POKEMON A.R. ------------------------ The Hidden Nation Series ------------------------ Walkin' Trouble (PROLOUGE) PART 3 Tyler has *four* pokŽmon now! Surprises abound... still, these pokŽmon have been hurt very much by humans, will they trust their new trainer? ========================================================================= Sunny Town Orphanage, Some time later ------------------------------------- Over the next few weeks, Tyler had begun to train his new pokŽmon. At first, all three had had problems in that they seemed reluctant to train; little by little however, Tyler got Poliwag to start It's training to a more intense pace; then got Pidgey into it; then Psyduck; and, finally, after MUCH debate, Squirtle. Still, it wasn't ALL rough training. Tyler's pokŽmon seemed to cut loose under his trainer-ship and enjoyed games and such; to such an extent, in fact, that they began playing with the other children there and even keeping a few of them from getting injured on the orphanage playground in some VERY tight escapes. This, all in all, served to further boost the pokŽmon's ailing self esteem in that they felt useful and were even excited about learning new abilities and gaining new levels. Eventually, they were good enough about handling themselves Tyler could leave them alone. All in all, this was REMARKABLE progress in that the pokŽmon weren't as fearful of the world or of personal failure. Poliwag seemed more vigorous than the others and tried to encourage it's trainers newest pokŽmon. Squirtle and Poliwag did water tricks, Poliwag ran laps with Psyduck, and Pidgey and Poliwag did leaps so Pidgey could work on its take-offs and landings while Poliwag could work on evading attacks. Eventually, the weeks wore on and the classes began. Tyler left for school, leaving his newest three pokŽmon behind, not that he didn't trust them coming along, but that they seemed to LOVE playing with the children confined to the orphanage grounds and when he had told them he was planning on carrying them around all the time some of the smaller children began to cry (which pulled on his heartstrings cus their were YOUNG and ORPHANS)... so Tyler decided one pokŽmon would HAVE to be enough. It was his second day of classes. He and Jackii had arranged to walk home together from their schools in that Jackii took over half of her classes at home and left early while Tyler only had two classes. This meant that, after their stints in class, they could bum around. And that's how it was today. The two walked down the road as leaves fell down from the trees forming an autumn time blanket of yellow, reds, browns, and gold on the sidewalk. Jackii seemed to like it enough, but Tyler was absolutely lost in it. Something deep inside of himself was tugging at him about this... about fall itself. This time of year, for some reason Tyler did not, nor could not have known, had meaning for him. As Tyler tried to sort everything out in his head, he became even more withdrawn, which was making Jackii very nervous. She was used to the joking, talking, Tyler she knew and... "Hey," she said, trying to get Tyler to snap out of it, "so how's your class going? I wouldn't think pokŽmon biology would be all that exciting." "It's alright." he said as they crossed the street and made their way to the alley they used as their shortcut, "It's hard work though." Just as Jackii began to try to get more speech out of Tyler, two voices from either side interrupted her. "And what do we have here?" a girl said. "Looks like easy money." said a boy on the opposite side. Backed into a side corner, Tyler got in front of Jackii as he looked at the duo. One was a red haired girl, roughly 12 or so, dressed in a beige school uniform that looked similar to Jackii's blue one. She was on a bicycle and was, rather expertly, waiving a chain above her head. As for her companion, he was blue haired and was a little taller than the girl, so Tyler assumed he was probably a little older. Unlike his younger friend, he didn't appear very expert at anything, as that his bicycle had training wheels. "Look," Tyler said, "we don't want any trouble..." "Well trouble is what you *got*!" the girl said. "And you can make that double." the blue haired boy added. "Well," Tyler said, raising his fists, "come and get it then!" Both bikers stared. "Uh, hello?" The girl said, "why bother with that crud when we can pokŽbattle with our loaned pokŽmon!" "PokŽbattle?" Jackii asked. "You two *are* trainers, right?" the blue haired boy asked, "Or are you just a couple posers who wear pokŽbelts for show?" Jackii stood next to Tyler and pulled out a pokŽball, allowing it to expand. "Anytime." she said. "How do you get *LOANED* pokŽmon?!" Tyler said. "Our friends let us use them!" the blue haired boy said. "My Dad works in a PokŽmon Gym so he gets to use all sorts." Big Jes said proudly. "Whatever." Jackii said, "Now, if *YOU'RE* ready to battle-" Jackii was yelled over from voices behind the two bikers-- "Go get'em Big Jes!" a girl cried. "Wail on 'em Lil 'Jim." said a boy. Tyler looked to see a group of 8-year-olds on smaller bikes behind the duo. "Big Jes?" Jackii asked, chagrined. "*Lil* 'Jim?" Tyler said. "Hey, watch it!" Big Jes yelled, "They're like what, *8*? Lay off of them! Let's clobber these two Jim!" "Right." Lil 'Jim said, throwing a pokŽball "Koffing, go!" "Ekans, go!" Big Jes said as she too tossed a pokŽball. "Tyler chooses Poliwag." Tyler said as he pulled out his lone pokŽball and threw it in, releasing his water pokŽmon. "Jigglypuff, I choose you!" Jackii called, throwing her pokŽmon. As soon as Poliwag appeared, Ekans did a Wrap attack. "Jigglypuff, Doubleslap attack Koffing!" Jackii called. "Koffing," Lil Jim began, "Smog attack!" Koffing began blowing smog until Jigglypuff, coming in very quickly, slapped Koffing silly, whapping it on the sides. As Ekans continued to squeeze the life out of Poliwag, Koffing regained some of it sense as came at Poliwag as well, using another Smog attack. "CHEATER!" Jackii yelled, "League rules say only one pokŽmon can fight another at a time!" "Sue us." Lil 'Jim said with an evil smile as he crossed his arms. Jigglypuff, however, simply smacked Ekans around until let Poliwag go, and then Poliwag, angered by the double-team, hit Ekans with a full on Tackle. Ekans fainted, and then, Poliwag began to glow... "Wha?!" Tyler said as he watched Poliwag's form change. When his transformation ended, Poliwag had evolved into Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl stretched it's new arms and strengthened legs a moment, which was all the time Koffing needed to do a full on Tackle and knock him out. Tyler called back Poliwag as Jigglypuff and Koffing stood head to head. "Looks like it's even now." Jackii told Lil 'Jim. "Not hardly." Big Jes said, using a Revive on her pokŽmon while Lil 'Jim used a potion on Koffing. Ekans got back up, shaking out it's mental cobwebs as it went with Koffing, who was now healed from all battle damage. Jigglypuff couldn't win, not against two higher level, fully powered pokŽmon... and that added to the fact it was half beaten down already; it didn't have a chance. Jackii recalled her pokŽmon and looked at the duo. "WE WIN!" Lil 'Jim said, much to the happiness of the younger "gang" members behind. "ONLY CUS YOU CHEATED!" Tyler yelled. "Tough stuff." Big 'Jes said, "You lost so pay up... or else." "Uhhh..." Tyler said. Deciding not to mess with this, he grabbed Jackii by the collar and ran with her following as she flew horizontally in the air behind. "HEY!" Lil 'Jim yelled, but it was no use. Tyler was scared so completely he was in NO way going to slow down let alone stop. He ran so suddenly, turned so many curves, and moved so fast, in fact, he had managed to run to the park and find a hiding place for he and Jackii before the pedaling riders could arrive. Jes and Jim looked about but, with all the trees and bushes, it was nearly impossible to follow them in where Jackii and Tyler had jumped through. They duo gave up, scowling as they pedaled away. Jackii, lying on top of Tyler as he held her mouth shut, looked up after hearing them leave. "We're ok..." she said. "Yah... guess I ran fast enough." Tyler said, semi embarrassed over his lack of courage. "You were very brave getting in front of me when it started." she said, "Sexist, but brave." "I'd've done it for any of my friends," Tyler said, "seeing as it was *my* idea to use that shortcut." Jackii looked at Tyler with a look he couldn't identify as she brushed some hair away that had fallen over his face. "Looks like you're a hero." she said, "and for that, you get a reward..." Time froze for Tyler. "WAITASEC..." he thought, "we're safe now, why is she still on top of me? And why is she going so close to my face?-- OH NO!!! I heard about this! She's gotten all MUSHY! NOOO! Not my best friend! I gotta think of something, gotta..." Tyler let his arm to the side after spotting something. He then looked up at Jackii with a smile. "A reward huh?" Tyler said sweetly, "Do I get to choose?" Jackii smiled back. "Yup." she said, "Any--AHH!" Jackii began to wipe mud off of her face as she rolled off of Tyler. Tyler smiled, grabbing another dirt clod from the freshly dug rose garden nearby. "I wanna have a dirt-clod war like we used to when we didn't have as much school." he said, "So DEFEND yourself!" Jackii grabbed a clod of dirt and shoved it at Tyler, most of it going into his mouth. "UOOOEWCH!" he said, as he spitted it out and got some more ammo. * * * Wipple Residence: 3 hours later ------------------------------- "I don't know where she is!" Mrs. Wipple said despondently as her husband sat on the couch, unconcerned. Saying Jackii Wipple was VERY late would be, to coin the phrase 'helluva-off'. When she'd gone off with Tyler earlier that day, she'd promise to by back a couple of hours before dinner... Well, Jackii's dinner was now on the dining room table, getting cold, while her mother's anxiety was reaching a major hot-streak. "I don't think she's in danger," Charles Wipple said, "Tyler was with her and it's not as if she's late coming home, she still has another hour before dinner." "THAT BOY is what I'm worried about!" Allyson Wipple countered, "Charles, she's got a crush on him. I've seen the way she looks when she talks about going to see him. It's not right Charles, she's 12 now and to be thinking about things like that--" Mr. Wipple just laughed at her. "You think this is FUNNY!" she said, "Who KNOWS what they're doing!" Mr. Wipple just looked at her smiling. "3... 2... 1..." Jackii came crashing in through the front door, covered in dirt, a scowl on her face. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Mr. Wipple asked sweetly. "Do you know how they say girls mature faster than boys Daddy?" she said, stopping only to remove her shoes. "Yes, I've heard that pumpkin." he said. "Well, I don't think boys mature at all until they grow up!-- No offense." she said. "None taken." her father said. With that, she marched up the stairs to bathe and change her clothes without another word... ABOVE her breath anyway... As the door to the bathroom slammed, Mr. Wipple chuckled uncontrollably. "How did--?" Mrs. Wipple began to ask. "Simple Allyson." he said, "You may see our daughter's moments but I've seen that boy's. He doesn't have a single hormone or dishonest bone in his body. Oh, no doubt he'll STILL get our daughter into no end of trouble, but I suspect we've just seen the worst of what he'll ever do." As Mrs. Wipple went up the stairs to talk to her daughter, she overheard her daughter in the bathroom. "I can't believe I tried to kiss him!" she heard her daughter say with disgust, "He wouldn't know romance if I beat it into him. Why did I--" Allyson Wipple walked to her room, smiling at the fact that her husband, as he often turned out to be about things like this, was right. Still, she was one up on him seeing as she'd been able to fix the intake manifold on the car whereas her husband hadn't had a clue. Ah well, gender stereo typical they were not... but he was nice and had a cute butt. "And after 15 years of marriage," she added to herself aloud, "I think I'll keep him... unless Harrison Ford comes knocking." * * * The Next Day: ------------- "Ok you 4, TEN HUT!" Polywhirl (formerly Poliwag), Psyduck, Squirtle, and Pidgey all, to the best of their ability (Psyduck waddled and Pidgey had to hop-fly to move so near to the ground), did indeed line up and stand to attention ala soldiers. "It has recently come to my attention," Tyler said, inspecting his pokŽmon as the morning sun started to rise over the orphanage, "that there have been some... minor miscalculations in some of my training methods, leading one of you to suffer defeat. I realize now that, like it or not, we are at WAR... a war of 'friendly' competition! To win this war, and utterly defeat our 'competition', we must train, pokŽmon and trainer, to be the best. Are you four with me?" "Poly!--whiiirl?" "Psyeeee!--duuuuck?!" "Squa--" "Pid-Pidgeeey?" Tyler fell on his side, his legs in the air. He quickly jumped, righting himself and regaining his composure. "Listen, guys--" "PIDGEEEEY!" "--and birds." Tyler said, getting a nod from Pidgey AND Psyduck, "I got WHOMPED on yesterday by some wanna-be biker punks trying to jack me and Jackii. They had some *tough* pokŽmon, and all I wanna do is make you four tougher," The four pokŽmon just looked down, their spirits taking a MAJOR nose dive at the idea of battling. Tyler sighed. "Listen," Tyler said, "I know you all must have *LOSER* sketched in your heads by now after being rejected by some suck-wad trainers, but if you let that stop you, you won't be losers, you'll be fools, kay? Now I wanna letcha all in on something: I DON'T HANG WITH LOSERS OR FOOLS. I picked you all to stay with me because I was willing to do the work your loser trainers wouldn't. And you wanna know what?: I *WILL* train you and I *WILL* make you four stronger! I've done my homework yesterday when I got home leaving the remaining time open. Starting this weekend, and EVERY weekend hereon in, we will train to make us tougher, we will find those two, and when we do... oh-ho-ho-yes... THEY'RE GONNA PAY!" The four pokŽmon just sweatdropped. * * * "Ok Squirtle, come here." It had been six hours already. The sun had reached it's zenith as it got about noon, and Tyler was beginning to get tired. He and the pokŽmon had been running through continuous exercise, making them all more agile and a little stronger, and had even managed to work Psyduck up a couple levels (all the way up to 17!), but Squirtle still seemed to be having problems. "Squirtle?" the turtle like pokŽmon asked. "Squirtle, listen," Tyler began, "I've noticed you just don't seem to be trying all that hard... what's the deal?" "Squirt, Squirtle... Squirt-Squirt..." the pokŽmon said, pointing to it's shell. Tyler ran his hand over the little pokŽmon's shell and... it was odd; Tyler noticed that it was softer than a normal Squirtle shell should've been... he could even make it shirt a little (much to Squirtle's discomfort). This wasn't good Tyler decided. With such a soft shell, it was no wonder that Squirtle wasn't trying as hard as the others-- it could get itself killed just jumping around and having one bad fall! "Ok Squirtle, I see the problem and it's obvious." Tyler said, "Your shell isn't fully developed yet. All you need is some enhanced calcium on a regular basis and when it does form up, it should be fine. Come'on, you'n'me'll head over to the PokŽcenter and pick up some of the calcium's off of my PC there." Squirtle nodded excitedly. FINALLY! It would get over it being young and weak shelled and, just MAYBE, not be so worthless... it may even win a battle some day -- ALL BY ITSELF! Tyler walked over to the other three pokŽmon who were still at their pushups. "Squirtle and I are off the PokŽcenter for some stuff," Tyler said, "keep at it, and we'll B.R.B with something for all of you." Tyler and Squirtle left, allowing the 3 exhausted pokŽmon the chance for an unallowed breather, which they anxiously took. * * * It'd been 10 minutes before Tyler and Squirtle were halfway there when they passed an all to familiar alley. "GIVE US YOUR MONEY YOU LITTLE PUNK!" a voice yelled. "Please! NOOOO!" a younger voice called, "HELP! SOMEBODY!" "Cool," Tyler said, grabbing a nearby stick and running in, "This time it's just you and me Lil 'Ji--" But, it was not the duo of Big Jes and Lil' Jim that met Tyler's eyes as he ran it with a large stick (more like a natural bat or club) with the intention of pounding them... it was yet ANOTHER gang of bikers. The two toughs looked over at Tyler, then at the stick, then at him again. "Whaddaya gonna do wit' dat?" one asked. "THIS!" Tyler said, sticking it in-between his front wheel spoke. Then Tyler, ala his ever-so-brave way... "AAAAHHHH!" Tyler screamed as he grabbed the kid by the arm, dragging her as he ran. He gotten a few feet outside the alley when he heard the ever-so-satisfying sound of biker face hitting pavement... the stick obviously sticking the wheel and causing it's rider to fall off. Tyler and the little kid ran as the sounds of cursing echoed behind him. * * * "Ghee..." Jackii said as she walked to the park past the PokŽcenter. She had wanted to have a heart-to-heart with Tyler over yesterday, and maybe to work something out. She couldn't just be friends with him anymore. Her emotions were strong, Jackii knew; her anger over her failed attempt at romance yesterday proved it. She was now out and about, looking for her soon to be either former friend or new boyfriend, "I wonder where Tyler is any-- OOF!!" Tyler and the little girl collided with Jackii as the trio all fell into a heap. "TYLEEEER!!!" Jackii yelled as she shoved him off, "What the-?!" Tyler jumped up, grabbed Jackii's arm with his other hand, and began to drag her and run again as the little girl swung freely in the air. Jackii, being pulled along VERY quickly, looked behind her to see two VERY angry bikers pedaling after them, and thought this whole 'running-for-her-life' thing was getting VERY tiresome. They'd managed to get within 20-some yards (70 or so feet) when one of the bikers, having taken a short cut, blocked their path, allowing the second biker to come in from behind, surrounding them. "Ah sh-" Tyler began. "YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!" one of them yelled over Tyler, this one's face red and dirty, obviously from impact with the ground. "We're screwed." Tyler said, any hope of escape now gone. Jackii looked determined as she pulled out her pokŽball-- until one of the pedaling duo snatched it and her loose fitting pokŽbelt. Sneering, the bikers circled the trio as the little girl cringed between Jackii and Tyler. "Whaddaya say now ya little runt punk?" the red faced biker said, twirling Jackii's pokŽbelt in the air over his head. "You know what *I'd* say Rocko," a girl's voice said from the side, a chain lashing out and snatching the stolen pokŽbelt from Rocko's grasp. "HEY!" Rocko yelled as he brought his bike to a stop, his beet red face contorting into a look of pure hate, "WHO DID 'DAT?!" "You were never good with names," the voice said again, "so you can call me Trouble." "And make that double." a familiar male voice added. "No way!" the other biker said, "It's not-" The nameless duo whose voices they'd heard now came out of the shadows on their own bikes. As the shadows parted, they were revealed to be Big Jes and Lil 'Jim. "Well, well Billy," Lil 'Jim said, "still hanging around with Rockhead here, I see. "WE'RE GONNA POUND YOU TWO LOSERS!" Rocko yelled, turning his attention to Big Jes and Lil 'Jim and pulling out a pokŽball, "Rocko picks Hitmonlee!" "Hitmonchan, I choose you!" Billy yelled as his pokŽball was thrown so fast it seemed to fly out of his hand. "Ekans," Big Jes yelled as she threw Jackii her pokŽbelt and signed for her and Tyler to run, "GO!" "Koffing, Go!" Lil 'Jim called as he threw his own pokŽball. Tyler and Jackii nudged the kid with them to run as they took a second to think things out. "They just saved us," Jackii said, "what's the deal?" "Let's help them nail these two and ask!" Tyler said. "Must we?" Jackii asked. Tyler ran to grab a nearby garbage can lid as Jackii pulled out a pokŽball. "Hitmonchan, Megapunch Ekans!" Billy yelled. "Hitmonlee, Megakick that dumb Koffing!" Rocko called. The two fighting pokŽmon hit their respective targets with excessive speed, so much so that Big Jes and Lil' Jim's pokŽmon had no time to react, and both were sent into a sidewall. "Now for you two little runt punks." Rocko said as he cracked his knuckles. He, Billy, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee all moved in on the two would be rescuers. "I'll always remember how well you dressed!" Big Jes wailed as she held Lil Jim tightly. "Me too!" Lil Jim added. "Any last words you runt punks?" Rocko yelled. "Yah, please don't kill us." Lil' Jim said. "Hey jerk!" Tyler called from the side, drawing Rocko's attention to the side. "Wha-OUF?!" Rocko cried as a spinning garbage can lid spun at his face... only to go down at the last moment and strike Rocko squarely in the crotch. "Good shot." Jackii told Tyler, an evil grin on her face. Tyler looked back at her. "I was aiming for his nose." As Rocko lay sprawled out on the ground holding the arguably most valuable limb a human male has, Billy turned his attention to the former would-be victims. Just then, however, Jackii called her pokŽmon. "Jackii chooses Jigglypuff!" Jackii said as her pink furball of a pokŽmon appeared. "Jigglypuff!" the pokŽmon said. "AHH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Billy and a now recovered Rocko laughed. "Hit-mon!...Hit-mon!" Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan bellowed in unabashed amusement. "Puff!!" Jigglypuff said in anger, expanding into a more roundish shape as it did. "Whatcha gonna do? Sing us to- AH!" Rocko said as Jigglypuff picked up a nearby rock and bopped Rocko on the head. "Puff!!!" Jigglypuff said in triumph, standing on Rocko's head, whose eyes were in swirls. Tyler looked on, his only guess for Jigglypuff's toughness being it was still ticked at being jumped yesterday (ironically by the people it was now saving) and was releasing some aggression. Billy got angry. "Hey you-ugh!" he managed before Jigglypuff did a flying leap square into his forehead. Now trainerless, the two Hit-mons moved in on Jigglypuff. "Think you hot stuff?" the Hitmonchan said in the language only pokŽmon can understand. "We take you DOOOWN!" the Hitmonlee said, preparing to attack. "YOU WANT A PIECE A' ME?!" the little Jigglypuff said back in it's pokŽlanguage in a pinkish rage, "YOU WANNA PIECE YOU DORKS?! *HUH*?!" "Hit-mon-lee!!!" the pokŽmon screeched... just before Jigglypuff swung it by it's outstretched leg into a side wall and unconsciousnessville (State of Confusion, Confederacy of Nowhere) that is. "Puuuff!" Jigglypuff said in challenge to the Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan shook his gloved hands side to side. "I don't want ANY of that!" it said as it turned, carried up it's compatriots and ran. "Dang." Tyler said, impressed. "YAH!" Jackii said, leaping into the air hugging Jigglypuff. "Jiggly!" the little pink pokŽmon said happily. "Remind me never to get that thing mad." Big Jes said to Lil 'Jim as he nodded in agreement. As Hitmonchan fled, Tyler and Jackii eyed Big Jes and Lil 'Jim with suspicion to say the least. The duo approached the two seemingly ex-biker toughs with caution as Jes and Jim nursed their injured pokŽmon. "So..." Tyler began as Squirtle moved in behind him, "what's the deal here?... I mean, yesterday you practically try and ace us and here you are saving our rears. I don't know whether to thank ya or beat ya down with a stick." Jackii was more tactful, merely saying a quick "Thank-you," as she knelt down with Jigglypuff to try to help Lil 'Jim's injured Koffing. Big Jes just looked over Tyler and, according to Tyler's measure of fortune, was fortunate that it was in mutual kiddo gang-bang admiration instead of through the eyes of a preteen crush. "Thanks..." she began, "for coming back for us I mean." "Don't thank me," Tyler began, "I got into it with those two in the first place... and that was only because I thought it was you and the genius over there." "Oh?" Big Jes said. "Ya," Tyler said, "I was going to pound your boy's head in with a big stick I found by the walk and torment you with his nose all oozing and bloody. Big Jes only laughed as Tyler cracked a grin. "Like I'd let you do that." she said, "I'da worked you over before you could blink." Tyler just looked at her. "Rocko and Billswill coulda done it for ya. So what's up with that?" "Saving you?" Big Jes said. Tyler nodded up and down. Jes sighed. "We came in because it wasn't a fair fight: that's all." she said. Then she noticed Tyler looking at her in confusion so she went on. "Look," she said, "pokŽfighting is one thing. 2 on 2 is no problem. If your pokŽmon suck, it's because you're a sucky trainer, you hand over the cash and it's over. With Rocko pickin' on that little kid, well, that's stupid." "You saw that?" Tyler said. "We were going to step in and say something until you ran in like some sorta samurai and split." Big Jes said semi small eyed in villainous prospect... until she noticed what she was doing and straightened out, "Which was foolish! You could have been killed! Rocko's no slouch, he would've have wailed on you-" "Like he did to your pokŽmon." Tyler noted as Big Jes continued to hold Ekans and try to rouse it out of unconsciousness for the trip to the pokŽcenter. "Yes," she said, "but we had to help... I mean, doing that kind of crud just isn't right." Tyler KINDA got it... at least he thought so. The way he got it, Jes and Jimmy here didn't slam on ya unless you SHOULD be able ta fight back. He didn't know how right it was to trash someone in an alley whether or not they had any type of defense, but he figured it was WAAAY better than trying to jack some little kid who had NO way to fight back. Tyler and Big Jes were at a loss for words at that moment... so they didn't say anything. Instead, they stared off as they got their pokŽmon ready to go; Jes at Ekans, whom was now doing a little better, and Tyler whom watched as Lil 'Jim and Jackii talked. "So," Jackii said, "is Koffing your only pokŽmon? I mean, I know you're borrowing this guy, but... well, I'm sorry. I mean, if you HAD a pokŽmon, you wouldn't need to borrow one, so-" "Oh no!" Lil 'Jim said... the first thing he had said since Jackii began prodding him, trying to get him to talk in fact, "Back at home I have Growly and he's the best pokŽmon ever!" "Oh!" Jackii said a little more bubbly than normal, most likely from some sense of achievement at having the blue haired boy speak, "he sounds nice." "Yah..." Lil 'Jim said, almost sad, "he... is..." He didn't speak again for the remainder of the day. Tyler turned his attention from easdropping back to Big Jes. "Come on you 3," he said, "we should go to the pokŽcenter and try to get these pokŽmon healed up right." Despite their immediate uneasiness about going to the PokŽcenter, Jes and Jim scooped up their borrowed pokŽmon and followed Tyler back to there. After getting their respective pokŽmon sent in for recovery, the four went to rest in the lobby. Tyler began giving Squirtle calcium until it looked like it was going to be sick. After some amusement at Squirtle's unhappiness towards Tyler, the four got to talking. "So," Tyler asked, trying to pass the time until Squirtle recovered and Ekans and Koffing were healed, "what's your story?" Jim seemed to quiet up even more, whereas Jes seemed to become defiant. "Jim and I are pals over from PokŽmon Tech," she said, "and we're on break now while they get everything ready for more students but we're studying really hard and we're good trainers." "So, them opening it to the public is a problem for them?" Tyler asked, semi concerned. "No," Jes said, "I mean, Jim here's not 'related' related to anybody straight, more of a cousin of a cousin deal. Right Jim?" The way Jes asked, it seemed to Tyler, was that her only info was coming from Jim, and from the quick nod of "yes" Jim gave indicated it was a subject he didn't wish to talk about. "Well anyway," Jes continued, "size was never a big deal, we have room there for everyone, but they're going to add some new pokŽbattle simulating computers to it in a new wing and I guess they needed the money or something. The cool thing is though that while they do that we're all off till fall." "Off to make trouble." Tyler thought to himself. Jackii nodded. "Government's probably giving them money to add that stuff so they'll open their doors." Jackii concluded. "Whatever." Jes said. The conversation went on... Jes and Jim talked about Ekans and Koffing who and how good at using them they'd gotten; they were going to be a bike gang when they got older; all sorts of things... except anything about their family. Both seemed very secretive about it save what Jes had said about her dad, but she'd said it was "League business" and left it at that. Before Tyler or Jackii could pry further, the "healed" tune sounded and Ekans and Koffing were returned to Jes and Jim. The 4 made their way out and Jim mounted his bike as Jes looked as though she'd do the same. "So," Tyler said, trying to set some sort of lasting peace between the four of them, "guys, we're-a, friends now, ri-" Jes didn't respond, she just smiled evilly and quickly kissed him on the mouth and gave him a hug, getting close. Tyler didn't expect it, and didn't get why she'd done it until she whispered to him a split second later as she held him close: "Don't get any ideas Romeo, I did it to tick your girlfriend Juliet off. Have fun." Jim looked at Jes odd as she got on her bike until she whispered something to him and they left; Jes swinging her chain above her head. "See you two later!" Jes called, "It was good seeing you!" Tyler thought it was totally weird and was beginning to think just how dumb some girls could be when he turned and saw Jackii... her eyes filled with fire. "Let's just *GO*" she said angrily, dragging Tyler and Squirtle off. * * * "What was THAT for?!" Lil 'Jim asked his friend, wanting an answer for the kiss she'd given Tyler. The duo had gotten about 10 blocks before either had said anything. "Making trouble." she said, telling him a half-truth. She actually *had* wanted to make trouble for Tyler with Jackii... but not just out of spite. Until now, Billy, Rocko, and James had been the only men she'd associated with outside of family. Billy and Rocko were both bullying morons, and she'd a long time ago that James was a friend but that was it. Now, she'd met someone who cared about other people and was, albeit stupidly, brave and maybe, in an even dumber way, sweet. "Come of it Jes," Jim said, "Just fess up, I saw the way you looked at Tyler when his back was turned." "What are you implying?" Jes said angrily. "Oh, you know..." Jim said, getting silly-sweet, "Those quick little looks you and Jackii were giving him. What is this, some female territorial thing? Love is in the aaaaiii-eeeerrr." "How did you-- I mean." Jes said, recovering, "will you stop acting stupid?-- Or do you even *HAVE* to act?" Jim shrugged it off as they went on. "I study Kabuki-- {Author's note: For those who don't know, Kabuki is a form of Japanese stage performance where women portray male characters, and men portray female characters.} --and I KNOW how girls act all sneaky when they're actually ready to kill each other over a guy." "James," Jes said as they made their way to where they parted each day to go home, "you're either the most feminine guy I know, the weirdest, or the dumbest." "THANKS!-- I think." Jim said. A few moments later, James turned and then stopped Jes. "What is it?" she asked. "We wasted our cameo for this part helping the good-guys." he said in realization. "Well," Jes said, again heading off, "we had to fill 30K." "I guess," Jim called, "but how will it look in our memoirs?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pikachu's Fanfiction Archive: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/1260/index.html Please email all submissions to: Sailorvoid@hotmail.com * * * PokŽmon is copyright 1995/1996/1998 Nintendo/Creatures/Gamefreak Jackii Wipple and Tyler Trawets are internet creative property of Stewart Hart and the PokŽmon A.R. group.