Chapter Two: Delivery Service
Today JB has decided to ride along with his father into Viridian City for some recreational fun. While his father is at work, JB will play. "All ready for some safe fun in the city today son? You grab the lunch your mother made you?"
"Yes, sir. Got my lunch. Got my backpack. Got Ruckus and my skateboard, too. It should be a great day."
"Good to hear. Well I'm going to drop you off here, but I will be at the school if you need anything. Feel free to stop by at any time. Enjoy your time in the park!"
"Will do Dad. Thanks for the lift." JB opens the door and steps out onto the sidewalk. He walks into the park and finds a spot to sit.
"Ok Ruckus, come on out." JB pulls the Poke ball out of his backpack and points it in the air. In a flash of red light Ruckus appears. "Alright Ruckus! Are you ready for some extreme skateboarding fun?" The small blue bat seems puzzled. "Let's see what I got here in my backpack for you." JB reaches into his backpack and pulls out his helmet, knee pads, and some weird looking contraption. "Ok buddy, this here is a harness I made for you. I figured that together we could go super fast on my skateboard. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to."
The little blue fur ball lands on JB's arm and sniffs at the harness. After a few sniffs, Ruckus sticks his head inside the harness and tries to put it on. "That's not how it goes, bud. Here let me put this part around your wings and then attach these straps together and tighten it snug here… There you go, fits like a glove." Ruckus flew up into the air. The harness fit great and didn't impede him at all. "Now this part here," JB points at a loop on the bottom of the back of the harness, "This is where I attach the rope I hold onto. You ready to try this?" Ruckus hovers above JB as he attaches the rope. At one end of the rope is a latching hook and the other end is a handle. JB puts the rest of his safety gear on and grabs a hold of the handle. He steps on to his skateboard, "All set Ruckus. Let's fly!"
With that they are off! The two of them are having way too much fun. They skate by all sorts of things and people though out the park. They don't fall once. "Man oh man Ruck, you sure are a fast flyer. I feel like I am holding on for dear life sometimes." Ruckus lets out a squeak. "Let's stop for a while and eat the lunch Mom made."
JB pulls out the lunch from his backpack. Inside are a sandwich, bag of chips, and some cookies. He also pulls out a bottle of water. He throws a bit of the sandwich into the air and Ruckus swoops in, grabs it in his mouth and then lands back on JB's shoulder. "Here I have some Pokemon food for you too." He places a bowl of food on the ground and the little zubat scoots up next to it and chows down.
While eating a young boy about the age of 13 approaches JB. He is wearing jeans and a short sleeve red shirt. He has brown messy hair and blue eyes. "Hi, my name is Tim. I see you have a zubat there with you."
"Hey Tim. I'm JB and this zubat is Ruckus."
"I saw you guys skating around. That was pretty awesome. I always thought zubats were lame, but yours is pretty cool at flying along with you like that."
"Yeah, a lot of people have made fun of Ruckus since I got him, but he and I are best friends and he is no where close to being lame. I think Pokemon are really what their trainer makes them. A good trainer can bring out the best in their Pokemon and the other way around, too. Its all in the way you treat them and the bond that you form together."
"I hear ya. I've got a few more years before I get the opportunity to travel with a Pokemon. I practice with my parent's Pokemon in the backyard some times. I can't wait to start my journey. Are you on your journey?"
"No, I'm not on my journey yet. I put it off to help my parents around the house. Plus we had to spend the money we were saving on the funeral for my Grandpa, but you don't really need to hear about that."
"Sorry to hear that. Well good luck with your zubat. You two seem to be really connected."
"Thanks, Tim. Enjoy the rest of your day."
Just as Tim left an older woman ran by JB. She stopped a few feet away from him and then turned back around. "JB? JB Hart?"
"Oh hey Mrs. Tesla. How's it going?" JB Stood up and walked over to the woman. Ruckus flew over and landed on JB's shoulder. Mrs. Tesla was in her mid thirties. She had long strawberry blond hair pulled up into a bun on her head. Small black framed glasses covered her green eyes. She wore a white lab coat over top a sky blue blouse and gray skirt that came just below her needs. For some reason she was holding her high heeled shoes in her hands. JB new Mrs. Tesla from school, she was his science teacher. She also worked with his mother and father at the school.
"Oh sweet, periodic table! I am so glad I ran into you! Your father said you might be out here. Can you do me a huge favor? I need you to deliver this to the address below in Pallet Town. My little girl is home sick and the delivery man never came to pick this up from me at the school. Your dad said that you were trying something new out with your Pokemon and might be able to take this for me."
"Really, my dad said that?" JB was shocked. It wasn't every day that his father talked about him. "Pallet Town is like half a days walk from here, but I bet Ruckus and I can get there sooner if he helps me. Sure Mrs. Tesla, we can do it, but I have to let my dad know."
"I'll give your dad a call from my house to let him know. Now JB," Mrs. Tesla leaned in close and whispered, "This is very important research I have been working on. You put it in your bag and do not take it out for any one except for the gentleman that lives at this address. His name is on the package. Please keep it safe."
"I will Mrs. Tesla. I will." JB took the package from Mrs. Tesla and placed it in his back pack. The box wasn't very big and not heavy.
Mrs. Tesla thanked JB and left in a hurry. As she scurried away JB was finally able to notice that she was barefoot. From across the street of the park, the bushes shook. JB looked at them and then started to put his gear back on. "Ok Ruckus, ready for some quick flying?" Ruckus hovered in the air as JB attached the rope to the harness. "Let's fly!" And they were off, heading toward Pallet Town.
From the bushes that had rustled earlier a man stood up. He was wearing a black bomber jacket, black pants, black boots and dark sunglasses. His green hair was in a short fo hawk. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small communicator.
"Romeo 4, this is Romeo 3. You and 5 be ready. The package was handed off to a blond guy on a skate board heading your way. He has a zubat pulling him."
"Copy that Romeo 3. We are ready. Over and Out."
JB raced down the path toward Pallet Town. Ruckus is doing a great job of keeping a good pace, but if they are going to arrive before night fall they need to hurry up.
"Ruckus, you are doing a great job, but we need to go faster. I'm going to push with my foot more. Do you think you can pick up the pace?" Ruckus lets out a squeak and flaps his wings faster. "That's it boy, you are doing a great job! We will be there before we know it!"
Ahead lays a medium size tree crossing the path. JB sees this and jumps over it with his skateboard and grinds on one of the braches. "That was a close one." Ruckus lets out a loud screech and what JB fails to see is another tree in front of him. He hits the tree and let's go of the handle for the harness. He flies up over the tree and flips in the air landing on his back on the ground. The air has been knocked out of him and it takes a few seconds for him to catch his breath. Ruckus flies over and lands next to JB on the ground.
"Oh man that was a big tree. Thanks for the warning buddy. It gave me a little bit of time to prepare my self for that harsh landing. Good thing I landed on my backpack for a cushion." JB paused for a second. "Oh no! The package is in my bag!" JB opens his backpack and takes a look at the package. Its not too crushed due to it being surrounded by some extra clothes. "Good thing Mom likes me to take a sweat shirt just in case it gets cold outside." Ruckus nuzzles up to JB and then turns quickly back to the path. "What is it, Ruckus? What do you hear?"
"My guess is he hears us?" says a woman's voice from in front of them.
"Give us the package and we won't hurt you. Or don't and we will. I prefer the latter," exclaims a man's voice.
The duo stepped out from the woods with axes in their hands. The man is wearing a long sleeve black shirt, black pants, black boots and a black fedora with a red strip. He has pale skin, red hair under his hat, and brown eyes. The woman is wearing a mid sleeve black shirt, black mini skirt, and black thigh high boots. She has light brown skin, long waist length blond hair tied in a pony tail with a red ribbon and blue eyes. JB can see a small red "R" on the upper left of their shirts.
"Umm, I'm sorry. I'm not sure I know what you are talking about," JB cautiously tells them. All of a sudden the man throws his axe. It cuts into the tree next to JB's head. "Hey freak! What are you doing? You could have hit Ruckus or me with that thing!"
The man in the fedora scowled at JB. "Like I said, we will hurt you to get what we want. Now stop playing coy with us and hand over that package?"
"Uggh, this is taking way to long," the woman impatiently states. "Nidoran! Get out here." She tosses her Poke ball into the air and red light beams onto the ground. From the light appears a small purple Pokemon with large long ears, large front teeth, red eyes, a large horn on his head and spines down his back. "Nidoran, double kick." The Pokemon charges at JB with his claws sharp and ready.
Before the poison pin Pokemon can touch the startled JB, Ruckus swoops down. His wing is glowing white as he slashes into the side of the nidoran.
"Wing attack! Alright Ruckus! Looks like we got a battle on our hands," JB exclaims. "Let's do this!"
"Well why don't we make this an unfair fight then," say the man. "Nidoran, poison sting!" The man throws his Poke ball into the air and out emerges a small blue Pokemon with large roundish ears, whiskers, large front teeth, a small horn on her head and small spines along her back. From her mouth the Pokemon shoots a purple needle at the airborne zubat.
"Dodge it Ruckus and go for another wing attack!" Ruckus dodges the purple needle, but before he can get a wing attack going, the purple male nidoran grabs him with a bite attack.
"That's right nidoran! Bite that winged vermin hard!" The woman lets out an evil cackle.
While the male nidoran has Ruckus on the ground the female joins in with a scratch attach. JB rushes to Ruckus' side and covers the small bat taking on the damage from the two poison Pokemon. The man reaches down and grabs the package out of the backpack.
"We'll be taking this, chump! Sorry to see you are no match for Billy and Sundance of Team Rocket!"
"I don't think so!" While holding onto Ruckus in one arm, JB uses his free hand to grab a hold of the package. He grabs so hard that he crushes around the edge of the box. The two of them are now playing tug a war with the box until it suddenly tears apart. Billy falls back one way and JB goes the other. The items in the box fly into the air. What seems to be a bunch of papers and a compact disc scatter along the ground between them.
"Now look what you have done, fool! But alas the package is ours we shall just scoop this up." Sundance walks over to the items on the ground and begins to pick them up.
"Wrong. I don't like bullies and you two seem to be the worst." JB starts to resonate an unseen energy just like when he first made contact with Ruckus, only this time it wasn't calming, but instead a feeling of determination. He was determined to stop these two from taking the package that he had been asked to deliver. "Ready Ruckus?" The little blue bat flew into the air awaiting his trainer's orders. "And let's see what happens to be in this to help me out." JB looked down at the chunk of the package he had torn off with his hand. It seems he was able to grab a Poke ball. "What do we have here? Come on out!"
JB opens the Poke ball and a beam of red light gleams down to the ground. From the red light appears a small brown doglike Pokemon with large brown eyes, long ears, a brown bushy tail with a cream tip, and a large cream colored furry collar. "Eevee eve!" the Pokemon shouts. The eevee turns and stars at JB.
JB bends down and talks to the eevee. "Hey Eevee, I'm JB and these two here," JB points at Billy and Sundance, "are trying to steal you and all the research from Mrs. Tesla. I and Ruckus need your help to stop them. Will you help us?"
The eevee turns and looks at the Rocket members and then looks back at JB and Ruckus, "Eevee ee eve," and gives a head nod.
"Ok Eevee, quick attack on Nidoran! Ruckus, confuse ray on the other!" The eevee speeds off charging at the blue nidoran and hits her knocking her back a few feet. Ruckus shoots out a series of ring like vibrations at the purple nidoran. The purple nidoran is hit by the rings and starts to run in circles confused. The non confused nidoran strikes back with a scratch attach, but the eevee is able to jump out of the way and strikes back with a tackle attack. It's a direct hit and the blue nidoran faints. Ruckus collides with the confused nidoran using a wing attack. The purple nidoran slides back a few feet and faints.
"Return Nidoran!" The pair says in unison. The duo then reaches for another Poke ball each on their belts. But before they can let them out…
In the commotion, JB sneaks over to where the papers and disc are lying on the ground and grabs them, shoving them into his bag. He then puts on his backpack, picks up his skateboard and starts running. "Come on guys! We need to get out of here! Ruckus take off. Eevee return!" But as JB tries to put the eevee back in the Poke ball he notices that the ball has been cracked and wont work. He grabs the rope and attaches it to Ruckus' harness. "Ruckus fly toward Eevee! Eevee grab on to the handle when Ruckus flies by," as JB shouts orders he jumps onto his skateboard and takes off. Behind him the eevee has grabbed a hold of the handle and Ruckus is flying swiftly back to him. Ruckus flies by and JB grabs the eevee with one hand and the handle with the other. "Let's fly Ruckus!"
The bat Pokemon flaps his wings are hard as he can while JB strikes his foot to the ground pushing the skateboard fast than he ever has.
"Damn it, Sundance! The creep got away. The boss is going to mad."
"Not to worry silly Billy. I've got one of the discs right here. I picked it up before that retched eevee came out. The boss won't be too mad. Let's go meet up with Kidd and report back in." Sundance and Billy walk into the wood and disappeared.
JB finally slows down and can see Pallet Town in the close distance. He also realizes Ruckus looks a tired. "We can go the rest of the way on foot buddy. You take a break. You did a great job today." JB opens Ruckus' Poke ball and calls him back in. "And you little lady, you were awesome. How did you get so powerful for such a small tike?"
"Ee eevee eve vee!"
"Well that's good to know. Let's try and make it to town without any more surprises."
JB makes it into Pallet Town right before the sun started to set with the eevee right next to him. "Oh man, I never read the address I was supposed to take the package to! This is not good." He looks over at the eevee. "Hey Eevee? You wouldn't happen to remember where you are supposed to go would you?" The eevee turns and looks at JB and then turns back and trots off, JB follows. The eevee took JB to a large house that backed up against acres of fields and woods. The mail box read "Oak". "Oak? Like Professor Oak?" JB looked down at the eevee walking to the front door. "Oh wow." JB knocked on the door and waited. He heard a loud explosion from out back. There was coughing and then a man answered the door.
He was an older man with gray hair. He was wearing a white dusty lab coat over a red collared shirt, brown pants and black shoes. "How may I help you young man?"
"Professor Oak?" JB was extremely nervous.
"Why yes, I am. And who might you be?"
"Oh wow, I can't believe I am meeting the one and only Professor Oak." JB turned red in the face. "Oh, I'm Jackson Bernard Hart, but everyone calls me JB. I was asked to deliver a package from Mrs. Tesla in Viridian City to you earlier today. But I ran into a little trouble and you see…"
"Slow down dear boy. JB Hart? That name does sound familiar. Come on in and tell me what happened on your adventure. And bring Eevee with you."
Eevee had been circling around JB's legs and jumped into his arms. JB walked into the house and into the kitchen. "Can I call my parents first? I don't think I can make it back to the city on my own, plus I think my skate board might be cracked."
"Sure thing. The phone is right over there."
After JB calls his parents for a pickup, he tells the professor what happened and gave him the items he had collected from the ground. The whole time the eevee was sitting in his lap. The professor asked JB about him self and they exchanged stories and questions for a few hours.
"Well I thank you for being so diligent in bringing me this research and I am sorry about your run in with Team Rocket. They are becoming a problem once again. Now if I remember right, there was a Jackson Bernard Hart from Viridian City that signed up to travel for the Pokemon League about a year ago, but never showed. Would that be you?"
"I think so. I'm the only Jackson Bernard Hart in Viridian City. I wasn't able to go due to money and my family needing my help around the house. But mainly expenses."
"Well now, here's a funny coincidence. You are probably the first kid in a while to sign up but not show up. Not a problem though. We have a set number of Pokemon to give out and when the participant doesn't show up I tend to keep the no show's Pokemon around for research purposes. I sent your Pokemon to Viridian City to have it observed for potential evolution reasons. But I see she found her way back to you."
JB looked surprised and then looked down at his lap. The eevee had flipped over and he was rubbing her belly. "What? You mean this eevee is mine? How is that possible? I only though we got to choose from a bulbasaur, squirtle or charmander?"
"Well that's how it used to be when those 3 types were hard to find in the wilderness, but now that their populations have grown we randomize who gets what Pokemon. You were given an eevee and it only took you over a year to find one another."
JB sat in the chair flabbergasted. The doorbell rang and his parents had arrived to pick him up. Professor Oak invited them in. He pulled them aside and spoke with them while JB played with Eevee. The three adults entered back into the room.
"I guess you have another Pokemon from what the Professor tells us?" said JB's father.
"Let's see this little girl shall we," his mother said delightedly. "Another girl in the house, I can't wait." She picked Eevee up. "Do we have a name yet?"
"Well," JB started, "I have been thinking about it and Mrs. Tesla was the one that connected Eevee and I together even if she didn't know it so I think I'm going to call her Tesla."
"Sounds splendid," exclaimed the Professor. "Now we just have one problem. It seems that Tesla's Poke ball was damaged. I won't be able to fix it until tomorrow so you will have to come back." Professor Oak clears his throat, "And I would also like to offer you a job, JB."
JB looked confused, "Me?"
"Why yes. You didn't do such a bad job today delivering the research data to me and I need someone reliable that I can count on to help me gather more of my research. I guess what I am getting at is I need a courier. Someone to pick up my research from the different stations in the regions and bring them back to me. Do you think that would be something you would like to do?"
JB turned to his parents. "Could I? Could I really travel around for the Professor with my Pokemon? I won't do it unless you say I can."
"Your mother and I talked it over with Professor Oak and we think it's a great idea."
"JB's Delivery Service," his mother giggled.
"Then its settle Professor. Looks like I'm the trainer for the job." This made JB extremely happy.
"Well then," Professor Oak started, "I suggest you go home and get a good nights rest, you start tomorrow. Show back up here around mid-morning and I will outfit you with what you will need."
The Harts waved good bye to Professor Oak. In the back seat car JB sat scratching the belly of his new friend Tesla, while Ruckus sat on his shoulder nuzzled against his neck.
"This is going to be one amazing adventure."
Epilogue…
Back in the Johto region, two familiar faces, Grant and Hazel, are boarding a plane. They sit down and prepare for take off.
"Well big bro, by tomorrow morning we will be in Kanto. I cant wait to start my journey. Thanks for coming with me."
"Not a problem Haze, but I'm still not sure why you didn't want to travel around Johto? Its not like you would end up in a coma, too."
"Stop it. Right now. No more joking about that. I want to do this in Kanto and I want you with me. Got it!"
"Yes, sir," Grant says as he salutes his sister. It makes him happy she asked him to go along with her, plus his father would have worried about both of them journeying by themselves especially after his coma. "Lets sit back and catch some shut eye and when you wake up little sister we shall be in Kanto and you can start your journey."
The siblings close their eyes and the plane takes off.
Our main "bad guys" have appeared! The next chapter we meet a rival and new friends. Thanks for reading this chapter! Please review!