Chapter Two: That Rings a Bell
Lynn and Madelyn reached the next city, Viridian City that evening. "We better stop and heal our Pokemon." Lynn suggested, pointing to the Pokemon Center.
"Good idea." Madelyn nodded, and followed Lynn to the building.
A carrot-top with a white nurse's uniform stood behind the desk. "You must be trainers. Oh, what a cute Meowth you have!" she gushed. "I'm Nurse Joy." She introduced herself.
The pink Pokemon behind her trilled, "Chancey!"
"And this is my helper Chancey. Welcome to the Viridian City Pokemon Center. Do you want your Pokemon healed?" She asked, holding out a tray.
"Yes, please." Lynn and Madelyn each took out their Pokeball and set it on the tray. "Can you treat Claudia? She doesn't like Pokeballs." Lynn explained.
"Of course. Come with me, Claudia." Nurse Joy led Claudia to the exam room.
"I hope they'll be all right." Lynn worried.
"Don't worry, they're just exhausted. You worry too much." Madelyn nudged her sister. "Don't know where you get that from."
Lynn fondly remembered their mother would make them wear rubber outfits whenever going near an electric Pokemon and would pull them away from a poison-type immediately.
A few minutes later, Nurse Joy exited the exam room. "You can go see your Pokemon. They're resting right now and will be just fine. You're taking very good care of them." She smiled.
"Thank you." Lynn and Madelyn headed into the room to find Claudia, Baby, and Charmie on their own exam tables, relaxing. Lynn went over to Charmie. "Hey, you doing all right?" she asked softly.
Charmie opened her eyes. "Char." She nodded a little.
"Get a good rest and we'll leave in the morning, okay?" Lynn patted her head and glanced over at Madelyn, who was touching Baby. "Let's find a place to stay the night. We shouldn't tackle the Viridian Forest tonight."
"Good idea." Madelyn nodded. She glanced at the door, where Nurse Joy stood waiting for them. "Is there a place we can stay for the night?"
"You can stay here, of course." Nurse Joy nodded. "You can stay in the lobby if you want. Just stay out of the way of the walkway and you can lay out your sleeping bags." She offered.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Lynn smiled.
Lynn and Madelyn said goodnight to their Pokemon and went into the lobby. They set up their sleeping bags and settled in. "Night, Lynn." Madelyn yawned.
"Night." Lynn settled her head on the pillow and they were soon asleep.
The next morning the lights in the Pokemon Center, which had been dimmed overnight, flickered brighter, startled the girls awake. "What time is it?"
"Eight a.m." Nurse Joy informed them, appearing above Lynn. "Good morning, how was your night?" she greeted.
"Not the worst night. The past few nights we've been sleeping on rocks." Lynn groaned, as she sat up. She rubbed her back.
"Yeah, and a root or two." Madelyn replied, sitting up as well.
"Where are you from?" Nurse Joy asked, getting ready for the busy day ahead of her.
"Celadon City." Lynn answered, packing her bag. Madelyn did the same.
"I've never been there, but my 5th cousin once removed on my dad's side by marriage is the nurse there." Nurse Joy explained.
Lynn and Madelyn's head spun at that convoluted explanation. "Okay…we'll tell her you said hi." Lynn headed to the exam room to grab their Pokemon. "We better get some supplies."
"Good idea." Madelyn and Lynn bought supplies and waved at Nurse Joy.
"Thanks again for your help. It was nice meeting you." Madelyn followed Lynn into the exam room and returned Baby to her Pokeball. "Ready to go?" she asked Lynn.
"Yeah. Hopefully we can get through the forest soon." Lynn sighed.
Madelyn and Lynn left the Pokemon Center and headed toward the line of trees in the distance. As the trees closed in on them a dense fog closed in on them. "Meowth!" Lynn heard Claudia screech in surprise.
"Meowth? Can you hear me?" Lynn called, straining to see through the fog. Then she realized she couldn't see Madelyn either. She turned her head, searching everywhere. "Madelyn, Claudia."
She heard branches snap all around her, growing fainter as whoever or whatever broke them get farther away from her. She ran blindly toward the sound getting scratched on the face and arms as she ran.
She huffed as she ran into something solid, knocking her back. "Hey, watch where you're going!" she demanded, hoping she didn't run into a tree.
"Sorry, I didn't see you." A young voice answered, panting.
The fog lifted slowly, revealing a young by with chin-length lavender hair sitting on a bed of leaves, rubbing his backside. "You okay?" she asked, panting.
"I've been better." He grumbled. He stood. "Why weren't you watching where you were going?" he demanded.
"I couldn't see you either." Lynn said defensively. She stood up and folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh right." He gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm James, what's your name?" he asked.
"Lynn. Have you seen a Meowth, about this high?" Lynn held her hand up about a foot and a half above the ground.
James shook his head. "Have you seen an annoying girl a little taller than me with long dark red hair?" he asked.
Lynn shook her head. "I'm also looking for my sister. A little shorter than me with brown hair about your length." She explained.
James shook his head again. "Nope, just found you. Well, bumped into you, really." James chuckled.
Lynn giggled. "Yeah, I think I bumped into you, actually."
Before James could answer, they heard a clear wail in the distance, a "Bell!" from off to Lynn's right. "Was that a Pokemon?" she asked, looking in the direction of the voice.
"Let's go look." James ran in the direction of the voice with Lynn following him. The trees grew more dense as they ran and the fog grew thicker.
Lynn thought of something and takes out Charmie's Pokeball. "Charmie, we need your light, come on out." She whispered.
The Pokeball opened and Charmie came out, her tail lighting up the darkness. They could clearly see a Bellsprout tied to a tree with a rope, wailing in a high pitched voice. "Oh, you poor thing." James whispered, kneeling beside it.
Bellsprout retreated from him, frightened. "It must be scared of you." Lynn murmured.
"I won't hurt you. Maybe it's frightened of your Charmander. Grass types are weak against fire." James reminded her.
"Oh, right. Charmie, get back." Lynn told Charmie, who obeyed, stepping back a few steps, so she was still lighting the area, but was not as frightening.
Bellsprout let James untie it now that Charmie was not as close and leapt into his arms. "That's better." James murmured, stroking its leaves. "Let's get you out of here."
"Its trainer must have left it here." Lynn said sadly. "We better get to where there's more light. Plants need sunlight to get stronger."
"You're right." James nodded, anger barely controlled. He held Bellsprout tightly to his chest and carried it after Lynn and Charmie through the darkness.
"Look, do you see that bright clearing?" Lynn asked, pointing to the sunlight peeking greenly through the leaves.
"Yes, that's perfect!" James jogged past Lynn and set Bellsprout on the ground. "Go ahead, Bellsprout. Soak up the sunlight."
Bellsprout unfurled its leaves and soaked up the sunlight. "Bell, Bell, Bell!" It cried happily, its leaves waving happily.
"I think it likes it!" Lynn smiled.
Bellsprout turned to James and leapt into his arms. "You want to come with me?" James asked, his eyes shining.
"Bellsprout!" It cried, happily.
"I think that's a yes." Lynn giggled.
"Then welcome to team James." James grinned.
"Let's go find your friend." Lynn smiled. "You never said what her name was."
"Jessie. Her name is Jessie." James smiled.
Madelyn walked through the fading mist, calling her sister's name. "Lynn! Lynn!"
"Would you be quiet? You're giving me a headache!" a young, grumpy voice growled.
Madelyn spotted a young girl with long red hair sitting on a rock, looking annoyed. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I'm trying to find my friend. He disappeared in that stupid mist." The girl scowled. She jumped off the rock and landed in front of her, catlike. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to find my sister. What is he, your boyfriend?" Madelyn taunted, knowing she sounded like a child.
The girl stamped her foot, looking even more annoyed. "Why you-of course he's not my boyfriend!"
"Uh huh." Madelyn wasn't convinced. "I'll leave you to daydream about your boyfriend." Madelyn walked away.
"Ooh, you little-come back here!" the girl ran after Madelyn. "You could at least help me find him."
"Why should I help you? I just met you." Madelyn glared back at her.
"Because, you're oh so nice and…" the girl swallowed like she tasted something sour. "Pretty."
"Uh huh." Madelyn still wasn't convinced. "Will you help me find my sister if I help you find your 'friend'?"
"Yes. Fine. If you help me find my friend, I'll help you find your sister." The girl said, scowling.
"Then say it with a smile." Madelyn smirked, having decided to make her work for it.
The girl growled. "Fine. Please." She forced herself to smile.
"That's better." Madelyn said pleasantly. "I'm Madelyn. And you are?"
"Jessie. Let's get this over with." Jessie spit through her smile. She stormed off and Madelyn followed.
As night fell, Lynn and James decided to settle for the night. While Lynn set up her sleeping bag, she noticed James didn't have any camping gear. "You weren't prepared for sleeping in the forest, were you?" she asked.
James looked sheepish. "No. I wasn't raised to be a camping type." He admitted.
"Thankfully I brought a second sleeping bag in case it gets cold." Lynn tossed him the second sleeping bag and pillow.
"Thanks." James set up the sleeping bag and settled in for the night.
"If you weren't raised to go camping, what was your childhood like?" Lynn asked, sensing he wasn't asleep.
James was quiet for a moment. "I was a rich kid." He admitted. "I ran away because I hated it. They wanted me to marry this awful girl. She was a slave master. Ugh. Who chooses who their kids marry these days!" he groaned.
"Who would you want to marry?" Lynn propped herself on her elbow, so she could look at him better.
"Well, to be honest…more like you." James blushed, and was glad it was too dark for her to see. "Confident, loves Pokemon."
Lynn blushed. "That's good to know. If I had to choose, I would choose someone like you, too. You are passionate about Pokemon, too." She admitted.
"Well, I'm sleepy. Good night." James was too embarrassed by the line the conversation had taken, so he was in a hurry to end it.
Lynn was disappointed. "Okay, see you in the morning." She sighed. They were soon asleep.
Lynn and James woke up the next morning and followed the forest's path until it was blocked by a Pikachu, who darted in front of a path. "Ooh, a Pikachu!" she squealed.
The Pikachu's ears perked up and it looked up at them with interest. Then it darted off. "Hey, wait!" she cried, running after it.
"It probably wants to play." James commented, running after her.
Pikachu ran on ahead of her, but finally stopped, cocking its head to the side. "Pika?" it asked, looking up at her.
"You wanted to play?" she asked, coming closer.
Pikachu nodded, eyes lighting up. "Pika pika!" it cried.
"Do you mind if I catch you?" Lynn asked, reaching for a Pokeball.
"Pik pika chu!" Pikachu nodded, nudging her other hand with its nose.
Lynn held out the Pokeball and it touched its nose to the button. The Pokeball opened and the white light enveloped the Pikachu. It disappeared into the Pokeball and it closed. "I caught a Pikachu!" she cried, sending Spearow shooting out of the trees.
James laughed. "I don't think they heard you in Cinnabar Island."
Lynn gave him a look. "This is the first Pokemon I ever caught, James. Let me have my moment."
"It only counts if you battle it first. That's happening across a willing one." James chuckled.
"It still counts." Lynn humphed. She tossed her two Pokeballs. "Charmie, come out and meet your new teammate." She called.
Charmie and Pikachu appeared and looked at each other. "Char." Charmie gave a smile to Pikachu.
"What shall I name you?" Lynn asked thoughtfully. Pikachu blinked at Lynn. "Oh, I know! Stormy! How does that sound?"
"Cha!" Pikachu trilled, delighted.
"I think he likes it." James chuckled again.
"Your name is Stormy, then. This is your new friend, Charmie." Lynn introduced.
"Meow!" They heard a Meowth wail, a mournful sound.
"That sounds like Claudia!" Lynn cried. She hurriedly sent Charmie and Stormy to their Pokeballs and ran in the direction of the wail. James ran after her.
Claudia was surrounded by Spearow and injured. The Spearow were swooping and pecking while she was taking swipes at them with her sharp claws. "Oh no you don't! Go Stormy!"
"Spearow!" The Spearow cawed as Stormy appeared, sparks flying out of his cheeks.
"Stormy, thundershock them all!" Lynn ordered furiously.
"Pika….chu!" Stormy shouted, sending a powerful thundershock at the Spearow, jolting the flock. Surprised, they flew off.
"No one messes with my Pokemon." Lynn pumped her fist. "Good job, Stormy." She patted Stormy's head. She went over to Claudia. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, kneeling in front of her.
"Meowth…" Claudia panted, and fainted in Lynn's arms.
"We need to get out of this forest." Lynn said urgently.
"Does she have a Pokeball?" James asked, worried.
Lynn shook her head. "She's more family than a pet. She doesn't like the Pokeball. Help me get her to a Pokemon Center."
"I will." James led her down the path toward the exit.
As they reached the exit, Madelyn and Jessie burst through the brush from the right, panting. "Lynn!" Madelyn cried, hugging her, pressing Claudia between them. "What's wrong with Claudia?"
"She got hurt by a bunch of Spearow." Lynn explained. "No time for explanation. We need to get to the Pokemon Center."
"Who's this, James?" Jessie raised an eyebrow at Lynn.
"This is my friend, Lynn." James said defensively. He glanced at Lynn. "I better go. I hope Claudia gets better. Maybe we will see each other sometime."
"I hope Bellsprout gets stronger." Lynn smiled. She kissed James on the cheek, making him turn pink.
"When did you get a Bellsprout?" Jessie asked James as they walked away.
"It's a long story." James replied before they disappeared into the distance.
Madelyn and Lynn hurried to Pewter City, the nearest town. They arrived at the Pokemon Center, panting. Nurse Joy was waiting. "Hello, how may I-what did you do to that Meowth?" she gasped, her eyes going wide.
"She was attacked by a flock of Spearow." Lynn explained.
"I'll take care of her right away. Don't worry about her." Nurse Joy took Claudia and their Pokeballs and whisked them away.
Lynn and Madelyn sat in chairs by the exam room and waited. Finally Nurse Joy exited the exam room. "Your Pokemon will be just fine. Including Claudia." Nurse Joy added, before Lynn could interrupt.
"Thank you." Lynn smiled gratefully.
"You might want to wait until tomorrow before you go take on the gym here. Claudia isn't fully recovered yet. She took quite a beating. But she's a tough cookie, or shall I say feline." She laughed at her own joke.
Lynn smiled weakly at the joke. "Can we stay here?" she asked.
"Of course. You can stay in the lobby." Nurse Joy replied.
"We better get something to eat." Madelyn stood up and stretched.
"You go, I'll stay with Claudia." Lynn shook her head.
"I'll bring you back something." Madelyn left, glancing back at Lynn.
Lynn sighed and watched the exam room. Did I cause the attack? Was it those Spearow I disturbed that attacked her? She thought. She sat there and cried.
Nurse Joy came over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Some things happen that we cannot control. You did what you could and that's all we can hope for. You are a great trainer."
"Thanks." Lynn smiled gratefully.
Nurse Joy went back to work.