Chapter 8: Inside Joke and Enchanting Maiden

Author's note: As I realized when I was writing chapter 25, some pokemon are using moves that they can only learn through tutoring or TM without having them being tutored during the storyline… Let's just assume they learn them naturally considering: what Umbreon wouldn't be able to use payback? And how is a Togepi supposed to fight when its only moves are Charm, Growl, and Metronome? That's probably the only mistake I made while writing the story so far and considering I'm already at chapter 25 (despite only releasing chapter 8 now) I'm not going to go back and correct myself, so you'll just have to get over it. I think it makes the story better.

PS. Ignore what I said in the last chapter about short chapters because I went back to most of them and added more content, but there are going to still be some weeks where I release two chapters at once... Such as this one! Enjoy the next two chapters of the Journey!

After spending the rest of the day in the huge house, Heidi awoke comfortably in a large bed. It was the guest room of the house, which was in between Jacob and his sister's rooms, which Heidi was forbidden from entering, by Jake of course. The secrets Jacob wanted to... "Suprise" her with were making her excited. She looks around and finds a clock. 7:15 AM. Too early for Jacob to be up. She silently lifts herself off of the bed and makes her way over to the door. It doesn't creak at she smoothly pushes it open. She lifts each leg gingerly as she moves towards the mysterious room next to hers. The floor isn't creaking at all! She takes a few more steps, nothing. A few feet away. A few steps now! One more step! She turns the handle-

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here we go," Jacob says as he hoists Heidi up over his shoulder. She pummels his back with her tiny fists for a few seconds, grunting and shouting, but gives up. She pouts as she's taken away from the door and carried downstairs to where breakfast is already on the table. She soon forgets about Jacob's triumph as she devours the delicious home-cooked waffles and ham in front of her.

"It should be a big day for my two trainers today!" Jacob's mother said gleefully.

"Well yeah! We are gonna go beat Erika today!" said Heidi.

"I don't know, her pokemon are extremely powerful!"

"Don't worry ma! We'll take her down!" Heidi was now energized and ready to go. Jacob smirks as she hops out of the chair, getting ready to go out for the day. She puts on her shoes and her green jacket that was washed last night, but leaves her hair down today.

"No twintails today Heidi?" inquires Jake.

"Nah, that's too childish. I gotta look pretty for Erika!"

Jacob's mother started to laugh loudly. Jacob, now realizing the irony in her statement, begins to laugh especially hard. He starts to tear when Heidi finally asks, "What's so funny? Is something in my hair?"

"No, dear, it's nothing," Jacob's mother manages to sputter out while still laughing herself to tears. "I'm sure Erika will think you're gorgeous!"

Not realizing the sarcasm, Heidi smiles and starts out the door before Jacob. He kisses his mom goodbye and closes the door after Heidi.

They reach downtown Celadon and Heidi is amazed at the sights. The police force is out and about asking random people if they've seen anything suspicious, trying to see if anyone knows anything about Rocket's plans. The event yesterday shook the entire region apparently, and now everyone is taking a cautious step. Everyone, it seems, except for Jacob. He was indifferent about the situation, despite initially being a bit nervous, and could probably care less about it now. Nothing bad will happen to him or the people he likes, so why bother worrying?

Heidi doesn't seem to care either, but nobody can read the mind of a 12 year old. She's probably more cautious about sending out her pokemon in public, afraid that a Rocket member will pop out of the ground and take it from her, but other than that possibility she seemed fine. Jacob was concerned for his more rare pokemon, and decided to himself not to let Beldum and Togepi out of their balls anytime soon. Just as a precaution. He would have had to be careful with his pokemon eventually, he reasoned. He cared a lot more than he thought he did.

The duo neared the Celadon department store and Heidi's eyes started glowing. She pointed at the tall building and said with an extremely intense voice, "LETS GO THERE FIRST!"

Picking her up by the collar, Jacob silently refused the notion, and kept on heading towards the pokemon gym. He was thinking of a strategy he could use against grass. Seeing as his Munchlax was pretty powerful, it will probably be the best choice, as for Heidi, who cares, he doesn't have to help her with this battle. She tried "the face" again but it wasn't very effective. Jacob turned away from the attempt at confusing him and retaliated with a piggy back ride offer. It was super effective, considering as he was asking she cut him off and jumped on his back. He was now carrying maybe 80 pounds of happiness and joy on his back, and continued walking to the other side of town to where the gym was. Heidi was happy either way, knowing that with the prize money from the 4th gym, she can have a field day at the mall later.

They approached what looked to be a green house. "We're here!" said Jake as he plopped Heidi onto the ground.

"OWIE!" She landed on her butt.

"Sorry about that."

There were a few grass types about the building, each of them taking a look at Jacob and rushing to greet him. The excited pokemon then saw Heidi, and only one lone Oddish continued running from out of the bushes. It bumps into his legs and falls on its back. "Oh, hey there little dude!" He picked it up and it gleefully giggles in his hands. "Is that Oddish yours bro?"

"No, I just know it because my sister works here at the gym, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." She looks down and sees a Bellsprout examining her shorts. "Hey! What are you lookin' at?" Heidi challenges the Bellsprout. It uses Vine Whip to give her a crack on the butt, then runs away. "OW! WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?" She goes to run after it, but Jake holds her back.

"I don't think lady Erika would like that!" Knowing he's right she runs up and into the doors of the green-house like building. After Jacob follows her inside, a few more grass types try to swarm them. A couple of Hoppip, a few Skiploom, several Weepinbell and Bellossom, and one Cottonee. Then a Tangela and a Cherrim also appear to greet the new visitors. "Hello all you happy pokes!"

At this phrase they all excitedly greet the familiar Jacob, and his companion. That's when a girl enters the room. She flowed into the room gently and gracefully, wearing a kimono and a headband to hold back her short, yet lavish purple hair. He didn't use her eyes at all when she moved, she just knew where all of her pokemon were. She ducked the hanging Skiploom, and sidestepped the squatting Oddish.

"My, my, I wonder who could have all my pokemon in such an excited state like this!" Even her words were graceful as Heidi took in every word.

"I think they all like me because I'm so cute!"

Erika was startled at the voice she didn't recognize. Although her eyes were open, she didn't notice the little girl. She looked in the vicinity of where the voice came from.

"Who do we have here?" She giggled and lowered herself. She wasn't looking directly at Heidi.

"What's wrong? Can't you see me?"

"Why, no I can't, I'm sorry."

"Yeah," pipes up Jacob, "Considering you knew a lot about Lt. Surge's gym I thought you'd know a little bit of background on the leader of Celadon's gym. You should have at least read somewhere that she was blind."

Heidi gasps and takes a step back. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"Oh that's okay. Some people don't even notice." She explains how she moves using her sense of smell. She loved grass pokemon because, she said, each one has its own unique aroma, and each one of them was beautiful. She learned to utilize her sense of smell to help her move around her grass-type pokemon. That's how, even now, she can move gracefully down the walkway.

"OH!" Heidi acts erratically, tugging at Jake's arm. "When are we gonna see your sister big bro?"

"Big bro?" Erika looks slightly puzzled, then she giggles. "So I've gained a younger sister, have I?"