The Road to Mahogany, Chapter 39

The phone rang a few times before someone picked it up. It was pretty early in the morning, so it didn't surprise me. Mom wasn't exactly a morning person.

"Hello? Who is it?" She said groggily on the line.

"It's me, Mom."

I heard some scrambling about on the other end, before the monitor switched on. Mom's hair was a mess, and she had dark bags under her eyes. I rarely got to see her like this, because she had a habit of getting perfectly dressed for the day before leaving her room in the morning. Once she saw me giggling, she took hold of a hairbrush and got to work.

"Good morning, sweetie! I didn't expect you to call so soon! Or so early..." Her brush got stuck in a knot, so she forced the brush a bit to undo it.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I woke you," I said.

"It's perfectly alright. Do you need something, Star?"

"Actually, I do. Remember when I asked you about going to Hoenn?" Her expression went dark.

"You mean you're actually going?"

"I always said I wanted to. I just wasn't sure when, Mom." I let out a sigh, knowing it was going to be a repeat of the last phone call. Mom took notice, and quickly put that smile back on her face.

"I was just joking, baby! So, when do you need the money?" Forced smile or no, I was intending to collect on her offer.

"Well, the ship doesn't arrive here in Olivine City for a couple weeks. I'm going to visit Mahogany Town in the meantime, since I'm still missing a couple badges. If you could send the money to Ecruteak City, I could pick it up there."

I explained to her in short my travel plan, so she wouldn't freak out about sending the money blindly. I had to pass by Moo Moo Farm on the way to Ecruteak first, but I'd definitely stay the night in the city. Once I had the money, I'd move on towards Mahogany Town.

"Don't you think it's better to stay close to Olivine City, Star? What if something happens and you can't make it back in time to catch the ship?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," I said. "There's only a few roads between here and Mahogany Town, so I can ride my bike there and get around quicker."

I could tell Mom wasn't entirely convinced, but it wasn't like she could do much to change my mind.

"Well, alright. I'll trust you, Star. You know your limits better than anyone. I'll send the money to Ecruteak's Pokemon Center soon as I have breakfast. Make sure you eat something before you go speeding off, okay?"

"Yes, Mom, I will."

After hearing the usual 'take care of yourself' speech from her, she hung up the call. I joined Vulpix and Nurse Joy for breakfast that morning, then took to my bike and sped off from Olivine.

~o~

"Momma! It's Star!" Called out Kathy when she saw me pull up to the house later that day.

The little girl ran up to me and gave me a hug. Natalie and Martha emerged from the barn, both of them also happy to see me again.

"Great to see you back so soon, Star!" Martha also gave me a hug, practically suffocating me in her ample chest. Needless to say, I was a bit flushed when she let me go.

"I'm sorry I took so long to return," I said. I dug around my bag for a moment, and pulled out the strange root the woman at the pharmacy had given me. "This is the medicine you needed, right?"

"Thank you, Star! With this, our Miltank will get better soon." Martha took the root and ran into the house, probably to get it ready.

"Will you stay for lunch? I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind," offered Natalie.

"Yeah! You should stay and eat with us, Star!" Added in Kathy.

"Well, I guess I could stay a while. But I have to leave right after, because I'm in a bit of a rush."

So I had lunch with Natalie and Kathy, but not Martha. She was so wrapped up in preparing the medicine she couldn't join us, and was out in the barn the whole time. Kathy spent most of the time talking my ear off about every little thing she had done since I left. Natalie tried a couple times to shut her up, but every time she did, Kathy's eyes would well up, and I'd tell her to continue the story. She reminded me so much of when I was little, I didn't have the heart to tell her to stop.

After Natalie and I finished eating, Kathy stayed at the table with Vulpix. She had been so wrapped up in her story that she still had most of her lunch left. Natalie led me out to the field where the Miltanks were grazing, the same place we spoke the last time I was here.

"So you're going somewhere?" She asked once we were out of earshot.

"Yeah, I have to get to Ecruteak City today. Mom's sending me some money so I can buy a ticket to Hoenn."

"So you aren't going back to Olivine City again?"

"No, I have a couple weeks before the ship arrives, so I'm going to Mahogany Town to pick up another badge." There was also Blackthorn City beyond Mahogany Town, but one thing at a time.

"So you're back to normal, then?" Natalie eyed me carefully.

"I guess? What are you talking about?"

"You seemed confused last time, that's all." Natalie looked back out to the cow Pokemon. I didn't have anything to say in response.

"Star, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Should I go on a Pokemon adventure, too?" I looked over to Natalie, who seemed to be really considering this.

"I guess so, if that's what you want to do," I answered. Natalie didn't respond right away, so I wasn't sure if that ended up being the right answer.

"What about Kathy?" I asked her this time.

"She's the reason why I don't want to go on one," she whispered to me.

"Don't want to leave her alone?"

"No," Natalie said, shaking her head. "I'll be ten next year, so I could go on my adventure. But Kathy will only be seven. I don't want to leave her here all alone with Mom."

I didn't know what to say in response, so I kept quiet. I never had a sister or brother to look after, so I couldn't begin to offer advice or words of wisdom to her. The good thing was, I didn't have to linger in that limbo for long. Kathy and Vulpix showed up a moment later, so our little discussion was at an end.

Actually, it was almost better that it happened that way. Natalie and I watched for a moment as Kathy played with Vulpix, using a stick as a sort of conductor's baton to issue orders to my fox companion. She had drive and quite the imagination, so I didn't doubt that one day she'd make a great Pokemon trainer, if that's what she wanted to do. After Kathy noticed us watching her, she blushed a little and ran up to us.

"Stop looking at me!" She said with a pouty face.

"Kathy," I said, kneeling down to meet her at eye level, "Do you plan to become a Pokemon trainer when you get older?"

"Yeah! I want to have my own Pokemon so I can go out and play like you, Star!" She gave me a bright smile. I turned to Natalie.

"What do you think about that?" I asked her. She gave us both something of a half-hearted smile, then kneeled down herself in front of Kathy.

"I think we'll be going on a Pokemon adventure together, then."

Kathy practically exploded with joy at the idea.

~o~

Because I was caught up in a couple Pokemon battles along the way, I ended up arriving at Ecruteak City a lot later than I had hoped. So as usual, I ended up staying at the Pokemon Center, determined to stop by Morrigan's house the following morning. While it's true that Morrigan could creep me out a little, she had been a big help the last time I was in the city. The least I could do was hang out with her for a while before pressing on towards Mahogany Town.

Nurse Joy remembered me from the last time I was there. Having brought in my friend Rebecca and then myself following the battle with Giovanni, it didn't surprise me. She also had the money Mom had sent, which she handed over after I dialed Mom to confirm I was the real Star. And of course, Mom got all emotional again when she realized that I would be leaving once again, further away from her than ever before. So after calming her down (and feeling a bit of embarrassment myself), I took to the couch-turned-bed for the night. Vulpix, as usual, had long since fallen asleep.

After breakfast the next morning, I made a stop by the small gravesite where I had buried Primeape. The impact of it all hit me harder than I had imagined, so before long I found myself wiping tears from my eyes. I didn't even hear the person walk up to be because of it.

"Excuse me, young lady," came a voice from behind me. I turned around to see who it was, trying my best to wipe away the tears. It was an older man, though I didn't recognize who he was.

"Yes? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying like this," I said, trying to stop the tears for just a moment.

"Don't worry, dear. It's only natural to mourn the loss of a friend. I take it you're the young lady my niece said would come back here eventually."

"Your niece? Are you talking about Morrigan?" The man nodded, and produced a letter from his pocket.

"She asked me to give this to you, said she was sorry she couldn't say it herself in person. She went back home a couple days ago, to Lavender Town." I took the letter from the man, but held off on reading it just yet.

"Thank you, sir," I said, bowing slightly to show my appreciation further.

"Don't worry, dear. I'll leave you to your thoughts. I'm certain you'd rather be alone than in the company of a total stranger."

Once Morrigan's uncle had left, I opened her letter.

Dear Star:

I'm sorry I wasn't able to stick around long after you left town. I hope by the time you read this, you'll have captured that weasel who stole your Pokemon. You'll do me a favor and let me know how it all went, right?

Since I had to go back home, I spent all that time hanging around you while you were in town. History and culture is one thing, but hanging around with you? Well, that was a lot more fun than I ever would've had on my own. Please don't forget to write me or call me or whatever! I live in Lavender Town, it's pretty small, so as long as you address a letter to me, it'll reach me somehow.

Good luck on your other adventures. Your pal, Morrigan.

Vulpix barked as soon as I finished reading the letter. I looked at her, and noticed she was clawing at something on the reverse side of the paper. I flipped it over, and noticed a final line scribbled on the back.

"'P.S. Tell Vulpix that Doc will miss her!'" I read aloud. Vulpix let out a small whimper.

"You miss Doc, girl? I thought you didn't like him?" I asked my Pokemon. She tilted her head slightly, then barked. Whether she was confirming it or not I'd never know.

I folded the letter up and put it in my bag. It was yet another important memory, another important friendship I had developed on this journey. It was moments like these that made the hardships of the adventure all the more worthwhile. After strapping my bag to my back, I snapped my fingers to signal Vulpix.

"Come on, Vulpix. Let's get going!"

~o~

Autumn was starting to kick in, you know. My adventures in Kanto took a almost a full two months, and by now it was probably some time in late September. To be honest, I had lost track of time outside the sixteen hours the sun was up. It just felt so foreign to me, having to keep track of what day it was, what part of the week, of the month. Just one of the many things I had left behind when I departed Pallet Town so long ago.

As I rode past the trees on Route 42, I noticed a few of them were starting to lose their deep shades of green. Some trees were almost yellow entirely, only cementing the fact the next season in the cycle was upon us. Vulpix barked and pointed at the few trees of a different shade, no doubt remembering the first time she saw trees like that. It wasn't long after I first got her as a gift from Mom.

She was smaller then, and she hadn't grown all six of her tails just yet. Having never owned a pet Pokemon of my own, I went everywhere and did everything with Vulpix, despite Mom's complaints. One time, during the fall, we went playing around in large piles of fallen leaves. It was fun at first, until something happened that nearly burnt down our house. Vulpix sneezed, and with it came a few flames from her mouth. Instantly the piles were set ablaze, and the entire town got involved in the matter.

Fortunately, a trainer who was passing through Pallet Town at the time helped douse the fire with his water Pokemon. It was a Poliwhirl, a Pokemon I never forgot. After the town had settled down, Mom considered taking Vulpix back to the man she bought her from. Needless to say, I was against this, and after enough crying and begging, she let me keep her. Under the condition that I wouldn't go around starting anymore fires, of course.

Halfway through Route 42, just after I had stopped for lunch, I came across a cave entrance. I checked the map on my Pokegear, and learned it was an entrance to Mt Mortar, an oft-forgotten place for travelers. Now, my policy regarding caves is to avoid them like poison, but there were screams and sounds of rocks breaking coming from inside the cave. Memories of what had happened back in the Union Cave flooded my mind, but I just couldn't ignore those screams. I looked down at Vulpix, who was just as eager to lend aid to whoever was in the cave.

"Well, people have helped me before when I was in trouble inside caves," I said, remembering those instances. "I guess I should try and return the favor, right?"

Vulpix barked in confirmation, and ran to the mouth of the cave. After cleaning up the leftovers from lunch, I folded up my bike and went into the cave. All the while, I was hoping this wouldn't be one of those decisions I'd end up regretting afterwards.

Mt Mortar, unlike the other caves I had explored, was mostly flooded. It seemed strange, then, that the cave would be called Mt Mortar. Then again, if I questioned that, why was Mahogany Town called Mahogany Town? Why was all of Johto thematically named after types of flowers? Rather than start tearing down the world around me, I kept my eyes on the ground ahead. If I stumbled into the water or was caught by surprise by another Onix, I'd curse the second I set foot into that cave.

I followed the sounds of the screams, and as I got closer, they became more and more understandable. At first I thought it was a boy screaming for help, but now it sounded like a man yelling at something. I started to fear this entire trip was a waste of time, and it became more apparent once I finally saw the man in question.

He wasn't in any danger, just smashing up rocks along the cavern wall with his Pokemon. Two of them I recognized, a Hitmonlee and a Hitmonchan. There was a third there as well, one I didn't know. I pulled out my trusty Pokedex, but before I could scan the critter, I heard someone yell out at me.

"Hey! Who are you?" The sudden yell caused me to drop my Pokedex, but fortunately it landed on Vulpix first, breaking the fall.

"I'm sorry! I heard yelling and-"

"Oh, sorry, kid. Didn't mean to startle ya." The man came around in front of me, and it was only now that I recognized him. That fat belly, sweaty all over; it was Chuck!

"Chuck? Is that you?" I asked him. It took him a bit longer to remember me, though.

"Oh! It's you! The little girl that came by the gym a few days back." Chuck put his hand to his chin. "Some kinda fancy name, right?"

"It's Star," I said flatly.

"Right! Star! How you doing, kid?"

"Okay. I challenged Olivine's gym leader when I got back from Cianwood," I shared.

"Jasmine, huh? She give you much trouble? She's always so quiet and small you'd forget she even existed." I guess that was one way to describe her.

"It was a hard battle. But thanks to Vulpix, we managed to win!" Vulpix piped in with a bark.

"Glad to hear it. Oh! Nearly forgot..." Chuck signaled for the younger man behind him to step forward.

"I'm Kiyo," he said, bowing slightly.

"I'm Star," I said, shaking his hand. Unlike Chuck, he wasn't anywhere near as sweaty. Or smelly, but I kept both those comments to myself.

"What brings you out here, Star?" Chuck asked me.

"Well, I heard screaming from outside the cave, so I came inside to help. Didn't expect to find you two breaking rocks here." Chuck let out a hearty laugh.

"Means you're doing a fine job there, Kiyo. Keep up the good work!" Chuck gave him a hard pat on the back, one that almost looked like it hurt.

"So what are you doing?" I asked, looking at the mass of broken rocks all over the place. I'd almost go as far as to guess they were building a new tunnel.

"Training. When ya work with fighting type Pokemon, it's important to build your own strength alongside theirs, otherwise they'll walk all over ya!" Chuck took the opportunity to showcase his muscles, though his rather large belly detracted from the display. His explanation did account for why Primeape was hard for me to control at first, before he became steadfastly loyal.

"I see. And what kind of Pokemon is that," I asked, pointing towards the smaller critter between Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. Kiyo answered this one.

"That's Tyrogue, a special baby Pokemon. I'm training him up so one day he can join Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan here at my gym."

"Baby Pokemon?"

"You've never heard of them? That's certainly something! Baby Pokemon are just as the name implies: young Pokemon that will one day grow and evolve into more familiar creatures. It takes lots of time and work, but the bonds you create last a lifetime, and certainly much better than capturing a Pokemon in the wild." Again, explaining how Vulpix and I were so close. She may not have been a baby Pokemon when I first got her, but she was certainly very little.

"Alright, enough chatter," Chuck cut in, "You should get back to your trainin', and I should be headed back home myself."

"Don't want to make your wife angry?" I joked with Chuck.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that! Kiyo, behave yourself, else Star here will whip you better than I ever could!"

Chuck waved farewell to Kiyo and his Pokemon, and made his way out of the cave. Once Kiyo and I were alone, I asked him about the gym he mentioned a moment ago. My surprise when I heard his answer!

"I run a smaller gym in Saffron City, more of a dojo than anything. We don't have an official badge to hand out to trainers, but we're there only to promote further training, as well as a hub for leaders to meet from around the regions."

"Small world! When I was in Saffron City, I heard about your gym, but my friend said it didn't have any badges to give, so I didn't stop by." I blushed a bit after letting that slip, realizing how rude that came out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Many trainers think like you, so the dojo's been a bit down on its luck. Why I'm always here now." Kiyo took a glance back at his Pokemon, who were all starting to look bored of the inaction.

"Maybe I should get going, too, leave you to your training." I said, taking a step back.

"If you must. It was a pleasure meeting you, Star. And good luck with your adventure!"

"Thanks, Kiyo!"