Paige would wake slowly in a soft daze, feeling the sunlight hitting her eyelids as the rays bounced off the walls once more. She begrudgingly pulled the sheets once more over her head, denying that the morning had come. A soft hum of relaxation came from her throat when she nuzzled back into the sheets. The sudden forceful yanking of the fabric away from her body made her eyes slam open and grip a handful of her pillow to sit up swinging.
"You little brat! Get out of my-" Paige had given a good few swings, hitting her target's head a couple of times before a hand had reached up and gripped her wrist. The strength of this person was not her little brothers as she expected. Looking back at her was a tall teen with his clothing still singed with scorch marks. His eyes met hers in an icy glare as a few feathers had escaped the pillow and now descended to the floor or on his shoulders.
It took Paige a few seconds to look around and realize that this was not her home. Instead she sat up in a hospital bedroom, the view outside the window overlooking Viridian City's business district. Isaac stood there quietly with an irritated look crossed over his face but not replying to her assault quite yet. In his free hand he gripped the sheets torn free from the bed. The other hand held onto Paige's wrist to halt the swings. Paige's stared back at him with a bit of a blank stare, feeling embarrassed before his grip loosened up enough where she could slide it free and drop the pillow into her lap.
"Ummm . . . so-sorry. I don't mean to- I just thought that . . ", Paige stammered and fumbled over her words, her face growing a bit warm at the embarrassment. Isaac tossed the sheets back over her head and walked over to a metal stand in the corner of the room to pick up a cup and pitcher full of ice water. While he did so, Paige pulled the sheets off of her head and glanced around the room.
The hospital's off white walls and bleach scrubbed floors gave a strong impression of cleanliness but stung at her eyes and nose. Beside the bed on the nightstand her delivery vest had been folded up and placed next to her back bag along with other personal belongings. Looking off to her right, several motivational pictures had been added to the wall next to the window. Each one had the silhouette of a Pokémon or trainer with words like 'Endurance' or 'Compassion'.
Reaching up to investigate her forehead she would find a thick patch of gauze had been placed over the area where she had fallen. Her skin in general had a few scraps and cuts but all looked like they were superficial and would heal fully in a matter of a few days. Paige wasn't that worried as she had suffered a lot worse in the past from bike falls.
Isaac had approached her bedside, holding the glass of fresh water with plenty of ice chips resting at the top. Paige smiled lightly and reached out for the glass. Isaac ignored her hand and took a seat at the foot of her bed while drinking a gulp down himself. "Umm . . . Isaac was it", Paige questioned, watching him as he enjoyed himself with a bit of irritation growing in her voice.
"Well your memory is intact at least. That's more than I can say for your bike though." Paige narrowed her eyes a bit at his tone. It was almost as if he was enjoying himself at her misfortune. Closing her eyes and thinking, the events of the day started to come back to her.
"I figured that the day was going so well for me, something was bound to happen and ruin it. What exactly am I missing here? Why do I get the feeling that I wasn't just randomly attacked by a couple of common thugs . . and what happened to the masked guy? He was chasing me earlier but only that black Pokémon caught up", Paige questioned, mostly to herself but Isaac complied with an answer after a deep resentful sigh.
"Those 'thugs' are not common by a long shot. Those two were Pokémon poachers." Crossing his arms over his chest he turned his head away from her to gaze out into the late afternoon sky. Paige opened her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest, replacing the pillow behind her and tucking the sheet more around her. "What exactly they were doing attacking a simple courier was a mystery to me up until that egg hatched. No doubt they were after that Pokémon. As for the masked man you mentioned . . the global police have named him Skinner. I was able to catch up with him and knock him out . . don't ask how I managed that. You were lucky the area was thick with trees or he would have likely used one of his stronger Pokémon against you."
Paige arched up a brow as Isaac turned his head back to look at her reaction, seeing the question coming to her mind. "I have heard of trainers having run-ins with him before. A few are able to make an escape with their remaining Pokémon still safe. Others are not so lucky. If I hadn't come across you when I did, that Charmander of yours would have be-"
"CHARMANDER", Paige yelled out. Isaac jumped up off the bed in a startle and juggled the glass between his hands, heart racing along with him as he gave her an annoyed look. "Where did Charmander go?! Is it ok?"
Isaac signaled with his eyes over to the nightstand and pointed down. Paige turned back around to look at her vest and belt but this time she noticed a small light coming from below. Looking farther down under the stand she could see the Charmander from before sleeping soundly, despite the commotion she had made. The Pokémon's tail was curled up around itself as the flame at the tip of his tail flickered softly with each breath it expired. Resting on its stomach while it let out soft snores, Paige's heart melted at the adorable sight with her hands clasped together up onto her chest.
Audibly her voice rose in tone as she said, "Awwwww! He looks so cute like that! Look at his little nose and claws! He's snoring!" Isaac seemed almost disgusted at her baby voice, clearing his throat loudly to get her attention. Paige turned back around, dropping her hands down into her lap. "S-sorry. I never saw a baby Pokémon before is all."
"Well savor it as it is now. I hear Charmanders grow pretty quick. What were you doing carrying around such a Pokémon's egg anyway? What was it doing in that package?" Paige tapped her fingertip up to her lower lip in thought, recalling her clipboard before she encroached onto Route 1.
"Professor Oak had a standing order for the package it was in. I'm not quite sure but the stamps on the box looked like it came all the way from Johto. I was supposed to deliver it a few days ago but we have been kinda bogged down with business as of lately. Summer rush and all." Paige laughed softly, bonking herself on the head but only causing more pain to kick up from the injury as she immediately winced with her hands pressed over the spot accompanying a soft whimper. Isaac nodded, scratched the young stubble of his chin as he thought to himself. Paige recovered from the self-inflicted pain and let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you though."
"For what", Isaac asked, walking over to the adjacent wall in the room and resting his back up against it.
"I remember your Marowak coming to my aid by the river right before the egg hatched and I . . . guess I passed out. You must have brought me here right after that all happened, right? Thank you Isaac", Paige said with a soft tone, eyes lowering as she bowed her head forward a bit in appreciation for his help. His gaze back at her was stiff, cold and seemingly uncaring at this point. Paige's face went white and numb, like she had just been barraged with Icicle Spear.
"Hmm . . . I need to make a call. You have fun there." Pushing off from where he stood, Isaac crossed the room to the exit. Paige quietly watched him, still feeling his intentional cold shoulder. Reaching out to take a hold of the handle Isaac paused after he pushed it down. "By the way Paige, what were you planning to do about the Charmander now?"
"I will take it to Professor Oak like I am supposed to. Even though it hatched I still need to make the delivery. I just hope I can get there in time before his lab closes. Wait a second . . . how did you know my name", Paige questioned, not recalling ever giving it out. Isaac cleared his throat and pointed to his chest.
"Your ID tag from the company vest. I figured you were smart enough to deduce that by yourself. I have been wrong before though." Isaac pushed the door away from the frame and left, swinging the door closed behind him as it closed with a slam.
Paige glared at the door, huffing out with a soft mumble. Did he just call me stupid? she thought to herself. Her face went a bit red with anger before she attempted to shake off the thought. The day had yet to end and she could at least deliver one more package to correct her mistake. It was unlikely she would run into those poachers again and if she hurried she might be able to recover the other boxes.
Slipping out of bed, she hopped across the cold floor over to the stand where her personal belonging were. Shuffling through her nylon back bag she recovered her phone and flipped it open to send out a quick text to her family. Her nails tapping on the keypad paused halfway through, wondering how her mother would take the news that their daughter was attacked by poachers. Paige could hear her now.
"It's way too dangerous for you to leave the house! You are staying here with me and going over the books. It will be fun dear. Mother and daughter, cramped up in this office. Tell me, do you have any boys you like? Your hair is a mess! Let me comb it out for you! Let me tell you about the Swellows and the Combees. You see dear, there comes a time in every young woman's life where . . . "
Paige shivered a bit, feeling her stomach turn over. Closing the phone up she decided it would be best to keep this between her and her Pokémon. Maybe the professor would be happy the egg hatched as well, considering that it is bound to happen sooner or later. After replacing her vest, belt and boots back where they belonged, she knelt down and couldn't help but let out another soft smile and giggle at the Charmander and how it had curled itself up. Her hands slipped under the frame of the Pokémon, feeling its smooth skin under her fingertips and along her palms. Paige read about the starter Pokémon in Pallet Town when she was younger and considered taking the rite of passage trip around Kanto. It was decided by her family that she would stay and help with the delivery business until her brother became old enough to take her place. That day was approaching quickly but Paige had her reservations about leaving home.
The Charmander stirred in its slumber as she had lifted the small Pokémon up and cradled it on its back like a child. The small lizard twitched his nose a bit, his small claws reaching up to scratch the irritant as Paige watched with a wide grin. The sudden sneeze that produced a shower of embers hit Paige in the face, leaving hot ash and patches of reddened skin over her forehead and cheeks. Whimpering softly from the low powered attack, Paige stood back up and headed to the door into the hallway to sign out. Hopefully it wouldn't take long or she would have to make an excuse and dash out.
The Viridian City Hospital was surprisingly more than understanding with all things consider. After trying to convince the staff about her job's importance and a little bluffing, Paige discovered that Isaac had already talked to them about her job and was told when she got up she could leave. Was he helping her because he felt bad for what happened? Maybe he worked for Professor Oak and wanted to make sure his delivery got to Pallet Town safety. If that was true though, he could have easily taken the Charmander with him. Something wasn't making sense at this point but Paige would focus on the task at hand. The first thing she needed to do was recover the other packages and head directly to Pallet Town.
Paige was out of breath by the time she found where her bike had crashed. She had sent Gale out to scan the tree line for the poachers but it looked like they had taken their vehicle and were long gone. Charmander had awoken during the light jogging Paige had been focused in and took the opportunity to greet her once more with a happy embrace. The Pokémon's tail swung around and singed the ends of her pigtails as she attempted to pry him off of her chest. For a juvenile, Charmander seemed to be able to keep up fairly well with the jog and didn't appear winded at all. With no pokeball to carry him in, the extra pair of eyes would assist in the search anyway.
Paige stared down at her bike's remain with mournful eyes. It took her years of saving and a very expensive loan from her parents to get that bike and now it was ruined. The frame and wheels had been bent and broken from the impact as well as scuff marks had been imprinted all over it by a heavy boot. Her mournful eyes turned to anger, noting to herself if she met this Skinner guy again, she would find a way to make him pay. Charmander continued to run around her happily, spouting out his name over and over again without grasping the situation at hand. Gale glided overhead with a soft call out to alert her of company. Paige immediately turned her head to see Isaac carefully making his way down the slope from the main path. Paige turned her head away and ignored him, trying to focus on searching the tree line for the missing packages.
"Are you still nosing around here? You know it's dangerous to go off road without a Pokémon to protect you." Paige exhaled a sharp huff and turned to him, pointing up into the sky.
"Gale has my back and this Charmander will help too. I am not completely helpless and a lot smarter than you think." Paige snapped at him but the demeanor didn't seem to faze him as he stared back at her quietly. She would turn back around and rustle through the grass once more under a tree while grumbling.
"Listen I-"
"I am not looking for any help Isaac but if you want to assist me I would appreciate it."
"No that's not-"
"Isaac! I want to finish my job as soon as I can. Talking isn't-"
"Caterpie"
"Wha?" Paige turned around to look at Isaac. Isaac pointed up to the top of her head with a light chuckle. Paige looked up at the brim of her hat before reaching up to feel gently at the top. Her fingertips squished softly into a body, hands clasping around it and lifting the bug off her head. The caterpie she held upside-down in her grip wiggled and flailed a bit with its body before looking at Paige from its position. Paige didn't have a problem with bugs but the sudden appearance of this pokemon combined with the spray of stench that emitted from its red antenna were deciding factors in her response.
"EEEKKK!" Paige threw the Caterpie up into the air into the trees and jumped up, running away from the tree with the Charmander happily following her like it was a big game. The bug Pokémon grabbed a hold of a branch and hurried into the thicket of the tree. Isaac stood there with a chuckle and shook his head, walking over to Paige as she clutched her chest and tried to catch her breath once more. Putting his hand on her shoulder he would pat her back softly before retorting.
"Yes. I can see you are fully capable by yourself. Still, one shouldn't turn their nose up to someone who is so willing to help you." Isaac reached up behind his jacket and pulled down a netted sack off his shoulder and held the contents up to Paige. The two missing packages hung within the bag, a few scuffs and scrapes from the fall from before but both appeared to be in good shape. Paige looked up at the packages, putting her hands out as Isaac dropped the sack into her awaiting arms. "I admit I was a bit rude at the hospital but I intend to make it up to you. I came back here to see if you left anything behind and look at what I found. Also, if you plan on getting into Pallet Town before sundown, you are going to need a set of wheels to get you there." Paige looked back at him, feeling relieved at the aid he offered.
"You have a bike I can borrow then?"
Back up on the main path, Isaac approached a large hedge on the side of the road and walked behind it. Paige stood beside it and watched with a tilt in her head, Gale taking roost on the top of her fedora while Charmander had calmed down enough so that he could be held under one of her arms with his back resting into her chest. Isaac came walking out from behind the bush, pushing a motorcycle with an adjoined sidecar. Paige looked over the well-kept red frame of the bike in a bit of awe, leaning forward to see the reflection of her freshly marked face from the embers earlier. Embarrassed, she rubbed furiously over it with her free arm as Isaac laughed at her attempt to look more presentable.
"Not the type of wheels you are used to but it will get us there much faster than walking the rest of the way. Hop aboard", Isaac said as he dug into the interior of the sidecar to recover his black imprinted Zubat helmet. He turned around and extended his hand back out to her with a smile and exposing his row of pearls, the wind choosing to kick up at this time to ruffle his black bangs away from his warm garnet shaded eyes. Paige blinked, gazing back at the boy with warmth growing to her face at the way the evening sun highlighted his features well.
Reaching up, she placed her hand gently and decided to give this guy another chance. Isaac jerked her arm suddenly to the bike as she would stumble forward and up against the sidecar. Isaac strapped his helmet on while mounting on his bike. Paige took a seat into the car and looked down at her feet, searching the compartment for a second helmet. A backpack, a few empty can and a set of cables resided on the floorboard but no helmet was present. Charmander wagged his tail happily side to side in front of her as it began to sing softly to itself.
"Umm . . . Hey. Where's the other helmet?" Paige looked up at Isaac as the engine kicked over and was revved up to force his tires into a spin quickly, firing up a wave of dirt and pebbles from the path. The jolt of speed in taking off caught Paige by surprise. Her back slammed up against the seat as she raised both arms up to grip a hold of her hat.
Pidgey tumbled off into the air, recovering by spreading its wings and followed the vehicle with a choir of angry chirps out. "Sorry Gale", Paige yelled out backwards as Charmander stood up and looked out the side of the car over to the trees that flew by with a happy smile. Paige didn't seem to enjoy the view as much, tilting her head forward with eyes closed and grip still tightly onto her hat. She called out for Isaac to slow down but the young man either could not hear her or didn't care to reply. His tongue slid up over his upper lip as he could see the bike approaching a ledge that led down farther off the path and closer to Pallet Town. Paige noticed it as well. "N-no Isaac! Don't you dare! Turn! Turn now!"