Chapter 7: A Friend for the Road

None of the team had quite accepted the loss of one of their own yet. I think that the experience really brought them in conflict with their own mortality. The fact of the matter is every battle is one critical hit away from irreparable damage. They were walking a razor-thin line between life and death. And they knew it now.

I knew it too, and for the first time since my journey had started, I felt bothered by my lack of a human companion, a fellow trainer who wouldn't try to murder my friends at the first eye contact. I needed someone who would understand my position.

Oddly, my first thoughts turned to Gary. Where was he now? What was he doing? Was he treating his Pokémon any better?

My team and I reached the base of Mt. Moon in the early afternoon. There was a Pokémon Center just outside the cave entrance, and I decided to wait until morning to cross over to Cerulean City. We could really use a break.

I called Remy and Aporia back into their balls before stepping inside. They would need to be healed by the nurse before we hit the road again in the morning. Snare hadn't seen much battle lately like they had, so I kept him with me.

After handing the two Pokéballs to the nurse by the counter, I approached the public PC in the corner of the lobby. Each Center had computers available for free that gave access to the storage for Pokémon and items, email and a videophone service. I haven't used any of those functions yet, but I wanted to make a phone call to Professor Oak before heading into the caves.

I punched in the number he provided for me before I left Pallet Town and waited as the call was dialed. After a few rings, the monitor flashed and the professor's face appeared on screen. He hadn't changed at all since the day I left. Then again, I shouldn't have expected him to; it was only two weeks ago.

"Mike! How're you doing?" The professor looked genuinely pleased to see me.

"I'm alright, Professor!" It wasn't the right time to mention what happened to Icarus. "And yourself?"

"Nothing new going on here." He threw his arms back, gesturing to the office behind him. The same office Gary and I picked up our first Pokémon from. "Conducting research, taking calls from other scientists and so on. Speaking of which, have you been using that Pokédex I gave you? It's rather critical for my research."

"Of course I have." Where would I be without it?

"Well, let's see what you've got so far! Just plug it in and it'll wire all the data you've collected back over here to me."

I did as he instructed, and a progress bar popped up on the screen, leaving the professor's face comically out-of-view. In seconds, the Pokédex had uploaded its data on the professor's computer, which he was now scrolling through.

"My goodness, you've certainly seen quite a variety of species in a short time." I have? I forgot that the Pokédex also records my opponents in battle. I hadn't realized the diversity of my foes the last couple of weeks, nor that I had been compulsively identifying and researching them on the device. Like I said before, it's become a reflex.

"So what can I do for you?" the professor was done analyzing the information from the Pokédex and directed his attention back to me.

Oh right. The reason I called.

"Professor, I wanted to ask you about the Gym Challenge."

"Sure, ask away!"

I hesitated, even though I didn't have a reason to. "You see, I'm doing it. The challenge. I've already got one badge, in fact." I unzipped my jacket and displayed the Boulderbadge pinned to the inside. Professor Oak raised his eyebrows. He seemed impressed.

"Anyway, I just wanted to ask you…what should I do now?"

"Well, keep going, of course!" It wasn't the answer I was expecting, but I certainly liked it. "I remember back when every other trainer around was collecting those badges. It was a great thrill to watch those gym matches on TV. I even went to watch the tournament in the Indigo Plateau."

"What was it like?" I had no idea Professor Oak was such an enthusiast for anything besides research.

"Oh, it was incredible! Pokémon and battles like you would never imagine! Watching those trainers clash was breathtaking." It made me happy to see Oak with such childlike amusement. Listening to him, you wouldn't think it was as terrifying as my latest experiences would suggest. "And the Elite Four!" he continued. "The best of the best! Their matches looked like something out of legend. You haven't lived until you've seen what the masters are capable of when they go toe-to-toe."

There was a pause. He seemed to run out of things to say.

"You know what I think, Mike?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "I think you'll make it. To the top! To the Elite Four and beyond!"

It was good to hear, but I didn't know how to respond. After all, Oak was a rather eccentric guy.

"Thanks, Professor. I'll do my best."

"I know you will." He smiled. "Next time you call me, I want to see another badge on that jacket there. Don't forget about the Pokédex though! Heavens no!"

With that, I ended the call. I caught myself smiling. The Professor thought I could become the Champion! For a moment, I felt really happy.

I decided to make another call, so I punched in some more numbers and waited.

"Hello?"

There was no video on the monitor. I guess she didn't have a home computer capable of taking videophone calls.

"Hi…Mom" I had to choke out the second word. It was difficult to call someone of whom you had no memory your mother, but something told me she would appreciate it.

"Hi sweetie, how are you? I'm so glad you called!"

She certainly sounded glad.

"Everything's alright, I just wanted to check up on you is all."

The conversation went as you would expect one between a mother and son to go, especially after a couple weeks without contact. I told her about my adventure so far, my decision to take on the gyms and the Elite Four. Like Oak, she was enthusiastic about the choice, and seemed to support me in it. Also like Oak, I didn't tell her about Icarus. Later, maybe.

By the time we said our goodbyes, the nurse had come back with my other two team members. As I approached the counter to pick them up, I spotted a man off to the corner of the lobby, pestering passing trainers. I listened in on the brief conversations while I pocketed the pair of Pokéballs on the counter and deduced he was trying to sell something that apparently nobody wanted. Curious, I decided to investigate his pitch.

"Young man, young man, would you like to buy a rare and powerful Pokémon from me?" I could sense a hint of desperation in his voice.

"What Pokémon is it?"

"A Magikarp!" His face split into a toothy grin. This was probably the most attention anybody had given him so far.

Magikarp? I hadn't come across that species in my travels. I guess that would make it rare, right? And it certainly sounded powerful.

"Sure. How much?" Couldn't hurt, right?

"Five hundred" he answered quickly, as if he didn't want me to fully process the steep price he was asking for. The grin was gone. We were bartering now.

Five hundred. I had certainly made more than enough from the last route alone, but it was money that I spent on food and medical supplies while traveling. And five hundred was a bit of an obscene price. But it's for a Pokémon. Someone to fill Icarus' spot.

Begrudgingly, I counted out the money and handed it over. In a flash, the stack of bills was gone, replaced by an ordinary Pokéball.

"Pleasure doing business with you." The man bowed to me, then scurried off. I examined the Pokéball in my hand, wondering whether it would be safe to open it and let my new team member out in a public Pokémon Center lobby. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see it, when…

"You're not very smart, are you" said a female voice from behind me. Startled, I spun around. The girl who addressed me was sitting in a chair a few feet away. Her arms were crossed over her chest, which was covered by a light blue shirt. A red skirt covered her thin legs, which ended with a pair of red and white sneakers. In her lap was a magazine she must've been reading just before insulting me, and a small turtle-like Pokémon with a curled bushy tail, the same color as her shirt, was resting peacefully at her feet.

Taking in all the details of her appearance, I forgot that she was still expecting an answer. "Why, what's wrong?" I finally responded.

She gave an exasperated sigh and rose from the chair, tossing the magazine onto a nearby table and accidentally waking her sleeping companion. I found myself staring at her legs as she gracefully approached, her Pokémon trailing at her heels, its gait clumsy by comparison.

"I'm Caroline" she said, extending her hand to me. "And you just got ripped off."

I extended my own hand toward hers, when she lifted an eyebrow in confusion. I looked down and saw her palm facing upwards. She didn't want a handshake; she wanted the Pokéball.

"How do you know I got ripped off?"

"I'll show you." She made a 'hurry up' motion with her fingers. Embarassed, I pulled my hand back and plopped the Pokéball in her palm. She squeezed the button on the capsule, and it popped open, depositing a flailing bright red fish on the floor between us. It looked like it was suffocating.

"What are you doing!" I cried, kneeling down to the dying Pokémon.

"Relax" she said calmly. "It's ok, it can breathe. It's just a pathetic thing, that's all." She was right; the fish's thrashing retained its vigor. It wasn't dying, it was just flopping around.

"What is it?"

"Magikarp. The guy wasn't lying to you. Well, not about the name, at least. It's not rare or powerful" she explained, "It's just a sad little fish that knows no attacks and is virtually impossible to train. You can't even use TMs on it. It's just a waste."

My heart sank. I just blew a ludicrous amount of money on…this.

She clicked the Pokéball again, zapping the Magikarp back inside, then handed it back to me, a satisfied smirk on her face. Even with it, she was incredibly pretty.

"So what's your name, stranger?"

"Mike" I extended my hand again, and this time she shook it. I was still upset about the ripoff, but it wasn't a tragic loss. I still had enough money to keep myself and my team afloat until we reached Cerulean City.

"This is Tank, my Squirtle" she indicated to the creature hugging her ankles, who waved up to me with a wide goofy smile. My eyes caught a glimpse of her belt, which had four Pokéballs holstered around it. Four Pokémon, just like me.

Well, three, if you don't count the fish.

I guess I have a reason to use the Pokémon boxing system now.

She walked back over to the PC with me, and I placed the Magikarp's Pokéball on the pad, where it vanished in an instant. "May I meet the rest of your team?" I asked her. I was curious about what the rest of her Pokémon were like, as she was the first trainer I'd met who hadn't decided to battle me on the spot. It'd be nice to see another trainer's team in a non-hostile environment for once.

"Sure, but only if I get to meet yours. You can skip the Magikarp" she joked. "Let's go outside."

The sun was touching down over Mt. Moon, so we still had a few hours until it would get dark. In one swift motion, she unholstered three Pokéballs from her belt and tossed them in the air. They burst open simultaneously, releasing a copper-colored fox creature, a fluffy brown mammal with a bushy tail and cream-colored collar, and a Spearow, a species that I've already had the extreme displeasure of identifying.

"This is Feu, my Vulpix" she said, pointing to the fox-like creature, "Yin, my Eevee", she continued with the second in line, "and Houdini, my Spearow". The Spearow gave a polite squawk as his name was called, but I was still wary of it.

"Now let's see yours" she turned to face me. "A deal's a deal."

Just like her, I called out my three well-rested companions and introduced her to Snare, Aporia and Remy. She knelt down to greet them, patting Remy on the head and she even shook Snare's scaly paw. "Aporia is a pretty name" she said to my Butterfree "and so fitting for a pretty Pokémon like you". Aporia blushed, which made the rest of us laugh.

I was glad they got along well with her, and even more so that Caroline got along well with them. It seemed like they became instant friends, and I was grateful for that. Her Pokémon seemed very friendly with me as well, including the Spearow. Feu was soft and warm to the touch. I figured she must be a Fire-type, something my own team lacked. I scratched Houdini behind his neck, which he seemed to appreciate, and did the same for Yin's puffy collar. Tank seemed more excited than anyone else; he ran circles around our group, squawking in delight and making sure to acquaint himself with all of the new friends, including me, several times.

"I don't know about you guys" Caroline said, standing up "but I'm starving. Who's hungry?"


We ate dinner in the Center. Caroline and I ordered from the small cafeteria behind the lobby while we rationed out some Pokémon food for our hungry teams. Everyone ate together happily, and it was the first meal since I left Pallet that I actually had a good time at.

"So where are you from?" Caroline asked, stuffing mashed potatoes into her mouth.

I thought for a moment, trying to remember where I was exactly before the void that was the last thing in my memory. I realized that wasn't what she meant anyway. Telling her would make me seem crazy.

"Pallet Town." I speared a piece of meat with my fork and put it in my mouth. I had to admit, for a Pokémon Center just outside a mountain, the food was pretty good. "What about you?"

"Afwon Hity" she answered, her mouth practically overflowing with food. Realizing she might be being impolite, she swallowed and repeated herself more clearly. "Saffron City". A light blush appeared in her cheeks, but it didn't stop her from eating.

I remembered Saffron City from the map I had. It was practically in the center of Kanto. Joy told me about how it was basically the unofficial capital; Saffron was easily the largest city in the region and home to the Silph Co. headquarters, not to mention one of the gyms I would eventually need to conquer. Saffron was also a very long ways a way.

"How did you end up way out here?"

"Walked" she said curtly. A faint flicker behind her eyes told me that wasn't the whole story. I decided not to press it. It was only fair that she wouldn't divulge her biography to me if I hadn't done the same.

"I see". It was all I could say without making things uncomfortable. "Well, then, where are you going?" Hopefully that wasn't a secret.

"Wherever my feet take me." Good, she was smiling again.

"Would your feet happen to be taking you through Mt. Moon tomorrow morning?"

I could tell she caught where I was heading with my interrogation. "They might, or they might not." She was teasing me…and it was working.

I took a breath before posing my next question.

"Would you like to travel with me and my team, then?"

Her smile grew bigger, and my heartbeat increased by the smallest amount.

She pushed her hair behind her ear.

"I'd like that very much."


What do you guys think of the new character? Where do you think this is all headed? And why am I asking YOU these questions?

Tank: Just a physical description of what Squirtle (we hope) will eventually become.
Yin: A Chinese term referring to those things which are associated with light or femininity.
Feu: The French word for "fire"
Houdini: After Harry Houdini, a famous stage magician and escape artist.

Be sure to leave reviews to tell me what you like/don't like/hope to see/don't hope to see/whatever. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!