CHAPTER EIGHTY THREE
Amy exited the Pokemon League Reception building, heading east along the route which would take her towards Viridian City. After receiving the call from Lance, she had packed her backpack and departed Indigo Plateau, travelling through the harsh terrain of Victory Road to come out exhausted and weary on the other, safer side.
"Whew," Amy brushed the dirt from her khaki pants, patting Arcanine's fur. "We made it."
It came as no surprise to her that Victory Road was arduous and physically demanding, but her Pokemon were well trained enough to fight off the likes of wild Onix, Machop and Graveler. In retrospect, Amy realised how worried she had felt when she first approached Victory Road, but now while it wasn't exactly a cakewalk, it was more manageable in large part due to her boosted confidence and stronger Pokemon.
Amy relaxed as she walked along the route, tall trees waving in the breeze while Rattata scampered across her path and Mankey hid in the bushes, watching her from afar. With Arcanine by her side, Amy felt well protected. Nidorina and Marowak she had returned to their Pokeballs for a rest after the exertions of Victory Road.
Viridian City came into sight. Amy's burdens lifted as she recognised the familiar houses and shops, chattering townsfolk who nodded to each other in the street and observed the coming and goings-on of passers by. She entered the Pokemon Center, healed her three Pokemon and emerged, pausing for a moment as she glanced towards the street where Natalie's house was. Making up her mind, Amy took a deep breath and began walking in that direction, loyal Arcanine by her side.
The house was by no means in disrepair, but it was small dwelling which barely fit two people. The garden was overgrown with tall grass and shrub, what was once a white fence had turned mottled grey and a line of black highlighter where rowdy kids had drawn on the few pickets remaining in the line up, and the façade of the house had paint peeling off the outer windowsills.
It probably looked quite pretty once upon a time, as Amy concluded from the neighbouring houses which had managed to keep their small houses tidy as though in stony opposition to the eyesore between them. She walked up the gravel path which led to the doorstep, ringing the door bell. There was no chime and so she knocked on the door instead.
Amy stood back a step as the door was wrenched open, and she came face-to-face with Natalie's mother. Tall, thin and wiry, Mrs. C had a gaunt look about her with greasy ringlets of dyed-blonde hair, leopard-print clothing and sallow skin from age. Suspiciously, Mrs. C eyed Amy.
In almost imperceptible English, she spat "Whaddaya want, huh?"
Amy forced herself to remain calm and collected. "I'm looking for Natalie - "
"Mum!" Natalie's voice shouted over the din of a romantic soap opera and the scent of incense candles. "She's one of my friends!"
Grumbling to herself, Mrs. C made herself scarce as Natalie appeared in the door frame, sweat upon her freckled face and red hair tied up with a bandanna. She was holding a damp cloth and scrub brush in her hands.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Amy said, somewhat stilted. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"
Natalie shook her head and deposited the cleaning materials on a side table, ushering her onto the front patio where a pair of rickety cane chairs flanked a cracked glass coffee table.
"I was just cleaning the kitchen," Natalie said, removing her bandanna so that her red hair fell in locks past her shoulders. Her white tank top was drenched with sweat. They took a seat each and glanced at each other, Amy nervous while Natalie was too harried to notice.
"It's good to see you," Natalie smiled, reaching over to squeeze Amy's hand briefly. "I would hug you but I'm all gross. Congratulations on winning the tournament!"
Somehow, Natalie's words made more sense to Amy than any of the crowds or interviewers or Victory Road Trainers had done. Amy was validated hearing these words of acceptance from a true friend.
"Thanks. It's been a roller coaster ride, for sure," Amy took a deep breath. "But I couldn't have done it without you."
"Don't be silly!" Natalie exclaimed, but she was distracted, not at all like her usual, optimist self. Amy noticed the change in her, how the spark had gone out of her eyes. Natalie's creative spirit had been quashed by the labours of domestic routine and adult responsibility. "You've had it in you all along."
Watching Natalie, Amy felt deeply grateful than words could hope to express. She would not have had the strength to pull through had she not encountered Natalie in Vermilion City. There was a great deal Amy had learned from her, about empathy and kindness. Amy didn't believe in karma, but she understood the nature of selflessness.
"Natalie, I'd like to help you if there's anything - "
"I'm fine," Natalie smiled, not unkindly. "Really, Amy. I'm doing just fine on my own - "
"You see, that's what I used to think," Amy interrupted. "Then I met you and Daniel and learned something about how to return a favour. Since winning the tournament, I have been alone with nobody but sycophants for company. I was helping nobody, not even myself staying up in that penthouse suite, ruminating on my victory and achievements."
"I'd like to return the favour for you, Natalie. You're very special to me and I'd like to help," Amy retrieved her battered suede purse and extracted a chequebook from within. Natalie watched in stunned silence as Amy filled in the particulars of date and recipient. "Now how much money do you need to help you get back on track?"
"I - Amy, I can't," Natalie stuttered, going red and pushing the chequebook away. "I can't! That's your prize money!"
"I have plenty left accumulated during my travels over Kanto, most of which was won in battles with the Trainers I met in Victory Road," Amy replied sharply. "I don't need money so long as I have my Pokemon."
"But Amy! You can't just loan me money," Natalie insisted. "I have no job yet, no way of paying it back to you - "
"You won't be getting a job and you won't be paying me back," Amy replied firmly. "It's a gift, no strings attached. I'd prefer to deposit the funds in your name rather than your mother's, and I know the names of several real estate agents and financial advisers in Celadon who can put you on the right track."
Natalie's eyes were brimming with tears as she shakily took several deep breaths to calm her spirit.
"You're the kindest person I know, Natalie. I don't want to see you unduly burdened so early in life. Please, let me help."
Relenting, Natalie turned to Amy and nodded. She rose from her seat to hug Amy, sweat-soaked shirt and all.
"Oh!" Amy tried to conceal the icky feeling on her skin, patting Natalie's back awkwardly. The two broke apart and Natalie resumed her seat, trying heavily to contain her emotions.
"Now, how much will the house sell for at best bet?" Amy asked. Natalie named a figure.
"And how much does the average house in Cerulean cost?" Natalie named an estimate.
Amy scribbled a sum on the cheque addressed to Natalie which was just shy of all her tournament winnings. She handed it to Natalie with a renewed sense of self, as Natalie wept openly upon seeing the amount.
"This is too much," Natalie whispered, having never held so much money in her life.
"You may not need that much, given housing estimates," Amy replied. "But you deserve whatever is left over. You're the glue that binds us all together, Natalie."
Amy left Viridian City after a tearful goodbye with Natalie, heading south along the route which would take her towards Pallet Town. The trees whistled in the wind and the sun shone above in the cloudy sky, as Rattata hid in the tall grass and Pidgey watched from atop the branches, peerless. Amy felt deeply content from her decision, not looking back on it at all. As far as she was concerned, she had saved Natalie from a life of drudgery and domestic routine.
Not that everyone else was so fortunate, of course. Amy had not forgotten the Celadon Youth Refuge Centre, which had provided her with a place to stay when she was at her lowest. With the help of a computer, she found their business address and mailed an anonymous donation in the form of a cheque.
In addition, she wanted to compensate her mother for the inconvenience caused when, during her first visit to Viridian City, she had been unable to pay the bill at the inn at which she had stayed. The sum was trifling to a woman of means such as her mother, but Amy felt all the better as she signed her name with a flourish.
Her tournament winnings had been whittled down to a mere few thousand, which combined with the prize money she had accumulated before reaching the Indigo Plateau amounted to just under ten thousand dollars. She had enough money to keep her stable, sane and satiated with food and accommodation.
The small dwellings and well-kept paths of Pallet Town came into sight. Amy breathed in the fresh sea air from the ocean to the south of Pallet, glad to be back. She walked along the path and down a street where compact houses with handkerchief gardens were kept. The overwhelming smell of flowers met her senses. Amy was reminded of the Celadon Gym, where she had battled Erika amidst nature in its prime.
Amy noticed movement in a clump of grass beside the path and a Vulpix stood in their way, crimson fur luxuriant though tarred slightly with dirt. From afar, Amy and Arcanine watched as Beth ran down from her house and into the lane, furious expression at Vulpix changing to one of excitement upon noticing Amy.
"Amy!" Beth ran towards her, scooping up Vulpix in her arms who wriggled out with ease. Panting, Beth blew her fringe out of her face and beamed up at Amy.
Beth had short brown hair, wore a striped pink t-shirt with elastic shorts and sandals. She was sunny and bright to Amy, whom she considered her role model, but stubborn and antagonistic when she had to comply with her mother's directives or stand in her brother's shadow as a Pokemon Trainer. Beth was in awe of Amy, who had been fashionable and beautiful when first they met, but still admired her now as more down-to-earth, confident and casual chic.
"Hi, Beth," Amy liked the younger girl, who was full of playful energy that she herself had never been able to exude as a youngster. Raised by stern and disapproving parents, Amy could see how Beth's doting mother and eager brother had contributed to a relatively stable environment in which Beth was free to pursue her fancies. "Is your mother or Daniel home?"
Beth's face fell slightly. "Don't you want to talk to me?"
"Of course I do," Amy smiled indulgently, preferring the open-book honesty of children to the two-faced malice she was used to seeing in her brother. "I just thought I'd make sure I'm not intruding, that's all. Are you well?"
Eagerly, Beth nodded. "My Vulpix is doing great! Aren't you Vulpix?"
Vulpix and Arcanine were circling each other, sizing the other up. Vulpix would playfully bat her paws at Arcanine, who winced and was not at all bothered by Vulpix's attempts to bond.
"What's that on Arcanine's nose?" Beth asked, rushing over to Arcanine. He stiffened as Beth ran her fingers over the scar on his face, but sensed her underlying intent and determined she was of little threat. "Did he get hurt?"
Amy swallowed and nodded. "My brother's Charizard dealt that to him during the semi finals battle."
"Liam?" Beth asked for verification. Amy nodded. "I saw him on the TV. I don't like him."
"He's a hard person to like," Amy smiled faintly, hearing footsteps from inside the house.
Mary emerged from the doorway, smiling. "Good afternoon, Amy."
"Hi, Mrs. S," Amy smiled in reply. "I was just chatting to Beth - "
"Yeah, Mum, she was chatting to me," Beth replied, superior yet sour.
Indulgently, Amy smiled. "I was just coming by to say hello. Is Daniel home by any chance?"
"I'm afraid he's not," Mary raised an eyebrow. "He mentioned that the two of you had sort of a disagreement?"
Amy's face grew hot. This was why she kept things private. "Oh, he did, did he?"
"He wouldn't disclose the details," Mary assured Amy of her son's discretion. "But it is rather unfortunate when he's met a nice girl like yourself."
"Well," Amy hesitated. "I came down here to visit him - and you and Beth too, of course - with the intention of settling things between us. But I'm afraid I've come at an inconvenient time - "
"Not at all! He'll - well, I'm not sure when he'll be back," Mary became worried all of a sudden. "You see, he's helping my neighbour track down her son. He's made up his mind to capture strong Pokemon in a dangerous cave, and with the assistance of a Pidgeotto, he may just get there in time to prevent Joshua doing something stupid - "
"Joshua?" Amy replied in disbelief. "Joshua A?"
"Yes!" Mary replied, as Beth watched with awe. "The very one!"
Beth chimed in, "You fought him during the tournament, didn't you, Amy?"
Nodding to Beth, Amy turned back to Mary. "This cave - it wouldn't be the Seafoam Islands, would it? Or Rock Tunnel or Victory Road?"
"No, none of those," Mary mused. "It was a cave in Cerulean as I remember. Apparently it's off-limits to people and Trainers alike."
"A cave in Cerulean," Amy repeated. "I haven't heard of one. I thought Cerulean was a small city with a cape to the north. I didn't know it had a cave."
Mary hesitated. "At first, Daniel wanted to take Natalie along, but I advised him against it, what with the troubles she's facing at the moment - "
Not any longer, Amy thought to herself.
" - and your name came up in the discussion, but then Daniel mentioned the two of you had fallen out and that was the end of the discussion. He decided to go alone and Mrs. A kindly lent him her Pidgeotto to take him there post haste."
"From what you're describing, this cave sounds more dangerous than most," Amy concluded. "Perhaps even more difficult than Victory Road. I don't know that I'd be of much help - I'm not a hiker - but I'll travel to Cerulean as well and make sure that Daniel and Joshua are all right."
"Are you sure?" Mary hastened, glad to have extra reinforcements but worried for Amy's safety.
"Definitely," Amy nodded. "They're my friends, too."
"But Amy, you don't have a Flying Pokemon!" Beth wailed. "You only have Arcanine and Nidoqueen - "
"Nidorina," Amy corrected helpfully.
" - right, and Nidorina and Marowak! How will you get there?"
Amy turned to Mary. "I suppose your neighbour doesn't have a spare Pidgeotto lying around, does she?"
"I'm afraid not," Mary shook her head. "I'd advise capturing one in the wild, but there simply isn't the time to train one to take human riders - "
Suddenly, Arcanine stepped between Amy and Mary, lowering onto his haunches. Beth glanced between Amy and Arcanine.
"I think he wants you to ride him!" Beth exclaimed in delight. "Oh, how lucky!"
Amy glanced to Arcanine, whose fur gentled in the breeze. He exchanged glances with her, giving a indicative bark.
"Are you sure?" Amy hesitated, as Arcanine nodded.
Hesitantly, she climbed atop him, resisting the urge to sit side saddle and straddled him with her legs to either side of his body. Arcanine rose off his haunches onto his feet and she could feel how weightless she must be to her Arcanine who was so strong. She ran a hand down his fur and gripped his neck tight, sparing a glance for Mary and Beth and Vulpix.
"Wish me luck!" Amy declared, half in sarcasm and half in fear, as they smiled and waved.
With a shrill scream of panic, Amy gripped on tight as Arcanine took flight, not with wings but upon the breeze, gaining speed so quickly she thought she might be passing through the vortex of time. Trees and grass and buildings became a blur and all she could think of as she held tightly onto Arcanine was,
Don't be sick. Oh, heavens, please don't let me be sick.