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CHAPTER TWO, Watashi no Hayatochiri (I'm Just Jumping to Conclusions Again.)
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Disclaimer: I know I forgot to do this earlier, but I'm not getting any profit off of this and I don't own either DBZ or Pokemon.
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REVIEWS:
MarshmellowDragon: Hmm, chocolate bread, it sounds interesting. Yeah, I changed my name, I got a little bored of it. Yeah, bad Goku. Hey, guess what? Last night, my Gohan keychain came in the mail! -does a happy dance-
TRU-SSJ5-RAM: Hey, thanks! See, your kind of review is the kind I like. Those people are great, those people who might like something I don't but will keep reading anyway and accept that it's the writer's decision to make. Thanks for reviewing!
Golden Warrior12: I take it you like slash? Me too! -nods wisely- I dislike those uber-religious people who run from me because I like it. They think they'll go to hell and get infected with the hentai. Well let me tell you something, I'm probably already going, so if you'd like, I'll save a space for you, and we can hang out!
TheShadowPanther: Yes, the Satan Slut! How I loathe her…. -mutters darkly- The way I could tell Kira was your favorite was because you mentioned her in most of your reviews. Also, that line you mentioned was a typo, it was Kira speaking, I accidentally left out her name. -whacks self on head- Bad Falcon!
Sasu-chan is a hentai. Do you still like him? I know I do. About the L33t thing, you should read Megatokyo, that's how I learned it. Yeah, Gohan's going to stay close to Piccolo and get closer to Vegeta, I always did like them a lot…. -muses-
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::I Don't think this is a good idea.:: Aoi said warningly as Gohan slung his bag over his shoulder. Kira hissed at her.
::Oh, leave him alone.:: She snapped at her, ::You knew he was going to go anyway, so what does it matter?::
"Both of you, be quiet." Gohan ordered tensely, opening the door soundlessly and slipping out, Pikachu on his head, Kira and Aoi at his heels, and Hikaru inside his bag. "Just be quiet." Normally he wouldn't have been so sharp with those he knew only wanted the best for him, but tonight wasn't a normal night for any of them.
::Why didn't you tell the professor the truth?:: Pikachu accused. ::He wouldn't have condemned you for it.::
"Do you have any idea of what I want?" Gohan inquired. "I want to be away from people for a period. Not the opposite."
::Oh really? So what's Sasuke then?:: Aoi asked, blue eyes sincere. ::Why would you rather be with him than, say, someone like Miss Lara?:: Slowly, the saiyan turned to her, ebony eyes somber.
"It's not just for me, Aoi-chan. Sasu-kun's been having a lot of problems with his family, and it may be best for him to get away for a spell. I think what he needs is to go to a place where no one knows him. Even your newest trainers are aware of what happened to Hinote these days, and young children are so mocking." Now silent, the boy slipped into his brother's room. "Stay here you two."
The room was dark, the only light being a small night light in the shape of a star and moon attached to the wall which shed a bluish hue over the sleeping form in the bed. Hair falling in his face, Gohan leaned over and nestled a plush Skitty in the little one's arms, before placing a soft kiss on Goten's forehead.
"I love you, kid. Be safe." He muttered softly and turned around to stride out into the hallway, picking up his bag that he had lain down on the floor as he went.
::Are you sure this is what you want?:: Aoi asked. ::It's now or never.:: Gohan glanced at her silently and nodded, before prying the window facing the paddocks open with a light touch and vaulting outside into the night air. A familiar brown-eyed blonde waited silently for him, two snorting and pawing Rapidash being held by their bridles in his hands.
"Oyasumi, Sasu-kun." Gohan greeted with a slight smile, taking one of the fire horses and slipping off her bridle to stuff it into his bag. The horse snorted and nuzzled him, flames giving Gohan a strange warmth in his chest that made him feel just a little bit better.
"Oyasumi, 'Shura." The boy responded, leading his mount over to the fence and scrambling up onto the mare's back, taking several chunks of the flaming mane in his hands. Gohan's own was a rather smallish young gelding, seeing as a stallion may have been a bit conspicuous and the fact that in no case was a stallion to be trusted with a mare when they needed to be depended on, and the saiyan placed both his hands on the horses withers to vault himself lightly up. The Rapidash snorted and pawed anxiously at the hard ground with a hoof harder than diamond, expressing an obvious question.
Why are we waiting around here?
Smiling slightly, Gohan patted his neck.
"Relax, my friend. Please be still, silence is of a necessity." He murmured, and the horse fell silent. Sasuke's mare heard the gentle command as well, and silencio'ed herself, turning her around to watch the boy on her back in curiosity. "Hey, where's Hinote?" Gohan inquired to his friend, and Sasuke grinned.
"Right there, baby." The blonde drawled out, turning around. Gohan blinked, startled, upon seeing the Charmander far ahead and getting farther. "I gave him an x-speed, so if we take regular breaks the pokemon should be fine. For now though, he knows that we have to be fast, so he'll clear the path for us."
Personally, Gohan felt that any sane person or pokemon would clear the path upon seeing a pair of full-out galloping Rapidash heading their way and he voiced this thought, eliciting a sharp laugh from the shinobi.
"You would think so. But people are stupid. Anyway, he'll ride with me when we get out of Pallet." Gohan nodded in response and gestured to Kira and Aoi.
"Can you guys keep up with the pace until we get to the port?" he asked, and was answered with two twin eye rolls.
::Are you kidding?:: Kira scoffed.
::Of course we can, Master.:: Aoi cut her off, and began to race ahead, the Delcatty on her heels. ::We shall meet you at the port.:: And then they were two specks against the deep darkness of the forest. Gohan drew in a breath and took two handfuls of his mount's mane.
"Well, shall we?" At the responding nod, a feral smirk grew on the boy's features. "Then let's go! YAH!" With that, he clenched his legs tight against the horse's sides and as if shot out of a cannon, they were traveling at an incredible pace, four pairs of hooves eating ground and sending up dirt in a spray with their strides.
Easily, Gohan allowed himself to laugh freely, tossing his head back and yelling as loudly as he could that he was free. Sasuke followed his lead, shrieking in a wild rush of thrill that only true passion could elicit. Pokemon skittered out of the path of their strides, squeaking in fear, and they passed rivers, fields, lakes, and villages in those next hours of pure adrenaline.
The only time they stopped was to watch the sun rise.
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Gohan did not like boats, that much was certain. Once again his stomach heaved and he threw his head over the side of the boat before he hurled all over the deck. Beside him, Sasuke was snickering mercilessly at him, and Pikachu patted his hair.
::Hey you know, you're doing a good thing. Did you know that Tentacool like human throw-up? They say it tastes good.:: This little comment only made Gohan go a little greener and dry-retch, stomach empty.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" he hissed, glaring darkly at his friend. "You're not helping much." Pikachu blinked.
::Huh. It sounded soothing to me, anyway.:: She muttered.
"Awwwww," Sasuke tried, rubbing the top of the saiyan's head, "It's not that bad." Gohan promptly hissed at him.
"Shut up, all of you." He growled. "Leave me be and let me throw up in peace."
"What I don't understand," Sasuke mused, "Is how you can be so active, surfing, flying, swimming down waterfalls, and yet you can't stand slow boat rides." Gohan's only response was a dark look, and after several more seconds of ceaseless dry-retching the saiyan pulled himself back up straight to lean up against the railing with his eyes closed.
"I. Hate. Boats. They need to die. No questions asked."
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::Feeling any better, Master?:: Aoi asked him as Gohan lay on his bed, looking obscenely pale and shuddering. Sasuke had gone with Hinote to explore the boat, and Gohan was currently lying on his bed in their cabin. Being the resident overprotective motherly type, Aoi had promptly began barking out orders (Literally) and in minutes the hybrid was flat on his back with a fan and an ice pack, though not necessarily in that order.
"Yeah, thanks guys." The boy muttered quietly, just as the door slammed open and Sasuke nearly flew in, blonde hair askew and brown eyes glittering.
"'Shura! 'Shura!" The older boy exclaimed.
"Hai?" Gohan inquired, sitting up tentatively.
"Guess what?!"
"What?"
"Down below deck, there's an entire level devoted to pokemon! Battles, trading, lectures, seminars! It's a hell for my grandmother!!"
"I'm there." Gohan leapt up, ignoring Aoi's protests for him to lay back down. "Aoi-chan, relax. And turn back into a Plusle." She scowled at him, but obeyed, hopping up to share his shoulders with Pikachu. As the two of them went 'whoosh!' down the hallway and descended down several flights of stairs, Kira trotted close to her trainer.
::Hey, Gohan, whatever happened to being seasick?::
Gohan grinned.
"I'll be fine, as long as I'm not outside."
::Everyone's got an excuse.:: The Delcatty muttered to herself, just as Sasuke flung open the white sliding doors, revealing a trainer's paradise.
There were a great many people inside, talking, laughing, and basically having fun, showing off their pokemon and having a good time. In the corner there was a small battle arena, and several trading machines. As they walked in, an older boy stalked up to them, spinning a pokeball between his fingertips.
"Wanna trade?" He asked, tossing his brown hair and grinning, directing the question to Gohan. The saiyan traded a glance with Sasuke and shrugged.
"What are you offering?" Gohan inquired delicately. "What are you offering me, and what do you want in return?"
"Well, I've got a nice little Cyndaquil. I've kinda been looking for a thunder type."
"What's wrong with the Cyndaquil?" Gohan asked, eyeing the older boy for any deceit in his answer.
"Nothing's wrong with it, per say. It's just that, it needs more time and attention than I can give, and it's not fair for the pokemon to need something that I can't give. I'm looking for something a little bit more low-maintenance." The trainer said. "By the way, my name's Watari Kouga, it's nice to meet you."
"Kagurazaka Ashura." The younger boy answered in reply, flipping open his pokedex and browsing through it idly. "If there really isn't anything wrong with your pokemon as you say then I don't really have a problem with trading with you."
"How about that Pik-"
"No." The saiyan answered sharply. Kouga looked a bit taken aback, but nodded, recovering quickly.
"Alright, alright. Why don't you tell me what you're offering and we'll work it out. I'll send you the info on Cyndaquil if you've got a 'Nav on you."
"I do." Gohan commented, holding out his PokeNav, infrared sensor out. "If you would please transfer the information." Kouga did so, and the eleven-year-old scanned it, looking impressed. "The stats are good, but I can see why someone who didn't have a lot of time wouldn't be able to keep up with the care. Here, hold yours out, I'll transfer what I'm willing to offer. On one condition."
"What?"
"That should we initiate this trade we will trade phone numbers as well, and I would like updates on progress, care, ribbons, etc, etc, etc. Also, I need your word as a trainer that you will never harm my pokemon and that you care for it to the best of your ability." People were beginning to flock around, the conversation being interesting, and to an uncomprehending bystander the scene was quite formal. "Should you not be satisfied I ask to be the first to know and that you never trade it away, I will be more than glad to take it back." Kouga blinked, recognizing the ancient Code for a trade that had been dropped a long time ago (But he had learned it in grade school!) and nodded, accepting the conditions.
"I agree with what you ask, and I would like the same courtesy from you." The older boy stated, holding out his 'Nav and receiving the information. After several minutes he nodded. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like the Minun that you offer. It's stats are quite good as well, but it's young enough not to have its heart broken by separation with you." Gohan pondered the question before nodding easily, gesturing to the trade machine.
"Shall we?"
And in minutes, it was done.
"Hey, thanks so much!" Kouga beamed and released the little Minun who chirped a goodbye to Gohan and happily sat on his new trainer's shoulders as the boy walked away. Gohan waved softly, before taking the black pokeball out of his pocket and glancing at it.
"Hey." Sasuke said, speaking up for the first time in a great while, "Let's take a look at the new guy, okay?" Ebony eyes glanced up at him. "Hey, don't get all teary on me!" The shinobi exclaimed, looking flustered at the odd shimmer on his friend's face, before grabbing Gohan by the head and scrubbing at the saiyan's cheeks with his jacket. "I don't know how to deal with you when you're like this!"
Then there was a snicker, and inevitably Gohan began laughing into Sasuke's jacket.
"You're right." He muttered, "You're right." With a snap, he clicked the button on the ball and with a flash of light a Cyndaquil sat on its butt on the tile, glaring darkly up at Gohan.
::Who the hell are you?:: It snapped. ::Where's Master Kouga?:: Aoi hissed angrily at it.
::You will respect Master Gohan, you-you-!::
::Yeah, really!:: Kira interjected. ::You can't talk to him like that!::
"Calm yourself, Aoi-chan, Kira-chan." Gohan said quietly, before getting down on his knees and looking the Cyndaquil in the eye. "Listen, your Master Kouga has-well-um.. Goddamnit, he didn't tell me about this."
::He traded you.:: Pikachu said bluntly. ::He's no longer your master.::
::Are you kidding?! Master Kouga would never trade me away! He wouldn't!::
"He did." The saiyan said quietly. "I'll put you away so that you can deal with it without interference from me." And silently, he aimed and recalled the little fire type, an odd, sad expression on his face. Knowing look present on his features, Sasuke snapped his hand on Gohan's shoulder and promptly dragged his friend away to the seminar on pokemon contests.
Togirenai you ni keep it going baby
Onaji kimochi janai nara tell me
Muri wa shinai shugi demo
Sukoshi nara shite mite mo ii yo
I wanna be with you now
Futari de distance chijimete
Ima nara maniau kara
We can start over
Hitotsu ni wa narenai
I wanna be with you now
I wanna be with you now
Itsu no hi ka distance mo
Dakishimerareru you ni nareru yo
We can start sooner
Yappari I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you
Mamorenai toki keep on trying, baby
Yakusoku doori janai kedo trust me
Muri wa shinai shugi demo
Kimi to nara shite mite mo ii yo
I wanna be with you now
Futari de distance mitsumete
Ima nara maniau kara
We can start over
Kotoba de tsutaetai
I wanna be with you now
Sono uchi ni distance mou
Dakishimerareru you ni nareru yo
We should stay together
Yappari I need to be with you
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"All passengers, we are arriving inLittleroot Town! I repeat, we are arriving inLittleroot Town. Please take your baggage and begin to exit out the front of the ship, and please, don't feed the Tentacool, they're rumored to have eaten someone last week." A monotonous voice sounded through the ship.
"That's our cue." Sasuke said, handing Gohan a plastic bag, "Please don't hurl over the boat again, you heard what the guy said about the Tentacool." The saiyan's only response was a dark look, and right on cue his stomach began to feel just a little bit queasy upon seeing the endless expanse of water sloshing around the sides. "Oh, for Kai's sakes, we're not even moving. What the hell is making you so sick?"
"That." Gohan said simply, pointing at the churning foam. " Just-- watch it for awhile." Sasuke blinked and did as he was asked, watching the sea roll up on the sides of the boat, foam white and curl down in a small wave. A slow pattern, and as the shinobi's eyes followed it, his stomach gave an odd shudder, and he reeled back, rubbing at his eyes.
"Ugh. I see what you mean." He said, resting a hand on Hinote's head. "Why did you tell me that?"
Gohan merely gave a grin and kept walking down off the ramp, Kira and Aoi at his heels.
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Later, they rented bikes and had gotten a room at the local hotel, because there wasn't a pokemon center, only a laboratory, and were currently scoping out the sites of the small town. Littleroot Town was very small, but very homey and comfortable, with a warm, drowsy feeling to it.
"Hey, look at that!" Sasuke suddenly shouted, pointing at a shop window like a madman, "Look at what they have!" Gohan blinked and obliged his friend, staring into the window, before allowing his jaw to drop open.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
The window was full of rather…adult items, and Sasuke was staring, blood draining up into his cheeks and out his nose. Gohan gaped, silent, and without a word, Sasuke raised a hand and rested it over Gohan's eyes. The boy yelped in surprise, before grabbing his friend by the arm and wrenching him away sharply past the store. Aoi was growling in irritation and Pikachu had leapt up onto the saiyan's bag to block Hikaru, Kira stuck close to Gohan's legs, hissing in vexation.
::What the hell are they thinking, putting a store like that right in front of little kids?:: Both Aoi and Kira were muttering darkly in stereo, ::I should kill them.:: Then, as if realizing what they were doing stopped stock-still and stared at each other, before nodding at the other. ::Yes, we should kill them::
"Nobody will be killing anybody." Gohan declared, in the tone of one used to playing peacemaker, "We are simply going to walk away and never come ba-- Sasuke? Sasuke, what the hell are you doing?!" Indeed, the blonde shinobi had drifted away from the saiyan's clutches and was standing in front of the store, ogling it. "Get back here, Yumi's gonna kill you!" He shouted in frustration, darting forward and dragged his friend away, this time, far away.
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"OUCH!"
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Sasuke shouted later, peering apologetically at the girl he had just slammed into, holding out a hand. "I'm so sorry!" The girl took his hand and dusted herself off, before rubbing gingerly at her shoulder.
"It's okay, I wasn't really paying attention either. Hi, I'm Haruka (Also known as May, for the people who have only seen the dub!), it would have been nicer to meet you without either of us being run over, but hey." She said mildly, then caught sight of Hikaru poking her head curiously out of Gohan's backpack and promptly squeed. "Eek!" She squealed, and rushed over to scoop the little Charmander up in her arms, snuggling her. Hikaru yelped, but seeing that Gohan wasn't upset by the action allowed herself to be mercilessly snuggled, even enjoying it.
"Aw, your Charmander is so cute! What's its name? How long have you had it?" Haruka inquired in a rush, eying both boys, before seeing Hinote. "Wow, you have one too! It's soooo cute!" She exclaimed, bending down and giving Hinote a hug after handing Hikaru back to Gohan. Sasuke looked a little put out at hearing his pokemon referred to as cute, but shrugged. "Who are you guys? You don't look like you're from around here."
Gohan blinked.
"That would be because we aren't." He said. "My name's Kagurazaka Ashura, and this is Takahara Sasuke. What's yours?"
"I'm Hakamatsu Haruka." (I'm sorry, I don't know Haruka's last name! -wails-) Haruka said. "You know what, both of your names are really long."
"Your point being?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, they're very long. I'm gonna call you," insert point at Gohan, "Zaka, because it sounds cool, and I'll call you," insert point at Sasuke, "Sasu, because it's easier to shorten your name that way! Okay?" Gohan was, to say the least, more than a little bit bewildered.
Why did every girl he met have to be either obscenely powerful or completely insane? In Yumi's case, it was both.
"No, it is not okay!" Sasuke growled darkly, "Now stop glomping Hinote." He snapped. Suddenly, Haruka whirled round and glared at him, before her eyes went very large and she began to cry.
"You hate me!" She wailed.
Gohan, quite frankly, didn't know what to do. He had never actually had to deal with someone like this girl, and wasn't really used to comforting humans anyway as it was. Sasuke just stood stock-still, eyes wide.
"You hate me, just because I was trying to be nice and I don't even have my first pokemon yet and I wanna learn about 'em! Waahhhhh!" People on the streets were beginning to stop and glare disapproving at the both of them, and Gohan sighed, stepping forward and placing Hikaru in the girl's arms.
"Okay, okay. You can call me Zaka, and I'll let you hold Hika-chan for a while, okay? Just don't cry anymore." He said unsurely, and as quickly as she had started, Haruka stopped crying and flung her arms around the saiyan's neck, glomping him.
"Aw, yay! You're so cute!" She declared to the world, quite possibly as loud as she could. Gohan went red and began stuttering, and Sasuke scowled at him.
"Weakling." He growled teasingly, and Gohan glared at his friend, the expression slightly dampened by the girl hanging off of him and the rather amusing red hue to his cheeks.
"Shut up."
"Hey, I know!" Haruka stated, "I'm on my way to the pokemon lab right now to get my first pokemon, you guys want to come along? Zaka-san? Sasu-san?" Gohan blinked, before nodding.
"Why not? I would liketo meet the professor's friend that he talks so much about."
"Huh? Which professor?" Haruka inquired, and both Gohan and Sasuke said at the same time,
"Oak-sensei," only, Gohan's answer held -sama on the end, as opposed to -sensei. Haruka's jaw dropped, and then she squealed, glomping onto both of them.
"You guys know the professor Oak?! Seriously?! That's so cool, you must feel so lucky!"
"Not really." Gohan muttered, "He grounded me last week."
"You deserved it!" Sasuke retorted, "You let that Bulbasaur practice growing flowers in your bedroom, of course he was gonna be angry!"
"Shut up."
"I bet you're still growing daffodils under your bed."
"I said shut up." The saiyan growled.
"Oh, wow! You guys must be really close to the guy!"
"Yeah." Sasuke said, "Kinda. Why, is he really important?" Haruka's jaw dropped, as if she couldn't believe his words.
"Important? Are you kidding me? He's only the coolest radio host in Hoenn!" The brown-haired girl declared, and ebony eyes blinked.
"Radio? Really? I didn't know that." Gohan muttered, trying to remember if Oak had mentioned anything about having a radio show. "Damn him, he didn't tell me that."
"Hmm," Haruka was muttering darkly to herself, "If I hang out with these guys, I might get to meet him.."
"We can hear you." Both boys said dryly, and Haruka's head snapped up, a light blush tinting her features, before she grabbed both of them by their arms and began to stalk up to the huge white building looming up in the distance that was the lab of Professor Birch.
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"Professor, I'm here!" Haruka called, bursting through the doors, both boys having resigned themselves to their fates. However, no one answered, and the only one there was a tall slender man with light blue hair and violet eyes. "Joseph, hi! Where's Birch-sensei?"
"Oh, he went out to do some research. He isn't too far away though; you can go look for him. I should kill that man, he didn't even tell me he was leaving, just went off and left Brendan for me to baby-sit. I'm gonna kill him." Joseph muttered darkly.
"Um, okay." Haruka said tentatively, scooting out the door. "We'll go look for him. Then you can kill him."
::I kinda like her,:: Kira commented quietly to her trainer, ::Nice and violent.::
Eventually, they found the wayward scientist. The man was clinging to the branch of a tree and making comments to a pack of Poocheyena that really did nothing to help his predicament; only making it worse. However, once the small dogs lay their eyes on the Chosen Child they abandoned the tree and ran yipping happily over to the eleven-year-old, who knelt down and petted them on the heads. Slowly, Professor Birch climbed down from his tree.
"Hey, thank you so much." It was only then that he noticed Haruka. "Haruka, hi! Oh, were you at the lab? I'm sorry I wasn't there when you arrived."
"It's okay," The girl reassured him, "But Joseph's furious with you for leaving Brendan with him. Come to think of it, Brendan is going to want to kill you too."
"Whaaa! Why am I cursed with such a violent son?!" The scientist wailed, "He shouldn't want to kill his only father!"
Gohan was now beginning to believe that all people in Hoenn were completely insane.
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"So, Haruka, have you decided which pokemon you want?" Birch asked, after being hit rather hard upside the head by his angry assistant. Haruka shrugged.
"Not really. That's why I brought these guys," she gestured to Sasuke and Gohan, "They look competent."
"So that's the only reason you dragged us here?! Because you don't know what you're doing?!" Sasuke shouted. Gohan, quite wisely, remained silent as Haruka chose that moment to loom menacingly over the shinobi, making him cringe.
"Of course it was, you idiot. Call it payment for crashing into me." She growled.
(A/N I kinda like Haruka, she's growing on me, like a fungus. She's obnoxious and violent, but oddly entertaining.)
Sasuke growled, but nevertheless kept his mouth only shut, only movement being to lean up against a table, eyeing the three pokeballs lying on the table.
"So, Haruka, which pokemon do you want?" Gohan asked hesitantly, picking up a ball between his fingers and looking it over. "Would you like to see what this one is?" Haruka blinked blue eyes, startled, before nodding.
"Okay, open it!"
With a small smile at her apparent eagerness, the saiyan clicked the button on the front, there was a flash of light, and in a second a small red bird sat in the middle of the room, flat on it's butt.
::Huh? Where am I who are you guys what--?:: It asked, and Kira growled slightly in irritation.
::Please, Kami-sama, don't let her pick this irritating little thing, please God no.:: She muttered, and Gohan whacked her on the head.
"Whining isn't becoming, Kira-chan." He chided her. "Let Haruka-san pick her own pokemon, would you?" Kira pouted at him, but otherwise did nothing. The Torchic blinked innocent brown eyes and chirped, running up to snuggle up against Haruka's leg. The girl blinked and picked it up, smiling as the little pokemon rubbed its cheek against hers.
"Awww, it's so cute! I want this one, okay Birch-sensei? Please, can I have this one?" She inquired, holding Torchic to her chest. Birch smiled, and nodded.
"Of course, Haruka-chan. There was a reason I gave you a choice, you know." He said affectionately. "Just be sure to take good care of it, and to become close friends with it, okay?"
"Okay!!" Haruka cheered, doing a spin on her heel.
::Oh, good lord..:: Kira growled, looking as if her world had just collapsed upon her, ::Why me? Really, why me?::
"Oh, stop it." Her trainer scolded her, though not bothering to mask a sweatdrop, -Don't worry, she'll be on her own journey soon.-
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Haha. That was the biggest joke of the century, Gohan decided several weeks later. Somehow, he didn't know how, but somehow, their merry band now consisted of such: One saiyan who did not understand girls; one pervy, blonde shinobi who would have liked to; one irritated Delcatty; an obscenely patient Aoinu who was at her wits end with all of them; one Pikachu who found the entire situation hilariously funny; and one ten-year-old girl who did not know what she was doing and her Torchic. Lets not go into the Torchic, shall we?
"Damnit!!" Haruka was shouting, "Why in the hell won't this work?!!" From his spot in a rather high tree branch, Gohan beheld the situation, amusement showing on all of his features. "Don't you dare smirk at me, you're lucky I don't climb trees, or you'd be dead, mister." She hissed, then sighed, recalling Torchic, "This whole catching pokemon thing looks so easy when you or Sasu-san does it."
"Haruka-san, patience is required for this calling," Gohan replied idly, watching with no small amount of pride, "You've gotten a lot better-"
"'Shura, just tell her she sucks already and get it over with." Sasuke muttered, and was promptly drop-kicked across the clearing.
"You take that back!" Haruka shouted, blue eyes blazing. "I do not suck. I just.. Um… need some more.. uh.. Practice."
"Really, don't be so impatient. We're in no rush, calm down and take things at your own pace. Relax."
Haruka didn't know how Gohan could possibly look so amused and sound so calm at the same time, but she nevertheless growled at him.
"I'm serious. No one's very good to start out with. Give yourself more of a chance, you'll see--" He trailed off, startled to see tears beginning to well up in her eyes, real ones this time, and was even more shocked when Haruka stormed off, only barely catching the angry retort she tossed back.
"Shut up! I didn't even wanna do this!"
At that moment, Sasuke lifted his head out from behind a log and offered the most sage-like advice he could.
"'Shura, my friend, I'm afraid you simply do not have my luck with women."
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"Haruka-san!! Haruka-san, what's wrong?" Gohan was calling, eyes scanning the thick forest. "If I said anything bad, I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to say to make you feel better, so if I offended you, tell me! Where are you?" He sighed. "Aoi-chan, what did I do?" He asked the resident fountain of normally unwanted and motherly advice.
::Well, I don't think it's so much something that you did, but--:: Then, she trailed off.
"Haruka-san, are you okay?" Gohan inquired upon spotting the girl seated upon a large rock in front of a small pond. "What's wrong?" Tears were slipping down Haruka's cheeks and she sniffed, turning her head away. Not quite sure what to do, Gohan sat down next to her and picked up a stone from the side, tossing it with a small plunk into the crystal water, scattering scores of Magikarp.
"You're a good trainer, you wouldn't understand." Haruka muttered, wiping furiously at her eyes.
"Try me. What wouldn't I understand?" The saiyan asked gently, looking at her. "Just talk to me."
"Okay. Promise you won't laugh at me?"
"Promise, cross my heart."
"I never wanted to be a pokemon trainer." There, it was out. Silence. "Well? Aren't you going to yell at me about wasting your time?" Gohan titled his head.
"Why should I?" He questioned. "I'm just curious as to why you became one then, if you didn't want to do it."
"My tou-san is a gym leader, he and mom have always raised me to take his place for when I'm old enough. But even as a kid I never really liked pokemon with a passion, but I didn't really have a choice. After all, mom and dad really wanted me to do this, and I couldn't just tell them that I wanted to shatter all their dreams could I?" Haruka sniffed again, and let a watery, shaky smile as Hikaru, who was in her daddy's arms, patted her curiously on the head. Gohan merely looked contemplative.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"I really wanted to travel," The girl admitted, "I figured that I would get a pokemon and just kinda do my own thing, I thought it would be easy, you know? But then when I met you guys and started out and having issues, I just got so frustrated and everything.. And then you and Sasu-san offered to help me, and you were both so nice to me, I couldn't just tell you that I didn't really want to do what you were trying to teach me!" The crystalline tears began to fall again, and Gohan remained silent, feeling that no words could really help until she was finished. "And now I know that I love Torchic and that I love your pokemon too, but I don't want to fight with them. I don't want to be a trainer. I don't want to have to battle my father!"
The only sounds now were Haruka's sobs, and still rather unsure, Gohan laced an arm around her shoulders and gave the younger girl a hug.
"Then you don't have to." He said steadily, "There are so many things you can do with pokemon that have nothing to do with battling. Like my friend Lara, she breeds Ponyta, and she loves it. She doesn't like to battle either, kinda like you. And my good friend Shigeru-kun decided just recently that he wants to be a researcher, like his grandfather. Don't just give up because there's one aspect you don't like."
"But you're a trainer-"
"I'm also your friend. Sasu-kun is too, and you know he doesn't mean it when he tells you that you suck, that's just him trying to tease you, he isn't being malicious."
"I know. I know. But-"
"Look, I know we're more experienced than you are. I know that we've been more places than you have. But here, we're in completely new territory, we're in the same boat that you are. We're your friends, we'll support you no matter what you want to do." The saiyan reassured her, "And you don't have to decide right away, give everything a little bit of a chance before you make up your mind. There isn't any rush."
Slowly, a small but albeit there smile began to crawl across Haruka's features, and she flung her arms around his neck in one swift movement, startling her friend.
"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you." Gohan smiled, and handed her a small stone. "Huh? What's this?"
"Turn around, close your eyes, throw the stone, and make a wish. If it lands in the center of the pond, your wish will come true."
Blinking, the girl got to her feet, turned, closed her eyes, and tossed the stone straight over her shoulder, impact making a pleasant splash. She didn't even want to look back, she didn't want to see her wish at the far end. So she stood there, eyes clenched tight, until she heard a small gasp from Gohan and turned around to look.
As she did and she caught sight of where the perfectly circular, plain grey rock had been thrown, she beamed and let out a whoop.
It rested gently in the water, dead center.
-END CHAPTER-
Well, I thought that that was a nice way to end this little chappie, don't you think? -grin- As always, I love reviews, so please don't hesitate to ask me questions, make suggestions, or even compliment me and offer criticism, okay? -waves-
I'll see ya next time, kapice?
