Story Title: Somebody's Fool

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Author's Notes: Gratitude goes out to Dark Angel for reviewing. I am glad there was at least one review on the last chapter. Nothing is more disheartening than no response at all.

In which we finally leave Goldenrod. Eventually. For some reason, it took forever to get Kris and Irwin up and out in this chapter. No one wanted to shut up. And I had actually forgotten Whitney existed until the last moment. Ironically, I've made plans for other Gym Leaders to show up but completely forgot about her. Probably because her Miltank can be a pain to fight, I completely suppressed all memory of her.

I know updates on this story are few and far between and readers are fewer and farther between so, as always, thanks for reading.

-o-

Chapter Seven: Rolling Out of Goldenrod

-o-

From various reports, mostly those from the radio station, it seemed like Goldenrod had weathered last night's storm better than Ecruteak had. Kris supposed it was because the storm had truly appeared out of the blue in Ecruteak and Goldenrod had a few hours warning at least. Goldenrod's buildings were also more modern than Ecruteak's and were constructed with more safety failsafes as well.

From what Kris had heard, Ecruteak had taken much more structural and flooding damage as a result of the storm. Having endured the occasional flood from their surrounding rivers, Goldenrod had plans and measures in place. Ecruteak did not and had never really needed any before. Flooding, especially of this magnitude, was a rare occurrence in Ecruteak.

Not that Goldenrod was without harm. Water was still up to Kris's knees this morning and fallen trees and debris blocked the streets and much of Route 35. Secondary generators brought power to selective necessary portions of the city, mostly the hospitals and the Pokemon Center. Luckier than Ecruteak or not, Goldenrod was in just as much state of emergency.

At the Pokemon Center, Kris sat on a windowsill and looked out on the city while her and Irwin's Pokemon had their breakfast. Well, everyone but Eevee, who had wolfed down his portion and proceeded to stick his front paws into his bowl and push his dish around, occasionally bumping into someone else's bowl—a particular favorite was his father's, despite Umbreon's reprimanding hisses and growls.

"So…how do you guys eat?" Kris heard Irwin ask his Voltorb. "Electrodes have mouths but you guys don't. But you do eat, I know that much. I just can't figure out how and you're not gonna show me, are you?"

His Voltorb did not respond. Mostly they just stared up at him, a few with annoyance in their eyes.

Kris sighed softly as she stared out onto the damage, wishing she didn't have to leave the city to be somewhere else very soon. She already knew she was on orders but it was only for a short official public appearance. It wasn't even her grand introduction as the new Champion. Really, there were much more important things she could be doing as the Champion.

Turning on her Pokegear and switching it onto its phone function, she was immediately greeted to a notice of forty-eight missed calls and twenty-six voicemails. They were all from Commissioner Everight. Having need to speak with her anyway, Kris called her back.

"Kris!" Commissioner Everight immediately shouted, not even giving her the chance to stay hello. "Thank goodness! Did you have your Gear off? You shouldn't do that! I've been trying to contact you since yesterday! Where are you? You weren't caught in that dreadful storm, were you?"

"Not directly but I did have to stay the night. I'm in Goldenrod and—"

"G-Goldenrod? Oh dear, not good. Not good at all." The commissioner mumbled to herself as Kris heard the sound of papers being shuffled about. "All right, we'll send a car, no, a jet—"

As usual, the commissioner was wound tighter than a Poliwag's belly spiral. "I appreciate the thought, ma'am, but actually I was wondering if it would be possible if I could stay in Goldenrod?"

"No, no, dear. We need you here!" Everight insisted. "Preparations are nearly complete. The media is starting to arrive. You need to get here."

"Yes, but have you seen the news? Goldenrod and Ecruteak need our help. Could you delay the ceremony for a few days? I'm asking no more than a week at the most. I'd like to stay and help—"

"I know you do but you're needed here," Everight said, the repeat reminder frustrating Kris. "Think of it like this. You'll be helping Goldenrod and Ecruteak and all of Johto by providing a bright, hopeful story amid all the disaster relief coverage."

Kris rolled her eyes. "I should be helping by staying and helping."

"Now, Kris, you have your duties and obligations to uphold. We need you in Bluebell Town. You're our Champion—"

"Yes, and as the Champion, should I not stay and help?" Kris said, a firm edge creeping into her voice. "Do you want the media to show me in the rescue and cleanup or tucked away in a safe little town away from the wreckage? Which do you think would look better in the eyes of the people?"

"You are scheduled to appear in Bluebell Town," Everight said with finality. "Now we need you here practically yesterday. We have lots to do. We have so much to do to prepare you for the big, big day! I have a plane ready for you. It'll be there in an hour and a half tops."

"No, no, Commissioner," Kris said. "I'll just take Pidgeot. He'll get me there in time."

"No, Kris," Everight said. "We can't take any chances. Stay there and wait for us."

"And in those same hours waiting, I can already be on my way." Kris did not care if she sounded angry. Everight was being absolutely infuriating. I wonder if she ever had Lance on a leash. I bet not. I can't see Everight telling Lance to do anything.

"Pidgeot will take too much time," Everight said. "We have too much to go over with you."

"The ceremony isn't for another two days, correct?" Kris said. "So I'll get there the night before at the latest. It'll be fine."

"No, Kris, it won't. Wait in Goldenrod," Everight ordered. "Geez, between you and Lance… Tell me, is the desire to show up at the last moment just a prerequisite of Champions?"

"I don't think so, ma'am," Kris said, "but a desire to help others might."

"Ah, yes, chronic superhero syndrome. You and Lance have that in common as well," Everight said, the displeasure in her voice making it clear how much she liked the shared trait. "And while you're doing whatever you can while you wait, promise me you'll be careful. Just don't get hurt, especially anything that would leave any visible scars. Makeup can work only so much magic, dear."

"Yes, ma'am, I promise. Bye," Kris said and immediately stuck her tongue out at her Pokegear as she turned it off.

"Well, that sounded frustrating," Irwin said as he filled Umbreon's water bowl up. As he set it down beside him, Umbreon hunched down and glared at him and then growled low in his throat before finishing his idea of a thank-you with a hiss. Kris reprimanded him but that didn't seem to cause much change in his mood. When Irwin at last backed far enough away, he finally stopped glaring at him and turned to his water dish to lap up a drink.

Kris leaned her head back against the wall and breathed a long sigh. "They treat me like I'm a child. I swear Everight thinks she's my mom—wait, let me do Eevee's water. When he's done drinking, he'll put his paws in and splash out the rest if you're not careful. I'm trying to train him to stop."

"So we're heading to Bluebell Town?" Irwin said as Kris filled up Eevee's water dish. "Ah, it's a nice little town. Pretty in the spring. Lots of blue fields of bluebells. …So where is it?"

"Between Ecruteak and Olivine," Kris said as she gave Eevee his water. "On Route 39, near MooMoo Farm. They built up a small town around it and made a Miltank farming community."

"Must have done it fairly recently then," Irwin said. "No wonder I've never heard of it before."

"Yea. The ceremony I'm supposed to appear at is to celebrate the town's completion. Kind of like the town's birth—Eevee, no," Kris ordered firmly, snapping her fingers, as she saw Eevee about to put his paw into his water dish.

He looked up at her and tipped his head to the side, looking confused as to why what he was doing was wrong. He usually didn't get into big trouble but he was young and curious and had much to learn. Right now, Eevee had to learn that his water dish was not a toy. And as Kris thought about it, she realized that she should probably train him out of playing with his food bowl soon too. He looked adorable running around with it though…

But playing in his water bowl caused messes and that she definitely had to train him out of. As he tried to raise his paw a little further, Kris repeated her command. A few more sneaky tries and a few more firm commands and finger snaps later, Eevee finally put his paw down and earned a treat.

"There you go, Eevee. You drink this water. It's not to play in," Kris said, petting Eevee on the head, earning a short happy squeak from him. "We don't have much time but I'd like to see what we can do before we have to take off."

"Of course," Irwin said, nodding. "I bet you'll have Goldenrod cleaned up in no time."

"We don't have that much time," Kris said, lightly laughing, as she recalled her team back into their balls. Everyone but Eevee. More often than not, she simply carried Eevee or let him walk beside her or perch on her shoulder. After all, there was much he needed to learn about the world and there was no better way of teaching him than to let him be out in the world to see it.

-o-

Irwin had figured Goldenrod would want as many people as possible to help in the cleanup and rescue but, for some reason, most people had ignored Kris when she had asked how she could help, even after he had told them she was the Champion. It must have been because of her age, he had figured. It was the only thing it could have been. Everyone had believed she was some impudent rookie until Whitney vouched for Kris. And when everyone had seen how strong her Pokemon actually were, suddenly Kris couldn't be in enough places.

Kris and her team were running here and there, clearing fallen trees, coursing the water out of town, and carving out ditches for the run-off. Even her smaller Pokemon like Umbreon were busy carrying supplies and messages back and forth. Irwin was happy watching her help and seeing people's faces change from being pestered by her persistence and doubting Whitney's assurance that she wasn't some little rookie girl getting in their way to surprise and awe and finally outright respect for her.

And while all this busy business was going on, Irwin's main task was…watching over Eevee. It wasn't the only job he had. He ran errands and swept trash and debris, anything he could manage to do. Neither Irwin nor his Voltorb could burn trees or lift flood-stalled cars over someone's head but they could do whatever they could to help and so they did so.

His Voltorb were providing a temporary power source and Irwin and other larger, stronger, and overall faster young men than him were shoveling mud and muck away. Even Eevee found a way to help by picking up nearby twigs and placing them in a pile, though he most likely just thought everyone was playing a strange pick-up game.

At the time, Irwin had thought shoveling mud would be the hard work he needed to feel like he had truly done something to help and indeed he was feeling something the longer he shoveled. Right now, he felt a quiver running through his arms as he carried his mud over to the wheelbarrow. The problem with hard work was that it required much physical strength, something Irwin generally lacked. All the other burly young men carried their shovels piled high back and forth easily while Irwin huffed and puffed to carry the same load. He had the sense the other fellows were just tolerating him because his heart was in the right place, except his muscles weren't.

Still it wasn't like he couldn't sit around and do nothing. Much as he had his grumbles about the local police, Goldenrod was still a kind of a second home to him. After all, he had spent a quarter of his short life living in or around the city. Even though he could only hope to play a bit part, he still had a part to play. He was still a young man of able body.

Until the other guys decided he wasn't of able body.

"Thanks, kid," said one of the guys, even though they were probably the same age, just of vastly different physical condition. "We really appreciate the help but you're gonna give yourself a heart attack working like that. Kinda look like you're already there. Feel all right?"

"Can't really…feel my arms," Irwin said, hunched forward and out of breath, his face as red as his cape. "I think I broke them."

"That'll happen," the guy said, flashing a sympathetic smile. "You're gonna feel a whole lot worse tomorrow."

Irwin wished the guy hadn't told him that. If he felt any worse tomorrow than he felt at the moment, then he was probably going to spend the majority of their time in Bluebell Town groaning in a bed and missing out on seeing Kris at the ceremony.

"Get some water at the relief tent. Take a break. We'll get the rest," he said, pointing at a makeshift stand at the far end of the street. "We appreciate the help but don't kill yourself out here, kid."

Irwin gave thanks—whether his thanks was coherent, he wasn't sure, though—and nodded woozily before he started stumbling down toward the relief tent.

And then a wiggly thought bubble popped in his head and he remembered he was supposed to be watching Kris's Eevee so he called him to follow. Running through his pile of sticks and scattering them about, Eevee quickly caught up and padded along beside him, still proudly holding his last found stick in his mouth.

With enough time and water, Irwin finally caught his breath and his dizziness and wobbliness subsided. The nurse that might have been Nurse Joy but Irwin couldn't remember who she had been had said he had been in the early stages of heat stroke and right now he needed to stay cool and drink water. Irwin figured he was back to helping out doing light stuff again. It wasn't exactly how he had planned things to go but his arms still felt pretty much like Tentacool tentacles anyway so it probably was all he could manage to do.

Beside him sat Eevee, snout-first in a snack bag of bite-sized peanut butter cookies. Irwin didn't know how or where he had found them but he certainly hadn't found them at the relief tent. Great, Irwin thought wryly, he's following right in his father's footsteps…err…paw steps.

"Hey, puffball, come up for air a sec," Irwin said, giving the tip of Eevee's ear a gentle tug. "Come on. You have to breathe at some point."

Eevee pulled his snout out of the bag and looked up at Irwin. There were cookie crumbs in his puffy cream-colored collar.

"I know I'm not your trainer so you probably won't listen to me but this happened while you were under my watch so I think I should try and Kris wouldn't tolerate this behavior either," Irwin said. "You're not supposed to steal cookies. Or anything actually, but certainly not cookies. Stealing cookies is a bad thing your papa taught you. Don't do it."

Munching away on his bite of cookies, Eevee continued to simply stare up at him.

Unable to tell if there was a single thought running through the little guy's head, Irwin bowed his head and sighed in frustration. "Y'know, this would be easier if you at least showed some sign that you understood me. It really isn't hard to understand. Don't take things just because you wanted them. It's okay if someone offers you cookies but you can't just snatch cookies and run. That's stealing. Stealing is bad. Good Eevee don't steal, okay?"

Now wagging his tail for some reason only Eevee knew, Eevee persisted on with just staring at him. Maybe Kris would have instantly known what Eevee was saying but Irwin needed a bit more response out of the puffball. Irwin had never had an Eevee. He had Voltorb and he understood his Voltorb just fine and they were just large balls with eyes. He wasn't used to reading the body language of a Pokemon with a tail, mouth, ears, an actual body with arms and legs to move and communicate with…

"Hey, little one," Irwin said, his stare and tone both level, "I don't know what you're trying to tell me and I'm not sure if you understood me so give me a squeak if you've understood what I've been saying."

Eevee did not respond.

Once again, he breathed a frustrated sigh and raised his arms up in defeat. "Figures you're too young to understand—"

"Oh, he understands you fine," said a nurse, who had been watching him have a one-sided talk with Eevee and wore an amused smile. "He just didn't steal those cookies. Some boys gave them to him. He's not saying anything because he didn't steal from anyone. He's not going to agree with anything he didn't do."

"That right?" he asked Eevee and Eevee squeaked and nodded. "Munch away then."

And Eevee happily did so.

"Hey, y' know, you…could have…" Irwin began to say but trailed off once he saw that the nurse had gone elsewhere. He still believed she could have told him that Eevee was listening sooner. Would have been far less aggravating knowing his words weren't going through one pointy brown ear and out the other.

"Oh well," he sighed and then looked down at Eevee, making little happy squeaks inside the bag as he munched down on his treat. "Y'know, you're smarter than you look. And that's hard to say when you've got a snack bag muzzled over you."

"Hey!" he heard Kris call as she came running with Whitney in her softball uniform a step behind. "The dig crew told me I could find you here. You all right?"

Refusing to let her see him be idle, Irwin rocketed out of his seat and stood waiting for her. After all, a gentleman should stand when a lady makes her entrance and greet her.

"Oh yes! Never better! Just needed a nip of fresh water in me and I'll be ready to shovel the entire main street," Irwin said, grinning, as he flexed one of his arms for her. Luckily for him, he hadn't rolled his sleeve up and Kris couldn't see that his aching muscle was still too worn out to contract.

"That's great but we don't have the time for you to do that. Even with the extra delays, Everight's plane should be here soon. We have to head out." And then to Whitney, she said, "I'm sorry I can't stay longer. I've got orders. Honestly, I'd rather be here or aiding Ecruteak."

"It's all right," she said, laying a reassuring hand on Kris's shoulder. "We've got things covered. Don't worry, Goldenrod will shine again soon enough."

"Wait," Irwin said. "If the plane is almost here, why aren't we waiting for it?"

"Because I want to take Pidgeot," Kris said and then she smiled, leaned down, and greeted her Eevee, his fluffy tail practically vibrating in joy at her return.

At the sight of her Eevee, Whitney squealed and immediately picked him up and nuzzled cheek to cheek with him. Although he seemed confused by her affections with her being a stranger, Eevee didn't seem to mind, though he seemed more eager to go to Kris and followed her every move. Whitney asked where she had caught him and Kris explained how she had gotten her first Eevee from Bill.

Whitney pouted heavily. "He's never given me an Eevee…"

"Well, I had barely met Bill when he gave him to me. It was a lucky chance and he needed a trainer," Kris said as she rubbed underneath Eevee's chin. Clearly a preferred spot, Eevee raised his head and treaded his paws in the air at his trainer's affection.

"And that little Eevee evolved into that fierce-looking Umbreon," Whitney said as she tried to gain Eevee's attention but failed now that Kris was petting him. "This has just been your year, hasn't it, new Champion? Congrats, by the way."

"Thank you…" Kris said, peering down as she tried to hide her blush. Aside from Irwin himself, of course, no one else had referred to her as the new Champion yet. The new recognition seemed to embarrass her a little. "But don't let Umbreon fool you. He's all pudding on the inside, I swear."

Forgive me, my dear, Irwin thought, managing to keep his scoffs to himself, but if that glowering, hissing, biting cat-rabbit-thing is full of pudding, I can't imagine how nasty and bitter that pudding tastes.

"Umm, excuse me, Kris…" Irwin said, getting the odd feeling his presence was pretty much forgotten in the wake of Whitney cuddling Kris's Eevee, "but wouldn't the plane be faster?"

"Yea, but so what?" Kris said. "I'm the Champion so I should have the say on how I want to travel and I'm arriving on Pidgeot."

"Oh, I'm keeping you, aren't I?" Whitney said as she reluctantly handed Eevee back to Kris but not before getting in one last goodbye nuzzle. "It was so great to see you and I appreciate all your help."

"I really wish I could stay but Everight would have my head, I think," Kris said as she returned Eevee back into his Pokeball. "Or she'd send in a crew to snatch and rush me off. Either way, I have to be going."

Putting away Eevee back into her bag, she pulled out another Pokeball that Irwin assumed held her Pidgeot. His guess was soon confirmed. Her Pidgeot came out from its ball with its wings spread and its head raised. It came out making an honestly frightening battle cry.

More used to the little birds and the Pidgey that hopped along and pecked at tossed bread in the National Park, Irwin had never seen a fully-evolved Pidgeot before and never realized until now what big and scary birds they were. Kris's, in particular, was ready to fight.

Sharp eyes darting about in search of an opponent and finding none, Pidgeot soon turned to Kris for direction. Kris approached it (and if it wasn't for it being her Pokemon, Irwin would have strongly advised her not to) and cupped her hands around its face. Irwin watched in amazement as her bird of prey softened into a gentle songbird. She had told him once that Pidgey had been her first capture and their long time together showed.

"I know you've worked hard already," she said to Pidgeot as it brushed its beak through her hair in a quick greeting, "but do you think you could fly me and Irwin to Bluebell Town? You feel up to that?"

Immediately rising up and spreading its large wings, Pidgeot puffed up with pride and strength.

"That might be a yes," Whitney said, smiling with Kris. "Y'know, your Pidgeot looks so strong. Maybe after the cleanup, you and I should have a rematch."

"You could have Everight turn it into a charity match," Irwin suggested, "with all ticket sales benefiting the recovery of Ecruteak and Goldenrod."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Whitney said, absolutely beaming with excitement. "And we should get Morty too. Maybe we could have a double battle!"

"As really great as that sounds…" Kris said before drooping her shoulders and sighing. "…I'm not sure I want to get Everight involved. If she doesn't say no, she'll blow up everything into a big media frenzy. It won't even be about our rematch after she gets done."

"Yea, but maybe her turning into a big media frenzy will be a good thing this one time," Irwin said. "More people that go, the more it helps."

At that, Kris had to give a nod to the side in agreement. "Yea, but that's only if she'll say yes to it. …I'll ask her, though. Can't promise anything."

"Oh, she'll say yes. The League can't pass up stuff like that," Whitney said, hugging Kris goodbye. "Take care and come back anytime."

"I will," Kris promised as she hopped onto Pidgeot's back. "I'll come back and help just as soon as the ceremony is over."

When Kris was settled, Pidgeot rose from its crouched position and began to flutter its wings and ready itself for flight.

"Wait, Pidgeot! Irwin's coming too," Kris said. "Hurry up, Irwin. Pidgeot's ready to go."

"Uh, sure…but umm, maybe we should wait for the plane…" Irwin said, trying not to let the tremble in his legs be too obvious.

The issue was that Irwin had never flown on anything before and his ideal first experience with flying had never involved hopping onto a Pokemon's back and setting off into the sky. He had figured he would have flown first on a plane where there would be plenty of room and seatbelts and metal walls surrounding him.

Pidgeot, on the other hand, just had enough room on its back for two people and only because Kris was small and there were no seatbelts or anything to hold onto for safety and there were no walls to hold him and if he fell, he would meet the ground unless Kris managed to maneuver Pidgeot and catch him.

Much as he trusted Kris and knew what an excellent trainer she was, he also didn't want to risk that chance and find out what would happen in said situation.

As he fretted and hesitated, even though he knew he would go with her because he wanted to go with her and didn't want to end their travels together over something so small, Kris eventually figured out the problem. "…You've never ridden on a Pidgeot before, have you?"

"I've never been off the ground higher than I can jump," Irwin said, flashing a nervous smile.

"Well, there's nothing to be afraid of," Kris said and smiled reassuringly. "Come on. We've got to get going if we're going to miss Everight's plane."

"Yes, but…I—um…"

"Oh, stop being a silly boy and hop on already," Whitney said, grinning as she pushed a reluctant Irwin from behind toward Pidgeot. "She's got places to go and you're holding her up."

Irwin dug his heels into the ground and tried to stop her but to no avail. Irwin wound up on Pidgeot's back. He knew he would though. From the moment she said yes, he knew he would eventually have to follow her into places he didn't want to go but would for her.

"Ready?" he heard Kris ask as Pidgeot stood and readied itself to soar.

"…As I'll ever be," Irwin said, his voice cracking in fear.

Quickly, he looked around for some place he could hold onto but there really wasn't anything he could anchor himself to and he didn't think he could grip its feathers. He was far more likely to wind up pulling them out in terror and neither Pidgeot nor Kris would like that. He was pretty sure that if he did see land again, all that would earn him would be several swift, angry pecks. Most likely to the head if Pidgeot was quick enough and it sure looked quick.

As he searched and struggled to find safety, Pidgeot opened its wings and began to gain loft. The ground gradually growing smaller underneath them, Irwin panicked and shouted and quickly wrapped his arms around Kris's waist and held on for dear life. Luckily, Kris did not seem to mind.

…And really Irwin didn't seem to mind after a while as well. Sure, he was at a constant, even level of terror and he didn't like the feel of his legs just dangling in the not-solid air. He could feel his heart beating in his ears and he was shaking like he had a personal earthquake in his stomach but the sky was pretty and flying had its thrills and Kris and Pidgeot knew what they were doing.

And well, much as he was afraid and he wanted to be back on land pronto, there was one thing that was absolutely wonderful—getting to hold Kris and feel the light press of her back against him. The warmth spreading from her touch burned away at his fear and kept it at bay. His heart and mind had fluttered and floated off to farther brighter skies and taken him with them. Once in a while, Irwin could rest his cheek gently on her pink cap, close his eyes, and smile.

Maybe, he supposed, flying on Pidgeot wasn't so bad after all.