Chapter Six
The beginning of a Pokéjourney
Luke
My name is Luke. You already know about
me, although I don't think I'm that annoying. Anyway, that's not important.
I'm supposed to be writing the story, although I have no idea who I'm telling
it to. I don't even like writing. If anyone read this they would probably
laugh at me. But the past year has been incredibly strange, and if I don't
tell the story to someone I feel I will just go mental. So that's why I'm
here, continuing Jessica's story. So don't laugh. Okay? Good. Now, where
was I? Oh, I haven't started yet. I'll have to get used to this writing
thing.
I sat in the waiting room of the hospital,
looking at a magazine without really reading it. I wasn't concentrating.
I had a lot on my mind then.
It was not long after the fire. Jessica
had fainted from the smoke, and I was waiting for her. The fire wasn't
that bad really. The motel was mostly okay, except for the room that Jessica
was in. That one was burned to a cinder. I wasn't completely looking forward
to seeing Jessica again. I had some bad news to tell her.
She's hot, I thought, looking at a picture
in the magazine. It was one of those girl ones, Dolly or something. I turned
the page.
I looked at my watch. It was eleven am.
I had been waiting an hour so far. I wondered just how bad Jessica was.
What if she died? That would just seem tragic, you know what I mean? She
would have had her whole life ahead of her. She seemed like a nice person.
I wondered why she hated me so much.
Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about.
Five minutes later, a nurse shook my arm.
"Excuse me, are you the person waiting
for Jessica Raloni?" She asked me.
"Yeah, that's me," I replied, looking
at her. The Nurse's face was blank, showing no expression at all.
"She is ready to see a visitor. Come with
me, I will show you the way." The nurse informed me in a dull voice. She
appeared to be bored. I set down my magazine and followed her through cream
coloured corridors. The nurse opened a door to one side then turned and
left. Shrugging to myself, I walked in. Jessica was lying in one of the
hospital beds. Her eyes were closed. I thought she was asleep until I heard
her speak.
"Is that you, nurse? Could you please
hand me the aspirin? I have a terrible headache." She mumbled, her eyes
remaining closed. I handed her the tablet and a glass of water.
"Thankyou," She muttered, opening her
eyes. She looked surprised to see me.
"Luke? What are you doing here?" she asked,
looking slightly sleepy.
"I've been sent to pick you up," I told
her as she swallowed the tablet. She smiled weakly at me.
"Why? I don't know you that well. Why
you?" She asked. She appeared more awake. I shifted in my shoes, feeling
uncomfortable. I didn't really want to give her the bad news yet.
"I'll tell you outside. Are you ready
to go? Can you go now?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, I'm allowed to go. Hang on, let
me get ready. I'll meet you in the waiting room. You don't mind waiting
a little longer, do you?" She asked. I would've complained, but she seemed
to be almost nice to me, not at all what she was like yesterday.
"Okay," I just said, feeling a bit stupid.
I walked back into the waiting room and sat down again. Someone's kid started
crying. I sighed. I think I was getting a headache too.
Ten minutes later Jessica arrived. We
signed her out and started walking outside.
"So, what happened to the motel? Is it
all right? I hope you're not all angry at me, because that fire was my
fault." She questioned me.
"Yeah, the motel's okay. It'll be alright."
I rambled.
"Oh, that's good. I was worried there
for a while I would be in like trouble or something." She looked so relieved.
I was very sorry I had to say what I did next. I looked down at the ground.
"Well, Jessica, I'm sorry to break it
to you, but you are in trouble."
"Really? Why?"
"Well, the actual motel is alright, but
the room is totally ruined. You owe my Aunt-" I checked the papers in my
hand. "Seven hundred dollars."
"Seven hundred dollars?!" Jessica gaped
at me.
"That's right."
"Give me that!" she cried, snatching the
papers out of my hand. She looked at them, but only saw what I had- she
owed the motel BIG time. She sat down on a nearby seat, as if she were
in shock.
"What am I going to do, Luke? I don't
have seven hundred dollars!" She whimpered. She looked like she was going
to cry. I quickly sat down next to her.
"Don't worry, Jess. We'll think of something."
I promised. She looked at me. Her eyes were misty.
"What can I do? I'd have to stay here
to pay it off. What about my Pokemon Journey, Luke? Oh! Oh!" Jessica jumped
up, as though she had suddenly thought of something.
"Where's Vapor? What happened to her?
Is she alright?" Jessica cried, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking
me.
"Relax, Jessica. Your Vaporeon is fine.
She's with my Aunt." I reassured her. She released her grip on my arms.
My arms hurt where her fingernails had dug into me. I rubbed at them painfully.
"Let's go get her. Right now. I need some
time to think." She informed me. We walked in silence. I think she was
still in shock. I was wondering what exactly we were going to do. Seven
hundred dollars is a lot of money.
My Aunt answered the door quickly after
we knocked on it. She looked like she hadn't slept for a long time.
She creased her face into a smile when
she saw us and told us to come in. After we were seated in the reasonably
undamaged living room, she started questioning us.
"Well, Lucis, have you told Jessica the
news?" She demanded.
"He's told me, Ms Marces," Jessica cut
in with a cold voice. She must've still felt a bit sick.
"What can I do? I don't have five hundred
dollars!" She pleaded.
"Well, honey, I wasn't sure, but I was
thinking...if you don't mind Lucis..." Aunt Dora pondered.
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
"Perhaps you could go with Jessica on
her Pokemon journey, and she can pay when she has enough money." My aunt
suggested.
"Well, I don't mind. I was going to go
on a journey soon anyway. What do you think, Jessie?"
"I hate being called Jessie," She muttered
under her breath. She looked doubtful.
"Well, with you? But, I don't think I
have any other choice. I'm terribly sorry, Ms Marces." Jessica said.
"Just call me Dora, girl. I'm not angry
with you. You just have fun on your journey and pay me back when you have
the money." Aunt Dora declared.
So it was finalised. Jessica and I would
be travelling together. Jessica didn't look too happy about it, though.
She got her Vaporeon back while I packed my own backpack. I had been planning
to leave for my own journey soon anyway. I clipped my Pokeballs to my waist.
I had gotten my own starter Pokemon a few days ago, and I was itching to
battle someone.
It was about lunchtime when we finally
left for the Viridian Forest. Even though Jessica was still a little weak,
we decided to leave that day.
The travelling was quite peaceful, really.
I had been to the Viridian Forest many times when I was a kid and I knew
the place well. I was lost in my thoughts until someone tapped me on the
shoulder. I stopped and looked behind me. Standing there was a boy who
looked about ten, who had dark brown hair and huge brown eyes. In his hands
he carried a net.
"Hello," I said, unsure of what to say.
Jessica turned and looked. What he said sounded like this:
"Hiyouwannabattleijustgotthiscoolnewpokemonandiwannatryitout!"
The little kid babbled so quickly that I almost missed it. I figured out
he wanted to battle.
"Sure, I'll battle you! One on one!" I
replied eagerly.
"Okay! Pokeball go!"
