A/N: Howdy y'all! Ah'm back from Cali! Sorry it took so long to update, my writing availability has become a bit impaired.
Anyway, lots of reviews to respond to! Yay! Lunar Sphinx, thanks for the advice-I wrote, edited, and posted the first 5 chappies between 10 PM and 1 AM, so my writing may have deteriorated a little over a period of time. And Andy's are not jerks, I just chose a name. If you think about it it makes sense, because the difference between TJ in our world and TJ in theirs is basically pokémon, so they should be the same enemy name. But thanks all the same, and thanks for the encouragement about my faith. Pokémon Trainer B1, I certainly like your enthusiasm! However, I feel obligated to point out that this is not a May story, it's an OC story with May thrown in to spice things up. If you want May, come back for the sequel (note: won't be for a looooong time). Little Rabbit, I like your style! You make me feel like I'm actually a writer instead of some two-bit computer nerd punk. Thanks. I looked at your website; it's good. And Liz, thank you as always. Hopefully the cussing will go down after this chapter, although I can't really make someone a bad guy and expect my readers to believe that he has a problem with saying bad words. It just doesn't work like that. And yes, it is a little dramatic, but TJ's story is being told by TJ (it should be noted that most of the American public would blanch at a situation like that). And besides, it may not be small children with cancer, but it's still sad. And he can't get into college partly because the teachers are prejudiced, mostly because he's used to failure, conditioned for it. That changes, as you'll see.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, Houenn, May, or any derivitave thereof. I do own my character TJ.
Note:
"Speaking"
Thinking
Pokéspeak
Psychic conversations
Flashbacks
SHOUTING
Chapter Six:
The Three Pokéteers
Location: Littleroot Town
Time: shortly after TJ's confrontation with the Professor
"TJ! Careful with those stacks of papers!"
"Yes sir."
TJ smiled. It was a happy smile, and he felt it right down to his toes. It had been too long since he had done something like that. In the month since he had started working for Birch, his cares and sorrows had slowly faded away. He was reluctant at first, but he soon discovered that he loved labwork. The machines and tests that he used and maintained only served to fuel his desire to learn as much as possible about pokémon, and he had put his new responsibilities to good use.
Chuckling, he picked up the stack of reports in front of him and moved them over to a cardboard box on the floor. His current task was to pick up all the old reports from the past several years and correctly box and label them. Then the Professor would load them in his pickup and take them home, where he kept all his old records. TJ would have been done long before this, but he kept reading something that caught his eye and asking the Professor about it. Now was no exception.
"Hey Professor! What's this 'Theory of Symbiosis Between Wurmple and Zigzagoon'?"
Birch looked up from his work and smiled at TJ. Their personal relationship had started out as shakily as their professional one had, but TJ's thirst for pokémon knowledge had quickly overcome emotional barriers. The Professor was delighted to have an assistant with no basis in classical pokology, and would spend hours discussing his observations with the boy, excited to have a fresh mind with no scientific prejudices. On TJ's part, he was ecstatic to have an employer give him answers so freely-a first, for him. The pairing was a match made in heaven, and both men felt so.
"Well, that's an old independent study I did about four years ago. It was never very well recieved in the scientific community, and since I was doing it as a hobby, I didn't really have the time or funds to pursue it. It's a pity really, I think I was really on to something."
"What! What! You have to tell me Professor!"
Birch chuckled. "Well, if you're really so interested you'll-"
But whatever the Professor had been about to say was lost forever, as someone knocked loudly on the front door of the lab. Their mouths twisted in annoyance, but customers came first, so the Professor got up to answer the door, and TJ returned to his papers and boxes. That turned out to be a good thing.
"You can't just waltz right in here! This is a delicate laboratory, with highly expensive-"
"Don't worry about it. I'm Andy Stone, my father sent you a letter, did he not?"
TJ's head shot up, and he glanced around wildly. Sure enough, there was Andy standing inside the door and looking around casually. Professor Birch stood next to him, looking upset and disconcerted. TJ ducked down before he was spotted.
"Well," the Professor said slowly, "I do seem to remember a letter from the Devon Corporation sitting in my mail pile this morning, but I didn't get the chance to read-"
"No matter, it's all been arranged. I'm to stay with you and learn the finer points of being a first class pokologist, seeing as how I've already mastered the basics."
Birch bit his lip speculatively. He really didn't want to take the boy on, something about his attitude rubbed him wrong. And he didn't need any extra help, he had TJ. Birch was most definitely not the teaching type. The last thing he wanted was to take on some arrogant fool as his apprentice. On the other hand, he was the son of Devon Stone. Devon Stone, president of the Devon Corporation, was easily the most powerful man for several hundred miles. He happened to be the lab's best customer, often commissioning independent work to "keep my employees frisky", as he put it. Birch knew for a fact that he couldn't stand his younger son, wondered where he had gone wrong. But he also loved him, and wanted the best for him. If Birch had read his letter and replied to it this morning, he could have simply explained his situation and apologized for the disappointment. If he sent his son away now, however, not only would the boy go home and whine to his father, Mr. Stone would himself be highly offended at the lack of courtesy. One did not offend their best customer like that. So, Birch reluctantly agreed.
"All right, you're in. Might as well give you the grand tour. This is the main room, the one where I display my results to customers. Over there is the main computer bank, those are temporary holding cages where I keep whatever I'm working on at the moment, and over there are the desks that my assistan-"
WHUMP!
Professor Birch looked around wildly, trying to find the source of the stapler that had just hit him. He was almost sure that TJ had just thrown it at him, but he couldn't imagine why. After scanning the room for his assistant, the Professor shrugged and continued.
"Anyway, as I was saying, those are the desks that my assis-"
WHAP!
The Professor wanted to wring TJ's neck. What was wrong with the boy? he was behaving strangely! Andy was staring at the Professor curiously. "Is anything wrong, Birch?"
Professor Birch felt a surge of annoyance at his impudence, but suppressed it. "No, I don't think so-"
"Professor!" called out a strange voice. Who is that? thought the Professor. "Professor, watch out!"
Birch realized with a start that it was TJ speaking. He was doing something to his voice, disguising it somehow. "What's wrong!" he shouted back.
"One of the pokémon got out! He's throwing stuff everywhere and ripping the office apart! Come quick!"
That was serious! "Stay here," the Professor said to Andy. Then he hurried off towards his private office.
Once inside, he shut the door and looked around. He had a moment's glance of a perfectly fine office before TJ tackled him to the carpet.
Birch had had enough. "What is going on here, TJ!" He hissed quietly.
TJ crept over to the door and peered under the crack. He nodded, as if satisfied, then quietly stood and locked the handle. Then he turned to face Birch.
"Professor, do you remember the story I told you about why I came here looking for a fight?"
"Of course I do, something about a rude nasty customer at your last job who made you want something more, and he tried to get you fired because he was rich and arrogant-oh no."
TJ nodded. "Oh yeah. And it looks like he hasn't changed none. If anything Andy's ruder and more arrogant than the last time I saw him. If he sees me here, it's curtains for the both of us."
Birch pondered this, then shook his head. "Are you sure? We don't know that he remembers you, he might not have any idea who you are. After all how many people do you think he's done that to-" TJ cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Professor, I kneed him in the nuts. As a matter of fact, I kneed him so hard he had to be carted off by an ambulance. If you had some guy practically preform a sex-change operation on you, would you forget him?"
"Good point."
"Yeah. Like I said, if he sees me it's over for the both of us."
"Well, what should we do?"
"Simple. We pretend I don't exist. Tell him you've got an assistant who watches the pokémon for you, does all the menial stuff."
"I'd never do that! How can we possibly pass that off!"
"You know that you'd never do that, and I know that you'd never do that, but does he know you'd never do that? He's so dang arrogant he'll never think twice about your story. It's something he'd do, and he automatically assumes that everyone is just like him, I can guarantee you."
They talked a bit more. Birch couldn't make himself walk out of the room confidently, but he felt he could manage what he had to do, as long as Andy was as arrogantly stupid as TJ said he was. He cleared his throat.
"Sorry about the interruption Mr. Stone. If you'll follow me, I'll show you where the specific labs are, and where you'll be staying."
"Who was the other person in the office?"
The Professor's heart nearly skipped a beat. He felt like he had swallowed his tongue. Amazingly enough, he managed to keep a calm exterior and said, "oh, no one. Just some hired help to keep an eye on the pokémon. He feeds them and waters them and cleans up their messes."
"Oh, right. What's his name?"
The Professor shrugged. "No idea, really. It's not like he's important."
Displaying mind-blowing stupidity, Andy said, "oh. Okay."
"Right. Well, this way sir. Over here is the enviroment simulation room..."
TJ waited until they were out of earshot, then quietly snuck out of the office. Checking to make sure that Andy couldn't see him, he walked quickly across the room to the door. Slipping out, he began walking home. He would have rather worked the rest of the day, but with Andy there he couldn't do anything more that afternoon. He'd try again tomorrow.
God, he thought, if this is a joke, you're the only one laughing.
OOOOOOOO
I hate diapers! thought TJ angrily.
He was sitting on a stool, trying to hold a struggling Makuhita still while he changed its diaper. The Makuhita was very old, or TJ would have had his nose broken long ago. But it still had enough pep to make the job irritating for him.
"Why couldn't you just run free, like all the normal pokémon, huh?"
The Makuhita gave him a look that said he'd be just fine with that. TJ sobered. He may rage and storm, but he really couldn't get too angry at the pokémon. It, and its brethren, were all confined to this small auxilary lab at the other end of the Professor's complex. They had most of them been great warriors and famous champions in their time. But time has a way of passing, and all too soon they were has-beens waiting to find another youngster to battle. You can't keep battling forever, so when they got too old to safely fight they were retired. Those who refused to accept retirement gracefully were taken here, to the laboratory in section seventeen of the field, where they would spend the rest of their lives being taken care of by humans. It was depressing.
"All right, all right already. There, you're good to go. So impatient!"
Having been released from restraint, the Makuhita turned around and good-naturedly punched TJ in the shoulder. TJ chuckled and punched it right back. The pokémon were all right, really. They got along quite well, as long as he wasn't trying to change diapers on the ones who needed them. The Makuhita ambled off to find some friends to play with, and TJ stood up and looked around. Glancing at his clipboard, he checked off his last chore and placed it on the table with a sigh.
Great, he thought, I've finished all my chores and it's only ten. Now what?
Fortunately for TJ and the Professor, Andy was a late sleeper. That first morning after he arrived, TJ had gotten up at the crack of dawn. Moving quickly, he had gotten ready and raced over to the lab, where the Professor had been up and waiting. The two men had talked quietly for the better part of an hour, and finally decided that TJ would spend his time around Andy hidden away in the Section Seventeen laboratory. He hadn't been happy about it, but in the end he had agreed that there was nowhere else to hide. He didn't want to be seen by Andy-he could avoid the consequences easily enough, just go somewhere that Devon didn't sell. But the Professor would lose his life's work, and TJ loved the man too much to do that to him.
As it frequently had for the past week, the small reinforced room in the corner caught his eye. TJ vividly remembered the day its occupants had arrived seven days ago...
"Hey Professor! Nice to see you for a change! How'd you get away from the boy blunder?"
"I told him I was doing something dangerous that involved lots of hard work." That would instantly deterr Andy, who thought that hard was a four letter word.
TJ watched the Professor curiously as he brought the reinforced room in the corner to life. As far as he knew it was for rowdy subjects, too dangerous to leave around the other occupants of the lab. It had solid steel bars running through the walls and ceiling, a specially case-hardened concrete floor, a solid titanium sheet welded to the steel in the ceiling, a plating of rough-cut granite on the walls, a steel veneer over it, a special flame retardent ceramic-polymer spray coating on all the surfaces of the room, a special sun lamp to simulate noon, an independent air recycling system, and two independantly operated air lock systems to be thouroughly sure that nothing escaped. It was a fortress, the most impenetrable fortress for miles. He had never seen it occupied.
Now there were police officers in the room! It was serious then. Some pokémon that was too dangerous to allow around humans, but one that hadn't committed a truly serious crime yet. Three pokémon, he realized as three violently shaking cages were brought in the room. The cages each had a small window, about the size of a human fist, and TJ caught a glimpse of their occupants. A small Mudkip that kept hurling itself at the door, a desperate look on its face. A Treecko with the coldest violet eyes he had ever seen. And a Torchic...
The moment TJ locked eyes with the Torchic, it felt like he was burning up. He felt pierced by a thousand little needles. The Torchic was measuring him, staring at him intently. Its eyes burned with a fiery purpose that stole the breath from TJ's lungs. It stood confidently, glaring at the world and especially him. But behind that gaze lurked something TJ recognized, something he was all too familiar with. Pain. Fear. Anger. Despair. A blending of all four. He didn't know anything about these three, but he knew one thing-they were fighting the same battle he had.
They were brought into the room and unceremoniously dumped on the floor. The moment it was free the Treecko lunged at the police officers and tried to attack them, but they beat a hasty retreat. The doors sealed, and they were locked in.
The Professor turned from the big metal cylinders that served as entrance mechanisms and faced TJ. "TJ," he said, "listen carefully. Those three are considered fatal to humans, and a danger to other pokémon and themselves. Going in there would be nothing short of suicide for you. They all hate humans, and won't hesitate to harm you in any way. I know how curious you are, and normally I encourage it, but listen to me now: do not go in there. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," TJ replied. But in his mind he crossed imagined fingers. He didn't like lying to the Professor, but he just had to see those pokémon. There had to be a way to reach them! There had to be a way to ease away their pain...
And now here he was a week later, no closer to actually getting inside. He knew that they hadn't been fed in the week since they had arrived, but he doubted that was the angle he needed to try and reach the friendly happy creatures buried deep inside them. No, he thought, there has to be another way, a better way.
Three Hours Later...
Okay, so I'm an unorigional hack. So sue me.
TJ walked through the first airlock. He had a platter of various sandwhiches and prepackaged snacks in his left hand, and a platter of assorted fruits and vegetables in his right. He would have preferred to enter with a peace offering and a brilliant plan to reach the friendly creatures within, but after a week of thinking he had settled on food and winging it. Not the best of ideas, but he was good at winging it. And he had God. How could things possibly go wrong?
Don't think about it, he thought to himself. His imagination promptly ignored him and began conjuring horrible images, but he resolutely pressed on.
The first airlock cycled through. It was a ten minute wait while the air was replaced with the canned stuff that was piped into the room, then the first airlock had to close before the second one would start to open. Once that happened, there was no turning back. Win or lose, live or die, beef or pork, he was going into that room.
God, he thought, your will be done. But I'd rather I didn't die, if you don't mind.
The recycling system seemed to take forever, but finally the air was completely replaced. TJ elbowed the button that would close the first airlock and open the second one. He took a deep breath, and moved right up to the door. It was showtime.
The door opened with a hiss. TJ immediatly strode through with a big smile plastered on his face. "Hey guys, thought you might be hungry so I grabbed a snack! My but that does look tasty! Why don't we all sit down and quietly mu-ack!"
The Treecko was already at his throat, growling quietly. His hands clenched insistently at the flesh of TJ's neck, trying to strangle him. Excuse me, trying? Succeeding! TJ was struggling to breathe, he was about to pass out. But he made a valiant effort to reason with the murderous little beast. "Hey, I thought you were-GASP-a fairly bright and intelligent-GASP-creature, not some-GASP-two bit hack who-GASP-jumps at every enemy he-GASP-faces without thinking!"
The Treecko looked positively enraged now, but TJ wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the Torchic, who seemed to be considering his words. He chirped softly at the Treecko. The Treecko looked, if possible, even angrier, but relented his grip enough that TJ could speak easily. The Torchic looked at him and uttered a curious half-chirp, as if to say, "explain yourself."
TJ coughed and spluttered for about ten minutes. The Treecko was on the verge of restrangling him when he cleared his throat and looked directly at the Torchic.
"You could kill me and rip me apart, but that would cause an alarm. The alarm would bring people, who would rush in here and try to stop you. And we all know what that means: they'd take away the food. I say you eat, regain your strength, and then kill me afterwards. It's only sense."
Several tension-filled moments passed as the Torchic mulled this over. The Mudkip sat about ten feet away, eyeing TJ warily, and the Treecko remained clutching his throat. Finally the Torchic chirped loudly, and ambled over to the food. The Mudkip shrugged and waddled towards the trays as well although TJ noticed he stayed well clear of him. The Treecko, however, snapped his head around and sent TJ a death glare that almost killed him right there. TJ mustered up his courage and returned the glare pound for pound, fueling the contest with his years of frustration and pain. The contest went on for several minutes, neither side giving an inch. Finally, TJ said, "it's not like I want to stop or anything, but I'm fairly hungry and you must be starved. What say you we adjourn to eat, and pick up after the meal?"
The Treecko seemed shocked by this remark. It stared at TJ as if he were an alien from outer space. TJ stared right back, but gestured towards the food. He cocked his eyebrow in a questioning manner. The Treecko stared for a few more moments, then shrugged and went to join his friends. TJ sighed quietly, so far so good.
He strode over to the trays and sat next to the Mudkip. The Mudkip immediately scooted away from TJ, looking frightened. He was resolutely gnawing on a roast beef sandwich, but he was having little luck. The plastic wrapper was still on it. TJ smiled and reached a hand towards him. The little creature squeaked with fright and scuttled away, dropping the sandwich. The Treecko sprang up, growling at TJ, but TJ waved him away. "Peace, peace. I mean no harm."
He then proceeded to unwrap the sandwich. He crumpled up the wrapper and set it down on the tray. "Mayonnaise or mustard?" he asked. The Mudkip stared at him. He sighed exasperatedly, then held up a packet of mayonnaise. "Would you like some?" The Mudkip nodded cautiously. TJ opened the packet and spread it on the sandwich. He held up a packet of mustard. "Some of this?" The Mudkip shook his head no. TJ shrugged, put the packet back on the tray, and pushed the sandwhich towards the Mudkip. The Mudkip approached the sandwich cautiously, as if he were afraid it would explode. He sniffed it twice, then licked it carefully, jumping back as he did. He stared at it inscrutably for several moments, then took a tiny bite. His eyes lit up and he began gobbling it down happily.
TJ laughed quietly. "Gee, you guys aren't a bit hungry, are you? I guess I should bring food to you more often." The Treecko snorted indifferently, and TJ remembered that they were going to kill him after they ate. "Or not. I guess this'll have to last a while, since no one will come in here after you kill me."
They ate in silence for several more minutes. TJ sat watching them eat. They were all very ferocious in appearance, but he couldn't shake the feeling that deep down inside they were all in vast amounts of pain, and suffering from agonizing fear.
"Chic! Torchic chic chic tor!"
TJ focused in on the three pokémon. They were all staring at him suspiciously. He wondered what he had done.
The Torchic hopped over and pushed a bananna towards TJ. He inclined his head, indicating that TJ should eat it. TJ shook his head and smiled. "No thanks."
The Torchic stared at him hard. TJ elaborated. "I was kinda hungry, but I can get food anytime, and who knows when someone will feed you next? Besides, you haven't eaten for a week! I figured you guys need this more than I do."
All three pokémon stared at him as if he'd just announced he was a Swellow. He looked at them and said, "what?"
They stared at him long and hard, then looked at eachother. They seemed shocked by his actions. TJ sniffed. "Geez, try to be nice and see what thanks I get. Thanks guys!"
They stared at him like he had just announced he was a pregnant Swellow. He stared back at them, comprehension dawning.
"Whoa, hold up. What do you mean, 'pregnant Swellow'?"
"Well, when's the last time you heard of a guy getting pregnant?"
"You are so weird!"
"Gee thanks, I love you too. You want me to finish the story or not?"
"Haven't you guys ever heard of being nice before?"
The Torchic chirped inquisitively.
A sad look appeared on TJ's face. "You mean you haven't heard of being nice? you haven't heard of doing something that's good for someone else just because you want to? hasn't anyone ever done things like that for you?"
The Treecko snorted derisively.
TJ's eyes filled up with tears. He had been right, they were suffering like he had. He didn't know what possessed him just then, he only knew he wanted to wash away all their pain. He quickly lunged and grabbed the three of them in a big bear hug.
Pandemonium ensued. The Treecko tried to twist around and grab hold of his neck, the Mudkip was struggling to escape, and the Torchic was doing his best to shred his arm. All three were angrily shouting in their own languages, but TJ didn't care. He just hugged them tighter. He began to cry.
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry that you've all led such painful lives. I wish I could erase them and fill your pasts with happiness and love instead. I wish that I could take you home and pamper you like kings. Look, I don't know how and I don't know when, but somehow, someday, I promise I'll get you out of here, and into good homes where everyone loves you a lot. I promise."
The Mudkip was still trying to escape, and the Treecko was still trying to strangle him, but the Torchic had quieted down. He was sitting silently in TJ's arms, staring off into the distance. TJ held them all close (the Treecko latched onto his neck with a triumphant snarl), and whispered, "I will make your lives better. I promise, and my word is good."
The Torchic hunched up, as if he was feeling sick to his stomach. Then all of a sudden he burst out crying.
TJ and the other two pokémon stopped what they were doing and stared. The Treecko and the Mudkip looked shocked, as if this was unbelievable. But TJ simply put them down and held the Torchic tight, rubbing his head. "It's all right, it's all right, I'm here," he murmered. "I'll take care of you, don't worry. Everything'll be fine."
This proved too much for the Mudkip, who broke down and began crying too. He looked miserable at being left out. TJ stood up and walked over to where he had run to, and sat down. The Mudkip looked at him alarmedly, hiccoughing.
"Open-ended invitation, little guy. Feel free to join in."
Cautiously at first, and then with wild abandon, the Mudkip ran straight into TJ's arms. He buried his face in the man's chest, sobbing. TJ snaked an arm around him and hugged him closer, whispering soothingly.
The Treecko stood there, watching his friends. His face was contorted with more rage than TJ had yet seen, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. He stared at TJ through slitted eyes, and growled menacingly.
TJ looked up. He smiled sadly. "You're welcome to join, if you want..." he trailed off.
The Treecko shook his head savagely.
TJ's mouth twisted sadly. "I thought not," he said.
The Treecko picked up a tray and brandished it like a weapon. He growled challengingly at TJ.
TJ smiled sadly again. "You're a good fighter, no argument there," he said. "But doesn't it get tiring to constantly fight alone? Wouldn't you like to have a friend to fight with, at least one person who's on your side?"
The Treecko's eyes softened for just a moment, then hardened razor sharp. "Treecko ko tree ko treeckotree!" he shouted.
TJ didn't have to know what he'd said to understand. The Treecko wanted to know why he should trust TJ, why TJ was different. The Torchic and the Mudkip were now staring at him intensely. TJ sighed.
"You wanna know why I'm different?" he said. " 'Cause. 'Cause I know what it's like to have no friends. I know what it's like to have everyone hate your guts for no good reason." He sank to the ground. " 'Cause I know how it feels to not want to go out on a Friday night, for fear of getting beaten to a pulp by some drunk football star. 'Cause I understand how much it hurts when you're friendly and kind, and all they see is different, weird, scary. 'Cause I understand. I understand what it's like to hurt from the inside out. I understand how it feels to always be sad, and and depressed, and and just wish that you could just kill some of the people who don't like you, and, and, and..."
TJ trailed off. Tears were falling from his eyes in a slow steady stream. He was staring off into nowhere, lost in painful memories. His first day at school in town. His first swirly. His first unfairly flunked paper. His first rejection by a company. His first returned college application letter. The memories just kept piling up, eating away at his heart.
Something bumped his hand. He looked down to see the Torchic's bleary face staring up at him. He held out his arms, and the creature jumped right in. The Mudkip followed, nestling into the crook of his arm. He looked up at the Treecko, who was staring at him.
The Treecko's glare was as hard as ever. He seemed to radiate defiance. His posture was ramrod straight, and he held his arms stiffly at his sides. He seemed to be refusing to allow himself to believe TJ. TJ sighed.
"What can it hurt just this once? I need a friend just as badly as you do."
The Treecko gestured at the two pokémon in TJ's arms.
TJ shook his head and tried to smile. "Always room for one more, dude."
The Treecko slumped as if he had a great weight on his shoulders. He stared at the ground, not willing to look at TJ. He shuffled his feet and played with his tail. Finally, he looked up. His face was tense and rigid, but TJ saw a single tear fall from his eye. He managed to actually smile. "It's okay, you can cut loose," he said. "I promise not to tell anyone."
The Treecko sniffled loudly, and three more tears fell down his face. Then he stumbled over to TJ and dived into his arms. TJ held them all close, and whispered, "you guys are like the best friends I always wanted."
OOOOOOOO
Professor Birch stumbled over to Section Seventeen. He was completely exhausted, Andy had been even more stupid than usual. Even worse, he had seen TJ coming to work. He had thrown a tantrum when he recognized him, and asked Birch what he was doing here. Gritting his teeth, Birch had told Andy that TJ was his assistant, the one he had yet to meet.
"I'm telling my father!" Andy had shouted. "That boy is a menace!"
The phone call from Devon Stone had been pure torture. Devon had ranted for hours about the "shady individuals" that Birch employed, and worried about his son being near such a person. He finally said that Something Had To Be Done about this TJ character.
Bracing himself, Professor Birch had replied, "Devon, you are my friend of many years and my best employee by a mile. You have been a pleasure to work with and a joy to talk to. I have fairly gladly done favors for you, including apprenticing a son that you yourself have told me is quite useless. But I draw the line at firing TJ." Mr. Stone began to protest, but Birch forged onward. "Devon, TJ is a brilliant person.-"
"Brilliant? Ha!"
"Believe it or not, I'm quoting the Professor. I think he says that because I listened so well to him."
"Uh huh. Whatever."
"Do you mind?"
"Hmm. Touchy."
"...is a brilliant person. He has a unique way of looking at things, and a curiosity that knows no bounds. He has faced numerous hardships, including your son, who is practically a natural disaster. He has made leaps and bounds, and become a man of integrity and great honor, and he has a promising future as a pokémon researcher. He is determined that he will succeed, no matter the odds. He is my employee, my student, and my friend. I will not fire him. You can ruin my business if you want, I can always go somewhere else, but I will not fire TJ for you. Is that clear?"
Devon Stone had been shocked. He hadn't heard Birch speak this passionately for a while. And what had happened between TJ and his son? He inquired, and Birch was more than happy to give him the full tale.
Mr. Stone was quiet for several minutes. Finally he said, "call Andy in. I want to talk to him."
It was not, apparently, a pleasant conversation. Andy slammed the phone down and stormed out of the room in a huff. "I'm going to my room," he said shortly. "Don't bother to come after me."
Birch was only too happy to comply. He was exhausted enough without having to comfort an angry prima donna. All he wanted to do was talk to TJ like he had been unable to for three weeks.
The moment Birch stepped into the laboratory, he knew something was up. Not a single pokémon could be seen, not a one could be heard. He went stomping around, and finally found them in the corner, looking at the monitor connected to the minicam inside the strong room. Curious, he looked at the picture.
TJ was being swarmed by the three pokémon inside.
Birch had never moved so quickly in his life. Inside the airlock he cursed the mind that had been so redundant in its protective measures; he felt worse when he realized it had been him. He waited the full thirteen minutes the mechanism required to operate, then dashed into the room screaming, "TJ!"
TJ sat up, a bemused expression on his face. "Yes?"
Birch stared. His jaw dropped to the floor. TJ didn't have a scratch on him! It was several minutes before Birch could speak coherently.
"How did you fight them off?"
"Huh? Who?"
"The pokémon! How did you keep them from killing you!"
TJ smiled and shook his head. "You know, it's amazing what you can learn if you just talk to people. These guys really aren't so bad, they're just misunderstood."
Birch was speechless again. TJ smiled at him, then his face took on a serious cast.
"Professor," he said, "I think it's time to start my journey. With these three."
The Professor stared at him like he had just announced he was a pregnant Swellow. TJ sighed. "Lotta that going around."
The Professor blinked. "TJ, those three are considered dangerous to humans. They're hardened killers. I can't let you leave with them!"
"Don't worry about it, they're cool. They've signed on with me, so it's all good."
"How can I believe that, TJ? They're dangerous!"
TJ sighed. He looked the Professor straight in the eye and said, "look Professor, I understand that you don't trust them. But trust me! I know what I'm talking about! They're considered dangerous, and that's true. They're bitter, and they want to lash out at the world that has spurned them. But they will abide peacefully, if they're with me. I know who I am, Professor. I know the inner depths of my soul. And I tell you truly, these three are men after my own heart. You can trust me when I say they will do no harm with me."
The Professor twitched his eyes back and forth between TJ and the pokémon. He wanted to believe it, he really did. But how could he?
The Treecko snarled at him angrily. TJ bent over and whispered something to him. The Treecko growled in an irritated fashion, but TJ simply said, "please."
The Treecko huffed. Then he squirmed for a bit and stared at the ground. Finally he gave a resigned sigh and strode over to Birch.
"Ko treeckotree kotree tree ko ko. Treecko ko treecko."
Birch had no idea what he was saying, but it was clear that he was apologizing in some way. He even looked a bit contrite. Birch stared at him in shock for a moment, then snapped his eyes to TJ's face.
"Well?" said TJ.
Birch stood silently, staring at the four before him. His mind raced. Eventually he sighed. "Well, who am I to argue with this?" He gestured expressively at the three pokémon. "Be it on your own head, but you can have them."
TJ's mouth worked a few times, as if he couldn't make it work. He had a disbelieving look on his face. "I can have them?"
"Yes, you can have them."
Tears filled TJ's eyes. "THANK YOU PROFESSOR!" he shouted.
The Professor smiled. "No, thank you. Thank you for being so wonderfully different that you listen to me, and can calm the rage of three dangerous monsters. Thank you for coming into my life, TJ."
TJ sniffed and scrubbed the tears from his eyes. "No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"
The Professor smiled. "Right."
TJ sobered, and smiled wanly at the Professor. "I guess that 'Theory of Symbiosis between Wurmple and Zigzagoon' will have to wait, huh."
The Professor nodded. "That it will." There were tears in his eyes.
TJ sniffed. Then he lunged towards the Professor and encircled him in a bear hug. "I'll miss you," he whispered. He looked up at the man who had become his closest friend.
"I'll miss you as well," the Professor replied. "Take care of yourself TJ."
TJ nodded and swallowed hard. He was quiet for a moment, then turned to his pokémon. "Come on guys, let's get outta here. I'm gonna go home and make you waffles."
Torchic cocked his head curiously.
"They're a breakfast food that has lots of sugar."
All three pokémon cheered loudly. Torchic hopped up onto TJ's shoulder, Mudkip sprang forward and headed towards the door, and Treecko groaned and took off after Mudkip. TJ laughed. Then, with a bounce in his step, he followed his newly adopted family out the door and towards home.
OOOOOOOO
TJ and May sat quietly. He had just finished telling his tale. Everyone in the room fidgeted uncomfortably.
TJ cleared his throat. "Ahem. Well, what do you think?"
May sat and thought for a moment. Then she sighed. "I believe you. I know I'm crazy, but I believe you."
The four Kanes cheered loudly.
May smiled at them. It was a small smile, an unsure smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Look," she said, "I can't promise anything. But I'll try to let go of my predjudices."
TJ smiled. "That's all any of us can offer," he said.
May smiled again and felt a strange warm swoop in her stomach. She stared at her watch to cover it, then leapt up. "Crap!"
"What! What's wrong!"
"It's ten thirty. Ten thirty P.M.!"
TJ moaned. "Crud, your mom is going to murder me."
They stared at each other for a moment, the TJ said, "you wanna call her, or should I?"
"I'll do it," she replied.
TJ nodded and stood up. "Fine, I'll fix dinner."
He strode into the kitchen and began playing with the stove, and May picked up the phone to dial her mom and tell her she was staying another night. As she was dialing the number, Mudkip ambled over and climbed up next to her on the couch. May tensed, and Mudkip turned hurt eyes on her. He's fine, remember? she thought to herself. Focus, focus May!
She took a deep breath, then reached out and began to stroke his head. Mudkip sighed and leaned against her thigh peacefully. May smiled. Cute, she thought.
She didn't notice it, but TJ smiled warmly at her.
A/N: Done! Finally! This has been the chapter that just wouldn't die. Oh my head! Oh well, it's done now. Next chapter, May and TJ have their very first lovers' spat! Awww, how cute! Well, until next time, please please please review. C ya later!