CHAPTER EIGHTY TWO

"Don't stay up too late," Mary warned, from where she stood at the foot of the staircase.

"I won't," Daniel replied dully. He glanced at his mother. "I promise!"

Once his mother had ascended the staircase, Daniel resumed the video he had recorded. The TV screen showed what was the live feed at the time of the championship match of the Indigo League, between Amy and the Champion, Lance. Amy looked drawn and nervous, while Lance showed utter calm.

"Dragonite, Dragon Rage!" Lance shouted on the TV, as his Dragonite flew forth.

"Arcanine, Hyper Beam!" Amy cried, while Arcanine opened his mouth to a dazzling display of light.

Daniel's stomach grew leaden as he watched with the silence which had preceded the announcer's declaration that Amy of Celadon City had defeated the Dragon-type Trainer, Lance.

Morosely, Daniel reached for the remote and turned off the TV. He was surrounded in darkness but for the slivers of moonlight which peeked through the slit of curtains drawn across the windows. Shivering, he stood and realised Meowth had been napping on the floor beside his feet.

"Come on, Meowth," Daniel hefted him into his arms, carrying him up to his bedroom. "Let's go to bed."

Daniel nudged his bedroom door open with his foot, regretting the bang against the wall that had come from kicking it with too much force. Praying his sister Beth wouldn't raise an almighty hue and cry, he closed the door behind him with much more care and turned to see Meowth getting comfortable at the edge of his bed. Weepinbell was sleeping in the garden outside, while Arbok and Seel were in their Pokeballs on his belt.

Since losing to Joshua and returning home, he had felt like he had no direction whatsoever. He sat on the bed and stared out the window, where he had yet to pull the curtains closed. He could see the silhouettes of Pidgeotto flying across the full moon that rose high in the sky, hear the branches wave in the wind and glimpse out towards the outer reaches of Pallet, where he had first begun his journey.

He had been more than surprised to lose to Joshua. He had been gob smacked to watch Amy triumph in the battle against Lance.

Not that he hadn't been rooting for her to win, of course. But when Lance ascended the podium and threw his first Pokeball into the battlefield, all Daniel could think about was that he had missed his chance. Amy had battled and conquered, becoming Champion of Kanto.

He had not wanted to watch the awards ceremony where Amy was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He didn't know where his feelings lay with her. He felt a pit of guilt when he remembered their argument in his apartment suite at Indigo Plateau. Daniel admired Amy as a strong Pokemon Trainer and a good friend.

Is she still my friend? Daniel pondered. Does she hate me?

Natalie had spent almost of all her time at home, with her mother. Whenever Daniel plucked up the courage to visit her house, he heard yelling and shouts and wisely decided to veer off course. Daniel's mother had told him that Natalie had filled out job applications to work part-time in the Poke Mart, to fill in for the Chansey in Viridan and Pewter's Pokemon Centers and as a custodian at the Pewter Museum of Science. His mother had told him that it was likely Natalie wouldn't be accepted, as Mary barely got enough hours as it was at the Poke Mart and split shifts with Joshua's mother, who lived a few doors down in Pallet. Staff turnover wasn't as common in small towns as it was in bigger cities.

From what the rumour mill told him, Natalie was trying to sell the family home in Viridian and move to Cerulean City. Daniel had prize money remaining from his travels over Kanto, but the costs involved would be well over what Daniel could hope to provide.

Lacking in enthusiasm, Daniel curled up on the bed and felt a great pit of emptiness open up further in his chest. If and when he got the motivation, he would aim for another round at the Kanto Gyms. One day. Maybe.

The next morning, Daniel opened his eyes and glanced around his functional, tidy bedroom. Since he had left home, his mother had been in to see that it received a good cleaning while he was out of the house. His Pokemon books and manuals were arranged on a shelf above his bed, instead of in disarray or disordered piles upon the desk or floor. His sheets had been changed and his bed made the way only mothers can make beds. His Meowth Pokedoll rested atop his pillow as though he was resting. Daniel was filled with warmth when he noticed these small affectations upon returning home.

But now that he had been home for a week, Daniel had realised how his experiences had changed his perspective for the better. Before, his hopes were no higher than reaching the top of his class at Pokemon Trainer's School in Viridian City. Now, he had challenged the eight Gym Leaders of Kanto and became a semi finalist in the Indigo League. It had opened his eyes to how truly small and insignificant life in Pallet was. There was more to life than moping about and crying.

He changed into a clean white T-shirt and denim shorts, waking Meowth and carrying him downstairs to feed him some Pokefood. As he reached downstairs he realised with some awkwardness that he was intruding upon a private conversation. His mother was consoling a woman who was crying into her handkerchief.

"Daniel, you remember Mrs. A," Mary sipped her mug of hot cocoa, setting it on the coffee table. "Joshua's mother."

"Um, hi," Daniel pretend not to notice that the woman was crying, or that she barely glanced up when he was announced. Hoping he wouldn't have to make small talk, and glad that in the realm of adulthood he had no experience which might be relied upon, he continued, "Is breakfast ready?"

Sternly, Mary replied, "Go and wake your sister. You'll have to make do with toast."

Daniel turned to the staircase, wondering why Joshua's mother was here. Surely she could cry in the privacy of her own home.

"Wait!" Mrs. A blubbered, standing from the sofa all of a sudden. Daniel hesitated on the first step. "I need to ask you something!"

Daniel glanced at his mother, who nodded. Slowly, he asked, "Um, OK?"

"It's my son," Mrs. A wept. "He came home a few days ago after the tournament - "

Pained, Daniel glanced away. His loss to Joshua was sour most of all.

"Daniel, listen!" Mary urged. Daniel snapped to attention.

"He's always in a bad mood when he loses a battle, but this time it was different," Mrs. A continued, blowing her nose with a tissue proffered by Mary. "Thank you. I confronted him and told Joshua that since he didn't win, perhaps it was time to settle down and stop all this travelling. I mean, it's dangerous to travel alone!"

Daniel thought of how much more safe he had been while travelling with Natalie. He nodded to Mrs. A, wondering why she was defending her actions during what sounded like a routine argument between adolescent-teen and mother-knows-best.

"Of course, he hated that," Mrs. A replied bitterly. "He stomped about as youngsters do, telling me that he wasn't going to stop looking for the strongest Pokemon he could find. He stormed out shortly after and I haven't heard from him since!"

Mrs. A burst into tears. Mary consoled her by patting her on the shoulder, handing her the box of tissues.

"I was wondering if you could find him for me," Mrs. A blubbered. "I'm so worried about him. If he gets hurt - "

"Joshua defeated me in the semi finals," Daniel replied, more harshly than he had meant it. "If I can handle myself, he can, too. What makes you think he's in trouble?"

"He mentioned going to a cave where powerful Pokemon are known to reside. I don't know the name, but it's somewhere in Cerulean - "

"I don't know of any cave in - wait a second! You don't mean the Cerulean Cave?"

Mrs. A sniffed. "I'm not sure. How many caves are there in Cerulean City?"

"Well, the Cerulean Cave is off-limits to the public, even Pokemon Trainers," Daniel remembered what he had learned from Kanto geography. "It's an incredibly dangerous place where only the Elite Four go to train."

"If that's true, then Joshua must've gone there! Oh, I wish he had listened to me! He's put me in terrible worry!"

"There, there," Mary consoled Mrs. A. "Surely there must be another way. I mean, if it's too dangerous for Joshua - "

"Hold on a moment!" Daniel went red. "Are you saying I'm not a strong enough Pokemon Trainer?"

"Lower your voice," Mary rebuked. "Of course I think you're a strong Pokemon Trainer - "

"But what about my son?" Mrs. A cried.

Mary felt like a boat being tugged in two different directions. She sighed heavily.

"As I understand it, this Cerulean Cave is dangerous to Pokemon Trainers. If Joshua is in trouble, my Daniel will be as well if he goes, too!"

Blubbering, Mrs. A turned to Daniel with an idea. "Take your girlfriend along with you! She's a Pokemon Trainer, isn't she? I saw you two live on TV!"

"A-amy?" Daniel hesitated for a fraction of a second. "She's n - "

"No, that wasn't her name," Mrs. A frowned, peering at him closely as she strained to think. "Natalie! Natalie's her name! Who's this Amy? Why'd you break up with Natalie?"

"Daniel isn't dating Natalie or Amy," Mary hastened, casting a worried glance to her son who had turned redder still. "But Natalie can't come along to help - "

"Why not?" Daniel snapped, rather liking the idea. Besides the addition of another Trainer's Pokemon to aid in the search, he wanted an excuse to travel with Natalie again.

Mary gave him a stern look at his rude behaviour before continuing. "She has her hands full putting her mother's affairs in order. You have no idea what kind of financial trouble that family is in, Daniel. I don't deny the cause is worthy, but Natalie simply has too much on her hands right now."

"Well, how about Amy?" Mrs. A was grasping at straws. "She just became Champion, for heaven's sake - "

"I'm not in contact with Amy at the moment," Daniel refused to meet his mother's eye. "We sort of had a falling out. Besides, I don't know where she is to get in touch with her."

"Oh," Mrs. A seemed defeated, her shoulders slumped in loss. "Perhaps I should leave it to the authorities - "

"No," Daniel interrupted, suddenly full of vigour now that he had a reason to leave the confines of Pallet Town and collect his Pokemon for another trip. "I'll do it, alone."

"What?" Mary was shocked.

"You will?" Mrs. A was overjoyed. "Oh, thank you, dear boy! Thank you - "

Daniel squirmed out of Mrs. A's clumsy embrace, glancing towards his mother who replied with a hesitant shrug.

"You know my feelings on the subject, Daniel," Mary replied sternly. "I would much prefer you go with someone - "

"I can do this by myself!" Daniel fumed.

"You've only ever travelled with Natalie," Mary pointed out lightly, before realising her son was getting angrier. "But if you're certain your Pokemon are up to the task, and you have all the equipment you need, and you make sure you are very careful, then you have my permission."

Daniel ran over to hug his mother, who replied in kind with shaky hands. Mary had been worried enough to hear what kind of 'adventures' Daniel had managed to find himself in alongside Natalie and Amy. But she couldn't deny that while her concern for her son was paramount, she could understand Mrs. A's concern for her son, Joshua.

"Go," Mary replied, kissing Daniel on the cheek before he could protest. "I'll tell your sister where you've gone. And be careful - "

"Wait a second," Daniel paused, turning to Mrs. A. "If Joshua's already left for Cerulean Cave, then I won't catch up in time! The quickest way is through Mt. Moon near Pewter City - "

"I've already thought of that," Mrs. A stood. "There might be a way you can get there before him."

Daniel and Mary watched as Mrs. A retrieved a Pokeball from her pocket.

"I've had her for a long while, and she's very old, but she can still fly," Mrs. A handed the Pokeball to Daniel. "Please return her safely. My Pidgeotto can take you to Cerulean City in time."

"Are you sure?" Daniel felt awkward, imagining riding atop the brittle bones of an aged Pidgeotto. "She won't - cop out halfway or anything - "

"No, no, she's quite strong, but you'll have to be patient with her," Mrs. A advised. "She's not used to long flights so you'll have to allow her a break once you reach Cerulean City. Please hurry!"

Daniel nodded, turning to Meowth who was waiting for food in his Pokeball. "No time, Meowth! We're on another adventure!"

Yawning, Meowth complied nonetheless, glad to see his Trainer with ambition. The cat Pokemon followed Daniel as he exited the house, running out into the garden and almost crashing into Weepinbell, who was sniffing the newly planted sunflowers.

"Weepinbell, we're heading to Cerulean City!" Daniel grinned, holding out his Pokeball. Weepinbell clapped its leaf arms excitedly and spun in the air, dissolving into red light as it returned inside the Pokeball.

"Meowth, I have to return you inside your Pokeball, too," Daniel advised. "I don't know that this Pidgeotto can hold us both."

As Meowth complied, Daniel now had all four of his Pokemon in their Pokeballs attached to his belt. He retrieved the fifth Pokeball which Mrs. A had lent him, pointing it into the air.

"Um, go, Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto flew forth in a burst of red light, flapping her wings and soaring into the sky. She was somewhat surprised to see Daniel holding her Pokeball and perched atop the roof of Mary's home.

"Pidgeotto!" Daniel shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Joshua's mum let me borrow you! Can you help me save Joshua?"

Hooting blearily, Pidgeotto flew at once to the ground. She didn't look aged or tattered, but there was a definite lack of spryness where younger bird Pokemon were full of vitality. Awkwardly, Daniel held onto Pidgeotto as best he could and yelped in surprise as Pidgeotto flapped its wings, rising high into the air.

"Ah!" Daniel cried, glancing down and noticing his mother and Mrs. A standing outside the house, concerned and waving to him in goodbye.

The houses of Pallet became specks and the trees like planted broccoli as Pidgeotto swooped lower to reveal them into sharp relief and then higher again, so that he could see Viridian in the distance.

"Pidgeotto!" Daniel called, as the wind cut his face and blinked as his eyes teared up. "We're headed for Cerulean City to save Joshua!"