Peppy Le Hare: On the subject of Lyra's personality, feel free to blast us if you feel were not doing enough. I can't speak for Pandabot, but I have always struggled to write female characters and so harsh criticism is appreciated. Same goes for JT. Or anyone really!
Pandabot 3000: Introducing Peppy Le Hare my co-writer! (Wild applause). Thanks Peppy. Yes please do tear my characters apart. I do so enjoy it. Now read and review and stuff
Chapter 3: Apparently It's Dark
"Why are you so against this?" JT cried, throwing his arms into the air in exasperation. He had headed straight home, only to be confronted by his mother.
"Because it's dangerous out there!" she yelled from behind the kitchen counter; her fluster was matched a second later by the clattering of a tray into the bench.
"I've got Zero with me! And you've never complained about this before!" JT shot back from the living room.
His mother planted her hands on the benchtop and glared at him. "It's a lot more dangerous past Cherrygrove City. Team Rocket leave us alone here but they are everywhere in the main centres of Johto" she said firmly. "You're…you're just like your father!"
A knock at the door - the argument suspended for a moment as Lily's steeled gaze turned to the front door before hastily (and noisily) ramming the tray into the bench cupboard. Guilt had flooded JT at the mention of his father. He lowered his head and became silent.
"Come…come in" she called, trying to sound calm.
The heavy wooden door creaked open, allowing Lyra and her father into the bright living room; Lyra's Marill skipped in behind her.
"Good evening Guy," greeted Lily stonily, brushing her hair out of her face and composing herself. "I suppose you've hea-" Guy waved a hand to interrupt her.
"Yeah… Lyra's filled me in." The portly man of forty was treading carefully. A tense silence descended upon the heated room.
Lyra shuffled to JT's side. Guy turned to Lily and broke the silence.
"I've told Lyra she can go" he said with more firmness. Her smile quickly broke and she glared at the balding man. "Of course…" continued Guy, retreating slightly at Lily's scowl, "it depends on your conse-"
"No!" Lily advanced menacingly into the living room towards Guy - JT and Lyra exchanged nervous glances.
"They don't know what they're doing, they'll get hurt out there! Or killed!" she growled. "No. I absolutely refuse to let JT go on this crazy mission and you," she strode up to Guy and dug her finger into his chest, "need to say the same to Lyra. That girl walks all over you. It needs to stop!"
Guy was taken aback by this outburst. As he dejectedly dropped his head, Lily turned sharply to JT. "Go wait upstairs," she ordered. "Guy and Lyra will be leaving shortly."
JT didn't dare argue with his mother in this state. He left Lyra with a somber look and made his way up the stairs; the renewed debate between Lily and Guy became an obscured burble as he ascended before it was silenced by a frustrated slam of JT's bedroom door.
Night fell - but JT couldn't sleep. Instead he leant on the sill of his open bedroom window. Mt. Silver's chalky peaks and its entailing highlands had been swallowed by the inky obscurity night; only the faint amber glow of Blackthorn City's distant skyline resisted. There was a persistent chill in the air, yet Newbark's gusty winds were unusually slight that evening.
JT clasped his hands together for warmth; he heard footsteps in the hallway behind him – it sounded like his mother had been restlessly shuffling between her bedroom and the living room downstairs all night. Turning from the window, he slowly approached his bedside cabinet and silently slid open the top drawer. He stared into the dark drawer; inside lay a pair of black, fingerless gloves, still looking new after all these years in storage. He reached inside and grasped the gloves, feeling the soft leather.
JT rolled the gloves around in his hands. He turned the gloves over and read the japanese symbol on the back, he could still remember his father explaining it's meaning; See this? It means Power. 'Cause power is everything kid.
JT wrenched his weary eyes shut as he fiercely screwed up the gloves and flung them out the window. The house was silent. JT hung his head dejectedly over the window sill – Newbark's gentle breeze ran its cool fingers though his tousled brown hair.
The door to JT's bedroom creaked open, splitting the silence. JT peered out and down the still, darkened hallway to see his mother's bedroom door shut and her light off – it looked like she had finally fallen asleep.
JT carefully pulled the door shut again – he gently clicked the door into place, making sure he didn't distu-
"I think you'll be needing these!"
JT jumped and snapped around, slamming his back up against the door.
"What the?'
Lyra was standing cross legged in front of him, wearing her trainer attire and sporting a cheeky grin. She glided keenly towards JT and took his hands, clasping hers over his and handing him something before pulling away. JT looked down at what Lyra had placed there. It was his dad's gloves.
"Lyra…I'm not so sur-"
"Silence Jordy," she interrupted mockingly with a smirk. "You don't want to wake your mother now do you?" she added, turning to a large pillow sack she'd brought through the window with her. She then peeled back the sheets of JT's bed before stuffing the pillow sack underneath them.
JT, regaining his wits, made a move towards Lyra.
"Lyra! I'm serious" he hissed.
"This ought to give us some more time…" said Lyra dismissively, prodding and rearranging the concealed pillow sack. She scooped up JT's backpack off the floor and flung it at his feet. "We'll stock up on supplies at Cherrygrove," she stated coolly. "Now let's get going before your mother hears us."
JT was taken aback by what was happening but spoke through his stupor. "Even if I did think this was a good idea…they'll catch up to us!"
"Not if we get moving right now," she replied, making her way to the window again. "And what's changed your tune?"
JT dropped his head, fingering his father's gloves. He was about to speak when the tense silence was broken by the sound of Lily's bedroom door opening from the hallway. JT snapped his head around in surprise. He snapped it back – Lyra had lifted her leg up over the window sill and was getting her footing on the spouting below.
His mother's shuffling footsteps drew nearer – JT wide eyes darted between the bedroom door and Lyra dropping out into the night. He clasped his sweaty hands around the rumpled gloves. Lily's footsteps were now right outside the door.
Gritting his teeth, JT frantically pulled on the gloves. He slung his pack across his back as he glided towards the window. He swung his leg over and found the spouting. Steadied, he swung the other over before speedily shuffling along the outside wall of the house. His leading foot slipped slightly as he made for the pipe that led to the ground. He hadn't done this since he used to sneak out to see Lyra years ago. He reached the pipe and warily wrapped his legs around it – he was a lot smaller the last time he'd done this…
"Don't worry – it'll hold" hissed Lyra from the ground.
JT wasn't so sure but grasped the pipe and began to lower himself. The pipe certainly crackled and buckled under his weight more than he remembered - but it held out and JT was relieved when his feet found the plush lawn.
"We really should do this more often" remarked Lyra – JT ignored her and shot an anxious glance at his open bedroom window. "Relax…" Lyra cooed. "I brought a friend."
JT spotted Zero emerge from a nearby bush and lumber towards his master. He ran a gloved hand through his hair. "Ok…" he sighed. "So now wha-"
JT looked up to see Lyra scampering off into town. He turned to Zero in disbelief, shaking his head in frustration, before the two set off after them.
With silent movements the group moved through town, passing the schoolhouse, and headed towards the route to Cherrygrove. As they left Newbark in their wake however, they were halted by the sight of a tall, wiry man with large spectacles sitting on a rock to the side of the road.
"Hello. And where do you think you are going at this time of night?" Professor Elm asked, standing up and stretching.
JT stepped forward and crossed his arms. "…I suppose you're here to stop us then."
"Oh no!" The Professor laughed awkwardly. "That's not my place, Jordan. I just figure if you guys are really going to do this for me then I owe you all the help I can give you. I assume you have your usual supplies?" he asked keenly, peering at JT's shadowy figure.
"We were planning to stock up in Cherrygrove actually" Lyra interjected.
"Well then I only have a couple of things to give you. Firstly these Pokedexes; thanks to all of Red and Blue's hard work we finally managed to fill these things. So just point and shoot really. And secondly..."
He rummaged in his pockets and produced two pokeballs, each etched with a symbol above the release button. Lyra and JT stepped closer and examined the etchings on the pokeballs. Although it was dark, it looked like the one before JT had a wavy flame-like shape etching, whereas the one before Lyra had a more solid leaf pattern grooved onto the surface.
They reverently grasped their respective pokeballs, thanking Professor Elm quietly. They then received the Pokedexes that Professor Elm handed them gratefully. With a smile, Professor Elm spoke again.
"Well it looks like you two are now fairly well-organised for your little adventure. Good luck."
With his enigmatic farewell Professor Elm took his leave and meandered off jovially back to town.
After exchanging bewildered glances, Lyra and JT pocketed their new Pokedexes and clipped their new pokemon to their belts - Lyra placing hers next to that of her Marill. She sent an appreciative smile to JT before she set off down the shadowy, wooded path to Cherrygrove. JT turned to take in the sparse lights of his sleeping hometown once more, before he and Zero followed suit.