CHAPTER EIGHTY SIX
Daniel blinked awake, not entirely sure where he was. The vast lake that stretched out before him was to the south of Pallet, his hometown where he and his mother and sister lived. He nudged awake the unconscious figure of Joshua, vaguely remembering that he had given him a punch to the nose when his emotions had burst out of control. He could not for the life of him remember the identity of his savior, but he remembered with alarming clarity the life-and-death scuffle throughout the cave and the intense battle with the unknown Pokemon which had resulted in... what, exactly?
He felt woozy as though he had been asleep for a while. Above, the skies were clear though the grass was still damp with the torrent of rain which Kanto had the unfortunate luck to encounter. Getting to his feet, Daniel consulted the four Pokeballs on his belt where his Pokemon were kept, glancing around at the roofs and chimneys of Pallet's houses from far away.
"What - where am I?" Joshua shook off his reverie, more than startled to find he had been talking to himself in someone's presence, let alone Daniel's. Reddening furiously, Joshua began to remember his journey through Cerulean Cave, the showdown with the peculiar Pokemon and the power that had almost been his. "You - "
"Shut it, Joshua," Daniel turned on Joshua with a fury, his thoughts clearer after what had seemed like a good night's rest. "I'm not in the mood to talk with you. You nearly got us killed in that cave!"
Joshua opened with a torrent of abuse but Daniel coldly turned away and walked in the direction of his house. Where he had managed to get his strength was unknown. Perhaps it was facing the unknown Pokemon face on to confront his and Joshua's transgressions against the powerful beast that had awakened him to a sharper sense of morality and courage.
Daniel made his way through the lane which led to the house where his mother and sister lived. He could hear Joshua's footsteps ebb away and distinctly remembered the fifth Pokeball which against all odds he could not have utilized in the fight in Cerulean Cave. He turned to Joshua's departing back.
"Hey!"
With great reluctance, Joshua eyed Daniel with a fierce vengeance. His anger at losing what could conceivably be termed the ultimate Pokemon in Kanto was not lost on him. His shame that he had fallen to a physical hit from Daniel was not unnoticed, but he tried to keep his stubborn facade. He was utterly exhausted and decided to conserve his energy for another bout with Daniel, when he had gathered his strength and Daniel's courage had waned into typical, goodie-good optimism once more.
"I have your mother's Pidgeotto," Daniel handed over the Pokeball that had Joshua's mother's name inscribed upon it with black marker. Even Joshua did not discredit Daniel's theory that his mother's aged, barely battle-ready Pidgeotto had not been used in the battle against the unknown Pokemon. Clearly, Joshua had some misgivings to manipulation. "Tell her thanks for - "
Sourly Joshua snatched the Pokeball and glared at Daniel.
"I don't know what you did in that chamber, to make the Psychic-type Pokemon escape," Joshua spat. "But make no mistake, if you come trying to help me again you'll regret it. I can't pretend to understand your do-gooder ways to make all Pokemon love you, but know this: I will find another strong Pokemon and come the next tournament, I'll send you packing to Pallet a second time."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Daniel retorted, though his stamina to be combative was ebbing with exhaustion. "There's plenty of opportunity for me to train and beat you again."
"I wouldn't count on it," Joshua replied bitterly, heading back to his own home.
Daniel felt resentment grow and ignored the pit of disappointment, hating that Joshua hadn't even had the gall to thank him for the rescue attempt. He had endangered his own life and that of his Pokemon, and judging by how quickly Joshua's Pokemon fell to the unknown Pokemon, it was a miracle he was there to provide assistance. If it wasn't for him, Joshua and his Pokemon would've been buried alive in Cerulean Cave.
He headed up the route leading to Viridian, where the nearest Pokemon Center was located. His only usable Pokemon was Meowth, who was more than enough to fend off wild Pidgey and Rattata who paid them no mind. There were few people out and about, still talking about the tournament which caused Daniel's stomach to thud as he waited in the queue at the Pokemon Center.
He was buried in thoughts as he walked back down the route towards Pallet Town, along the lane where his house was located and made his way up the path and onto the patio. Dully he half-heartedly knocked without thinking and replied,
"I'm home - "
His words were answered by a flurry of movement within the house in which he glimpsed his mother emerging from the kitchen, panic-stricken while his sister Beth glanced up from her TV programme, mildly surprised to see that her brother had returned but resuming her gaze upon the screen. Daniel closed the door behind him as his mother rushed to inspect every visible cut and graze.
"Mum!" Daniel exclaimed, brushing her away. "I'm fine! Really!"
"You barely made it out of that cave alive, by the looks of it," Mary became stern. "Where's Joshua?"
"He went back to his mother's place," Daniel remembered the look on Joshua's sour face. "I gave him back the Pidgeotto his mother lent me and he went on his way."
"Is he alright?" Mary busied herself in the kitchen, where she presented a plate of muffins fresh from the oven. Beth leapt up from the mat in front of the TV and rushed to steal one or five. "He's such a stubborn boy, that one. He never knows when to stop."
"Well," Daniel hesitated, wondering whether to tell his worried mother and indifferent sister the full story of what went down in Cerulean Cave. Eventually, he omitted all the references that would cause them concern, narrowing it down to a tough fight in which he saved Joshua but came home empty handed.
"Well, you're home safe and sound and that's what matters," Mary sniffed, patting her son on the shoulder before whacking Beth on the hand for taking a third muffin with her first in her mouth and a second on her plate. "Don't be greedy, Beth."
"Mum!" Beth whined, muffled by the food in her mouth. "I'm hungry!"
"Eat what's on your plate first!" Mary advised sternly, turning to Daniel. "Amy passed by here a while ago."
Daniel ignored the squabbles between his mother and sister and asked, "When?"
"You had just left for Cerulean Cave and she came round asking to speak with you," Mary widened her eyes as though this development was as juicy as gossip got. In the small town that was Pallet, there was little that stirred her interest beyond the uninhabitable house of Natalie and Alesha's mother. "Why don't you make amends with her?"
"I - well - " Daniel reddened. "I'll get round to it! What did you tell her?"
"I told her you went to Cerulean Cave," Mary realised, jumping up with a start almost as immediately as Daniel rounded on her.
"You did what?" Daniel demanded. "Amy's in Cerulean Cave?"
"Well, I don't know for sure - " Mary faltered. "I'm sure she's alright! I mean, you came back just fine, didn't you? It can't be that difficult if - "
Angrily Daniel stormed out of the house, running down the patio and hastily holding back his rage as Amy stood by the gate, shakily dismounting Arcanine who shook his fur in the wind.
"Hi," Daniel stuttered, rather awkwardly.
"Hi," Amy was aloof, almost disinterested as she noticed him. "When did you get back?"
"Just now," Daniel added, by way of explanation. "Listen, Amy - "
Amy stared at him for a while. "You could've died in there, you know. That place is really dangerous according to locals."
"I know, but Joshua was trapped in there, or so I thought," Daniel rolled his eyes. "I wanted to save him - "
"Don't the two of you hate each other or something?" Amy frowned, bewildered. It was though she didn't get him at all. "Why'd you rescue him?"
Puzzled, Daniel replied, "He was my friend, once. Would you rather I left him to die?"
"Of course not," Amy scoffed, running a hand over Arcanine. Privately she had been concerned over Daniel and Joshua's welfare but the immediacy of her worry was replaced by the staunch necessity to maintain face. "I suppose I'm in a bit of shock, that's all."
"Why?" Daniel was plaintive. "You didn't you go to Cerulean Cave, did you?"
Amy shook her head. "When we arrived, we couldn't find any way to navigate the sea channel by Nugget Bridge which led to the cave. I don't have any Water Pokemon and despite some mountaineering on Arcanine's part, there was no way to leap down onto the ledge where the entrance to Cerulean Cave was. How did you manage to escape?"
"It's a long story," Daniel sighed, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. "D'you want to stay for dinner? My mum's just made muffins."
Despite her resolve, Amy smiled. "That'd be nice. I don't want to impose on your mother, though."
"I'm sure she'll be 'delighted to have your company'," Daniel smiled, breaking the ice. Amy bade Arcanine not to run too far and he was off in a blur as she and Daniel ascended the patio steps side-by-side into the house.
Over dinner during which Mary made chicken casserole for the four of them, Daniel discussed his adventures in Cerulean Cave, careful to omit the dangerous aspects which would've given rise to concern on his mother's part. He tried to downplay Joshua's selfish spirit but Beth filled in the blanks and everyone got the general idea that he had acted impudent and risked his own life as well as Daniel's. Amy was surprised to hear that Joshua had a different side that she had not yet seen.
Mary had no interest in hearing the blow-by-blow accounts of the wild Pokemon encounters in which Daniel participated; only the demonstrations of character by her son whom she considered rescuer and Joshua who had been, for all accounts and purposes, less than useless. Daniel was quick to point out that without Joshua's strong Pokemon he wouldn't have survived, but Mary deemed this irrelevant in the way that mothers will take charge of their son's wellbeing, especially with no knowledge of the real dangers that wild Pokemon can pose when outside of townships or cities, not to mention dangerous caves.
Beth didn't enjoy the battles either, but liked to hear how each of Daniel's Pokemon was doing. Having only taken care of Vulpix since she was a child, Beth had often thought about capturing a Pokemon but she hadn't so much as thrown a Pokeball let alone led Vulpix into battle. Vulpix was raring to fight but Beth always pulled her back at the last second when she scampered off to fight wild Rattata and Pidgey, citing the crimson fur which had taken so long to brush and not wanting her prized Fire-type to get muddy feet and ruin her appearance.
Amy was captivated by Daniel's grisly account of the wild Pokemon within Cerulean Cave and how he would later tell her was several life-threatening experiences. Daniel told them all about his encounter with the unknown Pokemon, which neither Mary nor Beth could pretend interest in and at which point Mary cleared the table while Beth resumed her spot in front of the television.
"I can't believe it took out all of Joshua's Pokemon single-handed," Amy replied, as Daniel finished his tale by summing up that somehow, mysteriously, he had been teleported by the creature to Pallet Town. "And it nearly took yours out, too. It is strange, though."
"Don't you believe me?" Daniel was more plaintive than belligerent. Now he understood how Natalie had felt when she had described her encounter with Articuno in the Seafoam Islands.
"I do," Amy mused. "But it fails to escape my notice how you savagely beat that Pokemon and it came to rescue you from the cave..."
"Well," Daniel hesitated. "I guess when I chose not to capture it and fought back against Joshua it realised I didn't mean it any harm. I mean, I attacked it, sure - but it was in defense for mine and Joshua's survival. I didn't seek to own it or defeat it for a bounty. I just wanted to get the hell out of there."
"I understand," Amy nodded. "It's incredible to think such a powerful Pokemon exists. If it was known to mankind, the legendary birds would take a back seat as adventurers searched for the Psychic-type Pokemon. Nobody would be safe if it decided to wage a war on a town or city."
"Yeah," Daniel slumped his chin his hands, listening to the cartoon show Beth was avidly watching. "I hope it finds somewhere safe to rest, quiet and undisturbed."
Their conversation was interrupted by a timid knock on the door. For a wild second Daniel thought it might be Joshua, but as Mary answered the door it turned out to be his mother, Mrs. A who was no longer tearful but quite resilient considering the circumstances. Daniel thought of asking how Joshua was but Mrs. A provided a full account without questioning.
"I'm grateful to you both for finding my son," Mrs. A turned to Daniel and Amy, clearly not accurately filled in on the proper proceedings of how the rescue had gone. "Thank you for returning my Pidgeotto. But Joshua's gone."
"Gone?" Mary was alert. "Where's he gone now?"
Daniel watched warily while Amy stiffened in her seat. Even Beth glanced up from her TV programme to pay attention. Central to the drama, Mrs. A reprised her role and wiped away a tear. She was terribly emotional but made sure to keep her words coherent.
"He wouldn't say a word, just headed up to his bedroom and slammed the door. He was looking the worse for wear and I asked him what had happened - I presumed he was embarrassed that he had to be rescued; he's so stubborn. I asked through the keyhole of his door if he was leaving and he said he wanted a change - "
"Oh," Mary patted Mrs. A's shoulder. "Has he always been like this?"
Nodding, Mrs. A continued, "He's always been secretive. I told him that he should take a break from the next tournament, spend some time at home but he said no - I told him it was fine if he journeyed around Kanto but Johto's an entirely new place - "
"What?" Daniel frowned. "Why Johto?"
Everyone turned to him, surprised. Mrs. A exchanged glances with Mary.
"You don't know?" Mrs. A asked.
"About what?" Daniel turned to Amy, who looked quizzical.
"You did watch Lance's announcement, right?" Amy replied carefully. "Right after the, um, awards ceremony?"
"No," Daniel replied dully. "What did he say?"
Mrs. A paused for a moment. "Should I tell him - "
"Tell me what?" Daniel demanded. "And what does this have to with Joshua?"
Mary frowned at her son's interruption. "The tournament, of course. The next one's being held at Indigo Plateau but the Gyms are located in Johto, or something like that."
"Johto?" Daniel replied. "So Joshua's heading to Johto... to challenge the Gym Leaders and compete in the next tournament? Why not Kanto?"
"There's a train being made in Saffron," Beth replied. "And a big ship to dock in Vermilion. And new Pokemon!"
"New Pokemon!" Daniel gasped, turning to Amy excitedly. She nodded and he leapt from his seat. "Well, I'm game!"
"Game for what?" Mary replied with dread. "You're not thinking of going, are you?"
"Of course I am!" Daniel glanced to Amy, who stiffened upon sensing his excitement. "Amy, why don't - "
Somehow he sensed her trepidation and quickly changed his tactic, hiding his disappointment.
" - you tell me about Lance's speech," Daniel made a swift recovery, smiling to hide what he correctly interpreted as Amy's hesitation to join him had he asked. "I can't wait to see all the sights of Johto and the new Pokemon and face the Gym Leaders."
Later that night, Amy lay awake on the mattress bed which had been laid out for her in Beth's bedroom. Beth was so excited she could barely sleep, despite her mother's stern admonitions to have quiet throughout the house by ten p.m.
"I wish I could come with you," Beth replied rather wistfully, turning to Amy who pretended to have her eyes closed. "Amy?"
Privately Amy was warmed that the young girl wanted to accompany her on her next adventure. But she had done so well by herself, did she need to have the overexcited attentions of an obsessed girl every step of the way?
"Maybe," Amy replied at last. "Let's see how things turn out. Why don't you go with your brother?"
"No way!" Beth screwed up her face in disgust. "He's annoying!"