CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Amy opened her eyes, immediately glad for the better lodgings she had been able to purchase than the rough sleep she had the night before. Her eyes strayed to the alarm clock and she let out a gasp. The alarm clock was in pieces on the floor.
"Oh, no!" Amy gasped, as her Pokemon stirred from their sleep. She picked up the broken fragments, looking up as Cubone approached. "How did this happen?"
Cubone pointed to the pet bed, indicating sleep, then mimed hitting the alarm clock with his club.
"Cubone! Did you break the alarm clock because it woke you?"
Cubone nodded frantically, glad that he had been able to communicate effectively.
"I'll have to pay for this!" Amy said in despair, slumping back down on the bed. Noticing the change in tone, Growlithe barked and Cubone glanced up at his Trainer, uncertain how to proceed.
Amy scooped Cubone into her arms, aware that he was still new to having rules enforced.
"We don't own this place, so we..." Amy's voice trembled. "We have to respect property. And I-I don't have that much money, so..."
Amy burst into tears, uncontrollable sobbing that led to weak gasps as she tried to contain herself. Nidorina ran up to face Amy, Growlithe leapt onto the bed to nuzzle her and Cubone wrapped his arms around her, to the extent he could manage. Amy sniffed a couple times and wiped her face with the back of her palm, hating herself for losing control.
Amy tried to focus her thoughts, wishing she could have a nice, long soak in the bath to calm her mind. She swallowed her tears, standing up, her resolve building itself up back again. She glanced out the window.
"It's too late to face the Gym Leader now, so we'll stay inside and have a nice dinner." Amy said, reaching for the phone, before remembering that room service charges were astronomical. Amy headed for the door. "I'll be back soon with dinner, OK?"
Amy locked the room with her key, descending the stairs slowly as she fixed her hair and dabbed at her eyes with her palm.
I must look horrible, thought Amy. At least I won't run into anyone who knows me.
Amy reached the end of the stairs and entered the reception area, where she approached the receptionist.
"Good evening, dear," said the woman, glancing up from her paperwork.
"Good evening. I was wondering if you might know of any, uh, takeout places nearby?"
"Well, certainly! There's a pizza parlour that's open until late. It's just opposite the Pokemon Center. Do you know where that is?"
Amy nodded with a smile. "Thank you."
"Keep warm, dear," the receptionist called out after her.
It was freezing outside! As Amy walked towards the Pokemon Center, she noticed that the S.S. Anne had departed and it made her feel a bit lonely.
Upon reaching the Pokemon Center, Amy saw the pizza parlour opposite it, fairly busy with plenty of customers to be seen through its opaque double doors. Intent on heading for the warmth inside, Amy strode towards the building, reaching for the doors and pulling them open -
"Oh!"
Amy collided with a girl the same height, knocking her off-balance and causing her to nearly drop the box of pizza she was holding.
"I'm sorry!" Amy exclaimed, hand to her frantically beating heart. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" the girl beamed, leaning on the open door to steady herself. She peered at Amy. "Have we met before?"
Amy looked closely at the girl. She had red hair that stopped short of her waist, a light dusting of freckles on her face and wore a long-sleeved jumper with shorts and sandals. She did look familiar - but Amy couldn't place her.
From inside, a customer called, "Hey! Don't let all the warmth get out!"
Amy stepped backwards to allow the girl to exit, allowing the door to close automatically shut behind her. The smell of the pizza was delicious. It was then that Amy noticed a Squirtle following the girl.
"You're a Pokemon Trainer?" Amy asked.
"Yep," Natalie nodded, smiling as she patted Squirtle on the head. Squirtle tapped Natalie on the leg, pointing to the pizza, but Natalie shook her head. "Not yet, Squirtle; we're eating back at the hotel."
"Which hotel are you staying at?" Amy asked conversationally.
"The Seaside Inn," said Natalie. Amy's heart took a jump.
"I'm staying there," Amy said.
"How about you join us for some pizza?" Natalie asked, although Amy hesitated.
"I don't want to impose..." Amy said, out of habit.
"Come on!" Natalie grabbed her wrist, tugging her along in an unexpected display of friendship. "We've got enough pizza to go round! Let's go!"
Surprised, Amy followed the girl in the direction of the hotel, her spirits lifted all of a sudden.
Daniel looked up as Natalie unlocked the door, the smell of the pizza wafting in before she entered. As she closed the door, Squirtle leapt up in frantic anticipation and the other Pokemon gathered round to grab a slice.
"Not yet, guys..." Natalie said. "Daniel, could you grab the paper plates for me? We've got an unexpected guest coming over."
"A guest?" Daniel asked, setting the paper plates on the small dining table. Natalie had asked at reception for a double suite, which included two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a desk overlooking the pier and a small kitchenette-cum-living room. It had cost her almost a thousand dollars, to which Daniel had protested, but Natalie had waived his concerns aside.
"We literally bumped into each other as I was leaving the pizza parlour. She's gone to her room to collect her Pokemon."
"Do we have enough pizza to go around?" Daniel mumbled, concerned there might not be enough left after feeding the guest.
Natalie opened the lid of the pizza box, revealing a cheese-and-ham pizza which could easily feed five.
"We may need some help finishing it all!" said Natalie.
Meowth had climbed onto the kitchen bench, trying to assert superiority and wiggling his behind as he prepared to spring onto Natalie.
"Meowth, get down," Daniel ordered, as Meowth sat still, but not moving from the bench. Sighing, Daniel picked Meowth up and stroked him until he was calm. There was a quiet knock on the door and Natalie called, "Come in!"
Amy entered, having changed into a short-sleeved white shirt and a pair of jeans, unconsciously smoothing her frizzy blonde hair and standing on the periphery of the room. Growlithe appeared from behind her, having run in from the hallway and began barking at the smell of the pizza. Nidorina ran in, too, followed by Cubone, waddling as Amy scooped him up in her arms.
"Oh, a Growlithe!" exclaimed Natalie, holding the pizza out of his reach. "He's really hungry!"
"We haven't had lunch yet," Amy explained. She jumped a little, noticing the inert boy sitting on the floor holding a Meowth. "Oh, I believe we haven't met yet."
Daniel stood, offering his hand and trying to contain Meowth with the other, who was desperately trying to escape his grasp, oblivious to the newcomer.
"I'm Daniel," he said, shaking her hand.
"My name's Amy," she said politely. She turned to Natalie. "I brought my pet bowls for the Pokemon."
"Just set them down in the kitchen," Natalie said, as she cut the pizza into slices and began serving it onto plates. "Daniel, could you get the desk chair for Amy? We've only two chairs."
"Sure," said Daniel. Amy watched him out the corner of her eye as she set down three empty pet bowls for her Pokemon.
He is very passive, she noted. Are these two dating?
The Pokemon scattered as Natalie walked towards the kitchen, reforming a tight circle around her that made it impossible to navigate to the kitchen without meeting the stares of several dribbling Pokemon faces.
"Growlithe, Nidorina, make room for Natalie," said Amy sternly. Cubone was wriggling in her arms like a newborn baby.
Natalie stepped carefully over Bellsprout, avoided Ekans' wriggling body and filled up each plate separately with a slice of pizza, before turning to Amy and asking, "Could you hold them back for me? They'll maul each other for the first bit of food I put down, no matter who it belongs to."
Amy obliged, gently holding the other Pokemon at bay and giving her a chance to see them up close. All Pokemon eyes were on the food, not her. Bellsprout and Ekans were easy to hold back, though Ekans looked less intimidating with its hungry gaze on something other than herself. Squirtle was waving his arms for food, while Poliwag could do little but watch without any arms to fight through the mass. Meowth was still in Daniel's arms, while Cubone was on the threshold of escaping from Amy's embrace.
"There they go..." said Natalie. Amy had to admit, even served up in pet bowls on the floor, the pizza was delicious. Amy helped Natalie divide the Pokemon so they knew to focus on their individual bowls rather than squabbling with one another for a single pet bowl.
As the Pokemon ate contentedly, Amy let Cubone eat from his as Daniel's Meowth skidded on the kitchen tiles in its anticipation to get to its own food bowl. Amy filled up the water bowls for the Pokemon, while Natalie released two Pokemon from their Pokeballs.
"Oh!" Amy gasped, as Butterfree settled on top of the counter and began eating some of the pizza. Natalie collected Horsea in her arms and fed it by hand.
"Your Butterfree is beautiful," Amy said, realising why Butterfree had to be fed on top of the counter with its fragile body.
"I have to feed Poliwag and Horsea by hand," Natalie said, picking Poliwag up and putting her on the counter. Poliwag and Horsea waddled over and began eating their food noisily. All of the other Pokemon were content to eat from their bowls on the ground.
"So, which of these Pokemon are yours, Daniel?" Amy asked, attempting to make conversation with the shy boy.
"Meowth, Bellsprout and Ekans," said Daniel, regaining some of his fervour. His face became animated as he locked onto the subject of his Pokemon. "Your Pokemon seem very loyal."
Amy glanced to where her Growlithe and Nidorina were eating, much less noisily than the others. Cubone clutched his bone club while he ate.
"Let's eat!" said Natalie enthusiastically.
Daniel took the seat in between Amy and Natalie. Amy hid the fact that she had never eaten anything with her hands and took the plunge, dripping sauce on her fingers as she ate the pizza in small bites.
"So, Amy, are you collecting Gym Badges as well?" Natalie asked, nudging Daniel to make further conversation.
Amy nodded. "I've collected two so far. The Gym Badges from Pewter and Cerulean City."
"So has Daniel," said Natalie, looking at him.
"I'm gonna challenge the Vermilion Gym tomorrow," Daniel said, wiping his mouth, aware of how his table manners were lacking with Amy's.
"Oh, I see." Amy turned to Natalie. "Are you collecting Badges as well?"
"Yep, I've just won the Thunderbadge from Lt. Surge." Natalie replied.
"He uses Electric Pokemon, doesn't he?" Amy asked, as Natalie nodded. "That must've been tough fighting him with Water Pokemon."
"You have no idea! I thought I was a goner! Right, Daniel?"
Daniel nodded, his eyes downcast. Perhaps he was just nervous with meeting new people, Amy thought.
Taking the initiative, Amy asked, "Where do you two come from?"
"I used to live in Viridian City," said Natalie, kicking Daniel under the table.
"Ow!" Daniel said, to Amy's surprise and causing her to face him. "I'm from Pallet Town."
"It's a nice town," Amy said, swallowing her food. "Very charming."
Natalie left the table to help Poliwag and Horsea with their food. Daniel and Amy, unsure of what to say, moodily ignored one another.
I can't imagine sharing a hotel room with a boy. Amy thought.
Their eyes met and they felt a little guilty, instantly trying to clear the air.
"I'm a little shy," Daniel said, not meeting her eyes. "I should've said that. I can come across a little forward."
Emboldened, Amy said, "I'm unaccustomed to, er, this kind of situation."
"What kind of situation?" asked Daniel.
"I'm really, uh," Amy smoothed her hair, uncomfortable with the sudden foray into an opinion this private. It was the split ends she felt at the end of her fingertips which brought her home. "I don't like to meet new people either. I prefer my solitude, too."
Daniel's expression lightened and he leaned forward. "I was worried I was coming across a bit rude."
Surprised by his frank honesty, Amy smiled. "Not at all."
Interrupting the soliloquy with a smile, Natalie chimed in, "I'm glad you two have stopped ignoring each other!"
Amy smiled at her. She stood up from the chair, wiping her lips with the napkin. "I should head back to my room. I've got to get up early to face the Gym Leader."
"Oh, Daniel's battling the Gym Leader tomorrow, too! Perhaps we'll meet again?" Natalie asked.
"Sure, I'd like that." Amy smiled, one hand on the doorknob. "Growlithe, Nidorina, Cubone. Let's go."
Growlithe bounded away from the pet bowl and towards Amy. Nidorina followed with Cubone hot in pursuit.
"If you'd like, we can all go together?" Daniel asked.
"Yes," Amy said, glad to find a solution out of the blue. "I'd like that. Room 107."
Amy opened the door and exited, her Pokemon behind her, as she closed the door shut.
"She seems like a nice enough person," Daniel said, taking the plates and cutlery from the table and putting them in the sink.
"She's got really cute Pokemon!" said Natalie, helping to clear the empty pet bowls on top of the kitchen counter, while Daniel cleared the pet bowls underneath. They wiped the kitchen counter down together, as well as the dining table.
"If you wake up before me, knock on my door," said Natalie, as her Pokemon rushed into her bedroom, anticipating a warm and comfortable Pokebed. "Night."
"Goodnight," replied Daniel, heading into his own bedroom, where Meowth was already curled up on his bed, snoozing.
Amy closed the door of her hotel room behind her, watching as her Pokemon spread themselves about the room. Amy noticed how smaller and more spartan her accommodations were, wondering if Daniel and Natalie came from money. More likely they combined their earnings for accommodation and food, since they were travelling as a couple...
Are they a couple? Amy asked herself. It's not any of my business...
Amy lay down on her bed, joined by Cubone who tried in vain to jump onto the bed. Amy helped him up, holding him close as she pondered her night. She welcomed the idea of friends, but tonight had been a shock for her. There were so authentic, so real it was jarring. Amy was only ever used to social doublespeak, mindlessly following a polite script of interminable courtesies. It wouldn't be long before they asked her about her past - there was no way she could divulge to them her situation.
What would they think of her? What would anyone think of her? Again, the clouds of doubt and misery settled when she just thought she had got rid of them, and her narcissistic tendencies struggled to accept that anyone could like her beyond the facade so she carefully crafted to protect her inner fragility.