rescued a criminal... Heh, I'm not quite ready to call the police yet." Folding the shirt up and putting it aside with the clothes he had been wearing when she found him, she returned to her inspection.
Most of the rest of his things were fairly ordinary - a toothbrush, a few pairs of socks, two Pokéballs. The only other object that really stood out was a tattered photograph of a girl with gravity-defying red hair. She didn't look as though she had been posing for the camera, but like the picture had been taken without her knowing. Seeing the red "R" on the girl's shirt, she wondered offhand whether she was his partner. She put everything back neatly, frowning as she looked up to see the boy still asleep.
"Well, if you're so tired, I've got other things to do. Wait here. Well, it's not like you're going anywhere," she told him before attending to those other tasks.
When James first awoke, he didn't open his eyes, but remained perfectly still.
Meowth... Jessie... How could I have left you?
Instantly, a feeling flashed through his mind that told him Jessie was still a good distance away, but not too far from where he had left her. Emotions also crowded into his thoughts - distress, fear... sadness? That must be what it was.
"I never should have... left you," he mumbled aloud, groaning when the movement of his lips caused him pain.
"Hey... hey, are you awake now?" The clear feminine voice above his head made his eyes pop open, those disturbing emotions fleeing when he no longer thought of Jessie.
There was a girl standing over him, the long green strands of hair around her face dangling very close to his own. The rest of her hair was pulled into a bun near the top of her head, and she wore square glasses with red frames over her purple eyes. Those eyes were full of questions, and James could only imagine what they would be.
"Where am I?" he managed to ask waveringly.
"You're at my station in Viridian forest. I was out looking for Beedrill sting victims, and I sure found one today." She seemed to have a bright and cheerful personality, and her smile dominated most of her other features. "But you'll be okay, since I treated your stings and they seem to be turning out alright. Except for that one on your lip, but you're just going to have to live with that for awhile. Oh, sorry... My name's Myrea. What's yours?"
He continued to stare at her, almost dumbfounded by the speed at which she talked. "J... James," he stuttered, cursing inwardly afterward for letting himself slip like that. Using his real name would make it easier for anyone who might be looking to find him. Yet he was sure that he wouldn't be around here with this "Myrea" for long, so it might not matter.
"James..." she repeated, appearing to look him up and down as though appraising him. "Yes, it fits you. So James, mind telling me why you're out here in the forest, exhausted like that, without watching out for Beedrill nests?" She leaned forward with her eyebrows raised, clearly awaiting an answer. James' mind raced through the possibilities.
"I'm a... a trainer, is all. I'm on my way to the Pokémon League, eventually..."
God, James. Like she's gonna believe you.
"Oh. I saw the two Pokéballs... but there wasn't one for your Marril." That was when he noticed that the Marril was sitting close beside his head on the cot, looking very happy that he had regained consciousness.
"I... I didn't have any Pokéballs... I just found it last night... it followed me."
"Really..." Myrea looked over to where he could see his clothes and pack sitting on the floor, then back at him. "Is there something you'd like to tell--"
"M... my clothes! Then what am I..." James quickly looked under the blanket, only to confirm his worst suspicion, that being that he was completely naked. He could feel his face beginning to burn furiously, but before he could demand an explanation, Myrea gave him one.
"Excuse me, Mr. Ungrateful, but it's standard procedure to check an unconscious victim's body for stings. Thoroughly. And since you didn't have any say in the matter at the time, you shouldn't complain." The way her eyes smoldered hotly at him made him reconsider his initial reaction, but then she was smiling broadly again in a flash. "Don't worry about it. I did my job and nothing more. Not that I didn't enjoy it," she added, almost as an afterthought. The way she laughed then made his face burn even hotter.
"Now..." she began once she had composed herself enough. "I had to look through your pack to see if you had any ID. I know what that shirt means... I'm just hoping that you're some kind of runaway. Well?" Again, her manner demanded an answer. James sighed, thinking that telling her at least most of the truth might be best.
So he told her most of it, leaving out Yume and instead saying that he had chosen this path on his own, hoping to make his friends happy and show them there are other ways to be that way rather than being involved in Team Rocket. Which wasn't too far from the truth. Myrea nodded after he was done, and he thought she must believe him.
"So what other Pokémon do you have?" she asked next, indicating the Marril.
"Oh... Weezing and Victreebel are in their Pokéballs... that's all."
"Hm. You'll need more than that if you're really serious about this. The other thing... clothes. You need some more decent clothes. How old are you?"
"19..."
"19... I thought you were younger." She smiled a touch sadly. "You're about the age my brother was... and he was a bit larger than you, but I think it will work. Wait here." Without another word of explanation, she ran right out the door.
James stared after her for a time, then sat up, stretching a little as he inspected his arms. The stings didn't hurt at all, and had almost disappeared from his skin. He could still feel his lip throbbing dully, however. He looked around the room at the shelves and boxes full of supplies, absently petting the Marril at his side. Why was this girl so interested in helping him, anyway...
Then his gaze landed on a couple of Pokéballs sitting on the small table near the entrance. His mind instinctively went into "Team Rocket mode", and his immediate instinct was to get up, steal them, and be gone by the time the girl came back.
But the moment that thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain originated in his left wrist, sending stabbing bolts up through the rest of his body, similar to the feeling of a Pikachu's Thundershock. The pain subsided eventually, but he still had to lay back down, clutching the edge of the cot hard and trying to calm his erratic breathing.
"Marril?" the little Pokémon whimpered it's concern.
"I'm... I'm fine," he managed to croak out, but his mind was racing as to what had just happened. Then he remembered what Yume had said about controlling his "criminal tendencies", and he stared at the offending bracelet, shaking his head slowly. "I guess I did find out, didn't I..."
"I'm back!" Myrea's voice announced cheerily as she walked in carrying a pile of clothes. "I brought several so you can pick out what you want to wear for now. I hope they'll be alright. Why don't I just step outside and you can put them on now. Maybe you'd be more comfortable while we talk if you're not naked." She put the clothes down, laughing the whole time as though it was a great joke. James just hoped he wasn't blushing too brightly as she waved before she went out the door. "I'll be right outside. Just open the door when you're ready."
He waited until she had closed the door completely before getting up. He didn't take long in selecting a shirt, figuring that she might think it funny to just walk in on him at any moment. It was just a plain white T-shirt, which barely hung down over his hips, but was definitely roomy enough. To his embarrassment, the pile included a few pairs of underwear, one of which he did put on, but still felt strange about doing so. A pair of blue jeans that were maybe one size too large was next, and there were even white socks and a pair of blue and white shoes that actually fit perfectly. Looking down at himself, he realized that it was probably not what he would have ever worn normally, but figured it might not be so bad. It was definitely more comfortable than some of the dresses Jess had put him in when...
The feelings came back... fear, sadness... anger, now...
He tried to block them out as he opened the door. Myrea nearly fell in on him as though she had had her ear pressed to it, but she was standing up straight and looking him up and down so fast that you would never have guessed that had been the case.
"You look good in those... of course, my brother did too," she approved.
"I guess... but isn't your brother going to need..."
"No... my brother isn't alive."
"I'm... I'm sorry."
The fleeting shadow of sadness only crossed her face momentarily before it was gone again. "That's okay. We don't need to talk about it."
"Oh... ah..." James began, grasping about for a new topic. "Do you have Pokémon?" he questioned weakly, gesturing at the two balls he had once thought of stealing.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!" She sounded entirely too happy about that, which made him more than a little nervous. Perhaps they were both gigantic Gyarados. But when she called them out to show him, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"...Slowpoke...?"
"Mmhmm. Meet Lemon and Lime, my two adorable babies. They're the best two Slowpoke in the world."
"...Really...?"
"Yes, really. You haven't seen them battle," she replied with a knowing grin. She called them back, then clipped their Pokéballs on her belt. "Now. Show me what direction you were going to reach Viridian City."
James followed Myrea outside, and confidently pointed out the direction he had been traveling. "Gee. It's a good thing those Beedrill stung you, or you never would have made it. Viridian City is that way." She pointed in the opposite direction.
"Oh... r... right. I knew that."
"Suuure you did. Which reminds me to tell you something. I'm going with you." It was then that he noticed the backpack she was wearing, bulging quite obviously with her things. His eyes narrowed slowly.
"You were planning this all along, weren't you?"
"Of course. Look at it this way. You're all alone, with apparently no sense of direction, you have no money, no extra clothes, heck, you didn't even think far enough ahead to bring more than one pair of underwear. Face it, you need someone to look after you. I'm only 16, but I think I can take care of you. Besides that," she continued with a slow smile, looking him up and down again, "after I've seen your--"
"I don't think that--"
"--I definitely can't leave you."
He sighed heavily, knowing there probably wasn't any way he could change her mind. "What about your job?"
"It's just a summer job. My sister takes over for me when I can't do it, so I'll just leave her a note and she'll understand."
"What about your parents?"
"They're not... living... anymore, either. I don't want to talk about it, but... Anyway, my sister and I are pretty much living on our own, and we've been taught at home for a long time, so that isn't a problem..."
"But won't your sister get lonely--"
"No! She has a ton of friends! Now quit trying to change my mind! I'm going, and that's it!"
"Okay, okay..." he soothed, backing away a step.
"Oh, don't do that," she scolded lightly. "Why don't you get the rest of those clothes in your pack while I write the note. Then we can be on our way." James simply nodded, still unsure as to what exactly he had just gotten himself into.
"I don't know! I don't know where the hell he's gone! Do you think he told me?!"
Meowth backed away from Jessie, who looked twice as livid as she had the night before. "I know dat... but what're we gonna do? We gotta look for him or somethin'!"
"No we don't. We don't need... some spoiled little brat dragging us down anymore. You know he was. Now let's go. We've got rare Pokémon to capture."
The cat Pokémon stared after her, wondering why she was doing this. He would have thought her reaction would be anything but this, judging from what he had heard last night while pretending to be asleep. And although his instincts told him they should search for their missing friend, he knew that he would end up going with Jessie's decision, just like always.
Meanwhile, Jessie's mind was racing with a million different emotions at once. After the way James had been acting last night, she would have thought... No. This just showed that she really could trust no one. Not even the person who had been her best friend for so long.
She continued walking, without waiting for Meowth, trying to harden her resolve.
"We don't need him," she whispered to herself. "I don't..."
Huraaaay... that's done. :p NOW COMMENT, WILL YA? ...darn caps lock...
