Hello there, dear readers, and welcome to the seventh chapter of Less than Legends, More than Myths!
This story is approaching the 170 hits mark (it has 169). Sincerely, I never thought I'd get this big. I thought it would get around 60 hits before no one cared about it anymore. But that didn't happen (did it?)
And I already have four reviews! A round of applauses for Quota and kiba129, everyone (but mostly for Quota; he/she reviewed three times :-) )!
In this chapter, there isn't much plot development (ah, who am I kidding? There is no plot development whatsoever!), but there is a big bit of character development, so all of you who are development-lovers, be happy.
For all Hoenshippers, there is also a bit (and I reinforce the bit part) of it here. And of course, just for Quota, we have another Jake vs. Pokémon battle! It isn't detailed at all, though. And I will tell you this: someone (or something, if you're that mean about Pokémon) wins!
Well, I'm rambling, so let's get the seventh chapter on the road!
Less than Legends, More than Myths
Chapter 7: Sweet, But no Piece of Cake
"So…" May said. "When should we get to Petalburg?"
"Let's see…" Jake replied, examining his map. "If we leave by dawn, we should be there a bit before noon."
The group had been walking for a few hours after May and Brendan had gotten over the nose-breaking incident and Minna had teleported away with Ray. Everyone was still slightly shocked by that, although Brendan did try to lighten the mood by saying "Man, that girl sure knows how to make an exit!". Now, they had found a nice clearing and decided to camp. Nightfall was still a couple of hours away, but everyone was exhausted from the day of excitement.
At this moment, May and Sara were trying to cook some stew, Brendan was off saying "I'm gonna find myself some real food. Or edible food, for that matter.", and Jake was examining his map to see the shortest way to Petalburg City, where May's father awaited them.
"More walking? Urgh, why can't we have a bicycle or something!" the red-clad girl complained.
"Humn, M-May?" Sara asked shyly. "The s-stew's burning…"
Recently, the younger girl had managed to get over some of her shyness. She actually talked when she was around May and Jake, although she still wasn't ready to talk to the boy alone or to Brendan, alone or not.
"What!?" the girl almost shouted, looking at her pot. Sure enough, the distinct smell of burning came from it. "Oh crap, crap, crap, crap!"
She struggled to get the pot away from the fire. Unfortunately, it was quite a big pot, and it was extremely hot. After suffering small burns on her hands, the girl cursed. Rolling his eyes, Jake got up, put his hands under his shirt and easily removed the pot.
"Thanks…" May muttered while Sara checked her burns. "Is it still eatable?"
"In my opinion, it never was." the boy replied. "But yes. It's a bit burnt, but still 'eatable'."
"Great! Dive in!"
"I think I'll pass, thank you very much."
"Hey, suit yourself!"
"Y-you sure… you don't wanna try?" Sara asked.
Jake just shook his hand dismissively and walked away. Shrugging, Sara grabbed plates and spoons from her backpack and soon the two girls were eating. Although it was hard to believe, the stew was actually good. It wasn't great or anything, and it did taste burned, but it still was enjoyable.
"It's great, May!" Sara complimented. "You're really starting to get the hang of cooking!"
"You really think so?" May asked, looking like a little girl waiting for her father's approval. "Really?"
"Yep!" Sara answered, nodding. "You'll be a real chef in no time!"
"Bah! I doubt that!" Jake shouted over from over the other side of the clearing, where he was reading a book.
"Jerk." May muttered quietly. Even Sara could barely hear her.
"I heard that!" Jake said.
"Yeah, well, live with it!" the red-clad girl replied.
"That makes no sense."
"Not for you!"
"Not for anyone."
"Come here, you little vermin!"
"Ah, I'm so scared."
May got up from the ground and began to move towards the boy, her hands curled up into fists. Sara managed to grab her foot and call her back before any harm was done, though. With another quiet insult, the older girl sat back down. Together, the two girls finished the stew.
Soon after, Brendan came in, carrying many berries in his arms. He offered some to Jake and Sara (who blushed and didn't even answer) before sitting down near Jake and eating the fruit. Jake raised an eyebrow at him, then continued on with his reading. May and Sara spoke to each other in hushed whispers, and Brendan just ate. After a few minutes, he went to his bed. Sara soon followed, and so did May. A few hours later, Jake did the same. And they all dreamed on towards the next day of adventure.
--XXXXX--
As dawn broke over the horizon, the friends woke up and prepared to head out. Soon enough, they were back on the road. In order to give their Pokémon some exercise, the group released all their Pokémon. The five Pokémon looked at each other.
"Hey! Look, new guys!" Mud said, looking at Zigzy and Ralts. "How you doin'?"
"Hey!" Ralts greeted back merrily. "So you're the rest of the team! My name's Ralts, and this here is Zigzy!"
"'Zup?" the Zigzagoon said.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Torchic, this blue dumbo here is Mud, and the weird salamander over there is Scorch."
"Catchy name, dude." Zigzy said.
"Thanks. I do try." Scorch replied.
"Oh, this is just so much fun!" Ralts said. "Finally, a chance to hang out with another girl!" She began to spin around Torchic.
"Well, if you consider Torchic a girl." Mud said. "I wouldn't be so sure."
"Take that back, you freaking blue blob!" Torchic shouted back.
"Hah! Make me, little girl!"
Scorch, Zigzy and Ralts watched as Torchic did just that. She pinned Mud against a tree and began to peck him repeatedly until he took his words back. Ralts then jumped towards Torchic and hugged her, then began to dance around.
"Yo, dude, you so got creamed, man!" Zigzy said. "Dude, squashed by a girl! What a wimp, dude!"
"Shut up!" Mud shouted back. "And quit it with all these 'dudes'! It's very annoying."
"Whatever floats your Lotad, dude!"
"Guys, quit it. Don't light your tails on fire." Scorch interrupted.
"What!?" Mud and Torchic asked at the same time.
"You know. Don't get angry."
"If you already forgot, your tail is on fire!" Mud said, confused.
"What!?" Scorch looked at his tail. "Oh man! My tail! Help! Help!" And he started running around wildly, flapping his arms.
"Woah!" Torchic said. "Serious case of déjà-vu!"
The other Pokémon just looked at them, confused.
--XXXXX--
"Argh, Scorch's at it again!" Jake groaned, seeing his Pokémon run around wildly. "Scorch, grab a hold of yourself!"
Sara poked May in the ribs to get the older girl's attention. May rolled her eyes and leaned in closer. Sara whispered in her ear.
"What's up with Scorch?"
"Nothing. He just goes wild sometimes." the girl answered. "It's normal."
"If you say so…"
The friends continued on their path. True to Jake's words, they arrived at Petalburg City half an hour before noon. May immediately took the lead and guided the group through the city, all the while chatting excitedly.
"Oh, my father's so cool! He's the toughest Gym Leader ever! You'll see!" she said.
"I hate to interrupt you," Brendan cut in. "But I think we should go to the Pokémon Center first. There, we can get some rest. And I really need some ice for my nose."
May stopped talking and looked at the ground, guilty. Even though Brendan had forgiven her, she still felt bad about the incident. Looking at the boy's face, she noticed his nose indeed was a tad swollen.
"Okay." she said, unusually softly. "Follow me, and you'll be there in no time!"
Forty minutes latter…
"Where is that freaking place!?" May shouted, frustrated.
"You don't even know where the Pokémon Center is?" Brendan asked in disbelief.
"Hey, I remind you that I'm new here! I only stayed in this damned city for a week, until my house was ready!" the girl shot back.
"Urgh. You know what? I'm not even gonna argue with you." Brendan said, squeezing his eyes.
"Dude, are you okay?" Jake asked.
May looked at Brendan. Sure enough, the boy looked a tad pale and tired.
"I'm fine." the white-haired boy replied, still squeezing his eyes. "Just a tad tired."
"Here, let me check." May said softly, putting a hand on the boy's forehead. It felt slightly warmer than usual. The girl bit her lip. "You got a fever. It's not much, though. You just need some rest." Then she added in a concerned whisper, "I hope…"
"I'm fine!" Brendan repeated, shoving the girl's hand away. "Jeez, why is everyone worrying about me like I'm a little baby?"
"Brendan." Jake said. "You're shaking."
True enough, Brendan was beginning to shake and shiver as if it was really cold. He took a deep breath and seemed to feel better.
"Where's the Pokémon Center?" he asked.
"I don't know…" May answered, looking at the ground. "But I promise you I'll find it!"
"Whatever…" the boy replied tiredly. "Let's just get moving already."
As May took the lead once more, everyone noticed she looked sad and guilty. Sara shot Brendan a disapproving look before blushing and trying to cheer May up. Jake and Brendan slowly got behind, so that they could have a private conversation.
"You're being mean." Jake said. "You're overreacting, you're angry, and you're lashing out at the nearest person. What's wrong, dude?"
"None of your business!" Brendan shot back.
"Brendan." Jake said calmly.
"Urgh! You want to know what's wrong? Fine, I'll tell you! My feet hurt from walking, my nose is killing me, I'm exhausted from all the action, and I miss home! There, I said it!"
"You gotta stop worrying. We're all tired. You know that."
"You don't know what it's like to miss home like this! With my father alone, I can't help but worry about him! What if he got hurt? What if he did something bad? You know how he is, Jake! And I just can't get myself to forget him!"
Jake seemed to be angry now. "Shut up. We all know what it's like."
"No you don't!"
"Yes we do. Maybe not in the same way, but we all have something like that."
"Yeah? How so?"
"Dude, I ran from home more than once. Remember? It was lucky enough that I managed to get away from home in time to get on this travel without my father seeing. You know what he'd do. I've already got too many scars."
"Okay, so maybe you have something to worry about. But what about May? Or Sara?"
"How can you say that? Dude, Sara got her house burned down by Team Thunder! I bet she misses it more than you could ever imagine. And May left her mother behind. From what I've seen, since her father was always away, they became pretty close. Do you think it's easy for her?"
"…"
"There. I hope you snap out of this mood of yours, 'cause you're being a huge jerk."
And Jake walked forward to catch up with the girls, leaving Brendan alone with his thoughts.
--XXXXX--
"There!" May shouted triumphantly, pointing at the Pokémon Center down the road. "Told ya I'd find it!"
"Nice. It only took you two hours." Brendan replied sarcastically. He looked horribly pale and was sweating.
The girl's excitement and triumph quickly vanished and were replaced with guilt and regret. She looked at the ground, depressed.
"Brendan." Jake said, shooting him a glance.
The white-haired boy sighed. Then, he said, "I'm sorry. It's just that I don't feel so good…"
"It's okay." May replied, seeming a bit happier. She looked at the boy and frowned. "We should hurry. You don't look so good either."
The boy just nodded weakly. They hurried on to the Center. As soon as they got there, they saw the typical front desk and the Nurse Joy standing there.
"Hey Nurse Joy!" May greeted.
"Hello there, kids!" the nurse greeted back. Then, she looked at Brendan and frowned. "My, you don't look so good. Are you okay?"
"Nope." the boy replied, shaking his head no. "My nose hurts, I feel very cold, and I wanna puke."
"Here." Nurse Joy said, giving him a key. "Go get some rest. The room number is 217. I'll call a doctor to see you,…?"
"Brendan. Thanks."
The white-haired boy took the keys and went to his room. May went with him, while Jake stayed behind and gave all the group's Pokémon to the nurse. Sara just stayed there, unsure of what to do.
"I'm off for a walk." Jake said, turning towards the door. "I'll see you later. Bye!"
"See ya…" Sara muttered distractedly.
The girl was now alone. She considered taking a bite at the cafeteria or going for a walk herself, but then she remembered Brendan. It was the least of respects to at least see how he was doing. Maybe they could chat for a while…
"Stop that!" the girl thought, shaking her head. "First, he's just a friend, second, May's there too, and third, you can't even talk near him!"
Sara knew that the first two arguments were weak, seeing as she somewhat wanted the first to change (she blushed at the thought) and that May's presence wouldn't hamper things at the least. If anything, it would help. But the third one was an undeniable thing, and she was quite satisfied with it. She shook her head once more and went to room 217.
Distracted as she was, she completely missed Nurse Joy ducking behind the counter and pulling out a telephone.
--XXXXX--
"What a disappointing town." Jake said to himself, walking around the streets of Petalburg City. It was now afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. "At least back home we could watch the grass grow. Ha! I remember all the competitions me and Brendan had about it…" he sighed and was lost in memories.
"Give me your money, punk!" he heard someone shout down the road. The sound was followed by a cry and the sound of a punch.
"Please…" he heard someone say weakly. The person mumbled something else, but Jake couldn't understand it. Then, another punch came.
Gritting his teeth, the boy sprinted down the road towards the sound. All around him, people passed like a blur, shouting some insults and worse things. After few seconds, he was at a dark, desolated alley. The road was a good way behind him. The alley was devoid of furniture except the odd road trashcan. In front of him stood three fourteen of fifteen year old guys dressed in black leather outfits. One of them, the bigger, was holding up a much smaller green haired boy dressed in a white shirt and long, black-purple pants by the shirt collar and punching him in the face and stomach. Behind the boy, a small, very frightened blue-haired girl dressed in a short black skirt that reached her knees and a long black pullover stood, whimpering against a road trashcan. She seemed unharmed.
Jake skidded in a stop not more than twenty feet away, panting and trying to recover his breath.
"Well, well, well!" the big teenager said, letting go of the green-haired boy and facing Jake. "Looks like we have a little hero on our hands!" He laughed, and the others copied him. "What are you gonna do, big guy? Are you gonna call your mommy?"
"I don't wanna hurt you that much." Jake replied with a smile. "She'd probably beat the living hell outta you. And I'm not kidding."
The teenager seemed offended by the comment. "Take that back, punk!" he shouted angrily.
"Bah! You're the one to talk! I'm not dressed in a stupid leather costume!"
"IT'S NOT A FREAKING COSTUME! IT'S A FREAKING LEGITIMATE OUTFIT, YOU PIECE OF CRAP!" The teenager seemed really pissed off. "HOW CAN NO ONE FREAKING SEE THAT!?"
"Hey, Boss!" one of the smaller bullies said. "The kids are getting away!"
Sure enough, the blue-haired girl was trying to pull to boy away. When everyone faced her, she froze and looked at Jake expectantly across from the boys.
"Stop picking on little girls!" Jake taunted, seeing the lone Pokéball one the Boss' belt. "Let's settle this like men! You and me, a battle, right now!"
The leader stopped for a bit, considering the offer. "Okay… I'm in!" He reached for the Pokéball. "Makuhita, go!"
Jake ushered a silent curse. Of all the possible Pokémon, why did it have to be a fighting type? With, a groan, he stepped forward and raised his fists, relaxing into his boxing stance.
"What the hell?" the leading bully asked. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Hey, I said a battle, not a Pokémon battle." Jake replied. "But seeing as you are so sure of yourself, why not make a deal? If I win, you let me and this two," He nudged his head towards the two kids, "Go. But if you win, I'll give you all my money and they will two, if they haven't already."
The bully considered the offer. The two kids that Jake was saving were actually shouting insults and threats at him for gambling their money. Jake ignored them. It was a useful talent he had developed staying near one of his earlier friends, Earl Jankins. The kid was nine years old while Jake was six and was the biggest swearer and insulter Jake had ever met. Luckily, he had moved away to another city that Jake couldn't remember
"Okay." the bully leader finally answered. "You against Makuhita. But you are gonna get crushed!"
"Bring it on!" Jake shouted back, laughing inside.
--XXXXX--
"So, how are you feeling?" May asked.
"Not very good." Brendan answered.
Sara was currently outside room 217, eavesdropping on the two. She figured that if she got inside and was too shy to speak, Brendan would get mad at her like he always did, so why not just stay outside and help everyone? It made her a bit sad to think this way, but it was true.
She heard the sound of coughing inside, then Brendan's voice.
"Here, let me help…" May proposed, then the sound of pillows moving came. Soon after, it died down.
"Thanks…" Brendan thanked, then coughed. His voice sounded weak.
"Oh, Brendan…" May said, sounding sad and guilty. "I'm so sorry…" Then came the sound of crying.
"Hey, hey, cheer up, girl!" Brendan comforted awkwardly. "I'm not mad at you or anything! I guess I sorta had it coming. It was my fault. Plus," Sara could almost feel him smile, "It wasn't the first time you kicked me and it for sure won't be the last. Don't sweat about it. It's cool, girl. Humn. Never called you a girl before. Wonder why."
May laughed. "Oh, Brendan, you sure know how to cheer a girl up!" Then came the sound of a chair being pushed backwards and pillows being pressed.
"Urgh, May, you're crushing me! Stop! Help!" Brendan said, his voice stronger and more cheerful than before.
Sara felt a wave of jealousy wash over her. Inside the room, May was hugging by her Breny, after breaking his nose, and here she was, stuck outside the room because she was too shy even to speak near him! Still, it did make her happy to see how nice Brendan was. Nice, handsome, brave, smart, funny…
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of pillows shifting again and a little giggle. She focused once more.
"Are you feeling better?" May was asking.
"As a matter of fact, I am. The sickness, or whatever it is, is a tad better. But then again, it's quite possible you just broke some of my ribs, so that evens things up." Brendan answered.
May laughed once more. Then she let out a small, happy sigh and Sara heard the sound of a chair being pulled backwards again.
"Well, I'd better leave." May said. "The doctor's bound to be here soon, and I want to get some food at the cafeteria before it closes down for the night. Do you want anything?"
"Yeah. Ask them if they have turtle soup."
"Ok…"
Sara jumped backwards just in time to avoid getting hit by the door when it opened and May stepped out. She saw Sara and frowned for a moment, but shook her head, closed the door and smiled brightly.
"Sara! Do you want to talk to Brendan?" She rolled her eyes. "Or try, at least."
"I wish I could…" the smaller girl answered, looking at the ground, blushing. "But each time I think of him, I just go… blank."
May smiled again, but Sara could feel she was slightly… disturbed. Before the younger girl could ask why, she shook her head again and looked at Sara.
"Well, I'm off to the cafeteria." she said. "Care to join me?"
Sara took a quick look at the door, before letting out a defeated sigh and shrugging. "Sure, why not. Couldn't do any harm."
"Hey, you'll get over your shyness someday. And then, you'll be able to behave like a normal person."
"Haha. Very funny. But what a dream that'd be…"
May rolled her eyes and together they headed for the cafeteria.
--XXXXX--
"NO FREAKING WAY! YOU FILTHY… FILTH!" the bully shouted, seeing his Makuhita fly through the air and land at his feet, fainted.
"Ha! Take that!" Jake shouted back, wiping his hands against one another. "Time to keep your end of the deal. Let us go."
The bully growled, looked at the order and began barking others to leave. They all seemed depressed and angry. Then, the leader turn back to Jake.
"This isn't over!" he spat venomously. "No one messes with Earl Jankins and gets away with it!" And he left.
Jake stared at after him for a few seconds, blinking in disbelief, before laughing. After recovering, he approached the two kids.
"Hey there. I'm Jake." he said, extending his hand.
"I'm Jenifer…" the girl said, shocked at the recent events. "And this is Wally."
"Well, you're free to go now." Jake said, retreating his hand. "Nice meeting you."
And he left, running, before things became awkward.
Well, there it was. Hope you enjoyed it!
I'd like to thank you all for reading. I'd also like to thank the Academy, for all their support, my family, for always cheering me on (yeah right!), and all that Oscar-winning crap.
The next chapter should be out by Friday, Saturday tops, so I'll borrow a line from the Pokémon narrator guy/dude/person and say: stay tuned!
Gotta Go With The Flow!
BlackShadowKnight