Route 36
Jackson was in the midst of the woods, pulling out his secondary blade and turning it to wooden form for safety measures. He had Dewott, Weavile, and Scyther surrounding him as he stood there, waiting for one of them to attack. Quilava and Leafeon were off in the woods, practicing their agility and nimbleness.
"I got you!" Dewott shouted, racing towards Jackson from the side, unleashing Night Slash and slashing at Jackson. He easily countered with a parry of his blade, deflecting it upwards, before unleashing a jab that sent the Pokémon flying.
"Too predictable. You need to quiet yourself before making your attacks, as well." Jackson informed him.
Dewott grimaced as he rose, but Jackson immediately sensed Scyther's attack, flying in with a Slash attack. Jackson backflipped over the charging attack. Scyther was bewildered at his movements, which led to him getting struck to the side, sending him skidding along the ground.
"Your reaction speeds are far too slow. You have to adapt to opponent's dodges much quicker than that." Jackson told him.
"Yes, sensei..." Scyther grimaced, getting to his feet.
Jackson felt Weavile was going in next, readying an Ice Punch, and aiming for Jackson's legs. He side-skipped the oncoming attack, before coming at Weavile with his blade. He readied a Night Slash, blocking Jackson's first attack. However, Jackson pulled a reversal on him, spinning behind his Pokémon, and striking his back, sending him flying forward, skidding into the ground.
"Faster movements, Weavile. You're too rigid." Jackson noted.
Once his three Pokemon got to their feet, Jackson looked to them, sighing as he stated, "You guys need to improve yourselves beyond this. Let's try seeing if you can evade or block my attacks." He activated his Air Shoes, and spun around, not showing who he was gonna target. However, he stopped and shot backwards towards Scyther, who didn't predict this, and got hit by a backflip slash that struck him in the head, before he crumpled to the ground.
He shifted gears and went to Weavile, who unleashed Metal Claw to attack Jackson, only for his trainer to stop and boot him into the air with his feet, before spinning and thrusting a foot at his abdomen, sending him crashing into a tree, where he collapsed.
"Hey! I thought this was sword-training?!" Dewott questioned angrily.
"And you should know I never said anything about blocking or evading my 'sword strikes'. I merely said my 'attacks'." Jackson corrected him, "Or are you unable to read between the lines?"
"Grrrr... Water Pulse!" Dewott roared, unleashing a compressed ball of water at Jackson, who slashed it in two, before coming at him. Dewott performed Razor Shell, leaping high and coming down at Jackson with a roar. Jackson met his attack by jumping up, tossing his blade into the air, surprising Dewott. He then saw Jackson's palm thrust into his face, throwing him off, before chopping at his hand to disarm his scalchop, and using a roundhouse kick to send him crashing into the ground. Dewott groaned as Jackson landed on the ground and, with minimal effort, caught the sword he threw upwards.
"Come on, guys. I wanna see you do better than that." Jackson told the trio as they struggled to get to their feet again.
"That's easy for you to say..." Dewott grimaced.
"The gap in power is too vast." Weavile noted, massaging his back.
"This is... why I consider you sensei." Scyther noted, rubbing head.
"Okay, guys. Let's keep at it." Jackson told the trio, "We have barely even started."
"Seriously?! You won't let us rest?!" Dewott questioned, gathering his scalchop.
"Don't worry. We're just gonna go into some drills." Jackson told them, "Now, stand in a line, next to me." They did as they were ordered, "Now, four sets of sword swings, a hundred swings each!"
"Say what?!" Dewott exclaimed, while Weavile and Scyther looked incredulous.
"We will do each set with different sword swings. The first is swing your blades or claws from upper-right to lower-left, then the next set will be upper-left to lower-right. Then, we do lower-left to upper-right, and finally lower-right to upper-left." These are the four basic angle slashes, and great ways to parry moves. Now, begin!" He led the team as they begun swinging their blades and claws in the first set.
In the bushes, Leafeon and Quilava were watching the group and their lessons. They had been doing so for the past couple minutes. "Jackson is one strict teacher." Quilava noted.
"I can tell he was given the same treatment in his training." Leafeon noted, "Still, he is doing this for our own good. Let's do our best for him."
"I'm glad you approve of my strict training regiment..." Jackson had suddenly appeared right behind the pair, making them jump. They only took their eyes off the training group, and saw Jackson gentle but ominous smile, "Because now that you are done with your running lessons, let's get to some training with you guys." Quilava and Leafeon looked back at Jackson, wondering how tough the lesson was.
What he did next was unpredictable, as while the three Pokémon were still doing their sword swings, they witnessed Jackson had both of his Pokémon by their hind legs, and pushing them like lawnmowers as they were scrambling their front paws for dear life to keep up with Jackson's speed. "Time to improve those front paws of yours!" Jackson called out, while the pair were screaming while moving.
"My sensei...is incredibly tough." Scyther noted, "I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision."
"I am, too." Dewott grimaced.
(Insert 'Never Give Up' By Sonar Pocket)
Instrumental Opening
(Jackson stands at the top of a cliff, looking out into the vast landscape of the Johto region. He turns to the camera with surprise, grins, then draws his sword and swipes it across the screen, transitioning to white with the logo appearing.)
What tough heart! Once I decided that I'd keep up the fight
My road has never stopped unraveling
(Camera circles around Jackson as he runs along an open-plain path with his Leafeon, who after a couple seconds, leaps onto his shoulders as he activates his Extreme Gear and shoots even faster onto the path.)
Carrying a small bit of pride
With my fists clenched
(The screen shows a brief image of Professor Elm, dropping papers from his clipboard, and smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. It shifts to a visual of Kris, Ethan, and their starters, with Ethan punching his fist forward, while Kris spun around with her arms out wide.)
I aim for the goal again step by step
Racing towards it with all my might!
(The screen shifts to Sonic & Tails, the former giving a thumbs up, while the latter waved his hands above eagerly. The screen shifts to Cypher, who glared at the screen with a Pokéball held close to his face.)
Sometimes it'll be a bad day
Where nothing goes the way I want it to
But even if the sky blurs through my tears
(Jackson is sitting by a campfire, his expression full of emotional pain as shadows of his past with red eyes creeped all around him. He curled himself into a ball as the shadow of his father appeared over his head.)
I'm sure my smiles will come back tomorrow
So it's okay!
(Shadows started getting blown away one large piece at a time, until light broke out around Jackson, who looked up to see his Pokémon all standing there, protecting him from his trauma.)
There's nothing out there to fear
I'll keep believing that 'I'm strong'
And get going!
(Silhouettes of the Gym Leaders appeared as the screen scrolled upwards through a gold, silver, and crystal colors behind them. It shifts to the emblem of Team Rocket, with darkened faces of grunts, with the four admins in front, holding their Pokéballs. Jackson readies his blade, as he tosses a Pokéball forward, which opens up and blinds the screen in a white light.)
'With you around, there's nothing to worry about now'
I felt as if the sky was saying that to me with a laugh
(Leafeon leapt forward and swung her tail into a Razor Leaf, before her tail glowed as she charged up sunlight, before unleashing a Solarbeam. Dewott and Weavile shoot through the Solarbeam, unleashing double Night Slash, slicing the beam, before dismissing their blades, and Dewott angrily looking at the calm and collected Weavile.)
With the sweat and tears I build up
I'm sure I'll come out dazzling
(Quilava turns to face the Team Rocket logo, before unleashing his Flamethrower. He huffed in confidence as Scyther flew over him, before slashing with his mantis claws like a swordsman.)
Even if I end up feeling anxious after it all
As long as I believe I can do it
(An Aeroblast and Sacred Fire came from the sky, shooting down at Jackson's team, but Jackson stepped in and unleashed several sword beams, countering the attacks and making them explode. He and his team endured the shockwaves and smoke from the explosion, before looking up into the distance, and saw the silhouettes of the Tower Duo flying over the two towers that represented each.)
These footsteps have taught me to
Always
Never Give Up!
(Jackson's Pokémon come to his side as he looked to them, before grinning eagerly, and the group leapt up into the air, taking on the new threat and the new adventure. The screen goes white before showing Jackson standing with his sword stabbed into the ground, his Pokémon companions surrounding him.)
Route 37
Twenty-four hours had passed since then. Jackson's Pokémon still felt the aches and pains from the training regiment Jackson put the team through. Leafeon was limp over Jackson's shoulders as he wandered onwards to the next city.
"Ecruteak City is the next place to go. Honestly, I am excited." Jackson noted, looking at the map, "I did some research on the place beforehand, and it is such a historical city. It's not just the gym there, but the architecture, as well. The pictures remind me of old-school Japanese towns that I visited back in the Earth world. There's even a dance theatre with authentic maiko, and the story behind the two towers was truly amazing."
"I get you are excited about all of that, but can you tone it down?" Leafeon asked, "Honestly, how are you this active after all that training? I slept last night, but I am still sore this morning."
"Believe it or not, compared to the training I gave you yesterday, the lessons I started back in Ryozanpaku were far tougher than that."
"Really?" the Verdant Pokémon questioned.
"Holding awkward positions while holding weights while having spikes near my limbs, which would stab me should I ever weaken. The lessons on new moves which they taught to me by delivering the attack to me first, and not to mention all that hard lessons the grandmaster taught me on learning Seikuken. I nearly thought I was gonna die every day..." The dread he had over his face right now made Leafeon know he was not kidding by the intensity of it all.
"So, what is this 'Say-goo-ken'?" Leafeon asked, "Is that a move?"
"It's pronounced 'Seikuken'. It's not really a move, but more of a defensive stance. Here, let me show you it." Jackson placed Leafeon back on her feet, and walked away from her. He turned to her and said, "When I give the signal, use Razor Leaf on me."
"Are you sure?" Leafeon asked.
"Trust me." Jackson replied, closing his eyes. It had been a while since he utilized this technique, but his muscle memory didn't forget one bit. He concentrated, looking around his surroundings, slightly flexing his arms and hands, calming his mind. Finally, when he felt it, he shouted, "Now!"
"Razor Leaf!" Leafeon shouted, unleashing a storm of energy leaves at Jackson, who saw the attack coming. With his hands, he quickly struck down every leaf that came towards him, causing them to turn into nothing but gently-falling leaves, fluttering onto the ground until they vanished. When it was all done, Jackson had stopped every single leaf...well, almost.
"Jeez..." Jackson muttered, looking down at his waist, where he saw a small cut on his shirt, "One got through? I must be off my game. Need to train a bit more."
"I don't think you realize how insane that was!" Leafeon exclaimed, "Apart from one single leaf, you stopped each and every attack with such ease! No one Dewott, Weavile, and Scyther never stood a chance sparring with you! What did you do?"
"Think of the area within your arms or paw's reach as a sort of barrier." Jackson explained, stretching his hands all around his body, creating a sphere, "So long as you know that range, then anything within that barrier can be stopped or countered. If you completely master this technique, then you can stop anything, no matter how strong or how fast the attack is. You can even do this with a weapon like my swords. I have trained extremely hard in this by the grandmaster. It is one of martial arts strongest defenses."
"I am shocked. I never take you for a defensive person." Leafeon noted.
"Just how do you proceed me as?" Jackson questioned, a little insulted.
"More evasive and striking weak points." she assumed.
"That's one way of fighting, and I admit, one that I primarily focus on." Jackson admitted, "But so long as you know multiple offensive and defensive measures, you can deal with all sorts of opponents. My masters taught me that."
"Must be a lot to remember." Leafeon argued.
"That's why I keep a book on everything I have learned." Jackson stated, crouching down, pulling out his backpack, pulling out a series of books, "I have various ones I created throughout my life, including books on Tails' engineering and mechanical procedures, books on all lessons from my master of Chinese Kenpo, Master Kensei, the various forms and styles with various weapons, as well as how to use them from my master Shigure, acupuncture lessons, even books I am using on all the lessons I have learned since coming here. People say I have a great memory, but not so great that I can remember everything. I need to keep everything recorded, just in case."
"So you basically have a backup to all that you learned, and utilize it when necessary." Leafeon stated, "But what about leaving it on that tablet device of yours?"
"Oh, I do keep backup records on my tablet, but I keep hard copies, just in case." he explained, "Any idiot who does not do one without the other is doomed to lose what they recorded."
"I'm impressed. You take training seriously and you are vast in your variety of skills, and yet, you still are a very emotional person with a childish nature."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Jackson asked, "Tails has a 300 IQ, so he is freakin' brilliant. Yet he isn't acting like a robot. He's childish and emotional, too."
"I didn't mean to be insulting." Leafeon apologized, "But now I'm curious. What's your IQ level?"
"Hmm... Last time I was tested, I think I was about 240." Jackson answered, "Even among Mobians, who are smarter than the average human beings, I am considered a genius."
"You really are." Leafeon agreed, "Is there anything you are not smart about?"
"Yeah. Figuring out how to get back to my old self before my rage took me over before." Jackson responded. He knew that teenagers struggled with emotional issues, but his own situation was on another level.
"Excuse us, little man." Jackson turned to see two young, beautiful ladies. One had medium-length, dark-blue hair that curled outwards, a white tank top, blue short-shorts, and black sandals. The other had long light-brown hair, and a one-piece dress that was black and magenta lining, black heels, and a purse that matched her dress.
"Are you perhaps a trainer?" the brown-haired woman asked.
"Yeah. I take it the two of you want to battle me?" Jackson asked, putting his stuff away in his backpack.
"Well, you are quick to get the picture." the blue-haired answered, giving him a wink, "What do you say to a double battle? The two of us against you."
"Sure. I'm game for that." Jackson replied, "I need to get the experience."
"And we can give you some, whether you win or lose." the brown-haired woman answered, leaning towards him, "If we beat you, you will go on a date with us."
"Wait, wha-wha-whaaaaa?!" Jackson questioned in shock.
"Let's be honest, it's hard to find cute boys nowadays." the blue-haired girl stated, "But you, on the other hand, are definitely cute."
"And wouldn't it be lucky for you to be on a date with two beauties like us?" the brown-haired girl, "You could just surrender and..."
"Hold on! I'm not interested in a date!" Jackson argued, flustered, "Besides, I think you are doing it for the wrong reasons! Shouldn't you get to know a guy before asking him out on a date?!"
"Oh, you're one of those kinds?" the brown-haired girl scoffed, "I guess we can start with names then. I'm Kassandra. This is Callie. And you are?"
The swordsman felt his heart beating frantically, but steeled himself as he replied, "I'm Jackson. And if you are that serious about what you want to do to me, then I'm not gonna go without a fight! I'll take on a Pokémon battle with you!"
"Sounds good to us." Callie replied, pulling out a Pokeball.
"We love it when cute boys play hard to get." Kassandra added, pulling out her own Pokéball. They both tossed out their Pokéballs, and out came their Pokemon. Callie's looked like it was an evolved form of Clefairy, larger and more spiked wings on its back. Kassandra's looked like a large, oval-shaped balloon Pokémon.
Jackson pulled out his Pokedex, examining each one. "Clefable. The Fairy Pokémon, and the evolved form of Clefairy. Clefable moves by skipping lightly as if it were flying using its wings. Its bouncy step lets it even walk on water. It is known to take strolls on lakes on quiet, moonlit nights."
"Wigglytuff. The Balloon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Jigglypuff. Wigglytuff has large, saucerlike eyes. The surfaces of its eyes are always covered with a thin layer of tears. If any dust gets in this Pokémon's eyes, it is quickly washed away."
'Both are Fairy-types, with Wigglytuff being a Normal-type, as well.' Jackson told himself, 'One of my Pokemon has a super-effective attack against Fairy-types, and one that can endure Fairy-type moves. That is, if they have moves like that.'
"Leafeon, hang back, okay?" Jackson asked.
"Of course." she replied, as her trainer pulled out two Pokéballs.
"Weavile, Quilava, let's blade it up!" Jackson called out, tossing the balls high, calling out the two Pokémon to the field.
"You guys good to go?" Leafeon called to them.
"I'm able." Weavile answered.
"I have recovered as much as possible." Quilava replied.
"Okay, I'll let you girls make the first move." Jackson told the ladies.
"Trying to be a gentlemen? You'll regret it." Kassandra answered, "Wigglytuff, use Disarming Voice!" Wigglytuff inhaled and unleashed a sonic wave with musical notes attached, striking Jackson's team and causing them to be in pain from the attack.
"Clefable, Sing!" Callie called out. Clefable lunged forward at Weavile, and sang a sweet tune right after Wigglytuff's damaging vocal attack. Weavile couldn't evade, and ended up falling asleep to it.
"Crap!" Jackson noticed, before recalling Whitney's Clefairy also doing the same move. This was followed by that move that did more damage thanks to Weavile being asleep. He had to act.
"Now, Wake-Up Slap!" Callie ordered.
"Quilava, Flame Wheel!" Jackson ordered quickly. Quilava curled up and unleashed a fiery spin dash at Clefable, who raised her hand to unleash her move, and instead got struck hard by Quilava's attack. He then got in a position between his sleeping companion and the opponents.
"Oh, it's adorable to think one of your Pokemon can handle the two of us." Kassandra stated, "Why don't we test that out. Wigglytuff, Body Slam!"
"Wake-Up Slap, again!" Callie called out. The two Fairy-types lunged forward, with Wigglytuff jumping up to slam on top of Quilava, while the other was gonna go after Weavile again.
"Quilava, spin and use Flamethrower!" Jackson called out. Quilava spun and spewed flames all over the place, the two attackers getting blasted back due to the attack.
"Impossible!" Callie gasped.
"He pushed both of us back with one attack?" Kassandra questioned.
"Quilava, Quick Attack on Wigglytuff!" Jackson shouted. Quilava responded by dashing into Wigglytuff, causing her to bounce away. However, the Balloon Pokémon recovered herself, and got up again. However, the moment Quilava landed on the ground, he had hearts in his eyes.
"Oh, God! That Wigglytuff! She is so beautiful!" Quilava exclaimed.
"Quilava, what's the matter with you?!" Jackson questioned, before realizing, "Wait, is this the infatuation effect? But Wigglytuff didn't use Attract."
"That's because my Wigglytuff has the Cute Charm ability." Kassandra noted.
"Right. In fact, both of our Pokémon have the Cute Charm ability." Callie stated, "Any contact with our Pokémon, and you will fall head over heels for them."
"Ah, crap." Jackson grimaced, "If I knew that, maybe I should've used Leafeon for the job."
"Now both of your Pokemon are vulnerable to our attacks." Kassandra snickered, "Wigglytuff, Play Rough!" The Balloon Pokémon charged in and toppled onto Quilava, consuming the two of them in a billow of smoke, where the Fairy/Normal-type was beating Quilava senseless, before tossing him back, still infatuated.
"Now I can get my chance in there. Use Wake-Up Slap!" Callie ordered, and Clefable lunged at Weavile, ready to wake him up.
"Weavile, wake up, now!" Jackson shouted to his partner, not wanting him to get hit by a serious attack. A second before Clefable made contact, Weavile's eyes snapped open, and he immediately backflipped away from being smacked by Clefable's attack.
"Oh, come on!" Callie exclaimed, "Just let us slap you once!"
"You really think I would let you because you asked?" Jackson questioned, as Weavile readied his claws.
"Whatever. Let's show 'em what we can do with a move that will surely hit!" Callie growled, "Magical Leaf!" Clefable summoned up glowing leaves, before sending them scattering at Weavile.
"Counter with Icy Wind!" Jackson shouted.
"Freeze up." Weavile fired off a breeze of ice to counter the attack, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out, causing Clefable to wince from the shockwaves of the attack.
"Go to Wigglytuff, and use Metal Claw!" Jackson shouted, thinking of a plan. Weavile responded by zipping by Clefable before she or Callie could react, getting in between the Balloon Pokémon before she could get to Quilava again.
"Defense Curl!" Kassandra shouted, and Wigglytuff curled up into a ball. Weavile's attack slashed the Balloon Pokémon, doing super-effective damage to it, but still enduring.
"Not enough, huh?" Jackson questioned, "Then let's put your training to the test. Continuous Metal Claw, and dance with blades!"
"Let's try it out!" Weavile declared, brandishing both metallic claws, and started making a fluid series of movements, slashing like an expert twin sword user, not giving Wigglytuff a chance to escape or recover.
"How is he doing this?!" Kassandra questioned.
"Those movements...so beautiful." Callie stated.
Finally, with one final cross slash with his claws, Weavile sent the Fairy/Normal-type Pokemon flying, causing her to bounce until she skidded to the floor, unable to continue.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Kassandra exclaimed, "Callie, we have to win this fight!"
"Right. We can't let this opportunity slip away." Callie answered, as Clefable readied herself against both Weavile and Quilava, the latter no longer having hearts in his eyes.
"Now that Wigglytuff is out, Quilava's infatuation effect is no longer around." Leafeon noted.
"Yeah, that's good to hear." Jackson stated, looking to his two members, "Still, though, two against one is a bit overkill. Weavile, hang back a bit. Let Quilava take the front and beat Clefable!"
"Understood." Weavile stated, jumping closer to Jackson's side, leaving Quilava out to face Clefable.
"Are you mocking us?!" Callie questioned, "For such a cute boy, your attitude is really annoying! You don't think I can beat both of your Pokémon at once?!"
"I'm not doing this to dismiss your strength." Jackson argued, "I am just doing the honorable thing in fighting in a one-on-one fight. My masters taught me this."
"Well... it still feels like sympathy to me." Callie noted, "Let's see where you sympathy will take you. Sing, Clefable!"
"Shut her up with Swift!" Jackson shouted it.
"Enough of all of this!" Quilava shouted, unleashing a series of stars as Clefable was about to sing. She got pelted with the stars before she could sing.
'Gotta keep my distance from Clefable.' Jackson noted to himself, 'They got cocky and told me both of their Pokemon have the Cute Charm ability, so physical contact moves could make Quilava infatuated again. Strike with long-ranged attacks, don't give them a chance to recover.'
"Grr... Kay. Time to see if our luck will win our fight." Callie growled.
"You're not planning...?" Kassandra started, but Callie continued, "Clefable, Metronome!" Clefable began waggling her fingers like a metronome.
"Ready yourself, Quilava, Weavile. There's no telling what move she'll unleash." Jackson warned them.
"Understood." "You got it!" they responded. They didn't get close to Clefable as she continued to waggle her fingers, before finally stopping and raising her fingers up high. Suddenly, the sun shining above started to beat down on the field harder, heating things up.
"What's happening?" Jackson asked, shielding his eyes.
"That's Sunny Day!" Leafeon answered, looking up and closing her eyes, "Oh, it feels so good to be bathed in the harsh sunlight like this."
"Oh? You like it that much?" Jackson asked.
"Indeed. After all, my ability is Leaf Guard, which allows me to be immune to status effects in the sun. Plus, I do photosynthesize."
"Right. I almost forgot about that." Jackson recalled.
"What's more, sunlight this harsh boosts Fire-type moves." Leafeon noted.
"Oh, so in other words..." Jackson realized, smirking at these words as he looked to Quilava. Sure enough, the flames on Quilava's body started to burn brighter.
"Another bust!" Callie grimaced.
"This is why I keep telling you to teach Clefable something else!" Kassandra argued.
"Let's give them a dosage of your empowered flames! Flamethrower!" Jackson shouted to Quilava.
"Here's thanks for the heat!" Quilava shouted, before blasting such a powerful flame, it practically became a beam of heat that nearly pushed Quilava backwards. However, the attack shot at the stunned Clefable, consuming her in it, and the flames shot into the sky above, barely missing the tips of the trees. When Quilava stopped his attack, Clefable was covered in soot, coughing a puff of smoke, before falling backwards, unable to continue.
"Looks like this battle is over." Jackson stated, walking up to his two Pokémon, patting the both of them, "Excellent job, you two."
"It was nothing." Weavile answered.
"Piece of poffin!" Quilava responded.
"Aw, man. We lost." Callie sighed, bringing her Pokémon back to her ball.
"Boo. Guess we can't date this boy." Kassandra pouted, puffing her cheeks, "And we were hoping to get a cute one."
"Why are you so desperate to get a cute boy on a date?" Jackson asked, returning Weavile and Quilava to their Pokéballs.
"Listen, we're both beautiful girls. But somehow, we constantly get looked over by those darn kimono girls!" Kassandra argued.
"It's true. I don't see what makes them so much more prettier than us." Callie noted, "We got looks and charm and everything! Is it too much to ask for a cutie or a hot man to be with us?"
"We even asked that red-head boy, too." Kassandra noted, "But he totally dismissed us and obliterated our team!"
'Bet that was Cypher. I don't see him as a lady's man, whatsoever.' Jackson mentally noted.
"What are we lacking? Why don't you even care for us?" Callie questioned the swordsman boy.
"Because you are trying to attract someone with only your outward appearance." Jackson argued, "True, that might work on a sleezeball monster, but I prefer looking at a girl or woman for who they are on the inside. I want to respect a girl for their heart, not their appearance. Otherwise, I can appreciate the characteristics of what makes that girl great, or earn their respect."
The two girls looked pretty amazed at Jackson's words. "So... I take it you don't like our hearts, then?" Kassandra asked.
"The moment you guys wanted me to go out on a date with you before you even got to know me, shows just how shallow your standards were." Jackson answered.
"I guess there are people who would much rather see stuff like that." Kassandra sighed.
"Hold on a minute." Callie questioned, "Does that mean you don't like how we look?"
"Wha- Why are you asking me that?!" Jackson asked, blushing.
"Come on. We can improve how we act, but we still would like to know if you think of us as beautiful girls." Callie stated, bending her upper body forward to flaunt what she had.
"It's okay to be honest about that." Kassandra stated, striking a sexy pose herself, "After all, we worked hard to get these looks. Or are you saying you prefer one over the other?"
"Wa-wait!" Jackson stammered, as the two young ladies walked across the battlefield towards him.
"Are you one or the other..." Callie started.
"...Or do you like both of us, together?" Kassandra finished.
Jackson was going beet red, his mind flashing to his father, displaying his malicious grinning face for a second, before shouting, "GET AWAY FROM ME! I'M NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION!" The two girls backed off in shock at Jackson's shout, and even Leafeon got startled by him. "DON'T MAKE ME SOUND LIKE A LECHEROUS PERVERT!" He continued, "I DON'T WANNA BE THAT AT ALL!" With that, he activated his Air Shoes, and shot off onto the path ahead.
"Jackson, wait!" Leafeon cried out, running after Jackson, leaving the two girls to watch them leave.
"Wow... So he was just that innocent." Kassandra understood.
"Kid's got issues." Callie finished.
Minutes later, Jackson had gave himself many miles of distance from the girls before he stopped, holding himself up by placing a hand on a tree, calming his heart before it shot out of his chest. Leafeon eventually caught up, panting as she tried to catch her breath.
"What... what was that... about?" the Verdant Pokémon asked, "I never saw you overreact like that before."
Jackson didn't answer initially. However, once he was able to get his head straight as best as he could, he started to answer. "I already explained my past to you, Leafeon. Because my father was a monster who only cared for what a woman's appearance was, I went the opposite direction, and only cared for what a woman looked on the inside. However, because of how hard I tried to make myself think that way, I developed a complex when it comes to talking about a woman's figure, or even looking a one's beauty. I get flustered and so awkward, that I end up starting to think about my dad, and immediately dismiss the conversation, to the point that I will shout at them if they push the subject."
"I get it. You just don't want to follow in your father's footsteps." Leafeon understood.
Jackson curled the hand that was on the tree into a fist, the rage in his heart from thinking about his father starting to rise up once more after this incident. He gritted his teeth as he growled, "I will never be like him. I will be a far better man than him..."
He then pulled back the fist and punched the tree hard. He left a great dent in the tree, before cracks formed from it, causing the tree to fall over, sending a swarm of Pidgey and Hoothoot to fly away in panic. Leafeon could only stand there, looking worried at her trainer. Jackson looked at the damage he did, before looking at his fist. Finally, he grasped his left shoulder, thinking back to an event that changed everything. The scars from that incident were still on his shoulder. The moment he let his rage take over.
He calmed himself, looking to the tree sadly, before saying, "Sorry." He looked to Leafeon, holding his sad smile as he stated, "See what I meant before? I still haven't learned how to get back to the person I was before. I'm smart, but I'm so stupid. My rage developed from my father hasn't been quelled."
"I... can see that." Leafeon understood, "But, I don't think it's wrong to be angry at your father. You just need to learn to not let that anger take you over. Don't worry. I can be here to help you. I'm sure everyone else can help, as well."
"Thank you, Leafeon." Jackson replied, crouching down and patting her head, "I have a feeling that you guys will help me get better. That's why I became a Pokémon Trainer in this world." He stood up as he looked to the path ahead, saying, "Now, let's head off to Ecruteak City. We have another gym to defeat!"
"Right." Leafeon replied, and they walked off together on the path.
'I want to become the hero I was before. I know I won't be the exact same, but I still want to be someone I can be proud of.' Jackson told himself, 'That's why I became a Pokémon Trainer. I hope I can quell the rage in me, and who knows? I might even be less defensive with my opinions on girls. I mean... I want to be a better man than my father. That means... I want to find a girl who I can appreciate. But I don't think that's anytime soon.' With these thoughts in mind, he continued forward, on the path he chose to take, and the one he believed would help him.