Chapter 11: Innocenti Family Matters
Perrine's mother?! And she was here?! In the flesh?
Julia and Caiseal were silent from the shocking revelation. They had heard from Whitney that Perrine's disappearance was hot on the news, but not once did they ever think they would run into Perrine's mother right away. Perrine seemed just as surprised as they were, her face stuffed in her mother's shawl. Warm tears dripped on her sleeves as her mother's shaking body embraced her.
"Perrine...my dearest Perrine…" The woman cried on her shoulder, her voice hoarse from crying. "...I thought I would never see you again…" The first thing Perrine noticed about her mother was her perfume. Lavender perfume. She had watched her mother spray it on herself all the time whenever she would get ready for the day. She was surprised she had forgotten it so quickly.
Soon, her mother let go and put her hands on her shoulders, bearing a warm, tired smile. "You're alive, sweetie. Thank goodness…" She noticed the pokemon beside Perrine's feet. Vulpix, chikorita, jigglypuff, skiploom, mareep, and hoothoot. All of them stared at her with confused expressions. Fuwari simply chirped "Popo!" and waved her tiny hand at her. "You have pokemon. I see...so that's why you left…"
Perrine said nothing. She just stared at the light purple shawl around her mother's upper body. The woman then noticed Julia and Caiseal watching the scene unfold. "Hello there," She greeted them kindly, in a soft voice. "Are you two her friends?"
"Yes, we're her friends!" Both Julia and Caiseal stammered in perfect unison. It took them looking each other in the face for them to realize it.
The woman smiled. "I am Rocio Innocenti, Perrine's mother," Rocio introduced herself. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."
"It's...no problem at all, Mrs. Innocenti!" Julia stammered, waving her hands back and forth modestly.
The orange haired girl balled her fists. She could see Rocio moving her mouth in an attempt to say something, probably to dissuade her from her journey. No way was she going to give up. "I don't care what you and Dad say," She began in a strong voice. "I'm going to fulfill my dream and win the Pokemon League no matter what."
She expected her mother to contradict her, or convince her to drop it. Oddly enough, she didn't. She simply said, "Would you like to come to the house for a while? Your father's been worried sick about you. He wants to see your face again." Her voice was soft and kind, albeit a little hoarse, like she was getting up in years.
Perrine wanted so badly to decline. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with her father. Then she remembered Julia telling her about her experiences at Violet City. Perhaps, now that she was a full-fledged trainer, she could convince him that it was too late to change anything...that he could see how far she had come and let her go. The last time it happened didn't go so well, but a lot had happened since then. It wouldn't hurt to try again, right?
"Alright. I'll go. But Julia and Caiseal are coming with me. Is that okay?" Perrine told her.
"That's fine. You're probably hungry," Rocio took Perrine gently by the hand. The smile that spread across her face upon feeling the warmth of her daughter's hand was unmistakable. Julia could tell Rocio was all too happy to finally see her daughter again. The pain of her disappearance must have been absolutely terrible. She found herself imagining what would happen if one of her pokemon disappeared, or even died. The thought was too awful to think about.
"We're here!"
Caiseal and Julia's mouths fell wide open. Neatly trimmed hedges and bushes lined the front yard, surrounding a large marble fountain depicting a vaporeon spitting water out of its mouth. An orange brick mansion that was the size of an onix loomed over the front yard, with the entrance being supported by four Corinthian style columns. Large glass windows covered the walls, all of them paired up with black shutters. Butlers and maids dressed in black and white stood at the entrance as they welcomed Rocio, Perrine, and their guests inside.
"Welcome back!" The butlers and maids bowed before them, not moving even once as they walked by.
"This...this is your house?!" Julia yelped in such a loud voice, Caiseal had to back away a step. She had even caught the attention of the butlers and maids.
"Yeah, this is my house," Perrine deadpanned.
The interior of the mansion was just as glamorous, if not more so. Almost everything from the ceiling, to the walls, to the tile floors were a pristine snow white color, with the exception of the mahogany brown doors and stairs that led to the second floor. The stairs and balconies were lined with black railing with intricate, curled designs resembling vines of grass pokemon. A man sat on a large red chair before an empty fireplace, dressed in a pure white tuxedo with a shiny black tie and patented leather shoes. The man looked to be in his late forties, with new wrinkles tracing the edges of his mouth, and straight black hair neatly done in a rich man style, framing his chocolate brown eyes. A small mustache stood in between his nose and the top of his mouth, and a small beard came out from his chin.
"Eduardo, my dear! Perrine has come home!" Rocio announced as soon as her eyes caught the man's figure. Perrine looked away, staring down at her shoes.
"Girl! I didn't know you were loaded!" Caiseal exclaimed in a lower voice.
"Yeah, I'm loaded. So what?" Perrine hissed, like she thought being a rich girl was a bad thing.
Eduardo stood up and looked down at Perrine with a soft look on his expression. This left Perrine speechless. She had expected to see his usual cross, austere expression, the one he would always give whenever she disobeyed his orders. Yet, here he was, kneeling to her level, wrapping his large arms around her, and pulling her close, just like Rocio did. The tangy scent of bamboo cologne assailed Perrine's nostrils.
"Perrine…" The man's voice was old and hoarse, showing his age. But there was a kind of warmth to it. "I'm so glad you're back…"
'Yeah right,' Perrine thought to herself bitterly, wearing a defiant expression. 'You're only happy I'm back so you can subject me to more stupid piano lessons and boring tea ceremony lessons...all you want is for me to be your perfect little lady!' Already, she wished she was back in the wild, catching pokemon and showering her friends with love. She could see her father possibly scolding her for running away, taking measures to ensure that she would never leave the house, and probably signing her up for etiquette classes, all that stuff.
"Chiko!" Florian chirruped out of nowhere, drawing Eduardo's attention. He let go of Perrine and saw the pokemon. Chikorita, vulpix, jigglypuff, hoothoot, mareep, and skiploom. Like with Rocio, Fuwari waved her hand at Eduardo and cooed happily, just to be friendly and say hello. But all that got out of Eduardo was a scornful glare. Fukuro glared right back, and Baloo found herself hiding behind Kitsune, frightened by the man's domineering glare.
"There's a lot we need to discuss, Perrine," Eduardo said, glancing at the two kids behind her. "Are you two her friends?"
The kids both nodded vigorously. Caiseal's stomach let out a rumble. He looked down at his shoes to keep from facing Eduardo. He looked over to his wife. "Rocio, dear. Tell the cooks to prepare dinner. I'm sure these kids haven't had much to eat," He told her in a calm voice.
At least five cooks prepared a grand feast for the Innocentis, Julia, and Caiseal. They had even prepared pokemon food for their pokemon, setting big bowls on the floor for everyone to eat. Perrine found herself speechless. This was very unlike Eduardo. As far as she knew, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with pokemon. Even having them around was forbidden. Why did he make the cooks prepare pokemon food for them? Lots of thoughts were going through Perrine's mind, none of them optimistic. Was this just an attempt to win her favor so he could keep her here? Or was he just keeping up appearances? Regardless, she ate the rich steak quietly. She had to admit, she missed this steak, the rich corn, and the drippy mashed potatoes.
Both Julia and Caiseal could tell that Perrine was not fond of being here, not even a little bit. All they did was eat quietly, not wanting to make a scene. Even Rocio and Eduardo had serious looks on their faces. An old butler poured some wine into Eduardo's glass. Caiseal turned to Julia and noticed the way she held her utensils. Instead of holding them with her palms facing up, she was holding them with her palms face down, grasping them like she was a child that had just learned to grasp things. Somehow, he found this to be unsettling, and wasted no time bringing it up.
"Why are you holding your utensils like that?" Caiseal asked loud enough for everyone to turn their attention toward him.
"Huh?" Julia looked down at her hands. "No real reason. I always hold them like this. Is...that bad?"
Caiseal glared at her. "Why can't you hold them normally?" He asked in a condescending tone.
"Knock it off, Caiseal," Perrine interrupted. "She's fine. She's not hurting anyone, so zip it."
"What she said," Julia piped in. With that, she went back to eating the steak.
The tension in the room was understandably thick. The pokemon didn't notice, as they were too busy helping themselves, but everyone could tell the Innocenti family was serious. Eduardo set his wine glass down. "We were very worried about you, Perrine. I had called the FBI and had them search for you," Eduardo told her. "I guess I should have expected that you had run away."
"Ed, can't we talk about this later?" Rocio asked. "She just came back, and she's probably tired. Don't push it, please."
Perrine finished her food quickly. "I'm done. Can I show Jules and Caiseal my room?" She stood up and walked away without even waiting for a reply. Julia and Caiseal got the message, finished their food, and followed Perrine up the stairs. The pokemon did the same. Eduardo let out a disappointed sigh as he put a hand on his face.
"Whooooaaaa…!"
The kids knew Perrine was rich, so they had expected her to have a fancy bedroom, but the room itself was nothing like they had imagined. Pasted all over the salmon pink walls were posters of various gym leaders, three of which were Falkner, Bugsy, and Whitney. Others showed a red haired man with a cape, accompanied by a big, cutesy-looking orange dragon. The wall above Perrine's bed resembled an old church painting, depicting angels rising into a golden cloud that shined light down on them. Mountains of pokemon plushies scattered all over the floor. Pikachu, togepi, marill, oddish, hoppip, many pokemon plushies.
Also dotting the walls were various movie posters, all of which depicted nothing but ninjas. Ninjas, ninjas, ninjas! Sitting on a maroon coffee table was a chess set, with white and black chess pieces. A king had fallen on the white rug on the hardwood floor. Florian, Kitsune, and Baloo wasted no time leaping on Perrine's bed and bouncing on it, laughing joyfully. Chirin simply sat next to the mountain of pokemon dolls. Fukuro flew over to a large mirror above Perrine's desk, marveling at his reflection. "Hoothoot!" ("Man, do I look great!")
"THIS is your room?!" Caiseal exclaimed, marveling at the painting above her bed.
"Yeah. This is my room. Make yourselves at home," Perrine told them as she put the King back on his throne on the chess set. "If you want, we can play some chess."
"I stink at chess," Julia replied. "But wow! Your room is soooooo much nicer than mine! You even have a canopy thingy!" She pointed to the lacey, transparent canopy dangling over her bed. Skiploom draped part of it around herself, pretending to be some kind of fashion model.
"Chuuuu!" "Choki!" "Odd oddish…" "Marill!" Even Julia's pokemon agreed that Perrine's room was to die for.
"Cubone cubone cubone!" ("Pheh! It's so girly! Caiseal's room is way cooler!") Mallow exclaimed petulantly, crossing his arms. Apollo just sniffed Chirin's fur with his long nose.
"Perrine?" Eduardo's voice made the kids and pokemon turn right around. He stood at the entrance with a strong posture, glaring right at Perrine. The orange haired girl glared right back. "I wish to talk with my daughter in private, kids. You'd best-"
"I know what you're going to say, Dad!" Perrine interrupted before he could finish. "I'm not gonna stop being a pokemon trainer."
"It's not proper for a lady to interrupt-"
"See?! This is what I mean, Dad!" Perrine exclaimed. She hated the whiny tone that consumed her voice, but she just couldn't help it. "It's always about being proper or keeping up appearances or being a lady with you! Don't you ever think of anyone else besides yourself?!"
That was when Eduardo raised his voice and stomped on her floor with one foot. "That is enough, Perrine! This defiant behavior of yours absolutely cannot continue!"
Julia let out a squeak, her hands flying to her ears as she fell to her knees. It took Perrine's attention away from her father as she ran and kneeled to her level. "You shouldn't have yelled. She's autistic. She hates it when people yell," She told him in a calmer, gentler voice that still had a barbed edge to it.
Both she and Eduardo fell silent. Even Caiseal was speechless. Eduardo finally calmed down, uncurling his fists. "...Just like your Aunt Mao…" This statement made Julia's ears perk up. Aunt Mao? So...Perrine has an autistic relative? That was a first. Eduardo's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I-"
"We're done here," Perrine escorted Julia out of the room, with Caiseal and the pokemon following behind.
The kids and the pokemon found themselves in the backyard, which was just as large as the front yard. It looked more like a meadow, with nothing but green grass stretching for miles, kept inside by a black fence. The three kids sat on a bench as most of the pokemon ran off to play. Julia clutched Hikaru and Tokiko in her arms tightly, like if she lost them, she would just break down. Perrine could tell that she looked to be on the verge of crying. She was happy she got to get her away from the bad situation before Eduardo made it any worse.
"So...do you…" Julia whimpered, still hugging Hikaru and Tokiko. "...really have an autistic aunt?"
Perrine looked up at the cloudless blue sky with a wistful look. "Yep. Mao Borgia. She's in Unova right now. She was the one who inspired me to become a pokemon trainer."
"How so?" Caiseal asked, kicking a pebble into some grass.
The orange haired girl watched as one tiny, wispy white cloud floated across the sky, blocking the sun for just a moment. "She actually understands me, and doesn't expect me to be perfect. She likes me for me. Mom and Dad...they hate the fact that I'm not the daughter they want…" Perrine began. "She was a really good trainer. In fact, she was even the champion of Johto at one point."
"WHAT?!" Caiseal and Julia screamed in unison. "The champion?!"
"Yep! She's awesome!" Perrine chirruped with a smile. "Not anymore, though. But she's still the coolest gal I know," Her smile morphed into a frown. "But she and Dad don't get along. Whenever she would come over, they'd always argue...sometimes, Dad would just get angry at me for no reason…"
(flashback)
A seven year old Perrine sat before a large, shiny, black grand piano. Her tiny, shaking fingers tried to press on some keys, imitating the movements of the old woman next to her. Eduardo simply stood at the entrance, watching with a curious yet scornful glare in his eyes. However, she just couldn't get it right.
"Perrine!" Eduardo shouted loud enough to make both the girl and the old woman flinch. "Your playing is an absolute disaster!"
"Eduardo, sir!" The old woman stood up, alarmed by his behavior. "Please, she's only learning the basics. Don't be so harsh-"
"It's your job to teach her!" He yelled, wagging his finger at the old woman like he was her father.
Warm tears streamed out of Perrine's eyes, dripping onto the milky white keys. "I'm sorry, Daddy…" She whimpered in a trembling voice.
"Go on! Teach her again, from the top!" He yelled, forcing the woman to return to the piano. He shot a fierce glare at Perrine. "And no slacking off, Perrine! This is for your own good!"
He did everything he could to keep her occupied, signing her up for private lessons on just about everything. Violin, math, etiquette, tea ceremony, flower arranging, traditional dance, sewing. It was all too much. She just couldn't do it. Her legs would throb and cramp from sitting in one position for so long. Her hands couldn't hold the violin properly. Needles would prick her fingers every time she did even a single loop around yarn. All the high heels she was forced to walk on would make her trip and fall, sometimes even break a heel.
One day, when she was about ten, a door was slightly open, and the loud sounds of two voices arguing came out from it. One belonged to Eduardo. The other belonged to a woman. "Mao! What do you think you're doing?! All Perrine talks about now is becoming a pokemon trainer!" Eduardo screamed. Little Perrine didn't dare go inside, as she knew her presence would only make things worse. She didn't want to exacerbate the argument.
"That's what she wants, and I don't want to stop her from fulfilling her dream, unlike you," A woman, probably her Aunt Mao, replied in a stern yet calm voice.
"I knew it! You've been putting ideas in her head behind my back, haven't you?! I knew it was a bad idea to have you come over!"
"You're being ridiculous, little bro."
"Unlike you, I want to keep my daughter safe! Being a trainer will only get her killed!"
"See, Ed? You wonder why Perrine doesn't want to deal with you. All you wanna do is keep her in some glass box her whole life. She's not a baby, y'know."
"You don't know anything about my daughter!"
Silence. Then, out of nowhere, "Get out. Don't come here anymore. You're a bad influence on her."
A shiver of ice ran through Perrine right then and there. Her father was kicking her out of the house. Forbidding her to ever come again. Why would he do that? No, she already knew the answer to that. Already, she saw her world crashing all around her. "Ed, this needs to stop. You can't keep clinging to the past forever."
"It's your fault they're gone!" He roared, slamming a fist into the wall. Perrine ran into her room, not wanting to hear anymore.
"You're the one that caused it, Ed. Stop scapegoating me," Aunt Mao snapped right back with venom in her voice.
The orange haired girl watched as her aunt left the Innocenti premises. There was just so much pain swirling in her heart. Confusion. Anger. Frustration. Resentment. First her father intended on keeping her locked in the house for God knows why, and now he's forbidding Perrine from seeing Aunt Mao. The very fabric of her life was being torn into shreds. She couldn't let him get away with this. As soon as Aunt Mao left, Perrine was quick to barge into his office. "Why did you kick Aunt Mao out?!"
Eduardo put down his pen. "Perrine, it's not proper to barge into-"
Not proper. The sound of those annoying words made her cringe. Proper this, ladylike that. What else was he going to chide her for? "I can't believe you just kicked her out like she was garbage! She's your sister!"
Her father stood up. "I'm sorry, Perrine. It's for your own good. I know you love your aunt, but I'm afraid she is a bad influence on you."
Bad influence? To Perrine, her Aunt Mao was a lot of things, but she was by absolutely no means bad. There was just no way. "How so?! Because she actually likes me for me?! Because she doesn't make me do all this stupid stuff you made me do?! Because she actually treats me like I matter?! Because she doesn't try to keep me here all the time?!"
Eduardo left his desk and walked over to his angry daughter. The defiant look in her blue eyes was unmistakable. It was the same look that Aunt Mao would give him sometimes. "You cannot behave this way, Perrine. She feeds you stupid ideas and continues to spoil you. You must become a lady-"
"Come on! Do you realize how stupid you sound?!" Perrine interrupted once more. "I can't become a lady! I don't even want to! I'm sick of all this! Sick of everything! What's wrong with wanting to become a pokemon trainer?!"
A large, rocky hand struck her cheek. Although it wasn't strong enough to send her falling to the floor, the sting was still painful. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. "Perrine Sophronia Innocenti. You will never, EVER talk of becoming a pokemon trainer! I can't believe you...want to pursue something so barbaric! Why can't you be obedient?!"
Barbaric. Of course. He would always say that whenever she would talk about becoming a trainer. The tears finally came out. No longer could she hide her anger. The injustice of it all took hold of her, and an all-consuming fury seized her whole. "I FREAKING HATE YOOOOU!" With that, she stormed out of the room. He had expected her to run to her room, like she always would. Contrary to his expectations, she went running out the front door.
Run. That was all she wanted to do. Run. Find Aunt Mao. Convince her that she isn't a bad influence. More than anything, she wanted to go live with her. Learn everything she could about pokemon, gym leaders, how to become the champion of Johto, everything. She would train hard, love her pokemon, and be the best in all of Johto, possibly the world. Screw her father! He wasn't worth it in her eyes.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she had ran farther than she ever did. The screech of a rattata, whose tail she accidentally stepped on, brought her back to reality. It bit her hard on her shoe with its big teeth, but it wasn't enough to cut through it. After that, the rattata crawled into a rusty silver trash can. Brown rust spots dotted it. She stopped to take in her surroundings.
None of it was in any way like the neighborhood she knew. Abandoned houses lined the streets. Roof tiles had fallen off, some being completely broken, shattered into pieces. Multicolored graffiti covered the glass windows and chipped paint. Trash was everywhere. Everything from candy wrappers, cigarette butts, plastic cans, and even glass shards were all over the place. Perrine couldn't walk one step without stepping on something. At one point, white gum latched onto the bottom of her right shoe. Gold bullet casings shone in the sunlight. Some houses were completely boarded up with big wood squares or rectangles.
Yet another shiver of ice ran through her. Where in the world was she? This wasn't a place she had been to before. She had no idea something like this was even here. How far had she ran? Fear began to gradually seize her. She had heard the stories, but she never expected to be in a place like this. She stopped at an abandoned dark blue car, with its hood still open. One of the windows had been broken into, with glass lying around on the leather seat. Perrine glanced at one brick house, with orange graffiti on one part of it reading BUY CRACK AND METH HERE, with a cursory arrow pointing to a basement window.
'Oh no...I'm really lost…' She thought, slumping to her knees. The gravel dug into her white stockings, already leaving brown marks on them. This time, she couldn't hold the tears back. Perhaps she would never fulfill her dream of becoming a trainer. Some druggie would probably find her, stab her with a knife, or shoot her, or sell her to someone, and leave her for dead. She had no phone, so there was no way she could call her parents, and there were no pay phones around either. Finally, she found herself bawling loudly.
It was all she could do. She couldn't fight, as she didn't know any martial arts skills, or any self-defense skills for that matter. What could she do? She thought she was done for. She figured she might as well accept her fate and let it all out.
"Vul?"
A tiny voice pulled her out of her spiel. She looked down to find a small pokemon cautiously approaching her. A small fox, with reddish orange fur, brown paws, and six round, fluffy, bright orange tails, matching the tuft of fur on its head. Its grey eyes watched Perrine curiously yet cautiously. "What's a vulpix doing here?" She asked herself in a low voice. "Umm...hello."
"Vulpix!"
The vulpix came closer, sniffing Perrine's hand with its small nose. Before long, it stuck its tongue out and gently licked her hand. This brought a smile back to Perrine's face. "What are you doing in a place like this?" She asked. Vulpix came closer, this time it jumped on Perrine's lap.
"Vul!"
"Did your trainer abandon you?"
The vulpix looked down at Perrine's skirt sadly. Perrine returned the affectionate gesture by stroking the tuft of fur on its head. "Now what stupid idiot would abandon a cutie pie like you? It's dangerous around here," Soon, the vulpix reached up to Perrine's face and licked her tears away. "Aww! That tickles! You're so sweet!"
"Vul!"
"Would you...like to be my friend?"
Its response was rubbing its head against Perrine's chest. To Perrine, this was a good enough answer. "I'd love to be your friend."
(end flashback)
"Ohhh! So that's how you met Kitsune!" Julia exclaimed. Caiseal was so absorbed by Perrine's story that he didn't say a word. Kitsune herself sat on Perrine's lap, like she did back when they met in the slums. "So how'd you get back home?"
"Someone found me and took me to her house. She called my parents and they picked me up. But I managed to sneak Kitsune into the car and…" Perrine stroke Kitsune's fur once more. "We've been friends ever since."
"How did you get to be a trainer?" Caiseal asked.
"About two months ago, I applied to get a PokeDex and a trainer card. When my card came in the mail, I knew I had to take this chance," Perrine explained. "So Kitsune and I went all the way to New Bark Town so I could get them. I wasn't expecting to pick out one of the starters, but I couldn't reject Professor Elm's kindness, plus I wanted a chikorita anyway. I knew Mom and Dad would never let me be a trainer, but I left anyway," She balled a hand into a fist. "I want to be a good trainer. See the world and become the champion, no matter what it takes."
"You're not the only one with parent problems," Caiseal piped in.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't wanna go into details," Caiseal began. "But let's just say I'm an unwanted kid."
"Huh?!" Julia suddenly exclaimed out of nowhere.
"What's wrong?"
"Tokiko's gone!"
What the kids didn't know was that Eduardo watched them from his study. Unlike before, he didn't have the same stern, disappointed look in his eyes. Instead, he turned his attention to a framed picture on his desk. It showed five children, four boys and one girl. The girl was holding a chikorita in her arms. A dark skinned boy was flashing a large smile. One of his teeth was missing. Next to the framed picture was a newspaper article detailing an onix wreaking havoc on Azalea Town. Three children died in the rampage.
Jean Wheatley, 13.
Dejour Hoode, 13.
Malcolm Thomas, 13.
The article also detailed two kids escaping. Siblings Mao and Eduardo Innocenti. "My friends…" He mused to himself in a low, sad voice before burying his face in his arms. His shoulders hunched up and down as though he were sobbing. "I don't want to lose Perrine...like I lost you…"
"Choki!" A tiny, squeaky voice pulled the man out of his thoughts. He looked down to find a tiny togepi waddling into his study. This was a first.
"My word…" He stood up and kneeled before the tiny, smiling pokemon. Wasn't this one of Perrine's friend's pokemon. He saw that brown haired girl release it from a pokeball, so this little one must be hers. "What are you doing here?" The little togepi had a cursory bouquet of purple wild flowers in her arms. Probably from the backyard.
"Choki choki!" Tokiko took one of the flowers and handed it to the large man before her. It was odd that such a small pokemon wasn't afraid of a large man towering over her. He could easily crush her. This little togepi didn't look the least bit afraid. Taken aback by the little one's kind gesture, he began wondering. Maybe, just maybe...pokemon trainers weren't bad after all? He used two fingers to take the flower out of Tokiko's arms.
"Thank you, little one. You are very kind."
"Choki!" Tokiko cheered happily, as if to say, "You're welcome!" Even Eduardo couldn't stop the smile that tickled his face from appearing.
"Tokiko! There you are!" Julia rushed into the room and cradled the little togepi in her arms. "You shouldn't wander off like that. You should tell me if you want to go somewhere," She told her. The girl tried to keep a kind but still authoritative tone, hoping she didn't come off as too harsh. "Sorry about that, sir."
"It's quite alright, miss," Eduardo said.
Julia was about to leave, but a bloodcurdling scream made her freeze in place. Eduardo stood up in alarm. "That came from downstairs!" Both he and Julia rushed down to the entrance...only to find some of the butlers and maids unconscious except for one.
"Master! Call the police!" A young maid cried before a large arbok smacked her across the room with its tail.
"What's going on?!" Perrine yelled as she and Caiseal arrived on the scene.
"Chaaaaa-baka!" An arbok howled at them. Perrine could make out someone wearing black clothes, with a red R emblazoned on his shirt. Green hair protruded out from underneath his hat. She recognized that green hair.
"Proton!"
"Children! Get back!" Eduardo commanded in a booming voice. Caiseal was quick to run through the house in an attempt to find a phone.
"Hm, so this is the Innocenti estate, eh?" Proton mused in a condescending tone of voice.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!" Eduardo yelled.
"Dad, don't!" Perrine grabbed her father's arm worriedly. "He's part of Team Rocket!"
"Tokiko! Use Extrasensory!" Julia commanded with her eyes squeezed shut. Tokiko's eyes glowed in a purple light as the arbok was suddenly levitated into the air. Before long, arbok was thrown right at Proton, who simply took one step out of the way as the purple cobra rolled onto the front yard.
"Children! Come with me!" Eduardo grabbed both girls by their hands and dragged them from the scene, with the pokemon following suit. The man's grip was like iron, his large hands wrapping around the girls' arms so tight, it felt like their arms were being suffocated. They all ran downstairs into a basement, and found themselves crammed into a small bathroom that could barely fit three people. It was a wonder that all of Perrine's pokemon were able to fit in there, right along with them.
"Where's Caiseal?!" Julia yelped, clinging to Hikaru like a lost child. "That Proton guy might hurt him!"
Perrine tugged on her father's sleeve with a desperate, pleading look. "Dad! Please, let us go out there and fight them! It's the only way!"
"No! Absolutely not!" Eduardo roared. "I refuse to let you go out there and get killed!"
"Dad! Come on! We're trainers! We can beat him! I've done it before!" Perrine shouted.
"No you can't!" The girls could tell the older man was just not having it. Even in this desperate situation, he wasn't going to budge one bit. This was not the time for arguing, but what else could they do?
"We know what we're doing! Please, Dad! Let us fight them!"
BANG! BANG! "Chaaaaa!" Arbok's head banged against the bathroom door.
"Father knows best!" The door came flying off. Kitsune was quick to fire a stream of flames at the giant cobra, making it back away. Eduardo took the kids by the hands once again and pulled them away. The pokemon once again followed suit. All of a sudden, both the arbok and a large blue bat pokemon surrounded them on both sides.
"Sweet Kiss on both of them!" Julia commanded. Tokiko made kissy noises before pink hearts floated over to both enemies. Unfortunately, the arbok sliced them with its tail, and the big blue bat flapped its wings vigorously, making them disappear.
"Choki…" The fear on Eduardo's wrinkled face was unmistakable.
Proton smirked, taking great pleasure in seeing the unadulterated fear on his victims' faces. "Arbok, use Poison Sting. Golbat, use Air Slash."
Arbok opened its large maw, shooting white needles at them. The golbat flapped its wings once, and blue sickles came flying at them. They would have hit them, had Tokiko not glowed in a white light. Soon, a glowing green bubble consumed everyone, rendering the attacks completely useless. The green bubble was big enough to completely encase everyone inside, the other pokemon included. "Wow! Tokiko, you just learned Protect, didn't you?!"
"Choki!"
"Oh lord...we really are trapped…" Eduardo stammered, his body trembling with fear.
"Dad! Pull yourself together!" Perrine shouted. The arbok slammed the bubble with its tail. The golbat tried to slice through the bubble with its wings. They didn't leave even so much as a dent. "Come on, Dad! Let us battle them! We know what we're doing! Please!" Perrine begged, her voice going up an octave.
"No you don't!"
That did it for Julia. As much as she tried to stay out of their business, as her parents drilled it into her head that she should never meddle in someone's private or personal business...she had to intervene. "Yes she does! She's a good trainer! She was the one who stopped Team Rocket from stealing the slowpoke at Azalea Town! She's already won three badges already! That should tell you how capable she is, Mr. Innocenti!" She shouted.
"Vuuuul!" Kitsune echoed Julia's statement.
"No!" Eduardo shouted. "No no no no no no no no no! I know my daughter!" He used his thumb to point at himself, his face beet red both from a combination of fear and anger. "My job is to protect her from any danger!" Hearing that made Perrine cringe. "I don't know what kind of influence you have on her…" Julia squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears. Did he really have to put her on the spot. "But she is not some barbaric hooligan, and I refuse to let her get herself killed, whether it be because of them or you!"
Was he accusing Julia of Team Rocket's machinations? Was he serious? That did it for Perrine. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL!" Perrine finally shouted at the top of her lungs. "This is what I freaking hate about you, Dad! All you care about is you, you, you, you, you! Stop trying to protect me and make me into some glass porcelain doll you can show off to your coworkers and friends! I'm not some robot you can manipulate to do your bidding! Didn't it ever occur to you that all you're doing is trying to keep me in a glass box all the time?! I'll never be the perfect lady you want me to be! You've been absolutely nothing but suffocating my entire life, and I'M SICK OF IT!"
This time, the golbat bared its fangs. "Oh, for the love of Arceus! We're getting out of here!"
Julia got the message. She kneeled down to the egg's level and whispered something. Tokiko nodded obediently and made the bubble dissipate, but not before making it bigger so as to push the arbok and golbat away. "Kitsune, use Flamethrower on arbok! Fukuro and Chirin, use Confusion and Thundershock on golbat!"
Their pokemon nodded, and carried out Perrine's commands with flying colors. The flames danced all around arbok, burning its skin. The golbat was struck by Chirin's thunder, its body jerking from being electrocuted. Fukuro's eyes glowed in an eerie red light, trapping the helpless golbat in place as Chirin electrocuted it. "Baloo, use Disarming Voice on that green haired rocketeer over there!" Baloo made a spiral of red and pink hearts fly right at the man. This gave them the chance to escape into the backyard.
Wailing sirens caught their ears. Men dressed in blue uniforms stormed into the house. Three of them managed to catch four rocket grunts. Eduardo sat down on a bench. His large face was a mixture of fright, confusion, frustration, and possibly many more emotions none of the kids could make out. Eduardo wrapped his arms around himself, hugging himself, or maybe he was trying to protect himself from everything going on around him.
"Is that...how you've always felt?" Eduardo murmured weakly. "Have I...really been too controlling?"
Perrine didn't mince words. "Yes! Yes you have!"
"Perrine!" Even Julia was taken aback by her friend's bluntness. She wished she could be that upfront.
"Dad...I always thought...you hated me...for not being perfect…" Perrine confessed, her small voice trembling. "All those things you made me do...the things I could never do...sewing, tea ceremony, piano...I had thought you saw me as a big mistake…"
"What?! A mistake?!" Eduardo stood up, his eyes having gotten large, like saucers. "No no! Perrine, I...you're not a mistake! You're my daughter! I...I just…" He scratched his hair with one hand. "I just wanted to be a good father. To protect you. I can't believe...I made you feel so...worthless…" He sat back down, taking in everything his daughter told him. "I...I need some wine…this is just too much…"
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry I made you and Mom worry. Really, I am," Perrine balled her fists tightly once more. "I just wanted to go out and fulfill my dream. I want to see the world and do great things."
Eduardo didn't say anything after that.
Despite the police's efforts, Proton was nowhere to be found. It was assumed he had escaped. But they were able to tell the Innocentis that Team Rocket were intent on stealing their money and their estate. For what purpose, nobody knew. Thankfully, the butlers and maids were taken to the hospital, and nobody else was hurt. Caiseal was the one who helped the police catch the other grunts with the help of his pokemon.
Rocio and Eduardo offered to let the kids spend the night here, since they figured they might have been tired from both their journey and the burglary. When night fell, Perrine took a shower. Once she got out, she was surprised to find her mother sitting on her bed with a soft expression, holding Kitsune in her arms. "Mom."
"Your friend is adorable," Rocio crooned, petting Kitsune's fur gently. The little fox basked in the older woman's affection. Perrine sat down next to her.
"She is."
"Of course. You have taken care of her for a long time, haven't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've had her since you were trapped in the slums, right?"
Perrine stood up in alarm. "How did you…?!"
"I came home early one day and heard you talking to her," Rocio confessed. "You were telling this little one how happy you were that she comforted you that day. You were so happy. Happier than you had ever been," The woman looked down at the little fox with a warm smile. "I didn't want to separate you two. I knew it would hurt you terribly. I understand why you ran away, and...I'm not mad at you for wanting to fulfill your dream."
"Mom…" Perrine was taken aback by her mother's confession. Rocio knew she had Kitsune that whole time, and not once did she tell anyone about it. Not even Eduardo. True, her mother was more sensitive and caring than Eduardo was, but as far as she knew, she also didn't like pokemon trainers.
"Personally, I still don't approve of the choice you made," Rocio began. "But...as a mother, your happiness is important to me, so...as long as you're happy, you can go on your journey. I have no right to hold you back. After all, you were going to leave the nest sooner or later, so I figure why not."
"Mom…" Perrine couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around her mother, and Rocio hugged her back. She had no idea her mother felt this way. Perhaps coming back here was a good idea after all. If Julia hadn't suggested it, Perrine would have avoided them entirely. Now, she learned so much after coming back.
She was only going to learn more the next morning. After breakfast, Eduardo gestured for Perrine to come to his office. For once, she didn't disobey. Eduardo sat down at his desk, with Perrine sitting in front of him. "So...what did you want to talk about, Dad?"
"Perrine...I want to apologize," Eduardo told her in a warm, gentle voice. This was quite unlike him. Perrine's mouth fell open. "You're right. I have been far too controlling. I should have been more sensitive and caring, like Rocio. All I wanted was for you to have a good life. A secure future, where you could thrive and be happy and secure. I was afraid...that you becoming a pokemon trainer...would destroy any semblance of a future you had. But even then, I was too harsh on you."
The orange haired girl listened this time. She was so sure Eduardo would continue to be harsh and scold her for what she had done. For a moment, she thought an alien had come to Earth and replaced him with a nicer clone. "I should have tried to understand you. I should have let you do what made you happy," Eduardo pulled a newspaper clipping out and handed it to Perrine. She skimmed over it, noting the names Mao and Eduardo. Her aunt and father.
"Truth be told, I had wanted to become a trainer myself, like Mao. She had gotten her first pokemon the day before, and she was elated. I didn't get one, because Mother and Father didn't trust me. They were right. It happened when your aunt and I were silly little children…" Eduardo began.
(flashback)
"Come on, guys! It's this way!" Four boys of about thirteen raced down the edge of Union Cave. An older girl of fifteen years raced after them with just as much enthusiasm. The girl had sunny blonde hair tied into a French braid, tied up with a pink ribbon, and her hazel eyes gleamed at the chance to have her first pokemon battle. She was wearing blue overalls over a yellow shirt and dirty brown sneakers. A chikorita kept close, never straying from its path.
"Hey, Mao! Catch me if you can!" A young Eduardo teased, chasing his friends.
"Come on, Ed! Quit it!" The girl with the braid-Mao-shouted back. "And tell Jean, Malcolm, and Dejour to slow down a little!"
The three rowdy boys didn't slow down one bit, and had already reached the trees where the end of Union Cave stood long before Eduardo and Mao had. Eduardo was a small boy back then, with scraggly black hair that would always cover his blue eyes, no matter how much he would brush them. "Whoa! Hey, guys!" One of the boys, Dejour, called out.
Eduardo and Mao stopped to listen. "What is it?"
"You gotta come check this out!" Dejour motioned for them to come closer. Mao, Eduardo, and the chikorita finally managed to catch up. The five kids were standing before a large onix, curled up in a swirl shape, sleeping in front of the cave entrance contentedly. Its body rose and fell with every loud snore. Mao covered her ears, inadvertently pushing up her pink hat.
"It's a real life Onix, dude!" The orange haired boy, Jean, exclaimed, marveling at the onix's large size.
"It's huuuuge! That oughta be my first pokemon for sure!" The dark skinned boy, Malcolm, shouted.
"Shhh! You'll wake it up!" Mao hissed, putting a finger to her mouth.
Eduardo scratched his hair. "Man, this thing's blocking the entrance. I wanna catch a sandshrew already…" He moaned. The kids had come to the cave to try their hands at catching their first pokemon.
"I think we should go back," Mao mused out loud.
All four boys whipped their heads around to give Mao surprised expressions. "What?! Come on, Mao!" Eduardo screamed. "You're the one who suggested we come here in the first place!"
"That was before this onix came along!" Mao explained. "You know how dangerous these things are. If you disturb it, it'll go crazy, and it could destroy Azalea Town! Heck, it could even kill you all!"
Malcolm kicked a pebble at the onix's hard skin. It didn't leave a dent, nor did it wake it in any way. "What? You too chicken? Bok bok bok!" He folded his arms and flapped them like a chicken would flap its wings.
"I'm serious, guys!" Mao shouted, appalled by their lack of understanding of the situation. "You don't wanna mess with an onix!"
"Quit being such a stick in the mud, Mao," Eduardo said as he pulled out a bottle of water. "You really are stupid."
"Don't you dare, Ed!" Mao lunged at her little brother to yank the water bottle out of his hand. She knew all too well that onix didn't like water. But Jean and Dejour held her back by holding onto both her arms.
"Splash it! Splash it! Splash it!" Malcolm chanted. Jean and Dejour joined right in. "Splash it! Splash it! Splash it! Splash it!"
Encouraged by his friends' chanting, Eduardo undid the cap on the water bottle. With a swing of his arm, water came cascading out of the bottle, splashing right onto the onix's sleeping face. Big mistake. That was all it took for the onix to shoot right awake, and it let out a mighty roar. "RUN!" Mao grabbed Eduardo and pulled him away from the enraged onix. Jean, Dejour, and Malcolm scrambled after them, their eyes all wide with undiluted fear.
Rocks came piling down. A dust cloud consumed everything. Mao and Eduardo were weighed down by something heavy piling up on them. Everything went black.
The next thing he knew, he found himself in a white hospital room, tucked underneath a snow white blanket. Gauze covered both his arms, and a stream of it had wrapped around his forehead. He wasn't able to bend his leg, as something hard was wrapped around it. A minty, medicinal smell assailed his nostrils. The first thing he saw was rectangle shaped fluorescent lights hovering over him, blinking. Dark and light.
"Ed! Little bro! You're okay!" Mao buried her face in her hands, sobbing. "Thank Arceus! I thought I lost you forever!"
"Mao…?" Little Eduardo wriggled out from underneath the blankets, sitting himself up to get a better look at her. "Where am I?"
"The hospital. Someone saw us get hurt and called 911."
"Where are Mom and Dad?"
"They're on their way. You've only been out for about an hour," Eduardo noticed the bandages wrapped around Mao's left leg and right arm. A pack of gauze was taped to her forehead, and her braid had come completely undone, leaving pale brown her hair a tangled, scraggly mess.
But three people were missing, and they both knew it. "Where are the guys?" Mao squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, unable to respond. Her cheeks were red, and the fluorescent lights revealed the drying tears. He looked up at a window and saw two people talking to a doctor. A dark skinned woman with black hair tied in a bun was holding her husband's hand. "Hey! That's Malcolm's mom!" He exclaimed with a smile. Maybe she came to pick him up. Maybe he was...okay?
The doctor shook his head silently, with a sad, sympathetic look in his eyes. A piercing scream echoed throughout the hospital chambers, loud enough for even the kids to hear it, as their door was open. Malcolm's mother fell to her knees like she had been hit, clutching her husband's sleeve for dear life, wailing like a dying animal. A shiver of ice ran through Eduardo's body.
It couldn't be true. They just couldn't be…
"Ed. I'm sorry...they're gone…" Mao whimpered.
It had to be a lie. This had to be some terrible dream. A horrific nightmare. Of course he would wake up in due time. Wasn't it about time he woke up? No. The gauze on his body proved it. Of all the days he knew Malcolm's mother, he was sure she was never one to cry. She was always jovial, with a smile on her face like a sunflora. The sound that came out of her mouth didn't sound as though it belonged to her. High heels stomped against the tile floor as Malcolm's mother burst through the door. Eduardo froze as soon as they made eye contact. Rage. That was all he saw in her eyes. Absolutely nothing but undiluted rage.
"YOU!" She stomped over to the hospital bed. "You did this! My son is dead because of you!"
"No! Mrs. Thomas! Please!" Mao threw herself in between the hospital bed and the hysterical mother.
"Bring my child back! Bring him back! Bring them all back!" She wailed with contempt in her voice.
"Mrs. Thomas! He didn't know what was gonna happen!" Mao explained. "Please, don't be mad! He didn't mean it, honest!"
Hearing Mrs. Thomas's words was like a thunderbolt striking in a clear blue sky. The weight of what happened piled right on him, like the world was on his shoulders. His weak body trembled. The screams of his friends echoed through his mind.
It was his fault.
No. No no no. It couldn't be. He shook his head vigorously to force those awful feelings out. Jean, Malcolm, and Dejour weren't dead because of him. Already he was telling himself that they didn't die because of him. How could he possibly deal with this? Where were his mother and father? Before he could stop himself, he suddenly shouted, "Yeah! It was your fault, Mao!"
Mao's fault? Both Mao and Mrs. Thomas turned to face the tearful Eduardo. Even Mrs. Thomas stopped yelling at this point. "Little bro! You know that's not true!" Mao exclaimed.
He tried everything to deny it. Denying everything. Denying his own part in it. He couldn't accept it. Why not make Mao take the fall for it? After all, she got a pokemon and he didn't. She was the smart one and he wasn't. Why couldn't something go wrong in her life for once? "You splashed the water on that onix! You killed my friends!"
(end flashback)
Warm tears trickled down Perrine's face, dripping onto the newspaper clipping. She looked up and saw Eduardo at his desk, silently crying, letting the tears flow. This made her speechless. Not once had she ever seen her father cry in all her years of living. She didn't think he ever could cry. "I...I had no idea…"
"Losing my friends…" Eduardo's voice caught in his throat, giving it a sad tone. Even he seemed to be surprised by how utterly broken he sounded. "...hurt me more than you could ever imagine. But I couldn't accept that I had gotten them killed, so...I blamed your aunt for it. Yes, that was how utterly stupid I was, Perrine! In fact, I still am stupid!"
The pieces came together in Perrine's head. All these years he was strict with her...he was trying to dissuade her from becoming a pokemon trainer, all in an attempt to keep her safe, like he couldn't protect his friends. She knew it didn't excuse what he did, but at least now she had some answers. "I was a prideful child. I never liked to accept responsibility for anything, so...I tried to make Mao take the fall for it. That's why...we don't get along, even now," He put a hand on his head, letting out a tired sigh. "My parents didn't know what to do with me. I went to counseling, therapy...everything. I even went to a different school. I was...so scared of pokemon after that. I studied hard to be what I am today...I tried to move on. I tried to forget about them. But then Mao left…"
"You became a pokemon trainer?! Even after what happened?!"
"Yes, I did. What's wrong with that?"
"Have you no remorse for what happened to them?!"
"I'm doing this to honor them! Unlike you, I know how to move on. I made my peace with them."
"When I found out Mao went on a journey anyway...I hated her for leaving. I thought I had lost someone yet again to pokemon...I didn't even go to her coronation or congratulate her when she became the champion…" More sobs escaped his mouth. "I blamed her for years. My refusal to let go of the past...made me the terrible person you see before you. Every time I saw her...I saw my friends dying...and I couldn't bear it. There's no excuse for the way I treated you and her."
Perrine fell silent. Her father had never told her any of this. "I...I appreciate you telling me all of this. You...didn't have to."
"No. I needed to," Eduardo stood up, his body shaking from the awful memories flooding his brain. "I have to. I can't...run away anymore. I can't keep protecting you and blaming Mao for something that wasn't her fault. The whole thing was mine. I can't keep blaming others for it anymore. Only I can carry my sins on my shoulders."
"You talk like you're serving the death penalty."
"Seeing you with your friends and pokemon...looking so jovial, so alive...finally made me forget my hatred," Eduardo told her. Even he couldn't deny it. Perrine loved pokemon, and would continue to do so, no matter what. Perhaps it was time to finally accept it. He kneeled before Perrine and said, with a kind expression on his wrinkled face, "Your mother and I were talking, and...Perrine. Go on your journey."
Perrine's eyes widened. Did he just say that she thought she heard. "I was wrong to treat you the way I did. It scares me that...you're going out all alone. It's a parent's job to pull you back when you get in over your head. But even I know I can't protect you forever. I was selfish, Perrine. But I won't be selfish anymore," He wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her close. "You are my most precious treasure, Perrine. I won't stop you from fulfilling your dream, anymore. Go and be the best pokemon trainer you can be. No matter what, you'll always be my daughter…"
That was when it hit her. All this time, she kept her heart stiff and cold toward them, so she could survive the harsh journey and the life ahead of her. Suddenly, everything felt melted and soft, and the tears returned. She cried into her father's tuxedo, ruining his tie, not that either cared, and both felt a warmth and comfort that they hadn't felt for a long time.
Caiseal watched from a crack in the door. Despite the heartwarming scene before him, all he felt was disappointment. Apollo and Mallow looked up at him with concerned expressions, wondering what was going on in his mind. This was a happy occasion, so why wasn't he happy, they asked themselves. "Durn. I thought I could relate to her…" He turned around, recoiling at the scene unraveling before him.
A voice he didn't want to hear came back into his mind, screaming, "I wish you were never born!"
"Quil quil!"
"Cubone!"
"Yeah. I should have expected this," Caiseal scratched his arm with one hand. "Oh well."
About a few hours later, the kids were ready to return to the wilderness. Rocio walked over to Perrine and said, "I talked to Professor Elm earlier. I arranged for all of your future pokemon to be transferred here, so we can take care of them ourselves. That way, if you ever come home, you can play with your friends."
"I appreciate it, Mom. Thank you," Perrine hugged her mother.
Julia looked over at Caiseal and said, "It seems everything worked out!"
"Yeah. It did," Caiseal replied sheepishly.
"Choki!" Tokiko chirped in agreement.
"Be careful, Perrine. Call us if you need anything," Eduardo told her.
"I will."
"Oh," He looked up at Julia, who held Tokiko in her arms. "You're...Julia, right?"
"Uhh…" Julia looked down at Tokiko, focusing on the yellow spikes on her head to avert Eduardo's gaze. "Y-Y-Y-Yes?"
"You and Caiseal seem like good kids. Take good care of my daughter. Would you please?"
"Uhh...sure! We'll try!"
"I have something for your little friend here," He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small, shiny, glistening silver bell, the size of a marble, with a red string holding it up like a necklace. A small, pale yellow ribbon matching Tokiko's skin sat on top of the bell. "It's for you, little togepi."
"Choki!" Tokiko grabbed the bell so fast she almost dropped it. Julia was quick to grab it.
Eduardo smiled, marveling at the little pokemon's grateful expression. "It's a soothe bell. They help foster a bond between a trainer and the pokemon wearing it."
"Wow...thank you, sir…" Julia wasn't sure what she did to warrant this, but Tokiko seemed happy, and she figured it'd be rude to refuse his kindness, so why not. "Say thank you, Tokiko."
"Choki kriiii!"
"If you ever plan on going to another gym, there's one in Ecruteak City," Rocio announced. "Morty, the gym leader, uses-"
"Ghost and poison types. I know, Mom," Perrine said, giving both her parents one final hug. Julia froze, her stance becoming rigid at the mere utterance at the word poison types. "Thank you both. I love you."
"We love you too, Perrine."
With this, the kids left the Innocenti mansion with light hearts. Perrine found herself skipping along the golden roads with a radiant smile. Coming here had been a good idea after all. Now, her resolve was stronger than ever.
Not gonna lie, blatant shout out to Steven Universe here. I LOVE Steven Universe, and Nightmare Hospital helped me with some writer's block regarding this chapter, so I thought I'd pay homage to it.
Also, special thanks goes to Pokemistress for pointing out that I accidentally mis-updated the file with the wrong chapter! Thanks!
Julia: Pichu (Female, Jolly Nature, Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Thunder Wave), Marill (Female, Mild Nature, Bubble, Tail Whip, Water Gun), Pidgey (Female, Naughty Nature, Gust, Sand Attack, Tackle, Wing Attack), Ledyba (Female, Timid Nature, Comet Punch, Tackle, Flash, Safeguard), Oddish (Female, Docile Nature, Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Mega Drain), and Togepi (Female, Hardy Nature, Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, and Protect).
Pokemon At The Ranch: Butterfree (Female, Calm Nature, Confusion, Sleep Powder, Tackle, Stun Spore), Furret (Male, Bashful Nature, Scratch, Defense Curl, Quick Attack, Fury Swipes), and Snubbull (Female, Gentle Nature, Ice Fang, Bite, Lick, Scary Face).
Perrine: Vulpix (Female, Quiet Nature, Flamethrower, Confuse Ray, Faint Attack, and Extrasensory), Chikorita (Male, Gentle Nature, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Growl, Poison Powder), Jigglypuff (Female, Docile Nature, Sing, Doubleslap, Disarming Voice, Wake Up Slap), Hoothoot (Male, Sassy Nature, Confusion, Peck, Hypnosis, and Echoed Voice), Chirin (Male, Adamant Nature, Thundershock, Tackle, Cotton Spore, Charge), and Skiploom (Female, Relaxed Nature, Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Sleep Powder)
Pokemon At Professor Elm's Lab: Paras (Male, Quirky Nature, Scratch, Stun Spore, Leech Life, and Growth)
Caiseal: Cubone (Male, Lax Nature, Bonemerang, Bone Club, Headbutt, and Growl), Cyndaquil (Male, Bold Nature, Ember, Quick Attack, Smokescreen, and Tackle), Geodude (Male, Brave Nature, Rock Throw, Tackle, Rock Polish, and Defense Curl), Oddish (Male, Quirky Nature, Acid, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent), Quagsire (Female, Jolly Nature, Mud Slap, Water Gun, Tail Whip, Mud Bomb), and Murkrow (Female, Hardy Nature, Wing Attack, Night Shade, Haze, and Dark Pulse).