best laid plans
Most famous fictional characters have had a sidekick: Batman had Robin, for instance. Superman had Krypto.
I had Joey.
He was a good kid. A light in the world of darkness, a spot of sunshine on an otherwise rainy day.
It's a shame, really.
Chris trotted happily along the side of Route 29, his mood a good one. One of the best he had been in for a while now, even. The sun shone down upon him, its rays meeting him and shaking his hand; the wind was gentle, a cool, refreshing breeze; and of course, the infamous green-dotted yellow Pokemon called Bosca riding on his shoulder.
"You know, gal, it's a good day for walkin', ain't it?" Chris asked.
Bosca seemed to be getting used to the idea of sunlight. This was a good thing: she would be exposed to it often if Chris were to keep her.
"Mish! Shroom, shroomish," Bosca replied.
"My point exactly!" Chris said, and continued walking along.
The end of his gleeful stroll was to come to an abrupt end, though: for, although he didn't know it, a pair of eyes was observing him from afar.
Professor Elm let loose a sigh as he stood in front of the door of his lab. He had a stack of books under one arm, and his other hand was fumbling through his pockets, looking desperately for the familiar ring of keys.
He felt his hand brush against cold metal in his pocket. He breathed another sigh, this one in relief.
He slipped his keys into the door, turned them and then turned the knob. At that moment, he felt an odd sense of foreboding... and the sudden distraction made him oblivious to the fact that his books were slipping. They hit the ground with a loud thud, pages flapping in the light breeze that rushed through the area.
"Damn it!" he cursed, before kneeling over them and scooping them under his arm again. He pushed his shoulder against the door and walked in.
"Wonder why Ian's not here," he thought aloud. "Usually a lot earlier than me."
He set his books down on a desk next to the doorway, then moved over to the coat rack. Ian's coat was not there.
He walked through the bookcases that seperated his lab into halves, and stared at the scene in front of him with horrified awe.
Speechless, Elm walked over to the nearby phone and pressed in the numbers for the Cherrygrove Police Department, wondering just how to regain his voice.
He didn't know if it was possible.
Chris came to a stop nearby a ledge, and slumped down to the ground. He muttered something about rest to Bosca, who jumped off his shoulder and landed in his lap. He lifted a hand to gently rub her head.
"Nice Pokemon," a voice said. "But mine is better! It's in the top percentage of it's kind!"
Chris looked up to see a boy standing in front of him. He was barely over four feet tall, Chris estimated, and was dressed in blue jean shorts, and a bright yellow shirt. He wore a blue cap perched on his head, hiding what appeared to be (from small bits sticking out) a messy brown head of hair.
"My name's Joey!"
"Yer rather excitable, ain'tcha?" Chris asked. "I'm Chris."
"Of course!" Joey exclaimed.
"...Righty'o, buddy."
"So then," Joey continued. "Wanna battle?"
Chris froze for a moment, thinking of a couple of problems that could arise from this proposition. First of all, he wasn't much of a battler. He had no skill in it whatsoever, even in those dumb computer game simulators. Seconds, could Bosca handle it? She seemed to be relatively young and inexperienced at this whole deal herself.
"Buddy, I just sat down to rest. Can't it wait?" Chris asked.
"Sure," Joey said, before walking over to Chris and plopping down to the ground next to him.
Chris stared at him. If there ever was an odd person, this Joey kid seemed to take the cake.
"Righty'o," Chris muttered again.
Joey thrust his hand down into his pocket and removed an object. It was small, red on the top, white on the bottom, with a silver button in the center; a Pokeball.
He pressed the release switch, and Chris recoiled at the closeness of the flash of light. But once it disappeared, a small purple Pokemon with a curled tail and visible sharp-looking fangs appeared in Joey's lap.
"Rats!" Joey proclaimed proudly. My Rattata. He's real cool, like, in the top percentage of his kind!"
"I hear they ain't that strong," Chris deadpanned.
Which was a mistake.
"That is a common misconception, thank you very much!" Joey bellowed. "Rattata are fierce battlers, able to bite through even the toughest of hides! A Rattata once destroyed a building by eating its support beams!"
"Okay, I gotta admit that's pretty impressive."
"Of course!" Joey said, and Rats chimed in with a light, chirping agreement.
"Well then," Chris said, picking up Bosca and standing up. "I suppose we can battle now, if you really want..."
"Good! I'd never let you go without a battle anyways – not after you insult the wonderful Rats!"
"'ta! Rattt!" Rats agreed.
Chris ignored Joey for a moment, and sat Bosca down onto the ground, where she looked at him expectantly. She was obviously clueless as to what was going on.
"Alright, Bosca, gal. I'm gonna need you to do me a big favor, 'kay?" Chris said.
"...mish?"
"You see that Rattata over there?" Chris asked, pointing toward Rats.
Bosca turned around and looked at Rats for a moment, before turning back to Chris and nodding as best she could without a neck.
"mish. Shrroomish, shroo."
"I want you to fight him. Try and beat him. If you can't, I understand, but please try."
Bosca immediately looked nervous. Chris could sympathize.
"Bosca, gal, I know this is frightening. I'm kinda scared of it myself, and I'm not the one battlin'... just do your best and I'll be proud of you either way, 'kay, girl?"
Bosca slowly nodded, before turning to face the opposing Pokemon.
"Alright! You go first, Joey," Chris offered.
"Okay, Rats! Tackle it! Let's GGGOOO!"
Rats lunged forward, slamming into Bosca with all the force he could muster. The attack hit Bosca hard, sending her onto her back.
But she got up, and she looked very, very angry.
"Mish! Miiishhh!"
Bosca, without the commands of Chris, began to glow a bright shade of green. Rats did the same, and and Chris observed with awe as a small beam of tiny, white particles passed in between them, coating Bosca and sinking into her skin.
"An absorb attack!" Joey gasped.
"...Right! Good job, gal!" Chris said excitedly.
"Rats, Counter it with a Bite!"
Rats nodded, but it was with a bit less energy than he had shown before. He lunged forward though, and sank his teeth into Bosca's side before jumping back.
"...miisshhh!" Bosca cried. A steady ooze of a gray-colored blood seeped from the wound.
"Do...does your Pokemon normally bleed gray?" Joey asked.
"I- I don't know!" Chris stammered. It was incredibly odd. "Oh well though, I guess she's kinda not yer typical Pokemon- Bosca, let's retaliate with a Tackle!"
Bosca leaped forward and slammed herself into Rats. The purple rat Pokemon was sent skidding back a few inches, but smartly took the opportunity of Bosca being so close to sink his fangs into Bosca's skin again.
They were locked together in a struggle.
"Break loose!" Chris exclaimed. His eyes widened, imagining the pain the poor girl must be feeling.
"Stay strong!" Joey cheered. "Don't let it go!"
Oddly enough, Rats let her go.
Rats now lay on the ground, dead asleep. Bosca pulled herself away, and ran over to Chris's side.
Chris slung off his backpack and zipped it open, removing the potion pack given to him by Ian. He slipped out of the syringes and gently slid the needle into one of the holes in her skin from the bite attack, and pushed the top. He watched the purple liquid inside slowly drain out, and then removed the syringe, tossing it aside.
"Good job, gal," he praised. He realized he was beaming.
He had won the battle.
Joey recalled Rats, and walked over to Chris. He looked awestruck, like he had just seen the President of the Pokemon Association walk up to him and tell him that he was a good candidate for his replacement. He stood there, silent for a moment, before slowly extending a hand.
Chris grabbed it and shook it, then kneeled down again and offered his shoulder to Bosca, who happily leaped onto it now that her injuries were gone (excluding the bite hole that hadn't healed because of the syringe's presence in it, but that would heal within days).
"Your Pokemon is within the top percentage of Pokemon," Joey praised. "I have no idea when it did the sleep powder, but it was sneaky! Like a Koga-clan Ninja!"
Chris's beaming continued, and he nodded. "Your Rattata destroys the stereotype."
Joey looked as if he were about to cry. His lower lip began to quiver, and his arms crossed over his chest.
Chris placed a hand on his shoulder. "So, I got a proposition for you – you available for a little travel?"
Joey nodded. "... I- I live in Cherrygrove, but I just recently left on a journey. I'm available whenever- do you want my Pokegear number?"
Chris nodded, and pulled out his Pokegear. The two exchanged numbers. Chris dialed in Joey's, and pressed the device against his ear.
Baffled, Joey did the same.
"Hello?" Chris said.
"... Hi?" Joey responded.
"Oh, Joey! Hey, dude, I got a proposition for ya. I like ya, and I've got some travelin' to do myself. What do ya say we do it together?"
Joey hung up, and extended his hand again.
"Partners?" Chris asked.
They shook.
Joey nodded. "Partners."