CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
After battling Blaine at the Cinnabar Gym, Amy visited the Pokemon Center to heal her Pokemon and restock her supplies at the Pokemart. Now, she looked out onto the stretch of sea that lead north to Pallet Town, where Amy had departed the S.S. Anne to begin her journey. Daniel and Natalie stood beside her, releasing their Water Pokemon into the sea.
"Seel!" cried Daniel, rushing forward to hug him.
"Who would you like to ride with?" Natalie turned to Amy, who watched Squirtle, Poliwhirl and Seadra.
Having traversed the sea with a Goldeen in slight discomfort, Amy privately thought Seadra's fins would impale her and that Squirtle didn't have good grip. She was talking about them like they were common mounts!
"Poliwhirl," Amy managed, thinking that the arms and legs of the swirl-chested Pokemon would be easier to hold her.
"Great! I'll take Seadra," said Natalie, holding tenderly onto Seadra who trilled with pride. Not perturbed, Squirtle spun around in his turtle shell while Daniel held on tight to Seel's neck.
"Are you up to this?" Daniel asked Seel, who nodded in reply.
All wore swimwear purchased from the PokeMart - swim tops and shorts. Amy admired Natalie's petite figure, unlike Connie's flat stomach but still, Natalie admitted she did not feel comfortable in a bikini. For their purposes, comfort was all that was needed. Daniel was shirtless, not tan nor pale as he shielded his eyes from the sun.
"Let's go!" he cried.
Daniel and Seel took the lead, followed by Natalie and her Seadra, then Amy holding tight onto Poliwhirl. Unencumbered, Squirtle easily lapped them as their shouts and cries of excitement permeated the early morning breeze and sunlight overhead. Idle Magikarp gaped at them as they passed, unaware of the fish Pokemon as they pretended to race.
Coming into sight was a lone figure, bobbing uncertainly on the surface as though he were lost. But at the last second, he turned his head and broke into a wide grin upon seeing them.
"Stop!" he shouted, luring them into a false sense of security. "You! I see you!"
Chest heaving, Natalie held onto Seadra as she swam up to the guy. Close by, Daniel patted Seel's snow-white fur while Amy squinted up at the sun, wet hair blowing in the breeze.
"I want to battle!" he shouted, so Daniel and Amy could hear as well.
"A water battle?" Natalie glanced around at her friends. "My Pokemon are helping my friends stay afloat. I don't have enough!"
"What about your Squirtle?" demanded the boy, wearing a swim cap and goggles. He was about the same age as they were.
Natalie glanced over to Squirtle, then back to the boy. Jumping off Seadra with a loud splash, Squirtle was quick to accommodate Natalie to hold her upright in the sea. Seadra faced the swimmer, who drew a sole Pokeball from his shorts.
"We'll have to battle using one Pokemon each," explained Natalie. "I'll use Seadra. She could use the experience."
"Hah! Good luck!" cried the boy, who identified himself as Jerome. "Go, Magikarp!"
Magikarp had a red body with yellow fins, gaping at Natalie with blank eyes as it splashed about in the ocean.
From afar, Daniel called, "Give me a break! You're going to use a Magikarp?"
"Hey!" Jerome shouted. "Don't insult my Magikarp!"
Natalie bent her head low to Seadra, "Go easy on him. He's clearly a beginner Trainer."
Nodding in slight confusion, Seadra swam forth to face Magikarp, who did little but gape and stare back.
"Magikarp, you're the best!" Jerome shouted, smiling. "Tackle!"
Seadra did not need to be told to evade, as Magikarp sailed overhead and missed by a large margin.
"Come on, Magikarp!" cried Jerome, as Daniel and Amy shared puzzled looks with each other as to Natalie's inaction. "Splash!"
Seadra did little more than flinch as Magikarp splashed water with its fins. Ruffled, Seadra shook its sharp fins.
"Aren't you going to fight back?" Jerome taunted.
"Seadra, Bubblebeam!"
"Magikarp, Tackle!"
Magikarp leapt for Seadra and would've hit had Seadra not pounded Magikarp back into the blue with a serious series of bubbles. Though largely unhurt, Magikarp was now afraid of Seadra.
"Magikarp, don't give up hope! Flail!"
Natalie hadn't the heart to let him down. She leaned in to Seadra. "Let him win, OK? Just... pretend to be unconscious once he hits. If he hits, eventually. I hope."
Nodding, Seadra surged forth, allowing herself to whacked over as Magikarp knocked into her. Seadra remained still, doing an excellent job as Magikarp bounced and flailed in the air, proud.
Natalie allowed her voice to get high and breathy. "Oh, no! My poor, poor Seadra! I cannot believe - "
Amy cried, "Natalie! What's going on?"
"You've gone crazy!" shouted Daniel.
"Y-you win," trembled Natalie, not at all a good actress. "I can't bear to see my Seadra hurt. Take my prize money and let's call it a day."
"Yus!" shouted Jerome, punching his fist in the air. He cracked up with laughter, completely overcome as even Natalie raised a brow at his indulgent triumph.
"Are you OK?" asked Natalie. Seadra even forgot to play unconscious and stared, but not at Jerome, at Magikarp who began to glow -
"NO!" shouted Daniel. "He played you, Natalie!"
"Hahaha!" Jerome's playful vigor was replaced by careful intent, as Magikarp shone brightly, changing shape. "Do you know how long this has taken me? How many defeats I've had to endure just to score one win? All I needed was one gullible Trainer to lose on purpose for my Magikarp to gain enough confidence to evolve!"
Natalie watched in horror as Gyarados towered above them, roaring loudly so that nearby Shellder and Goldeen hightailed it out of sight. Jerome retained his smug, confident smile as Gyarados bore down upon them, fangs gnashing and tail whipping the water.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" Jerome climbed up onto Gyarados' back, who seemed not to notice. "Let's get 'em, Gyara - oh!"
Gyarados flailed its body, bucking Jerome off so that he landed in the ocean with a splash. Spluttering and gasping for air, Jerome glanced up at his Gyarados, no longer under his control as it turned to the other three, watching in surprise. Roaring wildly, Gyarados dived for them.
"SWIM!" shouted Daniel, holding on tight to Seel as he made his getaway. Amy shouted in surprise and held tight onto Poliwhirl, while Natalie gripped Squirtle and Seadra sped close by, taking up the rear.
"No!" Jerome's cries were faint on the wind as he was left at sea, watching Gyarados chase the three upon their Pokemon. "Gyarados!"
Water surged past them as their Water Pokemon swam as fast as they could to avoid the roaring rage that was Gyarados, hot on their heels.
"We're not gonna make it!" cried Amy, seeing the speck of Pallet Town in the distance.
"We will!" screamed Natalie, retrieving with great difficulty a Pokeball from her bag. Tossing it in the air, so that the wind blew it past the incoming Gyarados, she cried, "Go, Butterfree!"
Unaware, Gyarados did not notice the flash of red light behind it. Butterfree soared forth, wings flapping wildly to keep up with the fearsome Pokemon.
"Confusion, Butterfree!" cried Natalie.
Butterfree glowed with a bright light and blasted Gyarados from behind with a Confusion attack, startling it and somewhat damaging it. Though it turned its attention away from the three heading to Pallet, Gyarados gave a great roar and headed for Butterfree instead.
"Seadra! Smokescreen!" cried Natalie.
As Gyarados turned behind to lash for Butterfree, Butterfree flew in the air and past Seadra, who had stopped to shoot ink in Gyarados' eyes as he turned back to the direction of Pallet Town. Wounded and blinded, Butterfree and Seadra took the chance to race back towards the three who continued to surf towards Pallet Town.
"Thanks, Seadra!" said Amy breathlessly, as Pallet Town came into view.
Gyarados became but a speck in the distance, lost to the blue as the three landed upon the coast of Pallet, wound between a tight formation of trees. As Daniel patted Seel, he glanced around at Natalie congratulating her Water Pokemon for the ordeal and remembered that this was the spot where the two of them had agreed to explore Kanto together.
"Thanks for lending me Poliwhirl," said Amy, running a hand through her long, chestnut-brown hair. Dripping wet, it shone in the sun's rays as did Natalie's shoulder-length red hair. "That was a close call."
"That Jerome didn't have a clue what he was doing," said Daniel, releasing his Pokemon onto the land as they headed down a short path sided by trees. "Gyarados are hard to tame, but newly evolved it wouldn't have known enough moves to be a real problem."
Releasing her Pokemon by her side with bright flashes of light, Amy looked around at the town she had disembarked onto so long ago. It had seemed an age, that she had daintily departed as a prim miss and returned quite relaxed and carefree, in control of her emotions still but allowing the good ones to filter through.
The few people who were around and about glanced up from their gardening or fetching the mail to wave and smile at Daniel and Natalie.
"Do you mind if we visit my mum's house, first?" asked Daniel, turning to Natalie and Amy. "I don't know if she'll be home, though - "
The front door burst open and, for a moment, it was unclear who it was until they ran down the steps and across the yard, out the picket gate which fenced the property and appeared, cheeks flustered red and dark hair waving in the wind.
"Beth!" cried Daniel, running forth to hug her but instead, Beth hugged Natalie first, then turned to Amy. "Hey, what about me?"
"Amy!" Beth's eyes lit up, as though she had seen a supermodel. "Wow, you look so cool! Why'd you change your hair?"
"You know each other?" asked Daniel, in disbelief. "When - "?
"I met Beth when I first arrived in Pallet Town," Amy explained. "I never knew she was your sister! That means I've already met your mother, too."
"You have?" asked Daniel, somewhat stilted. "Oh - "
"She didn't say anything bad," smiled Amy. "She said she was very proud of you - "
"Amy saved my Vulpix!" Beth smiled, only a year younger than all of them. "Owen took her from me and Amy battled him and won!"
"Where is Vulpix?" asked Natalie, who had more in common with Daniel, but considered Beth one of her friends.
"She's sleeping," Beth rolled her eyes. She wore a spaghetti strap top, rainbow-striped elastic pants and flower-adorned sandals. "Did you get me anything?"
Guiltily, Natalie retrieved a Ponyta doll from her bag. It was sopping wet, with patches missing and the cream fur that was its hide was discoloured.
"It's a long story, but this Ponyta didn't make it. I was stuck in a cave, which - " Natalie could tell from Beth's expression that she wouldn't understand, only that the gift was ruined. "Anyway, I'll make it up to you next time I'm in Celadon."
"I don't care!" cried Beth, launching herself forward not to embrace Natalie, but to take the doll. "Mum will know how to wash it."
Doubtfully, Amy replied, "It's a bit beyond repair. Besides, doesn't it stink a bit?"
Shaking her head, Beth held it close, not old enough to appreciate the teenage woes of keeping one's appearance crisp. "Mum will get that stain out."
"Where is Mum?" asked Daniel.
"She went over to Joshua's mum's house," said Beth, indicating the house a few streets down, as though Daniel hadn't lived his whole life in Pallet. "She'll be right back."
"Can we grab some towels?" asked Daniel. "We should probably get cleaned up."
"OK, but wipe your feet before you enter!" Beth scolded, assuming de facto matron. "Vulpix walked in with muddy paws the other day and I had to wash her feet!"
"Wait outside, OK?" Amy turned to her Pokemon. "I'll come get you when I've changed."
Growlithe and Nidorina nodded, while Cubone reached over to sniff a flower. Beth emerged from the house, handing the three of them towels. They dried their clothes as best they could, wiping their feet on the mat.
Wiping her feet, Amy was last to enter, feeling inhospitable with damp clothes and hair. Beth noticed this and replied,
"You can have a shower, if you want. My mum won't mind."
"I appreciate the offer," Amy smiled. "But I'm sure it'll just be an inconvenience - I should find book a room in an inn and get changed elsewhere."
"Nonsense!" cried Daniel. "My home is your home, for my friends, too. We can all stay here the night."
Amy glanced between fair-haired Daniel and beaming Beth, to Natalie who shrugged and smiled, Meowth who made himself at home by eating Vulpix's leftover Pokefood.
"Well, if you insist - but only once you get permission from your mother."
Happily, Daniel turned to Weepinbell, Arbok and Seel and began showing them the rest of the house. Natalie sidled up to Amy, who was glancing about the warm, spartan dwelling filled with inexpensive though neat decor.
"What do you think?" asked Natalie, feeding her Pokemon a Poketreat from her bag.
"It's rustic," Amy admitted, smiling. "But I love it."
From outside, they heard a voice and Amy turned, uncomfortable with being an informally invited guest in someone's home. Daniel and Beth's mother, Mary, came through the door, her hair brown where Beth's was darker from her father's side. Mary wore an apron tied loosely over slacks, laughter lines across her aged face.
"Well - isn't this a surprise! No call, nothing! And dripping water on my carpet, too!"
Taken aback by the sudden warmth and friendliness, Mary made a spectacle of observing Natalie and Amy, not unpleased. Daniel returned from downstairs, rushing into his mother's arms.
"Now, now, Daniel," Mary sidestepped him, but kissed him on the cheek. "We have guests! Have you offered them food and drink?"
"No, I - "
"And surely you'll want to shower and change? I have some spare clothes of Beth's - "
"Mo-om!" whined Beth, appearing from the staircase with Vulpix at her side, peeking from behind her legs. "I thought you were going to buy me some cookies when you came back!"
"Beth," Mary gave a great sigh of irritation, and Amy felt unwanted, like she shouldn't be watching this display of rancour.
"We should go, Mrs. S," Amy excused herself, but felt Mary's concerned eyes stick into her like daggers.
"Oh, did Daniel not invite you to stay?" she asked, turning to her son. "Daniel - "
"I did, Mum!" cried Daniel. "I asked and she said yes!"
"Well, that's settled then," smiled Mary, whose willpower dominated Amy's polite deference. "Beth, show Amy where the bathroom is. Do you have your own clothes then, I presume?"
Amy remembered the twinsets and pleated skirts which once formed a part of her wardrobe, now replaced by comfy denim and polyester wool. "I do."
Once the three of them had taken it in turns to shower and change, Mary made a stew for dinner while they all sat around the dining table, near the couch opposite the TV and a bookcase filled with Pokemon tomes. Amy had long since disposed of the notion that everyone had a separate room for every purpose. It simply wasn't economical or efficient in every household. Especially in hers, where three-course dinners were interposed with silence. Here, everyone was happy and warm and laughing.
Amy wore a wool jumper over a cream maxi skirt, tucking her legs beneath her as she ate with perfect dinner manners and use of her cutlery, all of which was unnoticed by those around the table. Natalie had tied her hair in a scrunchie, recounting her adventures while Daniel did the same, with Meowth at his elbow trying to sneakily nab some 'human' food when he thought nobody was watching.
Poliwhirl and Seadra were in their Pokeballs, napping, while Squirtle played with Vulpix in front of the fireplace, where Growlithe was curled up, fast asleep. Nidorina prowled the dinner table, taking in the inhabitants while Cubone wandered upstairs, exploring. Outside, the night air was perfect for Butterfree and for Weepinbell, who enjoyed sitting in the small garden, at ease. Seel was upstairs in the Pokebed which was Meowth's, but Meowth never used, preferring to sleep on Daniel's bed.
"So, Amy!" Mary smiled, as their eyes turned to her. "This is quite a coincidence - meeting you, and then you meet my son and Natalie!"
"It's been quite an adventure," smiled Amy. "Though it's not over yet. I still have to beat - "
"No more talk of Gym battles and the Pokemon League tonight, no more about tomorrow," Mary spooned an extra serving onto Amy's plate, who hadn't eaten a fattening meal in ages. "I'm happy to have you as a guest in my home, as we all are."
Amy acknowledged their welcoming smiles with a grin. Something inside had changed, for the better.
"I'm happy to be here, Mary. And to have met you all - Daniel, Natalie and Beth - and all your Pokemon. Thank you for having me."
"Now, you must tell us about yourself," smiled Mary, patting her warmly on the hand in affection. "You've been quiet all evening."
Amy smiled, then began to tell them all about her life growing up in Celadon City and what had motivated her to begin her Pokemon journey.
