A resounding thank you goes to my deviantART friend victoria30261 for finding a mistake in the story — Natalia was caught on Route 22, not Route 102. Free pokéblocks for you!
ENTRY THREE
"Totalizer?"
I could tell in an instant that the voice was Jesse's. My eyes opened, bleary, as I'd been asleep and toted on Lockley's pack for the last two days of trekking. Nothing too eventful happened besides my main 'mon Metabee evolving into a Kakuna. He's been with me in the tote, napping by my side. Why was I there? If you'd gotten poisoned six times, you'd be exhausted too. Even tough guys get queasy!
Jesse fluttered just out of my reach, her blue eyes soft with something that might have been worry. Part of me wanted to tell Jesse to get real (who needs to worry about someone as powerful as me?), but I got too curious. I blinked my magenta eyes back at her. "What?"
She cautiously perched on a nearby rock, looking down at me from her high and mighty six-inch-tall perch. "Are you feeling any better? I got scared sometimes. At one point you looked like you might have been a goner…."
I huffed. "Of course I am. It takes more than poison to totalize me!"
Jesse fluffed her feathers a bit, preening them for a moment as though nervous, and looked in the direction of Lockley, who was lying a few feet to the left with Natalia curled by her side. I scowled at the scene. Too close, Natalia. Too close to Lockley. "I don't think you're very happy when Natalia talks to Lockley."
"Lockley can't even understand her!" I snapped. "Which is for the best, probably. Her weird wordiness drives me crazy. She's some kind of lunatic! I don't think she even helps the team. She's useless against bugs."
The Pidgey looked away, almost sad, and was silent. I watched her. Even though she stood against the sun, looking kind of cool with that light behind her, her pose was sad-looking. I didn't like it. "If she were more useful, would you like her more than me?"
"No!" The word exploded in a fit of foam, dripping onto Lockley's tote thanks to my outburst. "I don't think anything can help me stand Natalia. You…" I paused. What did I think of Jesse? I didn't not like her, but she was still a girl. And weird. And had that fear of landing. That's still a dumb phobia. And she's not much of a fighter; most of what she does is go back to get potions and fly us to the Pokémon Centers when we need healing. I hate to admit it, but Natalia — in terms of combat — was better than Jesse. But something in that train of thought bothered me. I would have told Natalia to her face that I didn't like her, but….
"…You're fine."
"Really?" She gave me this hopeful look and I felt like curling into my shell. "Are you sure?"
"Does this look unsure to you?" I pointed at my face and Jesse began to giggle, a light and musical titter. She looked happier and, for some reason, that made me happy, too.
"Thanks, Totey." She fluttered up into a nearby tree, picking some berries for herself, and my eyes followed her as she flew. Flying fascinates me, I think, is why. I wonder what it's like to be in the air and too scared to land on the ground. I can't imagine life without the ground, but maybe that's because I'm a Squirtle.
I felt Metabee shake and land against my shoulder, looking up at me through his chrysalis. "You know," he began, "we may not have been travelling together for very long, but I'm sure that you would have doused anyone else who called you 'Totey.'"
"If by 'anyone' you mean 'Natalia,' then yes," I huffed, bubbles leaking from the corners of my mouth. Some of it got into Metabee's face and he blinked it away from his eyes.
"Hey, Totalizer."
"Yeah, Bee?"
"Did you know the first gym leader trains rock-types?"
I smirked, looking down to him. "I know! What a great opportunity for me to showcase my awesome skills, am I right?" Metabee paused for a second.
"Natalia has grown stronger," he mused. "Perfected a type of low kick."
"So?" I huffed.
"I feel as though Lockley will let her fight in the gym as well."
At those words, I felt some kind of bad feeling in my gut — sudden, brief, but it hurt like my emotions just got a quick punch to the face. I looked to where Lockley was sleeping, with Natalia now awake and spinning about her. Probably practicing her dumb show pokémon moves like a dummy. Dumb Natalia.
Upon my silence, Metabee continued, "She may not look it, but she, like other Mankeys, has the potential to be a fast and furious sweeping machine."
"Oh, please. If anything, Natalia is a world-class Mankey reject."
Metabee didn't even hesitate before saying, "I think you should give her more credit."
"Why?" I shot him my best disgusted look.
"You never know where a little kindness will get you," he replied. "I'm sure Jesse would agree with me."
I paused. "Who died and made you the poképope?"
"I consider it practicing fairness for my future children."
With a roll of my eyes, I turned away, glaring down at where Natalia still spun, looking way too happy and stupid by my sleeping Lockley. "Not a kid," I muttered, readying myself to close my eyes. But before I did, I watched Jesse flit to Lockley's shoulder and drop a berry in her pocket, and for a moment I thought I saw a supernova in the twinkle of her eye.
TRAVELING PARTY:
1. Totalizer – Squirtle – Male – Torrent – Naughty (Level 11)
2. Natalia – Mankey – Female – Vital Spirit – Quirky (Level 9)
3. Jesse – Pidgey – Female – Keen Eye – Quirky (Level 10)
4. Metabee – Kakuna – Male – Shed Skin – Brave (Level 9)
PC POKEMON:
None
DECEASED POKEMON:
None