The people in the market of reclusive Cinnabar did not know what to make of the young stranger.
For one, his fair features marked him as clearly an outsider as if he'd been carrying a banner to proclaim it. The red burn on his face declared that he had not trod their lands for very long, and that most of what he had, had been in the open. He had a timid pace, as if expecting a volcanic plume wherever he placed his foot, and a limp suggesting his boots didn't fit quite right. His chocolate-colored hair held strips of blond, whether natural or sun-bleached was questionable; he shaded his eyes with one hand, rendering them invisible to all but those daring enough to approach him.
"What kind of person's that, Momma?" a boy asked his mother as she perused a meat stall.
"That's a mainlander, sure as I'm born," his mother replied, affording the stranger only half a glance. "Don't have anything to do with him, like a good boy."
"But he's coming this way, Momma."
"Just ignore him, there's a lad."
"But-"
"What did I say?" The child pouted as the stranger continued his trek toward the meat stall.
"E… excuse me, madam?" The matron gave the strange boy a downcast glare, which he met with a meek bow. "Please, madam, I have only a few questions. I'm very much lost."
"Lost, eh? You've wandered far then, lad, and on water besides, to make it to Cinnabar."
"C-Cinnabar!" the boy cried out, looking horrified and relieved at the same time. "This is Cinnabar, truly?"
"True as I was born here."
"Thank you, thank you, good woman! Do… do you know where I can go to get back to the mainland?"
"Same place you came to get here, I'd expect. Good day to you, boy."
"B-!"
"I said good day. Come along, dear." Grabbing her son's hand, she hurried off.
The "boy" bit "his" lip, more upset about almost giving away her identity than the woman's rudeness. "Jules," she muttered, reminding herself. She rested a hand on the small pouch on her belt, reassuring herself of her friend's closeness. Sighing, she looked about for an apothecary. Her face and neck burned awfully from being too exposed to the sun. It'd been three days since she'd made it to the bottom of the flat the thieves had brought her to.
Cinnabar! she thought again. All the way to Cinnabar! They must have taken the cart on a boat. The trip was only a couple hours with fair winds, according to her father; it wasn't unthinkable that she'd slept through it. But how had Xavier made it across? He must have caught up beforehand, and hid, perhaps beneath the cart. He was too big for that now, Julianne mused sorrowfully. As much as she was desperate to get home, she longed for another destination… someplace where it wouldn't matter than Xavier was no longer the Abra he had been. She'd heard there were places with wild Kadabra. Certainly not in the little town of Fuchsia, but farther north, near Lavender someplace.
Seeing a likely looking stall, she hurried as best she could across the market, keeping one arm low over the pouches on her belt to dissuade pickpockets, the other gripping the bundle over her shoulder. Gingerly she shouldered her way to the apothecary's stall and the welcome shade afforded by the canopy over it. "Do you have something for sunburn?" she asked the bored-looking boy behind the counter.
He glanced at her with eyes of a startling amber color, made dull by the apparent lack of interest in them. "Mebbe," he replied vaguely. "What's it to you?"
She looked over the various vials and pots of potions, herbs, and salves. "If you do not pretend a bit more interest, I'll be certain to find it elsewhere," she told him flatly.
"All right, all right…" He set a small lidded jar in front of her. "Two slivers silver."
"Two-!" She stared at him. "I could go home on two slivers silver!"
"What's it worth to you, then?"
Of course… she tried not to grimace. When she'd gone to the Cerulean Fair with her parents, everything required bartering to be bought. What was it worth to her? Two slivers silver seemed paltry compared to the pain of her burns, but to pay that much would be to play the fool. She wouldn't be taken advantage of! "You'll get no more than a bronze out of me," she told him firmly.
"A bronze!" he snapped, sitting upright. "You might as well give nothing!"
"Very well, if you insist." She reached for the jar.
He smacked her hand with his own. "One sliver or go!"
"A copper and a half is robbery enough for me."
The boy snorted, resting his palms on the counter and standing. Julianne swore to herself not to be intimidated… while a head taller than she, there was little between the boy's head and legs. He was a mantis, tall and scrawny. "For a copper and a half you can get away from my stall."
"Your stall?" She laughed.
He picked up the jar in one hand, slamming it down again forcefully. "This is worth at least ten coppers in materials and time!"
"For wasting my time I'll give you five and no more."
"For wasting mine, seven."
"Fine."
"All right then."
"All right." She took the lighter purse from her belt, digging through it for the agreed amount. The first night she'd dumped out both purses to see how much she had to carry, and was startled to find among the multitude of bronze pennies, copper coins, and silver slivers – the common man's choice change – were not a few discs of silver, a half dozen gold rounds, and even a pair of amberite rings. Never had she seen so much money in her life! She could buy her father's mill for that kind of money! She hid the greater coinage in the bigger pouch beneath her doublet, keeping only one silver disc and half the bronzes and coppers in the purse at her waist. She put the seven coppers on the counter. "For you."
"And you." He slid the jar closer to her.
"What's in it?"
He laughed. "Now you ask! A weird one, aren't you?" He grinned at her lack of amusement. "Aloe for the most part; it'll get rid of the sting and put some moisture back in. You're gonna be peeling for a week with that, y'know."
"I noticed." She touched her cheek gingerly.
"What brings you to Cinnabar without a hat, mainlander?"
"You'd never believe me if I told you."
"All right then." He shrugged. "Couldn't be the tournament, you haven't any balls."
Julianne looked down at herself self-consciously, momentarily panicking. Was she supposed to act indignant? "Tournament?"
"Yeah, the Fireleaf Tournament. Where you been?"
"Fireleaf…?" Of course! Avius had been begging to go to the Fireleaf for years now. "That's now?"
"Starts tomorrow. More mainlanders about with that going on soon. Though never's been that a mainlander won, they don't stop trying."
She shook her head. "I couldn't ever be in something like that."
"Not without Pokémon, certainly."
"I have Pokémon," she blurted out, then regretted it.
"Really? You haven't any 'balls on you."
"I have so." She patted the pouch on her belt. "I've an Ab- a Kadabra."
"A Kadabra, huh? Definitely a mainlander, then." He laughed. "None of those about here. Why don't you enter with it? There's no fee for amateurs."
She shook her head quickly. "I can't. I… I have to get home today."
"More's the pity then." He looked up toward the sky. "It'll likely rain this evening. 'tis getting late as well… you're certain you have to go? Weather's not going to hold."
"I have to get home as soon as I possibly can."
"You're not likely to if your ship goes down."
"What's your interest in it, then?" she demanded. She didn't know the first thing about battling Pokémon, and what if they realized she was a girl? Bad enough being dressed like this! She had to get home, with the least amount of shame she could. Nobody would question a boy traveling alone; her parents might forgive her appearance. But taking part in a Pokémon Tournament! She wasn't stupid!
"You might just got the guts to get somewhere in it, that's all. Guess I was wrong."
"I guess so," she sniffed.
He laughed outright. "Hail, great mainlander! Is our little tourney too quaint for you?"
"I haven't trained in the least," she told him openly. "My Xavier's my companion and that's it."
The boy snorted. "You sound just like a girl," he sneered. "You're a girl under those knickers, aren't you? Girl! Girl!"
"Shut up!" she snapped. For the first time she was glad of the aching burn across her face; it hid the redness that seeped up beneath it.
"Just think on it," the boy told her with a grin. "You're not likely to find a ship willing to sail for the mainland with the weather threatening."
"Sure," she muttered, turning away.
"Forgetting something?" he teased.
The salve! With a sigh she turned back, picking it up.
"Name's Alex, by the way. Alexus, really, but Alex's long enough, you think?"
"Jul…es," she drawled, nearly forgetting.
"Nice short name. Listen, if I'm right and you're stuck, I expect to see you in the Tourney, got me?" He grinned challengingly. "If not… well then, that's that, I suppose. You won't be here to do it."
"Right." What was he so talkative about? "Do you know a good inn where I can catch some decent sleep? I've been out three days straight… I've barely slept at all."
"The Red Rhyhorn's not shabby. My uncle runs it."
"Thanks. Where…?"
He laughed, gesturing further down the streets. "Just watch the signs." He turned his attention to a girl hovering impatiently nearby. Julianne tried to cover the jealousy she felt at the other's relative freedom until she noted the girl's swelling stomach. So only wives were allowed out of the house here, too. No such thing as a maid getting the market goods. With a sigh, she headed in the direction Alex had indicated.
The Red Rhyhorn was indeed hard to miss, with its great wooden sign hanging out front, bearing the insignia for which it was named. For a silver sliver she gained a room to herself, and flopped immediately on the bed to apply the salve to her burns. "All right… Xavier… Vulpix… Shellder!" Feeling much relieved, she released each in their own flare of red or white light. Xavier offered her a kind smile; the Shellder looked about questioningly. The Vulpix hopped quickly into her lap, begging for attention. "We're going to try to get back to the mainland now…" She bit her lip. "I wish I hadn't let all those Pokémon go now… the flying types can get back, and the water ones, but the others…" She sighed heavily. The Vulpix whined in sympathy, nudging her hand with its nose. "I'm guessing you either don't have a master, or don't want to go back," she said to the Shellder. It stuck its tongue out at her. "I'll release you at the waterfront when we get there, then. And… well, I'm sure we'll find something to do with you," she told the Vulpix, scratching it under its chin. It whined in appreciation. "Almost to five tails, aren't you?" She stroked its back, down to where its four tails curled daintily. She hadn't noticed it before, but one end had two curls. "But still so little, poor thing." She rubbed its head. "So, Shellder, can you wake us before evening if I'll let you go then? Xavier and I need some sleep and I don't think Vulpix is old enough to."
"Shelllder!" the water Pokémon agreed cheerfully, rocking from side to side.
"Thank you," she replied happily. Shifting the blankets aside, she tugged off the boots on her feet. "Ooh… that feels so good," she groaned, rubbing the aching soles. "I knew I should have stuffed the toes." Considering the amount of money she had, she could easily afford new, better fitting shoes. "At least these are broken in," she mused aloud. She took the bandana out of her hair, putting it beside the single lamp. Yawning, she unlaced the doublet, letting it fall to the floor as she curled up on the nice down bed. She heard Xavier sit near the foot, as he had when he was still an Abra; forcing her eyes open, she could see his head loll toward his chest. She smiled sleepily as the Vulpix nudged itself under her arm, curling into a ball with its tails over its nose. She barely managed to pull the covers over her shoulders before falling into a dreamless, restful sleep-
-that was disturbed what seemed like only moments later by a bucket of icy water splashing her face. She sat upright with a scream as the Vulpix darted away. "Avius!" she swore, getting ready to stand, as the events of the passed half week rushed to remind her of where she was. Confused, she looked about the small room.
Out the narrow window, the sky had grown overcast, the unfriendly soot-colored clouds tinged with purple and orange. Evening already? Understanding, she glared at the grinning Shellder. "That wasn't funny!" she scolded it. "You couldn't just jump on the bed, could you!" The Shellder just grinned, even when Xavier nudged it chidingly with his foot. "You deserve to be thrown into a river," Julianne grumbled, wringing her hair out into the washbasin beside the bed. She frowned at how dingy the water was. "Yuck. I'm filthy." Carefully she removed the blouse, laying it on the bed. "Shellder," she said, sitting with her back to the washbasin, "do you think you could give me a little Water Gun? Just enough to rinse my hair, please?"
"El," the Shellder chirped.
A moment later, she shuddered as a freezing trickle hit her in the back of the head. "Th-thanks," she shivered. She ran her fingers through her hair until they were numb. "Okay, thank you. That was very helpful." The Shellder chirped in reply as the cold water ceased spraying. Taking the comb out of her pack, she pulled the last of the knots and dingy water from her hair, until it ran smooth. With a contented sigh, she tied her hair back, shrugging into the man's blouse once more. Slipping on the doublet, she cinched her belt tighter, then shoved the pair of house slippers she'd worn into the toes of the boots before putting them back on. She sighed in relief to find the fit far better; she had horrible calluses on her heels from the amount of walking she'd done. "All right… I feel ready now." She stood and stretched, chuckling as Xavier did the same. "We'll have some supper soon as we get to the mainland," she promised him. He smiled in return. "For now, let's see about securing passage." She picked up the pokéballs. "Come on, you three. You know how it is."
Once the Pokémon were back in the balls, she collected the rest of what she had brought with her. Slinging the pack over her shoulder once more, she gave the bed once last longing look before trudging out, closing the door behind her.
Outside the Red Rhyhorn, the streets were almost deserted. The air felt stifling, as if a damp blanket had settled over the entire island town. Doing her best to ignore the overhanging clouds, Julianne hurried for the docks she had been able to see from the room at the inn.
As she would have expected from an island town, the dock was hardly the tiny pile of boards her brothers had put together for fishing off of in the river her father's mill used to turn the waterwheel. In fair weather, it was likely a market in and of itself; even with all permanent stalls abandoned and the rest of the planks barren, an all-encompassing smell of salted fish and tar lurked everywhere. The air was eerily still, lacking in the natural sound of sea birds but for some nesting below the dock.
"All right, Shellder." She crouched on one knee, taking the Lure Ball from her pocket and hitting the release. "You're free, now. Good luck to you." It looked at her with a chirrup, as if surprised she was going through with it. "I promised to release you. That's what I'm doing. I can't keep you where I'm going." It pouted, its tongue sticking out between its lips. "Sorry. That's how it is." She caressed its shell. "Be good. I'm sure you'll get a great trainer some day." It smiled slightly, wrapping its tongue lightly around her hand in an odd but kindly handshake. She smiled sadly as it hopped once to the edge of the dockside, then tipped itself over the side into the choppy seawater below. For a moment it floated, looking up at her as if expecting her to change her mind, then with one last chirp and silly grin, sank from sight.
Forcing herself not to even consider crying – pest as it was, it seemed like such a nice Pokémon! And Shellder didn't evolve unless exposed to certain crystals… – she headed farther out onto the dock, looking for anyone who might have a way to the shore. She had to get home! It'd been three days already: her family had to be frantic. Maybe there would be a way to get a letter to them… she wasn't wonderful at writing, but she could likely put together something fairly legible, at least enough to assure them she was all right and heading home.
Noting a solid-looking man staring over the edge of the dock beside where a low schooner was tied, she hurried up to him as quickly as she could. "Sir! Sir, if I might speak with you, please?"
The man looked down at her, then grinned with a smile half of gold. "Aye, lad, speak if you like, but be quick! Storm's coming within the hour."
She glanced at the sky; were it not for the threatening gray of the clouds, their orange and violet linings would have been beautiful. "Yes, sir. But please, I was wondering if there was a way to get back to the mainland tonight?"
The seaman laughed heartily. "Ah, spoken like a real mainlander there!" he chortled. "No ships with smart captains would leave in such weather as this'll be. What you need is your own transport."
"I haven't got money like that!" she exclaimed. Actually, she mused, she did, but she certainly didn't have the time or experience to buy and man her own boat!
"Surely you do! Lookit down there, lad, tell me what you see."
Impatiently, she looked, and was startled at the small cluster of smooth blue skins and short-horned heads. "What are those?" she gasped. The creatures looked up at her with the sounds she had mistaken for nesting birds. What intelligence were in those great, knowing eyes…
"What, never seen a school o' Lapras, haven't you?" the man guffawed, slapping her shoulder. "Whole pod is mine, y'know. Just gettin' them out of the way of the storm. M'brother and I, we each keep a school to each side o' the water. Nothin' better for your own ferryment than the back o' a Lapras. Shells make natural seats, they do."
A Lapras? Of course! Now she remembered. Her father had spoken of such ferries, where a pair of folks trained a few Lapras to go between docks on each side of a body of water. These Lapras were probably trained to go to the mainland dock of this man's brother. "Will one of them go now?" she asked eagerly.
"Now?" the man echoed. He looked upward, scratching his beard. "I don't know, really… I know one or two who might risk it, but if they won't I can't much help you…" He smiled shrewdly. "I'll tell ya what. You take a likely one, and I'll give you a discount in case it don't go. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" she replied quickly. What luck! She looked down at the school. Which one might bring her across?
"Well, with weather like what's threatening, I'd say m'Runt's your best bet." He whistled twice, gesturing; like well-trained Growlithe, the school began to separate, making way for one of the smaller ones. "Don' let 'er size fool ya. Runt's the most stubborn Lapras you'll ever know. Real amazing she listens as well as she do. And she's got power t'spare. She ain't called Runt 'cause she's big for her age, y'know what I mean?"
Julianne nodded. "Runt" looked up at her skeptically, as if sizing her up. It certainly wasn't the largest of the Lapras, looking immature in comparison, but she had the same elegant face and eerily intelligent eyes. Her skin seemed grayer than the others, but not in a sickly way. Crouching, she held her hand out for "Runt" to inspect. "Would you take me to the mainland?" she asked. Runt snuffed at her hand, snorting a bit before looking back over her shoulder. Her long mouth turned downward. "Please. It's important I get there as quickly as I can!" Runt returned to looking at her skeptically.
"She's yours for a pair of gold discs."
"Two gold!" Julianne cried. "That's outrageous!"
"Not for my Runt! It's a bargain!"
"Two whole gold! I could buy a Lapras for that!"
Julianne felt her face burn when the man burst out laughing. Runt glared at them both. Julianne frowned at the sky as she felt a cold drop wet her sleeve; the storm was preparing to break. "Dear… dear boy," the man barely managed to gasp between guffaws, "what're you doing here then?"
"What?" Julianne stared at him. "I… I thought you and your brother were ferrymen!"
He laughed yet again. "Har, lad! A mainlander indeed! Only mainlanders make an enterprise like that. Out here if'n you want t'use a Lapras, you buy your own!"
Julianne bit her lip. She certainly had the money to spare… but that would mean she'd own a Lapras! What would she do with one? The river the mill bordered on certainly wasn't a place for a Lapras to live! The thought of giving one to Avius was too horrible to bear.
"I'd like t'see you get a strong, sea-bred Lapras like Runt here in the mainland," the man said, "for so little as a couple o' gold."
"Was she wild?"
"Only in spirit, lad. Her and her parents before her were trained in the school you see here."
There went releasing her, like she had the Shellder… There were men who hunted wild Lapras for meat, especially in the Orange Kingdom, where the flesh was considered a staple food.
Maybe she could find someone who would treat her well…
"I'll give you one."
"Fine then! Good, good choice, lad! You'll not regret it. Good doing business with you." The Lapras breeder took a Lure Ball from the silk vest he wore, using it to recall the small grayish-skinned Lapras. Fishing through her hidden purse, Julianne handed him the agreed-for coin in exchange for the Lure Ball, and the Pokémon within. "I'm certain you and Runt'll be good for each other," the merchant assured her with a grin of gold. How successful he must be, Julianne mused, to have so many gold teeth. "I've done 'bout all I can with the girl. You take good care of each other now."
"Thank you very much, sir," she replied graciously.
"If'n you're planning on going, best to go to the north pier, 'bout a mile that way," the merchant added, pointing. "Takes you 'cross the calmest waters, straight to a plantation run by the Pallet family. Real nice folks: they'll likely put you up for the night. Good luck to you now."
"Thank you, sir!" As quickly as she could, Julianne took off for the north pier.
"Please, Runt!" Julianne begged as freezing drizzle continued to soak her thoroughly. The Lapras didn't appear to mind it in the least. "My family has to be worried sick! I have to get home!"
Runt looked up at the clouds, which had turned the sky to pitch. In an unmistakable answer, she shook her head from side to side.
"Bu-!" Julianne nearly yelped as her plea was cut short by a frightful rap of thunder. Hail joined an even harder rain.
Sighing miserably, Julianne returned the Lapras to the pokéball, and began the wretched journey back to the Red Rhyhorn.
So much for that idea….