CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Natalie exited the Pokemon Center, her four Pokemon following by her side. Squirtle and Poliwag flanked Natalie, while Butterfree held Horsea securely in its little arms, allowing it a view of the city. Natalie was concerned, but Horsea was twittering, having such a good time, that she relented.
She walked around the city, taking her time to collect her thoughts before she returned to the hotel. Natalie approached the Celadon Department Store, marveling at its size.
"Time to go back into your Pokeballs," said Natalie, sighing a little. Her Pokemon nodded as the familiar flashes of red light returned them into their Pokeballs. "Sorry, guys."
Natalie entered the lobby through the glass revolving door, pushing through a crowd of shoppers. She came upon an idea, moving towards the payphones and inserting a coin as she lifted the receiver, dialing the number of the inn they were staying at.
"Good afternoon," answered the receptionist. "Little Prairie Inn. How may I help you?"
"I'd like to put through to room 205, please."
"One moment," replied the receptionist, as she placed Natalie on hold. A moment later, Daniel answered, "Hello?"
"It's Natalie calling!" she grinned.
"Oh, hi," Daniel said, with a moment's hesitation. "Well? How did it go?"
"I won the Badge!" she squealed, as Daniel gasped.
"Nice work!" he said. "That's great news."
"Can you believe how much the prize money is?" Natalie said, still astounded. "Hey, I'm at the Celadon Department Store now. Do you want to come out?"
"I think I'll stay in and spend some time with my Pokemon," said Daniel. "Could you pick up some things for me, though? I'll pay you back when you get back."
"OK. What do you need?" Natalie asked.
"Four Potions and three each of Antidotes, Awakenings and Paralyz Heals."
"OK... I think I'll get about the same. I'll see you soon!"
"OK," said Daniel, hanging up.
Natalie replaced the receiver and headed upstairs, walking side by side with bustling crowds of shoppers clutching new purchases. Natalie looked around, amazed, at the aisles of goods for sale on the first floor. She selected six Potions, six Awakenings, six Antidotes and six Paralyz Heals.
"That'll be $2,600, please," the receptionist said, happy to service such an avid customer.
"Here you are," said Natalie, handing over the cash. She felt a squeeze of anxiety - it was almost all of what she had earned from defeating Erika - but she reminded herself that Daniel would pay his half and besides, she had enough left over for a few days' worth of accommodation and food.
Natalie scanned the aisles a bit longer before taking the staircase up to the next level. The second floor featured TVs, video games and other forms of home entertainment. She walked up to the next floor, which was a gift shop, delighting Natalie with the array of Pokedolls on sale. With a cry of delight, Natalie found a Ponyta Pokedoll and instantly thought of Beth. She could give it to her when she came home. She took the Pokedoll in her arms and approached the counter.
"That'll be $600, please."
Natalie handed the money over, thinking that for this price, she'd better keep it safe. Natalie refused the offer of gift wrap for an extra charge, stuffing the Pokedoll in her backpack.
"Thanks," said Natalie, turning for the elevator. As she entered the vestibule with four others, her finger hovered over the display as she selected 'Rooftop Square'.
The elevator smoothly ascended, its doors sliding apart to allow a gust of fresh air inside. Natalie stepped onto the deck with a grateful sigh, walking over to the balcony and glancing at the view.
Celadon City was beautiful, especially with the haze of the setting sun. Streaks of sunlight shot out over the sky, casting a luminous glow over the balcony. Around her, couples sat opposite each other on tiny tables, their hands interlocked as they shared an ice cream or whispered to each other.
Natalie reached for her Pokeballs, noticing with annoyance the 'No Pokemon on this floor' sign.
Turning back to the view, gripping the balcony with her palms, Natalie spotted the roof of the inn she was staying at. She wondered how many places she'd see on this adventure... and if she'd be able to find a new home by the end of it all.
Daniel looked up as he heard the key turn in the lock, helping Natalie with her grocery bags as she entered.
"Thanks," she panted, as Butterfree flew into the room, depositing Horsea onto the couch. Squirtle and Poliwag followed inside as Natalie shut the door behind them. "I got a bit more food than I needed to, I think."
"That's OK," said Daniel, putting the milk in the fridge and the loaf of bread in the cupboard.
"I bought some pasta for tonight and I've bought a bag of Pokefood."
Natalie surreptitiously handed Daniel a large grocery bag, which he put on the highest shelf in the cupboard. Reminded of this trick, Meowth took a running leap into Daniel's arms as a plea for food.
"Not now, Meowth," said Daniel, as Natalie's Pokemon watched in bewilderment. "After Natalie and I make the pasta. For now, let's not rile the other Pokemon up."
Nodding in assent, Meowth jumped down out of Daniel's hands as Natalie moved into the kitchen, retrieving a pan from under the sink and utensils from a drawer.
"Thanks for that," Natalie said. "I'll handle the pasta for now."
"No, let me do it," Daniel insisted. "Go put your feet up and sit with the Pokemon. You deserve it."
Natalie accepted, gratefully sitting on the couch with a suppressed sigh of satisfaction. Instantly, Squirtle and Poliwag jumped up to join her and Horsea snuggled onto Natalie's lap. Butterfree perched on the arm of the sofa, letting out a cry.
"Your dinner's coming soon," Natalie soothed, patting Butterfree carefully, for its figure was so delicate. She reached for the remote, turning on the TV.
While Daniel prepared hot water in the pot, Natalie flicked through the channels: a romance film featured a handsome man in a tuxedo embracing a gorgeous woman in a silk dress; a news broadcast showed a smartly dressed woman sitting at a desk advising viewers to take caution when traveling at night; a weather forecast predicted heavy rain for tomorrow.
"Rain?" Daniel pulled a face, as he stirred the pot of pasta. "The weather's been good to us so far."
"Which city are we headed to next, by the way?" Natalie asked, pressing the mute button on the remote. The Pokemon relaxed a little.
"We head to Fuchsia City next," said Daniel. "There's two ways we can get there - we can go west and take the Cycling Road, or we can head back to Lavender Town and take the southern route."
"I'm guessing the Cycling Road will be quicker?" asked Natalie.
Daniel nodded, as he divided the pasta into separate portions onto two plates and placed them onto the table. Steam and scent rose into the air as Natalie stood up from the couch, reaching for the bag of Pokefood.
"Time for dinner!" she called.
As Natalie set up the Pokebowls, her and Daniel's Pokemon crowded round, ready for food. Once they had started devouring their dinner, Natalie collected cutlery from the kitchen drawer and handed Daniel a fork and knife.
"Thanks," said Daniel, placing a paper napkin by his side.
"It smells yummy!" said Natalie, taking a bite. She closed her eyes, savouring the taste. "Mmm."
"I'm glad you like it," Daniel smiled, taking a bite. It was OK, but nothing special; he appreciated Natalie's enthusiasm all the same, anyway.
Amy arrived back in her hotel room carrying an armful of groceries. She deposited the plastic bags on the counter, her arms sore from the weight of lugging them so far.
"C'mon, Growlithe," said Amy, as Growlithe bounded into the kitchen, headed for his pet bowl. Nidorina and Cubone were close behind as Amy poured Pokefood into their bowls.
Amy stood up, wiping a sheen of perspiration from her brow as she retrieved a recipe book she had bought at a second-hand book store. The pages were a little creased and torn here and there, but she could still read the instructions clearly enough.
"Mince stew," Amy began, fumbling in the kitchen drawer for the utensils. "Let's see..."
An hour and a half later, Amy stood over the sink, scouring the burned remnants of her would-be dinner from the bottom of the pot. Her face shone with perspiration as she scrubbed, her arm aching from the effort. She let out a furious groan.
"Come on!" she urged, the pot clanging against the sink in a ringing echo that caused her Pokemon to look up in surprise. "Aah!"
Amy's hand slipped and she scraped the back of her palm against the hard metal of the pot. A dribble of blood mixed with hot water and dishwashing liquid and Amy wrenched her hand free, clutching it in agony. Amy turned off the tap and looked wildly around for some sort of bandage. She ran into the bathroom and tightly wrapped a towel around her hand.
"Ooh... "
Cubone ran into the room, flailing his arms in concern as Growlithe and Nidorina bumped into each other as they both tried to enter the bathroom at the same time.
"Come here," said Amy, kneeling as her Pokemon crowded around here. "I'm sorry about my outburst."
She held them close for a moment, then stood and appraised her hand. The skin was rough with dried blood. It looked and felt terrible. She felt a wave of disappointment crash over her to collide with her rising throb of hunger. She had never felt such a failure at anything. How was she supposed to go on a Pokemon adventure if she couldn't cook her own dinner, let alone clean a pot without injuring herself?
Amy walked out of the bathroom and past the kitchen to where the bed stood beside a window. She drew the curtains, turned out the light and curled up in bed, sighing in relief. The blankets were soft and warm and she could feel her eyes grow heavy... but the weight on her shoulders remained. Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in the pillow.
Nidorina gave a sharp bark and jumped onto the bed, surprising Amy as she snuggled in with her Trainer. Growlithe followed suit and Cubone just managed to jump up as Amy made room for them all.
"Thanks, you guys," Amy croaked, lying back on the pillow with a satisfying thud.
The light rain that poured overnight turned into a downpour as morning arrived. The sun could scarce be seen behind the grey clouds blanketing the sky above. Rain poured like a lonely mist throughout the streets, showering on passersby with the good sense to carry big umbrellas. Porticos spilled excess water onto storefronts. Puddles of water became sources of consternation for civilians without adequate footwear.
Amy shivered, pulling the blankets over her head to conserve warmth. Her skin had goosebumps from the cold. The only source of warmth she could think of was a nice, hot shower. She gasped as she pulled back the duvet and stood up. The cold pinched her exposed flesh as she tiptoed across the floor, careful not to wake her sleeping Pokemon and silently closed the door behind her as she entered the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she took a quick look in the mirror as she waited for it to heat up. Shivering, she glanced back at her reflection in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes and her skin was pale, bearing the marks of a bad sleep. Her dreams had been fitful: she tossed and turned as the faces of her mother and brother and father spun in her mind, their words full of disdainful mirth.
Amy undressed and gratefully stepped into the shower. She screamed as the ice-cold water sprayed at her and she jumped right back out, gripping the sink for balance as she teetered unsteadily on the tiles.
Growlithe began barking from the other side of the door, with Nidorina joining in immediately.
"I'm OK!" Amy shouted, turning to the faucet. The temperature dial was set to the hottest setting - why wasn't it heating up?
Her bare feet were freezing on the cold tiles; she wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door, moving past Growlithe and Nidorina to where the phone sat at her bedside table. Snatching it up, she dialed reception and shivered as her wet hair clung to her back.
"Good morning, how may I - "
"I just turned on my shower and it's freezing!" Amy shouted, her teeth chattering. Some deep impulse tried to restrain her from speaking any further, but enough was enough. "What's the problem - "
"Oh, dear. That'll be the weather," clucked the receptionist sympathetically. "The pipes are prone to freezing when it gets this cold."
"What about warmth?" Amy exploded, all her manners evaporating as her skin clammed up from the cold. "I need a shower! How am I supposed to keep warm?"
"I'm sorry, dear," replied the woman. "We've called in a plumber to sort out the situation - "
"That's not good enough!" Amy screamed, as Growlithe began to howl in misery. "I'm standing here barefoot in a towel, cold enough to make a Dewgong shiver and you want me to wait?"
"Try going back to bed, dear. Nobody's getting work done today."
Amy hung up the phone without another word, jumping into the bed and wriggling with discomfort as her Pokemon bounded onto her bed.
"I've never been so freezing in my life - Growlithe, come under the covers."
Cuddling with Growlithe was uncomfortable at first, but despite his fur covering the sheets he held a lot of warmth in his body. He was a Fire-type Pokemon, after all, Amy thought to herself.
She tried to clamp out the darkness pressing on her mind. A headache began to form around the corners of her mind and she pulled the covers closer.
She hated being poor. She hated it.
The phone rang beside Amy's bed. Teeth chattering, she answered a miserable, "Hello?"
"Good morning," trilled the happy receptionist, who was probably standing next to a heater to have such a positive disposition. "The plumber has fixed the pipes and you'll be able to have a hot shower now."
"Good," said Amy, her lips too frozen to talk any more.
She slammed the phone down and darted from the bed into the bathroom. Goosebumps prickling her body, she turned on the faucet and waited an agonising ten seconds before she tentatively tested the shower water with her hand. Blessed be, it was hot!
Amy removed her clothes and jumped in with a sigh of pleasure, rinsing her hair and soaping her body in warm bliss. Once she was done, she dried herself and dressed in the warmest clothes she had - a cashmere jacket with a fur collar and a long skirt with a pair of boots. She would have to buy some warmer clothing if the temperature dropped this low again on her travels.
She packed her belongings as quick as possible, returned her Pokemon to their Pokeballs and headed for the door. Giving the room a last, final look - the kitchen still bore the stains of her bad cooking, the bed was messy from her struggle and the bathroom seeped still-hot steam from the shower - she promised herself she would win more Pokemon battles to sleep in warmer, nicer hotel rooms.
She shut the door and marched down to reception, the room keys in her hand. With a shock, she saw that the receptionist did indeed have a heater warming her by the desk.
"Good morning, dear," said the receptionist a little warily, eyeing Amy's pale skin. "I hope that the heating didn't cause you too much - "
"Save it," spat Amy, placing the keys on the counter. "I paid hundreds of my own dollars to stay here and you can't even fix the heating. In my house, we always had a fireplace going in every room and heating surged through the vents every hour of the day. This place is a joke for a hotel."
Turning and heading for the door, Amy wrenched it open and stepped outside, almost instantly drenched by rain. Gasping from the cold, Amy could turn back - but she was beyond that sort of frippery now. She had to progress. She bundled her clothing against her body as best as she could and ran in search of the nearest clothing shop. Amy couldn't care less if they didn't sell clothes she liked. She just wanted to be warm.
Great. Now I'm thinking like a homeless person. All I do is flit from place to place for the free heating!
Amy ran through the rain, soaked to the skin as she looked in vain for a clothing store, but nothing was open today. Frozen to the bone, she retreated under the canopy of a cafe, packed with chairs stacked on top of wooden tables.
"Miss!" called a voice, all of a sudden.
Amy turned to see an elderly gentleman in a suit, holding an umbrella, marched over to her.
"What are you doing outside on a horrible day like this?" he asked, his moustache quivering in the cold.
"I'm trying to find a clothing store. I need some warmer clothes," shivered Amy.
"There's nothing open today! You'd be best going to a shelter for food and warmth."
"A... shelter?" Amy repeated, aghast. "You don't mean..."
"Come now, miss. It's plainly obvious. There's no need to be ashamed!"
"I - " Amy stuttered, trying to force herself to move. "You think I'm homeless?"
"There's no shame in asking for help!" the elderly man looked affronted. "There's a building just round the block, called the Celadon Youth Refuge Shelter."
Amy watched as the man strode away, headed for the corporate offices of some important company. She let out a little sigh as she realised she had to give in. There was no way she could travel to Fuchsia City today. She gasped as she ran out from under the awning, the cold rain hitting her and splashing the pavement. Amy turned on her heel as she reached the end of the block, catching sight of the building almost instantly. It was built of ugly concrete, in one of the few 'bad parts' of Celadon.
Amy strode to the entrance, pulled open the black wrought-iron gate and walked down an alleyway, water from dirty rain gutters spilling onto her hair and face. To her left, a set of steps led to a door with chipped wood around the frame and cracks in the glass panes. A worn sign above the door read 'Celadon Youth Refuge Shelter'. Amy took a deep breath, opened the door and walked inside.
A chill ran through her body as she walked down an empty hallway and into the room. It was large, with a high ceiling and no warmth to speak of. Sleeping bags and soiled mattresses dotted the floor, where young boys and girls huddled for heat with their Pokemon. Amy could see a small kitchen in one corner, with a serving counter where a kindly, elderly woman spooned broth and hot soup into bowls with a ladle. The queue held trays to accept their food, their shoulders slumped in dejection.
It was nowhere near as bad as she thought. Amy felt cold and hungry and alone; just like all these boys and girls. They had only one or two Pokemon to comfort them: a young girl with her hair askew wept silently into her Jigglypuff; a boy turned in his sleep, a pained expression on his face.
Amy moved past the rows of sleeping children, taking a tray by the counter and waiting in the queue. She was shivering on the outside, her hairs prickling and her teeth chattering; but amongst the crowd of rejected and lonely youth, Amy felt warmed on the inside. She blended in and tried to be inconspicuous.
Dinner was a thin slice of bread with an apple served on a tray and a plastic cup of water. Amy knelt beside a sleeping bag, balancing the tray on her knees as she tried not to grimace at the brown bits in her apple and the stale rigidity of her bread. She took a grateful sip of the water, which tasted clean enough and returned her tray to the stack of stained and worn ones by the kitchen counter.
Returning to her sleeping bag and tucking herself inside, she had allowed her Growlithe to sleep beside her while Nidorina and Cubone remained in their Pokeballs. Due to her sopping wet clothes, the serving lady had taken pity on her and give her a patchwork jumper with a slight smell and a few holes along with a pair of stretchy waistband pants and a pair of mismatched socks. Amy was also given a cheap elastic band for her hair, which she tied into an expert bun which, in all her tattered clothing, would look like nothing more than a cheap attempt. Amy led her hair loose as she wriggled in her sleeping bag, a little warmer and her hunger satisfied. She felt Growlithe's wet nose on her cheek and gave him a pat on the head. After all she had been through, she had her Pokemon to rely on the most.