Pokemon Radio Signals
Truths Out

"Why me?" Heather found herself leaning over the fence, looking out towards the group of Tauros out in the field, wishing things weren't the way that they were.

"Sorry." Amy stood there next to her, the Pikachu stuffed toy clutched into her hand. "I mean, for keeping an eye on me."

Heather's eyes blinked, wondering why the other girl would think such a thing. After all, the reason their teacher sent the two of them outside was to hopefully avoid the girls getting into it while she was gone. Particularly, Heather didn't want to deal with Chelsey's stubbornness having dealt with her insisting everyone at their lunch table should trade their Pokémon for the ones she'd cheated. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Amy pondered over how she should answer the question. "Isn't the reason why we were sent out here was so you could keep an eye on me?"

"I think it was so that Chelsey and I wouldn't get into it while Mrs. Atwood was gone."

"I think it is Ms. Atwood."

"Anyways, why would you think she'd have me babysitting you?"

"Don't you look at for your younger siblings or something like that? I mean, didn't you say something about helping your mother out."

"Yes, well, there is that." Heather watched the Tauros, leaning in. "That's honestly another place Chelsey and I differ. She wants to stay here like we don't have any kind of responsibilities, but I guess rich kids don't have any kind of responsibilities."

"I guess we don't."

Heather froze, suddenly remembering the other girl in fact one of the rich girls. "Well, I didn't mean…"

"I'm not exactly responsible. I shouldn't even be here."

"Look, I know that Felicity was hard on you while we were on the boat, but don't you remember?" Heather watched Amy worry her lip.

"Remember what?"

"You were the first one of us to notice the Pokémon, but know it was Pokémon."

"That's not…" Amy continued worrying her lips. "That's not what I mean."

"Yeah, but you still shouldn't let Felicity to get to you."

"No, when I say I shouldn't be here, I mean I shouldn't even be on the trip." Amy looked at her fingers, which she twiddled. "I kind of…"

"You kind of what?"

"Do you remember how you said I'm pure. I'm really not, because I signed the permission form, not my parents. They don't even know I'm here. I mean, they didn't know I was on the trip. So, not pure like you think."

"How's that even possible?" Heather knew her mother always knew where she was, or at least as best as she could given the fact they'd been washed into another world with no way of contacting those back home.

"They just, they kind of have a set itinerary for me and the school stuff is just added in."

"But then they would know if they looked at the schedule?"

"Well, I guess. I still lied to get here."

Heather pondered this, thinking that despite the fact Amy wasn't in fact the type she'd expect to lie, but then she'd not expected one of the rich girls to actually be nice to others. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to make friends."

"What about the other rich girls?"

"Not my friends. I mean, there are the ones my parents wanted me to make friends with, but they weren't interested in any of the things I'm interested in." Amy tilted her head. "My parents don't even know I watch cartoons. They think they're childish and they don't know about my Pikachu toy either. Of course…" She then said something else. "… compared to your situation, that is trivial, though I am glad I told someone I lied."

"You should tell the teacher," Heather watched Amy opened her mouth.

"I…"

"Well, why not?"

"Because… I like sensei. I don't want to disappoint her and that will disappoint her."

"I think the teacher will be more understanding than you think," Heather let out a sigh. "So, since we're being honest, the teacher is aware that I got stuck on this trip because I got caught playing games to earn money to help my mom and younger siblings out, but I wasn't old enough to enter. The school could have told my mom, but they didn't and instead assigned me this as a punishment."

"Why are you telling me?" Amy frowned, hugging her Pikachu closer.

"I'm telling you because Chelsey already knows. She thinks what I did is the same as cheating on the games. She didn't even take the time to enjoy playing through. The other girls will likely find out as well, but since you're being honest with me…"

"Still…"

"Tell the teacher. I mean, she is going to figure out eventually. If we do make contact with those back home, it is going to come out and she'd be even more disappointed…" Heather paused. "…when it comes out."

"That sounds like sound advice."

"I…" Heather looked at her hands. "I'm in the same boat, yet it's with my mother. She didn't know I'd gotten into trouble, but I imagine that she will be even more disappointed in me having not told her what I was doing. That I was trying to earn extra money to help her out and doing things such as buying things on the side such as things my siblings needed for school so my mom didn't have to worry about them, but this… this will honestly have her worried."

"I wish," Amy paused, looking out at the Tauros. A few Pidgey flew across the sky while a Rattata peeked out in one area. "I wish I knew whether my parents were worried about me or not. I mean, everyone would think this is a dream come true, but it's really not. Yet it is. I don't know."

Heather let out a sigh, completely getting how Amy felt, having seen the other girl become excited when they saw the Magikarp in the ocean. She also found seeing them quite exciting, but still didn't feel comfortable about not knowing how her mother was doing, perhaps some of it being guilt.

"I think I will tell her. Honestly is the best policy."