Chapter 12 – Day 1: Cherrygrove and Beyond!
10:49
P.M.
Cherrygrove City
Jake rode into the city on Rapidash's back with Rascal running beside him. They had traveled non-stop since he had found Xander, and Jake was rather anxious to return Xander to Johnny and then move on to Violet City.
They came to the Pokemon center and Jake climbed down off of Rapidash's back. "Take a rest partner." Jake said as he returned Rapidash.
As he stepped into the Pokemon Center there was a person at the counter crying.
"Excuse me, ma'am? What's wrong?" Jake asked her.
She sniffled and looked at him through teary eyes. "Someone stole my little Pichu!"
"Did you see him?" Jake asked calmly.
"Y-yes. He had jet black hair, a-and black eyes, and h-he wore a Team Rocket uniform!" She wailed. "He said he needed an electric pokemon to power some kind of machine!"
Jake knew exactly whom she had just described. "Did he have any pokemon with him?"
"Yes. He had an Umbreon and a Golem." She said.
"Billy Marshall." Jake growled.
"Jake?" A voice said from behind.
Jake whirled around to see Rose and Johnny standing behind him. "Johnny!" Jake cried. "Looky here!" He pulled out Xander's pokeball and handed it to Johnny.
Johnny released him from his pokeball and hugged him. "I missed you!"
While Johnny and Xander were being reunited, Jake walked over to Rose. "Rose I've got to bow out of the Johto League. I'm going to Mahogany town to take the Gym Leader aptitude test."
Rose paused for a second. "That's wonderful! You're going to be a Gym Leader."
"There's no guarantee that I'll pass." Jake replied solemnly.
"I believe in you." Rose whispered.
Jake remembered the girl behind him and then looked at Rose. "Well, if I'm goin' to be a Gym Leader, I'd better act like one."
Rose smiled, "Go get 'em tiger."
Jake turned and faced the weeping girl. "I'll return with your Pichu."
He turned and walked out with Rascal close behind.
Outskirts of town
Billy
laughed loudly as they forced the helpless Pichu into a cage that
would drain his power, and store it to be used in the amplifier.
"It's a thing of beauty isn't it, Bonnie?" He said with a
cold grin.
"I can't wait to try it." She said with an
equally cold grin. "There's a handsome young man that I'd love
to try it on."
"All in due time, dear girl. In another day or so your play thing will arrive and I'll let you do what ever you want to him." Billy said. "Watching him suffer will be enough for me."
"Watching who suffer?" A familiar voice yelled across the clearing.
"What?" Billy growled turning back to see whom it was.
"It's him! My boy toy!" Bonnie yelled gleefully.
"He's all yours." Billy said with a mix of scorn and amusement on his face.
Bonnie pulled out three pokeballs and tossed them out. "Gliscor! Ditto! Victreebell! Skarmory! GO!"
The four pokemon attacked. Jake coolly smiled. "Rascal use Thunder!"
The Thunder attack went straight into the sky and came back down hitting a rod on the amplifier.
"Ha! Your electric attacks don't work here, cutie." Bonnie laughed. The amplifier will absorb all of your attacks, and then I'll have enough energy to have my fun!"
As soon as she finished, her Skarmory used Steel Wing, hitting Jake across the side of the head. "Damn…" Jake cursed under his breath as he slammed into the trunk of a nearby oak tree.
"You shouldn't try to resist; it will only make her want you more." Billy said with a cool grin from the tree line.
"Ditto, transform into Golem!" Bonnie cried. "Ditto, use Rock Throw!"
"Slice, use Iron Claw!!" Johnny's voice called from the trees. A Scyther shot out of the trees in a blur of speed and slashed through Ditto.
Ditto went down instantly with a loud cry.
"That's not fair!!" Bonnie screeched.
"Yet you attacked Jake when Rascal was occupied by three other pokemon. There was no fairness there." Johnny shouted back.
"Hmph! I'll show you! Gliscor use Air Cutter on Scyther!" Bonnie ordered.
Just as Gliscor prepared to attack, she was hit by a burst of flames from Jake's direction.
Bonnie turned and saw that Jake's Rapidash had assaulted her Gliscor and taken out her Skarmory and Victreebell as well. "NO!" She cried seeing that all of her pokemon were defeated. She looked back to Billy for help but he was nowhere to be seen. "Damn coward…" She growled clenching her fists. "Fine you beat me!" She said walking over to Jake.
Before anyone could react, she swung her left foot around and roundhouse kicked Jake in the head. Bonnie bent over him and grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him in close. "But I'm not going anywhere without one of these." Their lips met and Bonnie wrapped her arms around him. Soon she released him and pulled back. "If you fought as good as you kissed, you'd be more than deadly." She said with a mischievous grin.
Jake was at a loss for words, while Johnny appeared to be disgusted. "EWWWW COOTIES!!" He screeched.
Bonnie smiled wickedly at Johnny. "You'll learn when you're older, boy." She pulled out a smoke bomb and smashed it on the ground. When the smoke cleared, she and her pokemon were gone.
"That girl is insane!" Johnny cried.
Back at the Pokemon Center.
Jake and Johnny walked in with all of the stolen electric pokemon's pokeballs. "We have returned victorious!" Johnny shouted.
"And all thanks to Johnny!!" Jake added.
The girl who lost her Pichu happily ran to him and hugged him. "You're my hero!" She cried.
"Well, it was nothin', really." Jake replied.
Jake gave her the Pichu and she kissed him on the cheek.
The next day, Jake climbed onto Rapidash's back and said his good byes to everyone and rode out of Cherrygrove City.
When he got into the woods a Scyther stepped out into the road with Johnny close behind. "So, you're trying to ditch me again aren't you…" Johnny said sadly.
"I didn't
think you wanted to come with me." Jake replied.
"Well I do. I
promise I won't be any trouble and I don't even have to ride with
you. While you were gone, Slice and I figured out a way to travel. I
can hold on to his feet while he flies." Johnny pleaded.
Jake
sat for a minute. "Johnny, my dad told me that a man (or in your
case a kid) has to go wherever his heart takes him. If you wanna go
with me, then you can. I'm not gonna stop you, but I'm not goin'
to all the Gyms anymore. You won't be able to get all of the badges
if you go with me."
"I know, Rose told me when I left, and I say there's always next year." Johnny said.
Jake hopped off of Rapidash and walked over to Johnny. Jake took Johnny's cap off, and ruffled his hair. "Good to have ya back, Shorty." Jake said with a grin. Jake hopped back onto Rapidash and Johnny grabbed Slice's foot, and together they traveled onward to Violet City.