POKEMON A.R.

			  ------------------------
			  The Hidden Nation Series
			  ------------------------

			      Walkin' Trouble

				 (PROLOUGE)

				   PART 4


	Since last Time, it looked like Tyler and Jackii made some new
friends... but with friends like them, will they need enemies?

=========================================================================


Sunny Town orphanage, Later that day
-------------------------------------

	A long while later, after he had gotten back to the orphanage
and finished chastising his other three pokŽmon for sleeping when he got
back (utterly ignoring Ms. Harmon's handout about some guest speaker,
like they didn't have enough of THOSE), Tyler had them run more drill so
he could think it out until, finally, gave up.

	"Girls are WEIRD!" he cried in semi despair.

	Squirtle, now doing his fair share of laps and such thanks to
it's harder shell and lack of fear of injury, came over to Tyler and
whispered "Squirtle" as it drew him closer with it's paw.

	"I just don't get it Squirtle," Tyler said, almost on the very
of crying, "it's just dumb. Jackii's my friend and I was ready to wail
on Jes there but they both are acting like a coupla dorks all getting
kissy faced."

	"Squirt Squirt Squirt." the turtle type pokŽmon said shaking
his head side to side and putting it's arm around Tyler.

	"I know I shouldn't get upset but it's dumb." Tyler said in
frustration, "Why do I hafta lose Jackii for?"

	"SQUIRTLE?!" the little pokŽmon exclaimed.

	"You hafta understand," Tyler said, "When a girl gets all mushy
they suck having around. I'm going to have to avoid her now just so I
can have a normal life."

Squirtle burst into laughter.

	"What's so funny?!" Tyler said, "This is serious!"

	Squirtle nodded but began to talk as best he could in his
pokŽlanguage. After 45 minutes of using sign language and eventually,
charades, Tyler FINALLY got the message.

	"So," Tyler said, "Jackii got the hots for me, which is ok but
I'm not ready for it; but still it's all fine because she and me can
still be friends... And what Jes there did was just to cause some
trouble for me and tick Jackii off for some terr...territ..."

	"Squirtle."

	"Oh!" Tyler said, "a female territorial thing and not to worry
about it. Right?"

	"Squirtle!" the little pokŽmon answered.

	Tyler just fell over, his legs in the air.

	Quickly getting up, he sat back down and sighed.

	"Why did stuff get so dang complicated?" he said.

	Squirtle just patted his cheek. "Sqaaaw-wiiirtlllle!" he said
suavely as he made a gun point motion with his paws and winked.

	"Me? A hunk?" Tyler said, "Nah... I mean, I'm nobody.  Just some
loser no one wants, why would Jackii act like-"

	Squirtle suddenly became very agitated. Grabbing Tyler by his
shirt he pulled him down to his eye level (which is REEEALLY low!) and
almost snarled.

	"SQUIRT... LLLE." he said, "Squirt Squirt, Squirtle Squirtle,
Squirt, Squirtle Squirt!!!"

	With that Squirtle looked at Tyler, expecting an answer.

	"Uh..." Tyler said, "I didn't understand a word of that."

	It was now Squirlte's turn to fall on his side, legs in the air.

	"I can hardly get your charade's technique, what did you expect?"
Tyler asked.

	Taking a new approach, Squirtle again decided to use his charades
technique since, like it or not, it was his best bet.

	Squirtle pointed at Tyler.

	"Uh... Human?... Trainer?... Boy?... Me?" Tyler said, as each
response got a "no" nod from Squirtle until the last.

	Next word, Squirtle pointed at Tyler's head, then put his chin
in his paw.

	"Brain?... Mind?... Philosophy?... Psychology?..." Tyler guessed,
each getting a negative nod from Squirtle, "Uhh... I can't think!"

	"SQUIRTLE!!!" the pokŽmon said happily.

	"Ok," Tyler said, "I THINK... I think what?"

	Squirtle then made an "L" sign with his paw.

	"I think...Loser?" Tyler thought a moment, "OH! I Think I'm a
Loser!"

	"SQUIRTLE!!!" the pokŽmon said again.

	"Well, yah I think I'm a loser." Tyler said, "I mean... I'm
useless, O.K. Squirtle? I'm stuck in some small town with just a little
cash and no way out."

	Squirtle AGAIN became agitated and AGAIN grabbed Tyler by his
shirt, pulling him to where the other pokŽmon were training.

	Pointing at the pokŽmon, he made the "think" and "L" signs again
save he pointed at the 3 practicing pokŽmon.

	"I get it..." Tyler said as he watched the three train, "they
thought they were losers too until I trained them, right?"

	Squirtle nodded.

	"That's different." he said, "I'm a person, they're... heck,
*YOU* are all pokŽmon; some training and exercise and you're all jammin'.
Me... well heck, what would anybody want with me? My parents sure as heck
didn't and no one who ever came here looking for a kid to take home ever
did. I bet *your* parents at least thought enough of you to take care of
you themselves instead of dropping you off with a trainer to raise you."

	Squirtle, at first agitated over Tyler's apparent self-modesty,
now felt guilty as he understood the confident facade Tyler went through
life with was just a act. All Squirtle could do now was look at Tyler sad
eyed as the boy turned to leave.

	"Ms. H said you could run around outside the pokŽballs since you
all play with the other kids and make sure nobody gets hurt." Tyler said,
"So you can stay out for another couple hours and run around before you
come in or come in now OR get into your pokŽballs and take it easy.
Anyway you slice it though, I'm calling it a day."

	Squirtle waved Tyler off as he went to talk to the other pokŽmon.
After Tyler was out of site, Squirtle called to the others in
pokŽlanguage.

	"Heads up everyone!" he said to his fellow pokŽmon, "We got a
problem."

	"Be right there pal." Pidgey said as she flew down, "This is
Pidgey 1-V-Niner coming in for a landing!"

	As she came down, Psyduck came from the side where he'd been
doing his running.

	"Bo-ooy." he said, "I mean, wow! Whadda rush. Shot a blood right
to the brain. Increases thought processes. Gotta tell ya. Running's the
best! So, we got a problem?"

	"Hey Poliwhirl!" Squirtle called as he greeted Psyduck,
"Where'dja go off too?"

	Poliwhirl came from the brush from the other side of the
orphanages fence from the factory across the way. Squirtle took a look at
the ash covering his body and frowned.

	"And what have we been up to?" Squirtle said.

	"Training." Poliwhirl said, "The heat from the factory shall soon
build my immunity to fire. Then, I can work on my other bains[weaknesses]
and become the ultimate Poliwhirl. I shall not lose again."

	"YOU sure went gung-ho after you evolved." Squirtle said, "I
remember doing water tricks with you."

	"And running!" Psyduck said, "Lotsa running!"

	"Friends," Poliwhirl said, "I must train in the steps assigned to
me. As the first pokŽmon of this group I must be held to higher trials as
I am the pokŽmon most judged by others as I am our trainers first
pokŽmon. Our trainer saved me from death, and I shall not fail him again
as I did against the snake and the gray ball."

	"Oh!" Squirtle said, "Those 2 guys Ekans and Koffing? Ya,
met 'em today. They took a slamming from a coupla Hitmons savin' Tyler
and I."

	"What?" Poliwhirl asked.

	"Who?" Pidgey asked, her feathers getting ruffled.

	After Squirtle relayed the details about that days events to the
group Poliwhirl could only shake his head. Things, indeed, WERE getting
complicated.

	The frog-like pokŽmon looked at the other water type. Indeed,
they WERE going to have to do something about all of this.

	"Surprises abound." Poliwhirl said.

	"WEEEEIII-RRRRD!" Psyduck said.

	"Has to be a trick." Pidgey said, "Never trust an egg eating
Ekans my mother said, NEVER."

	"They were legit." Squirtle said, "But if we meet up we'll still
slam 'em."

	The other 3 nodded.

	"This encounter then, puts these two on at least 'honorable'
status." Poliwhirl said, remembering the fact that ALL pokŽmon MUST obey
their masters... even if it meant doing wrong.

	"Ya-ya!" Psyduck added, "No pokŽmon is evil, only an evil trainer
can make a pokŽmon do bad things."

  	"But still, pokŽmon can have aggression undue towards their
fellow pokŽmon." Pidgey said, "Our natures can not be so easily undone."

	"They still helped our trainer," Poliwhirl said, "that counts for
something."

	"Heyheyhey!" Squirtle called, "I'm not here to debate morals,
alright? I don't give a crud about some stupid small town Jow and Flo
Shmoe's... Our buddy Tyler has some SERIOUS self esteem issues, and not
to be funny that just doesn't seem right to me that he should be carrying
such emotional crud around the rest of his life. Not when he's so smart,
brave, and charming."


{Author's note: Like proud elder family members, pokŽmon whom are loved
by their trainer assign the best possible adjectives to them and proudly
show off their good traits.}


	"Truly," Poliwhirl said, "our trainer exemplifies after the
example we show. His courage surely is like unto my own."


{Another Author's note: Of course, like self-same elder family members,
they jump in like jackals and claim genetic and/or role model credit for
the trainer's achievements and/or said traits.}


	"He certainly has my uncle's bravery." Pidgey said.

	"Tyler's funny!" Psyduck said, recalling a few of Tyler's antics
he had performed when Psyduck had felt down while training up his levels,
"And he really knows how to make us feel good!"

	"Well," Squirtle said, brushing his shell off a bit, "the kid
certainly has a suave he didn't have when we met up... Which is why it's
so VERY important we protect this investment. I mean, come on, admit it,
a month ago we thought we were on our way back to the Stix, now look!
Ty here puts us through a decent training program and shows us it was
those deadbeats we used to call trainers that let us down. The kid's
got a... I dunno, I mean, he's got something those other guys couldn't
have ever dreamed if having in a million years."

	"Competence?" Psyduck said, not knowing what it meant but hearing
it once...

	"He has a spark, that child." Pidgey said, "That's what mother
called it. He could go so far in life if he wanted."

	"A warrior's spirit, yet to be unleashed." the Poliwhirl said,
"Like it was with me, it is pushed deep inside of our trainer. It will
take something it release it, but when it does, I see for him such
greatness..."

	"What?" Pidgey asked.

	"Yeah, Master's great already!" Psyduck said.

	"What I refer to is what I can sense." Poliwhirl said, "I fell as
though that he who gave him his spirit was as the trainer is, a warrior."

	"Y-... you mean..." Squirtle said, "you can just *sense* this?
Come off it! Here's a scared little kid who's going through some growing
pains is all. He's no warrior, I mean, all respect to Ty but that kid can
RUN when it comes to a fight. He's more of a lover, not a fighter."

	"DO NOT QUESTION MY SENSES!" Poliwhirl said, "Water elemental
pokŽmon have a deeper sense of the mentality of others as they are on a
higher plain. Poliwags and their relatives have this especially well
focused, followed by the Psyduck and it's relatives, though they are more
attuned and less focused."

	"Well," Squirtle said, looking at Psyduck, "it's not as if our
pal here was ever all there..."

	 "I sense also," Poliwhirl went on, "that his mother grew him in
sadness. It is my belief the spawner of our trainer did not have her mate
to assist in her raising him and was unable to do so alone."

	"You mean, Tyler's Daddy... died?" Psyduck asked.

	Poliwhirl nodded. "Most likely in the war just past. Truly a
strong family, unafraid of death. It is in this warrior's memory that we
must aid his offspring that the potential not be lost."

	"Y-...you mean..." Squirtle said, "you can just *sense* this?"

	"What a crock! Human war is dumb!" Pidgey snapped.

	"They fight for their later generations and the public will that
rules them." Poliwhirl said, "And I find it a worthy task. Better to
fight for something bigger than oneself, and what can be bigger than the
soul of a generation of those who raise pokŽmon?"

	 "My mother always said dying to feed the flock doesn't fill the
chiclets tummies." Pidgey retorted.

	"Heyheyhey!" Squirtle called, "WILL YOU STOP BICKERING! Sheesh. I
mean, Poliwhirl's gonna sense whatever he does and your mother was
obviously a smart egg, but that doesn't help Tyler if we're fighting all
the time and not helping him."

	Pidgey sighed. "You're right."

	"Speak on tiny turtle," Poliwhirl said, "what must we do to aid
our trainer before he comes to maturity and his ultimate destiny?"

	"Well," Squirtle said, "first off, our boy has some girl
problems."

	"Oh, wow!" Pidgey said, "he's going to make a nest and have his
own chiclets? I could gather my excess feathers for him!"

	"Odd the trainer seeks to mate so early in his development..."
Poliwhirl said, "I would think that he would at least wait until he was
a trainer of greater fame--"

	"Whoawhoawhoa!" Squirtle said, "TYLER IS NOT MATING!!!"

	"But you said--" Psyduck began.

	"*I* said," Squirtle said, "that Tyler had problems with humans
of the female persuasion. That problem being *THEY* want to... mate, I
guess, (Squirtle, for all his knowledge, had NO idea what humans did nor
did he understand dating) and he doesn't. AND, humans don't have
chiclets, or tadpoles, or eggs, or anything like that. They have
kiddesses (author's note: close enough)."

	"Ohhh!" the other pokŽmon said, genuinely amazed at Squirtle's
knowledge.

	"I see the trainer's attribute's attract mates without him even
trying." Poliwhirl said, "I find my respect for him continues to
increase."

	"Well," Pidgey began, "isn't this a GOOD thing? I mean, won't
Tyler be OK once he sees he's so popular with the hens?"

	"No no no!" Squirtle said, "Tyler STILL feels like he's dirt AND
he sees this girl situation as his losing his friend and this is a BAD
thing! Now the kid's going to push his ex-best friend--"

	"That Jackii lady?" Psyduck asked, "She was really nice, she even
fed me some of her sardine sandwich... with muenster cheese on it too!"

	The other three pokŽmon all sweat dropped.

	"Uh... that's her, yes..." Squirtle said, thinking that not all
people, or pokŽmon, were perfect, "And now Tyler's going to screw up this
awesome friendship and possibly an even better, ya know..., over some
personal stuff which he shouldn't be going through to start with!"

	"I don't want Jackii to go away..." Psyduck said, tears welling
in his eyes.

	"That girl has a good soul," Pidgey said, "I feel it whenever
she's here."

	"Now YOU'RE sensing things..." Squirtle groaned as Pidgey looked
annoyed.

	Poliwhirl broke the pending bad situation. "What must we do to
ensure against such a thing tiny turtle?" Poliwhirl asked.

	Squirtle straightened up. "Step one," he said, "we snap Tyler out
of this 'I suck' mentality; Step two, we help give him enough confidence
to deal with his other troubles himself."

	"How'do-ee do that?!" Psyduck asked.


				* * *


The next day:
-------------

	"Ok," Tyler said, his pokŽmon falling into attention, "fall in
you three!"

	Tyler had had a restless night sleep. Dreams of never seeing
Jackii again due to her recent anger with him and nightmares about how
his would-be parents left him at an orphanage when he was a newborn
because he wasn't 'good enough' for them (but still recognizing he was
fortunate that his parents weren't citizens of the Social Confederation
in that the laws there allowed for unwanted children to be dealt with
before they even drew a breath, although such nightmares plagued him too)
wreaked havoc with his attempts at a good stretch of down time. He had
awakened to face his Saturday morning with fear and uncertainty at what
the new day may bring, and as a result his breakfast hadn't settled in
his stomach too well either.

	His rush from the pokŽmon the night before hadn't seemed to
affect them, nor should it had Tyler decided. He'd trained them to think
for themselves and such while he was at school and the green light he'd
gotten from Ms. Harmon to allow them out and about had given them a
chance to hone those skills.

	"Well guys," Tyler said, "I give up, where's Squirtle hiding?"

	"SQUAAAAAAAWWWWIIIIIIIIIRTTEEEEEEEELLLLLL!!!"

	"AAAAAH!" Tyler yelled as he heard the scream and faced it.
Squirtle was hanging onto the fence at the far end of the orphanage
grounds which, due to it's shady shape, was now hanging over the steep
hill by the overlook of the nearby factories.

	Tyler ran, his eyes wide with fear for the little turtle as he
ran and positioned himself on the fence.

	"HOLD ON SQUIRTLE!" Tyler yelled, "It'll be OK!"

	Just then, Jackii arrived. Having finished her breakfast and
still wanting a heart-to-heart, she'd arranged to come over and spend
some time with Tyler, although it seemed foolish to her. After all-

	"HELP!" she heard Tyler yell.

	She and Jigglypuff ran to the side of the hill. There, she saw
Tyler, Squirtle in his left arm, barely holding onto the fence pole with
his other arm.

	"I'll get something, hold on!" she cried, running to the side of
the playground.

	Tyler held on as hard as he could, but he could even now begin to
feel his arms getting tired.

	"Squirtle-Squirtle!"

	"You wanna know what our chances of getting out of this are?"
Tyler said.

	Squirtle nodded.

	"Let me put it to you this way." he said, "Squirtle, do you
believe in God?"

	"SQAAAAWIIIRTAA-HAAAA-HAAA-AAAAAL!!!" Squirtle moaned.

	Tyler and Squirtle could hear, but not see, some commotion on
the upper part of the hill, as a semi-large crowd began to stir. Tyler
was beginning to start slipping when--

	"Grab this!" Jackii yelled, tossing down a rope made out of Jump
ropes tied together.

	It took awhile, but Tyler managed to grab it and get it taught.
Then Jackii, a recently arrived Ms. Harmon, and several other children
managed to pull the two up.

	"WE'RE ALIVE!" Tyler said.

	"SQUIRTLE!" the tiny turtle pokŽmon said, hugging Tyler.

	"You saved Squirty!" one of the younger kids said, hugging Tyler.

	"Me?" Tyler said, "I mean, YOU guys saved US!"

	"I saw you Tyler," Jackii said, "if you hadn't gotten to Squirtle
when you did, he'd be gone."

	"YAAAY!" The little kids cried as they grabbed the little pokŽmon
and carried him away.

	Almost immediately after they did, Tyler fell down onto the
ground and began to shake, the realization that he'd almost died setting
in.

	"Tyler," Ms. Harmon said, "what happened?"

	Tyler, too shooken up, merely sat shaking as Jackii had to fill
her in.

	"I'm so sorry Tyler." Ms. Harmon said, "I don't know how many
times I've sent in requests for more money to fix that fence since it
started falling apart."

	"You were very brave." Jackii added.

	"WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TELLING ME THAT?!" he yelled suddenly, only
because he was still shaky and still upset, "I'm always scared half to
death! That's not brave!"

	"Shure it is'." a voice said. "If it's doin' stuff like dis'."

	Tyler got back to his sense and turned around. There, holding the
makeshift jumprope's-rope, was Lt. Surge himself, with his Raichu behind
him.

	"Hey... ahhh," Surge said to Ms. Harmon and Jackii, "could I-ah
have, ya know, a guy-ta-guy tawlk wid' da kid here?"

	"Of course." Ms. Harmon said.

	Jackii said a quick 'thankyou' to Surge before she too left them
alone.

	"You're... I mean..." Tyler began.

	"Yah yah." Surge said, "I heard 'dis awll before. Let's cut 'dat
out and just get to da' good stuff, uh?"

	"I mean," Tyler began, "Ms. H said that we we're gonna have a
speaker and all, but I thought it was gonna be another B. Gates or
something."

	"Ya, well..." Lt. Surge said, "I d'ought I'd do yuse kids ah
favor and give'ya a talk you'd all could stay awake fawr. But dat's
beside da' point. I sawya go right after that pokŽmon ah yours kid, and
dat took guts."

	"I just didn't want him to get hurt." Tyler said, then looking at
Squirtle who was, to compensate for his near death experience, being
given a makeover by some of the 3 year old girls (which poor Squirtle
seemed to hate VERY much), "He's my friend."

	"Lemme letcha in on sumptin'." Surge said, "Bein' brave isn't
not being scared and not all not wantin' ta die. Bein' brave is feelin'
dose things but STILL doin' da right t'ing."

	"But, they're's more..." Tyler said, giving him all the details
of his run-ins with Jes, Jim, and the other Bikers.

	After Tyler was done, Surge looked at him.

	"Kid," he said, "I wantcha ta know sumptin. Anybawdy I think is a
coward or-ah slacker, I call'em baby cus, let's face it, only babies
don't live upta their deals in life. And you kiddo, are no baby."

	"Rai! Raichu!" Surge's pokŽmon added.

	"So," Tyler said, suddenly beginning to feel some elation,
"you... you don't think I'm a loser or anything?"

	"Kid," Surge said, "you're being way too hawrd on yourself. Most
kids your age woulda left that little goirl in the alley to get hoirt.
Shure, ya ran off wid' her and got away, but dat was smart. Ya know what
Bruce Lee said ta do when you were fightin' a biggar, toughar enemy? He
said get a cheap shot in and run-a way! The point is, you can't win ev'ry
time, so yuse do da best ya can wid whatcha got. And better dan dat, try
to avoid stuff that ya don't need to do. Ya know, if someone's in
trouble, dat's one t'ing, but if it's ta settle some score, fa-gett-a-
bout-it. Only get involved in sumptin when ya gotta and do da best-ya
can when-ya do."

	"Thanks." Tyler said, suddenly feeling a lot better about
himself.

	"Na problem kid." Surge said, "Listen, I'm gonna have a chat
wid'ta rest-a your friends here. Why don't you and you're pokŽmon over
dh'ere take yuse a breather."

	"Yah, that sounds good." Tyler said, then looked sidelong at
Jackii.

	Surge smiled. "Friend ah yours?"

	"Yah," he Tyler said, "but she's been getting goofy and I don't
know if it'll stay that way."

	"I can't help-ya dh'ere." Surge said, understanding what Tyler
meant, "Yuse gotta make 'dat choice. All I'll say is dat yuse should
enjoy life and not try-ta rush stuff. I wish I hadn't."

	"Thanks sir." Tyler said.

	"Hope I seeya again kid." he said, "Come-on Raichu!"

	The two went over to Ms. Harmon as Raichu waved 'goodbye' to
Tyler.

	"He'll be OK." Surge said when he saw she looked worried, "But
I'd let'em sit dis lecture ouwt and cool off-a bit."

	Ms. Harmon called all the children in to listen to Lt. Surge talk
about the virtues of doing what they were told (and none were happier
than Squirtle, who quickly ran to the other pokŽmon, who were also very
happy the children were going inside) while Jackii walked over to Tyler.

	"So," Pidgey said in pokŽlanguage as Squirtle walked up,
looking VERY much like a certain hamburger clown, "your plan worked,
huh?" Pidgey and the others had been told by Squirtle that he'd take care
of it, and had kept the plan secret until it would happen.

	"I guess." he said.

	"It is somewhat unfortunate, however." Poliwhirl said.

	"Why?... What?" Psyduck said.

	"It's simply that our trainer rushed into a situation we created
to be easily solved instead of one that was worthy of true fame."

	"Well, when you put it that way..." Pidgey said, now feeling bad
they had made a set up.

	"Guys?" Squirtle said, wiping the excessive make-up off.

	"Yes?" Pidgey said.

	"I didn't set this up." Squirtle said.

	"What nonsense do you speak, tiny turtle?" Poliwhirl said.

	"What I'm saying," Squirtle said, "Is that the whole 'me being
stuck on the fence thing' was an accident. I only went there to put my
real plan into effect."

	"Which was?" Pidgey asked.

	Squirtle pulled a string and, as he did, a VERY life-life
Primeape appeared over the ridge.

	"AAAAH!" Psyduck yelled in fear.

	"Relax." Squirtle said, "It's a dummy made out of string and a
pokŽdoll one of the kiddesses got sick of. One of the strings was loose
and I went over to fix it. I figured if Tyler could beat a wild Primeape
with us, he'd see how good he was. And, well, the fence gave and--"

	"So you mean he REALLY saved you?" Pidgey said, interrupting.

	"Yay..." he said, "of course, that big yellow haired guy and the
Raichu being here didn't seem to hurt. Just look at him, he and Jackii
seem to be talking all nice now."

	The assembled pokŽmon all watched Jackii and Tyler talking.
Satisfied their trainer seemed happier, they went back to doing what
all pokŽmon do when they have time to themselves...


Pidgey: Hunt for worms!

Poliwhirl: Train for battle.

Squirtle: >dons sunglasses< Stretch out and take in the sun!

Psyduck: Dig in the trash for sardine cans!

Pidgey/Poliwhirl/Squirtle: >all fall over on side with legs in air<

Author: Whatever...

Psyduck: >holds half full sardine can< PSY!


				* * *


	"Is Squirtle going to be OK?" Jackii asked.

	Tyler looked over at the foursome, all of whom seemed to be
chatting happily.

	"I'm pretty sure he will." he said, "I wonder what they talk
about."

	"Maybe we aren't meant to know." Jackii said, "We humans have
enough problems."

	"Like whatever it is you came to talk to me about?" Tyler said.

	Jackii sighed.

	"If you won't say it, I will." Tyler said, "Jackii, after what
you tried in the park, kissing me and all--"

	"YOU *KNEW*?!" Jackii said suddenly, amazed.

	"I'm dense enough to jump over a hill for a pokŽmon, but I'm not
*that* dense." Tyler said, "And not to be funny, I find it very shameful
for you to try to take advantage of the situation and the amount of time
we spend together as friends to plot and make your move on me."

	"Listen," she said, "it's not like that."

	"How is it then?" Tyler said.

	"I..." she began, "I just, ... *felt* this way. I didn't plan
it."

	"We're both 11 year olds," Tyler said, "we don't have ANY
business trying to picture each other naked and stuff or plan on getting
married or having kids or stupid stuff like that."

	"I..." Jackii began, not actually thinking her crush out THAT
far, "I just like you MORE than as a friend, and I want you to like me
this way too."

	"I can't." Tyler said, "I just don't feel that way."

	"Can't we try?" Jackii said.

	"No." Tyler said, "Can't we just stay friends and forget this?"

	"Don't you like me?" Jackii said, suddenly getting teary-eyed,
"What is it you don't like about me?"

	"It's not you." Tyler said, trying to contain what looked like a
crying fit, "I just don't think you or I are ready for this with ANYONE."

	"You said were only 11 and shouldn't think like this seriously."
Jackii said, "And I agree... But can't we start off slowly? I mean, we're
both smart, we know that. We could--"

	"No!" he said, "We shouldn't do this. I don't feel right about
it."

	"Who said you could just decide for us?" Jackii said suddenly, "I
have a right to decide if I want this. You can't just tell me I can't."

	Tyler sighed. "I won't bother to debate whether 11 year olds can
decide to do this sort of thing." Tyler said, "But I will say this. If
you have a right to say you want this, I have just as much right to say
I don't want this. So go ahead, stand here and want this all you want,
but I'll be using my right to walk away and utterly ignore you while
you're blatantly planning things for me."

	As Tyler turned to leave, Jackii stopped him.

	"Please," Jackii said, "I don't want to get you angry."

	Jackii slid to her knees as she began to cry.

	"Jackii..." Tyler said, shaking his head, "I..."

	"It hurts." she said, "It hurts not to say I... I..."

	"Jackii," Tyler said, kneeling next to her, "Don't--"

	"I love you." Jackii said between tears, "And I mean it. I wanna
be able to just say it all the time. And I want to hear you say it too."

	"Is that all?" Tyler said, "Fine. I love me too."

	Jackii laughed in-between her tears.

	"This isn't us Jackii." Tyler said, "And I won't say what you
want to hear because I would never lie to you; not to my best friend in
this world."

	"Please..." Jackii said, giving in, "Just... just tell me why
her and not me."

	"Who?" Tyler said.

	"You know..." she said.

	"Pretend I'm as clueless as I say I am and let me in on it."
Tyler said, seriously having no clue as to what Jackii was talking about.

	"Jes." she said.

	"I don't know what her deal was." Tyler said, "I thought she was
acting up the same as you were at the park. And as for that kiss, she
wanted it, not me. There's no way I'd WILLINGLY let any girl put her
tongue in my mouth."

	"Oh..." she said, getting a little better but still sad.

	"What's wrong?" he said, "I told you I didn't want it."

	"IT was still your first kiss, wasn't it?" Jackii said.

	"You wanted us to kiss for the first time together?..." Tyler
asked, thinking he was getting it.

	"I don't know what I want anymore." Jackii said, "The past few
weeks I've been happy, sad, angry, and sick all at once."

	"Love," Tyler said, "it's that or narcotics... choose your
poison. Me, well, I get high on air so I don't need either."

	Jackii laughed again.

	"So whaddaya say?" Tyler asked, "Can we just forget this... for
now at least?"

	"I... I just..." Jackii managed.

	"What?" Tyler said.

	"Could," Jackii said, "I mean... if you were ready. Would you--?"

	"With you? In a heart beat." Tyler said, "But... for me, ... not
this, not now. Ya know?"

	"I get it." she said. "Listen, I'm sorry. It's just..."

	"I get it." Tyler said. "Hey, maybe it's be better if... you
know... not that I don't want you here but--"

	Jackii smiled. "I think I should go home too and get some rest.
It's barely after breakfast and I feel like I spent 3 hours on an
exercise bike... it's just been so weird today."

	"Can I walk you home, Jackii my friend?" Tyler said, making a big
production as he bowed and offered Jackii a hand up.

	With a half laugh half cry, Jackii took it. "Of course
Mr. Trawets, but what of your pokŽmon?"

	"Hey Pidgey!" Tyler called, "How about we go for a walk and
stretch those wings of yours, huh?"

	At that moment the first set of children were coming out of the
orphanage's main hall now as Lt. Surge was finishing his first set of
talks with 50 of the 300+ children there. Pidgey, fearful of another game
of Cowboys and Indians--

(which ALWAYS ended up with her losing feathers which the kidesses would
tie onto their heads for some reason... Pidgey didn't get the reference)

		--flew ever so quickly to Tyler and escorted the two out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I guess we can see why Misty doesn't tell Ash what *SHE* feels...
Poor Jackii!

* * *

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/Creature/Gamefreak

Jackii Wipple and Tyler Trawets are internet creative property of Stewart
Hart and the PokŽmon A.R. group.