POKEMON A.R.

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

			      Walkin' Trouble

				 (PROLOUGE)

				   PART 9


	Well, now Tyler has a change of hair and eye color (for those
who missed the last part, thinking where I jokingly ended it in the
middle was serious, go back and finish it or this part may be too
confusing) but is still healthy... healthy enough, in fact, to play his
first game of Soccer this season! Still, with past events at the Soccer
field, is Tyler the one whose health we should worry about?

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

Sunny Town Soccer Field 9:00 AM
-------------------------------

	"Alright!" Coach Hannigan told the assembled team members, "We're
*all here*, and this is the start of our best season EVER! Right
Sandshrews?"

	"YEAH!" the team members of the Sunnytown Sandshrews yelled,
getting pumped for the game. Jesse and her mother, Jackii, Ms. Hannigan,
and all the pokŽmon watched from their places as Tyler yelled with the
others in the Sandshrew group. Having just recovered from having the very
fabric of his DNA messed with by a rouge charge from an evolution stone,
some had worried Tyler might not've been able to play... he was out here,
now, proving them wrong.

	On the other side of the field, the Porta Vista Primapes also did
a cheer as they got ready for the beginning of yet another season of
Soccer. They watched as the teams assembled on the differing sides of the
field.

	"Other than that," Coach Hannigan said, "remember to stick around
after the game for team photos and to put in the requests for how many
you want. I know you'll do well, and I'm proud of you all."

	As the teams took their places, the crowds of the teams'
supporters watched, expecting good outcomes for their perspective team as
they shouted encouragement to their respective sides.

	Some, however, weren't so optimistic.

	"Well," Squirtle said to his fellow pokŽmon in pokŽlanguage,
watching the events from the pokŽmon 'keeper' area, "we finally get to
see a game of Sock-her. Not that it looks all that good so far..."

	The referee whistle blew her whistle and the teams took their
places. Giving the ball to the forward of the Primeape's, she moved out
of the immediate play area and again blew her whistle, which immediately
brought the game's start.

	"How exciting!" Pidgeotto said, ruffling her feathers, "I hope we
win!"

	"I simply hope our trainer is fully recovered enough." Poliwrath
said, "Verily, it would be a sad thing to see Tyler fall in the sport."

	"Huh?" Psyduck said.

	"It'd suck to see Tyler get hurt playin' a game." Squirtle
translated.

	"Oh, yeah..." Psyduck said, already getting hypnotized by the
white and black soccer ball on the field. The Primeape's Forward kicked
it at the goal only to have the Sandshrew's goalie block it and throw it
to their center and start the ball toward the other end of the field.

* * *

	At the game's end, the Sandshrews managed to come back from a
mid-game deficit of two goals behind to win 4 to 3 against the Primapes
when Tyler, after assisting in the two tying goals, managed to score the
winning goal despite the Primeape's defense. After the traditional
'line-up and give the other team mid-high-fives and say *good game*'
routine, the Sandshrews got themselves semi-presentable to take the team
photos. Tyler talked to everyone on the team, had a small chat with
everyone who had come to see him, said hello to his pokŽmon, and got into
line for his photo. As Tyler waited for his turn, NOT wanting to get the
picture looking like he was but ever-so-desperately wanting a momento of
the best game of his life, Jesse came by herself and met him in line.

	"Good game, you rocked." she said, getting his attention.

	"Thanks." he said, wondering why she'd come to talk to him
after the side chat he had with everyone earlier, "Whadja need?"

	"I wanted a photo," she said, "You pay for them when you get
there, right?"

	"Yah." he said.

	Jesse handed him a small wad of bills. "I want one... small
portrait size."

	"Jesse..." he began, somewhat despondent over the fact that she
had, yet again, given him far more money than he needed for something.

	"Keep it... incase they charge you more for the others this year
or something." she said, waving goodbye with a wink.

	With a sigh, Tyler waited some more until he got his photo taken
holding the game ball he'd gotten for his exploits in winning the match.
When he'd finished, he gathered up his pokŽmon from the keeper area and
let Ms. Harmon know he was done.

	"Excellent game." she said while leading him back to the
orphanage van.

	"Yah," Jackii added, "you did pretty well."

	"*Well*!?" Jesse said, "He was awesome!"

	"Feed the hungry, not my ego." Tyler told her, brushing the hair
out of his eyes with his hand. The truth was that Tyler had played EXTRA
hard to show everyone else on the team he wasn't out of shape because of
the evolution stone incident and, considering how much he was actually
feeling 'drained', he was just happy he hadn't screwed up.

	"Are you feeling OK Tyler?" Jesse's mother asked him.

	"Excellent." he said, telling a half truth, "Never felt better."

	"That's good." she said, "I ask because the pokŽmon tournament's
signups end soon, and with Poliwrath evolved and ready, you might want to
enter."

	"I don't think Ty-" Ms. Harmon began, only to get interrupted.

	"That'd be great Tyler!" Jesse said, piping up, "When you win, we
could go to the same class at PokŽmon Tech!"

	"But I don't have an extra 1,000 yen lying around." Tyler said,
somewhat WANTING to go but trying to back up Ms. Harmon until he had time
to understand her hesitance.

	"Are you sure?" Jesse asked, smiling sweetly as she gave him a
knowing look.

	Then it hit him. Tyler had paid for the photos with more than
enough money to spare... ten 100 yen notes to be exact, assuming he'd
counted correctly. She PLANNED this!... buuut... if he WON somehow, would
that be such a BAD thing for her to have helped him?

	"It's a long shot though..." Tyler said, not too sure of himself.

	"Come on Tyler!" Jackii said, "IF nothing else you could see what
your pokŽmon could REALLY do! And even if you don't win, you get prize
money for every match you win without having to lose money yourself! I
KNOW you'll be awesome!"

	"I'll think about it." he said, yawning, "Right now, I'd REALLY
like to go back for some sleep."

	"OK, seeya!" Jesse said, smiling as she watched Ms. Harmon trying
to lead him away.

	"Think about it Tyler!" Jackii said, picking up Jigglypuff into
her arms, "I've already entered!... for the fun of it though."

	Tyler smiled, waved goodbye, and then followed Ms. Harmon to the
van. When they entered and buckled up, Ms. Harmon started the vehicle up
and quickly started off. Tyler turned to her.

	"What is it?" he asked, "What was with trying to leave so fast?"

	"I hate what's happening here Tyler," she said, starting the van
onto the larger intersection and going off, "and I hate you not seeing
it."

	"It's a contest I WANTED to go to anyway." Tyler said, tiredly,
"I don't see any problem there."

	"Don't you understand Jesse is just using her money to suck you
into her little world?!" Ms. Harmon said, somewhat agitated having seen
Jesse hand him the wad of yen while he was inline for photos, "Once she
has you hooked she'll never let you go. And just think of Jackii--"

	"OK, first off, I KNOW she's being nice to me with the cash to
get me to like her." Tyler said, "She's just insecure is all! Once she
gets that I like being her friend for her it won't matter. And as for
Jackii, now that she's acting SANE, I'll hang out with her more again."

	"Jackii has a reason to be distressed--" Ms. Harmon began.

	"Jackii had a momentary case of 'dreamland' syndrome." Tyler
said.

	"But you don't understand--"

	"Then HELP me understand!" Tyler said, agitated, "You haven't
made any sense Ms. H! I WANT to understand but you won't tell me
anything! You make no sense!"

	Tyler put his head down in sad silence, not meaning to have
talked to Ms. Harmon like that.

	"You're right." she said, composing herself, "I haven't told you
everything."

	After driving a little bit, Ms. Harmon pulled over to a side area
by the edge of the bay and turned the engine off. She turned to him and
broke the semi-long silence she'd maintained getting there.

	"20 years ago I met a pokŽmon trainer while he was just starting
to get his first batch of pokŽmon... I didn't know it then but over the
next four years he and I fell in love and we were engaged to be married.
At the party celebrating our engagement he and I first met Eileen
O'Donnel, Jesse's mother. I don't know exactly when it started but over
time she drove a wedge between him and I and... she married him Tyler."

	"Oh shhhh--" Tyler said, getting it. The man Ms. H, his surrogate
mother for the past 11 years, had loved was Jesse's father!

	"I didn't get how she'd pulled us apart until years later," she
said, "and upon reflection it was almost stupid of me to be played like I
was. I've spent the last 13 and a half years regretting having been so
foolish as to let what happen happen... But I've learned from it Tyler.
And now that I see her doing the same tricks again; but now through her
daughter and on you..."

	She bent towards Tyler, tears forming in her eyes.

	"You are like a son to me... the one I should have had. Her doing
this not only turns her daughter into another Eileen O'Donnel but it...
it's being done to the only family I have."

	"But..." Tyler said, shaking his head in confusion, "I don't
understand! I... I *WANT* to, but I just don't! This doesn't make sense!
None of it does!"

	He undid his seat belt and jumped out of the van... sitting down
and leaning onto it; looking over the bay water as Ms. Harmon got out on
her side, not knowing what to say...


* * *


Jesse's place
-------------

	"I'm sooo glad he's OK!" Jesse said, laying her bed.

	"I told you he'd be fine Jesse." her mother told her as she
went to leave, "Now get ready for the tutor sweetheart. He's going to be
here in an hour."

	"Mom... about the tutor..." Jesse began, somewhat hesitantly.

	"What is it sweetheart?" her mother asked.

	"Well," she began, "Girl's Day is a week away and... well, a bit
after that is Kid's Day and I was wondering if I could not have to see
the tutor that day. And I wondered if we could--"

	"Jesse, sweetheart. Your father and I appreciate *certain*
holidays, but you need to realize just about every day is Kid's Day for
you children; you don't need ANOTHER day to get off of school. I DON'T,
however, see why we couldn't do something special later today."

	"OK..." Jesse said, wishing she could get off. She wondered if
James ever got off of school.

	She laid down on her bed sighing as her mother left. Conceiving
and financing plots to entrap young boys into love nests was A-OK to her
mother, but getting a day off of school? FORGET IT!

	And what about the pokŽ-dolls littering her room? They were
official PokŽmon League alright... but they weren't the 'fashion'
dolls... just once she wished her mother would get her ONE of them.

	But no... instead, it was fifty 'trainer battle' dolls... why did
parents DO stupid stuff like that?! It's not like they COST that much
more... and she'd've traded in all 50 dolls for just ONE of the designer
Princess ones. Another let down... kinda the story of her life.

	She picked up Ekan's pokŽball from the dresser next to her bed.
It was just one of the many pokŽballs her father had let her choose
randomly from to borrow the snake-like pokŽmon. She remembered wanting to
be like her father SOOO much! She'd be a pokŽmon master and run a gym
just like him!... at least that had been her dream for *awhile*...

	She got frustrated with it eventually... never being able to come
close to being as good as her father, the great gym trainer. The father
who, although she was sure he loved her, spent almost NO time at home
anymore. Boring as it was at home, she'd wandered around a lot until she
eventually  ran into James and they started hanging out. Then they'd
formed their 'gang-in-training' so that after they got out of PokŽmon
Technical they'd be the world's first pokŽmon gangsters. But still...
it really hadn't been her first choice.

No, not her first choice not at all.

	When she'd originally met James, she'd hoped he'd be a best
friend; someone she could open up to and all, but although he was a
partner and semi-good friend she'd NEVER be able to trust him with
anything 'too' big. And as for William and Rocko... puh, they were sure
mistakes for human skin let alone 'associates'. No, until she'd met Tyler
she'd never met anyone she trusted or even; no... no she wouldn't say it.

	Sure, she liked him, trusted him, and even waited around like a
love-sick pu--

	"Oh why bother!" she yelled aloud, standing up and interrupting
the monologue, "I CAN'T TAKE IT! I ADMIT IT ALREADY! YES I LOVE HIM!!! I
LOVE TYLER AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS!"

	As she had stood up, the pokŽball fell over and released Ekans,
who managed to form out of the energy in time enough to hear her loud
confession of love.

	"Uhh... heh heh." she managed as the Ekans looked at her
expectantly.

	"Ekans... ekans-ekans!" it said, smiling (as best it could).

	Jesse sighed. "Easy for you to say." she said, "Not that I
understand but, what I just said was A LOT harder too say."

	Great... her pokŽmon heard her. Well, she may as well put him
back into the pokŽball and change for the tutor and the rest of the class
of snotty brats. Man she hated those quote-unquote "students"! Heck with
a "Kid's day" holiday-- she'd *KILL* to get out of that class for a day!


* * *


Wipple residence, around the same time
--------------------------------------


	"Shot down again Puff." Jackii said laying down against her bed.

	Jigglypuff, for his part, was severely worried. From what he saw,
Jackii had effectively lost her potential life-mate through Tyler; who
had the same energy aura as Jackii. Yes, for Jigglypuff was no mere pink
pokŽmon; he felt these things, and knew Jackii was in some serious
emotional hurt... and Tyler leaving so quickly and dumping on the one
serious chance Jackii had time to spend with him hadn't been good. Jackii
had gotten her parents to send her to PokŽmon Tech, so Jackii had told
the Jigglypuff happily, but that would mean an inevitable separation from
Tyler UNLESS he somehow went to PokŽmon Technical too.

	"Puff... Jiggly!" he said, trying to comfort her.

	"I can't help it Puff... I ache so much." Jackii said sadly.

	"Puff?" Jigglypuff asked.

	"I don't know why this happened like this... I thought he'd
understand what I felt... I thought he felt it too. We've been together
so long Puff! Since before I got you even." she said, sitting up and
holding Jigglypuff in an embrace, "I remember when I was five and meeting
him near the park when they had those other orphans there... it was so
much fun and I liked playing with him so much that when I found out he
was with those other kids I HAD to stay friends anyway."

	"Puff!" Jigglypuff said, which translated into English, was: "But
of course!"

	"But we were just friends then... I didn't know I loved him until
one day, when we were hiking in the park, we started talking about what
we wanted to do in life when we grew up." Jackii told Jigglypuff as she
went on, "He told me about how he wanted to be a scientist for pokŽmon so
he could find some new species that might be able to help people and
pokŽmon and raise them in his own gym... That impressed me but I
was too impressed because I got distracted and started to fall off of a
log we were crossing a small ravine over and he had to catch me... but he
did it by wrapping his arms around me and pulling me up; it was so weird!
I felt me and him all pressed together and I could feel his heart beating
fast because he was pulling me up and... I dunno. I just... 'knew' then
that all the weird tingles and stuff were love. At first, ya know, I
thought 'people my age don't fall in love' but I realized most girls my
age don't get to know guys like I know Tyler."

	"Puuuuff." Jigglypuff said, nodding in agreement.

	"I don't know what I'm gonna do though Puff." she said, "He said
he doesn't love me... but I just can't stop feeling what I do! What am I
gonna do?"

	She started to cry, and Jigglypuff simply held her, wiping
some of her tears away.

	"I feel so stupid... I mean, I don't NEED a guy... but I like
Tyler and I-- I don't know what's with me anymore!"

	"Oh Jackii..." Jigglypuff said in pokŽlanguage as his master
cried, "You're not dumb... everyone needs someone. If only I could make
you understand that!"

	Jackii finished crying and wiped her tears as someone knocked on
her bedroom door.

	"Jackii, sweetheart?" her mother called, "We have a surprise for
you... can we come in?"

	"Sure mom." Jackii said.

	Jackii turned to see her mother and father walk in, grinning
rather broadly.

	"Hereya go sweety!" her mother said, pulling out what she had
behind her back.

	"To help you for when you go to PokŽmon Tech." her father added.

	Jackii took hold of the pokŽball from her mother's outstretched
hand.

	"What is it?" she asked.

	"Why don't you let it out and say hello?" her father said.

	Being in an enclosed space, Jackii merely pushed the release
button on the pokŽball and released a swirl of energy, which formed into
a--

	"Clefairy!" the now released pokŽmon said. It blinked it's eyes
in time enough to see it's new trainer give it a hug.

	"OH I ALWAYS WANTED A CLEFAIRY!" she squealed happily, "And with
this I have two pokŽmon! Thank you both so much!"

	"Clefairy-- She's emotional huh?" the Clefairy asked Jigglypuff
in pokŽlanguage.

	"Kinda." Jigglypuff said, eyeing it's new battle mate as it
hogged all the attention.

	"We just wanted you to know we believe in you sweetheart, and
that we know you'll make us even prouder than we are now." Her father
said.

	"Oh Daddy, this'll be so great!" Jackii said, setting Clefairy
down next to Jigglypuff, "Tyler says he's thinking about entering the
tournament and I know he'll win with that Poliwrath! It'll be so cool
going to school together!"

	"Don't get your hopes up pumpkin." her father said, cautiously as
not to let the 'her + Tyler' argument flare up again, "*IF* he enters, it
will be a longshot to win. I think you shouldn't count on him wining this
even with his new pokŽmon."

	"I believe in him daddy!" Jackii said, smiling.

	"Well," her mother said, trying to end the discussion, "we'll let
you and Clefairy get acquainted while I make dinner. Come on sweetheart."

	As her parents left her alone, Jackii turned to her newest
pokŽmon who was already laying down to rest. Clefairy was pretty young
and it wasn't used to so much excitement...

	"This is gonna rock Clefairy!" she said, "Just wait and see! When
Puff and I are done, you'll be great at pokŽmon battles!"

	"Cle-fair-ee!" it said smiling drowsily.

	"OH! OK..." Jackii said, seeing how tired it was, "You get some
rest while I do some sorting here... this'll be great!"

	As Jackii went to sort her pokŽbattle items in her backpack,
Clefairy drifted off to slumber as Jigglypuff eyed it's new "partner"
jealously.


* * *


SUNNYTOWN PARK: TWO WEEKS LATER
-------------------------------

	"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the first PokŽ Tech tournament
sponsored by your friends at Fungus Up! Recommended by two out of three
plumbers, Fungus Up is the cola of choice. If it's good enough for
toadstools and goombas, you know its right for you!"

	"Wow... Nintendo's really hogging the sponsorship huh?" Jackii
said.

	"If I here another commercial promoting a product of that game
with those weird plumbers, I'll shriek!" Jesse said, annoyed.

	"Still," Jackii said, looking at the expansive area, "with the
prizes and everyone here and all, it's still cool."

	"Yah, this IS pretty neat!" Tyler said, looking at the masses of
trainers. Just about everyone in town had to be here!

	When Tyler had been told what Ms. Harmon had thought about Jesse
he'd been confused.  Having thought everything through though, he had
decided PokŽmon Technical would probably be his best shot at having his
own gym, and a quick trip to the local pokŽmon center Tyler had registered
for the tournament despite everything. This was much to Jesse and Jackii's
delight when he'd phoned them with the news the day afterwards.

	Now, two weeks later, after taken his final exams at the college
for his classes, Tyler and his pokŽmon were trained and ready. He had four
well trained pokŽmon so he had signed up in the 4 on 4 portion of the
tournament. He had mostly water types among his pokŽmon (3/4's to be
exact) so he had trained his pokŽmon to counter just about every electric
attack (which water types were weak against) and develop their non-water
elemental attacks (because grass types would resist water attacks).
Pidgeotto wouldn't be able to counter the electric either, but Pidgeotto
was fast and her speed would allow her to avoid most electric attacks, and
although she'd have trouble with rock types, rock types were weak against
water types anyway; and Tyler had three water types!

	"I guess it is a great setup." Jesse said, looking around.

	"Problem?" Jackii asked, looking at Jesse as she kept looking
around every few moments.

	"I hope not..." Jesse said, looking around. She walked off to the
side, leaving Jackii and Tyler alone.

	"Are you ready?" Tyler asked her.

	"As I'll ever be." she said, "But this is for fun anyway."

	Jackii, for her part, had worked very hard to pump up Clefairy
and get Jigglypuff his edge; both to a great deal of success. Now they
were both at about equal levels and knew several attacks. Jackii wasn't
interested in doing well prize-wise as much as she was in battling other
trainers to get big boosts of experience for Clefairy and Jigglypuff.

	"I don't see him anywhere." Jesse said as she walked back up to
Jackii and Tyler.

	"See who?" Jackii asked.

	"James." she said, "He was supposed to be here today... he
promised and everything. It's not like him to not show up."

	Jesse, since she'd been hanging out with Tyler, hadn't seen much
of James. He'd met someone and had been hanging out with him. After
missing each ther a few times, they'd decided it'd be best just to meet
here today and just do what they had to until then... which was today.
She knew James wouldn't have missed today... not so close to the day they
were going back to PokŽmon Technical.

	"Maybe we could go check on him." Tyler said.

	"But you'll miss out on your turn!" Jesse protested, "You're up
to register in 2 minutes and the in another 10 minutes you hafta have
your pokŽmon turned in and scanned; and it takes 20 minutes to get
there!"

	"But we gotta find him though!" Tyler said, "What if Rocko or
Bill found him? HE could be in trouble."

	"It's OK Tyler," Jackii said, "I'll go get him."

	"That'd be great!" Jesse said, happy at the suggestion for more
than the sake of finding James, "Your pokŽmon could beat those two up if
they're trying anything!"

	"But you gotta compete too!" Tyler said, thinking this was
getting nuts.

	"Not for another hour and a half." Jackii said, "They've got to
go through the 6 and 4 pokŽmon sets before they reach the 2 sets like me.
I can get James and come back."

	"I dunno..." Tyler said, "I--"

	"Tyler Trawets please report to the registry..." Nurse Anna's
voice said over the P.A., "Tyler Trawets please report to the registry."

	"Dang'it!" he said, turning to go, "Wait for me before you two
do anything!"

	As soon as he was out of site, the duo, true to form, did things
behind Tyler's back. Jesse quickly explained where she was supposed to
meet and what spots she usually hung with him. As soon as Jesse had
finished, they saw Tyler finishing things with Nurse Anna.

	"I'll be back." Jackii said, grabbing her bike from the rack and
hurrying as to get out before Tyler could stop her.

	"Hurry." Jesse said, "And please find James."

	As she pedaled away, Tyler managed to reach Jesse just as
Jackii sped out of site.


* * *


35 minutes later, near the outcrop near the edge of Sunnytown...
----------------------------------------------------------------

	"Where ARE you James?" Jackii said to herself angrily. She'd been
searching for James for 15 minutes and she'd been told this would be the
sure-fire place to find James. But--

	"Hey! NO!" a voice, James' voice(!), called out.

	"Now son, we know you had plans, but Jezzebell decided to pay you
a visit today." a man's voice said, "And you definitely need it, I might
add."

	"Yes son." a woman's voice said in an American antebellum
(southern; Like Georgia or Arkansas) accent, "You really need some more
refinement... just look at you!"

	Jackii hid behind a bush and looked around the corner to see
James dressed in his biker outfit, while being held by... a butler? They
stood infront of a limousine where a man and a women, both finely dressed,
looked down at James.

	"But I don't wanna see Jezzebell!" James whined, "She's
horrible!"

	"Hardly..." James' mother(?) said, "She's far too good for you.
Fortunately her parents agreed to arrange for her to meet with you... and
for the months no less! Now maybe you can learn some class."

	"Nooo-hooo-hooo-ooo!" James whined.

	"Why yes James darling!" a voice called.

	"SHE'S HERE?!" James whined.

	Jackii watched as the side-back door of the limousine opened up to
reveal--

	"She's looks kinda like Jesse..." Jackii said, staring in
disbelief as an elegantly dressed young girl stepped out of the expansive
limousine.

	"James darling..." Jezzebell said, eyeing James, "look at that
atrocious outfit you're in! Now I know why we drove so, so long to go
get you... you obviously need me to even tell you what to wear."

	"Oh-oh-oh dear!" James said, shuddering in massive fear as the
butler held him.

	"Well, looks like there's some version of Jesse somewhere ruining
someone's love life..." Jackii said smiling to herself as she pulled out
her pokŽballs and released Jigglypuff and Clefairy, "I need help you two.
We gotta save James... put I gotta plan."


* * *


	"Now son," James' father told him, "this wouldn't be half as hard
as it is if you'd just be a good son and let us run your life for you."

	"But I don't like Jezzebell!" James said, "If I HAVE to get
tutored in manners by some girl I want someone else!"

	"But Jezzebell is the best for you son." his father told him.

	"Now be a good boy James," his mother added, "your father wasn't
nearly so picky with his company."

	"Quite so." his father said.

	"Now James," Jezzebell said, "let's just go home and I can show
you the proper way of having a tea party."

	"Dear God," James prayed silently to himself, "if you smite my
parents and my would-be 'girlfriend' right now, I promise to use the
money I inherit to build several temples and an orphanage in your
honor... just PLEASE get me out of this... just this once!"

	And, in answer to the prayer, but in a much more civil way...

	"Puu-uuf!" Jigglypuff cried as he walked out, carrying a sign as
Jackii watched from the bushes, close by.

	"What's this now?" Jezzebell said, as she watched Jigglypuff and
then Clefairy follow out to stand in their midst.

	"Puff!" Jigglypuff said, holding out the sign.

	"Travelling musicians?" James' mother read, "We have no time for
that!"

	"PUFF!" Jigglypuff said, puffing up in anger.

	"But now would be a good time to work on James' dancing, come to
think of it." Jezzebell said.

	"But I gave the musicians the day off to watch the poke-
tournament." James' mother said, "And these... pokŽmon might belong to
someone, we can't just take them. It'd be rude and we don't know where
they've been besides."

	"Then lets have a lesson here!" James' father said.

	"In the middle of the street?!" James said, surprised.

	"Now now James, perfection waits for no one." Jezzebell said,
sweeping James up in a waltzing embrace so tight he couldn't get away,
"Hit it!"

	"Jigg-a-lee puuuff! Jigg-a-lee puff! Jigg-a-lee puff, Jigg-a-lee-
ee-ee puff! Jigg-a-lee puff! Jigg-a-lee-puff! Jigg-a-leeee-eeeeeeee!" the
little Jigglypuff sang.

	Well, as anyone familiar with Jigglypuff's sing attack KNOWS, the
small group, excluding Jigglypuff (who's immune to it's own attacks), and
Jackii & Clefairy (who had cotton in their ears) were soon fast asleep.

	As soon as Jigglypuff stopped singing, it waved to Jackii. Jackii
pulled out the cotton from her ears and then got her bike out with her
as Clefairy and Jigglypuff pulled James away from the sleeping Jezzebell,
who was sucking her thumb.

	"Thanks Puff." Jackii said, as she got James' bike setup from the
side as to make their get-a-way.

	"I don't get it." Clefairy said in pokŽlanguage after it pulled
the cotton from it's ears, "Did they fall asleep because they got bored
with the song?"

	"WHAT?!" Jigglypuff answered back in pokŽlanguage angrily, "It's
my SPECIAL attack, and it's not boring! I sing beautifully!"

	"OK OK!" Clefairy said as she helped Jigglypuff shake James
awake.

	"No mommie, I don't wanna dance the 'Koopa..." James managed as
the shaking brought him to consciousness, "Heh... what-?!"

	"Hey, it's OK!" Jackii said, kneeling over James, "We're getting
out of here!"

	"What happened to them?" James asked, pointing to his
unconscious compatriots.

	"Puff put'em to sleep." Jackii said, "And they should stick
around here in dreamland until Officer Anna gets here with Rookie Jenny
and they can put them in the slammer."

	"WHAT?!" James said, "No!"

	"But..." Jackii said, "What they're doing is wrong, making you do
that kinda stuff... We can call'em! I mean, there hasta be a law or
something--"

	"But I don't WANT them in *jail*!" James said, "I just don't want
to live that way!... Besides, I can't get them arrested, I've checked."

	"Oh." Jackii said, "Then I guess you wanna stay--"

	"NO WAY!" James cried, "What they aren't awake to stop I can get
away with!"

	He got on his bike and undid the kickstand.

	"Come on!" he told her, "WE can get to the tournament if we pedal
real fast!"

	He started off as Jackii recalled Clefairy and Jigglypuff (who
had an annoyed look on his face) and hurried after James. After a few
minutes, when Jackii was in an even stretch with James, James turned to
her.

	"Look... Jackii right?"

	"Yah."

	"Listen," James said, "what happened and everything... please
don't tell anyone about it."

	"OK." she said, "But James... I can't help but wonder... you
know..."

	"No, I don't know... ya know?" James said jokingly.

	"Well," Jackii said, "if everything's so bad why not just... run
away?"

	"From home?" James said, "No, that's *almost* never the answer.
I mean, Jezzebell may be annoying but at least I don't have to marry her
or anything! I mean, then it'd be too much and maybe then-- But no, it's
my home and home is where the heart is."

	"Still James," Jackii said, "life isn't supposed to be horribly."

	"I can manage." he said, pedaling.

	Jackii slowed down a moment and grabbed something from a bush
near on of the neighborhood's larger houses.

	"James!" she called.

	James slowed down and waited for Jackii to catch up.

"Listen, I know we don't know each other very well," she said, "but
can I give you some advice?"

	"I suppose." James said.

	"You should really let yourself try to enjoy life." she said,
handing him what she'd grabbed.

	"A rose?" James said, holding the blood red flower.

	"It has a double meaning." Jackii said, "Red roses symbolize
love, like a love for life. And you know the old saying, 'stop and smell
the roses'?"

	"Hmmm." James said, putting the flower into the strap on his
biker cap, "Thanks for the tip. But unless we want to be late for the
tournament, we've gotta rocket!"

	James started to speed off as Jackii followed, pedaling hard
behind.	Truth to tell he was impressed with the events of the day but he
knew it wasn't over yet.

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

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

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

And YES, Trawets is Stewart spelled backwards... NO, I'm NOT basing Tyler
on me... I just ran out of names for everyone and I was desperate and it
sounded good.