Kanto Chapter 29 - The journey continues
Amber's nose twitched as a delicious smell wafted across her face. Her pikachu, curled up at her side, also stirred to the amazing smells coming from downstairs.
The party had spent the night at the Cerulean Gym, Amber in her usual guest room at the family home. After the gruelling events with Team Rocket, a bit of luxury did not go a miss and the comfortable queen-sized bed was all too welcome.
But as inviting as the warm bed and fluffy pillows were, the enticing smell from downstairs was overpowering.
The teenager and her electric pokémon, rose from their slumber and began to follow the delicious scent out the room. Eyes still shut and arms stretched out in front, they moved in a zombie-like trance making their way down the stairs.
As they reached the source of their olfactory pleasure, Amber and Pikachu's eyes opened to the scene before them. The breakfast table was laid with an array of scrumptious dishes – bacon rashers - crispy yet juicy, eggs - scrambled and fluffy, a pancake stack at least 12 layers high, topped with butter and syrup, toast with jams, pastries, muffins, a bowl stacked with an array of brightly coloured fresh fruits and berries – it was a feast for the senses.
Ash was sat at the head of the table, devouring the ensemble piled up on his plate, Misty was sat next to him delicately sipping on a cup of coffee. Pikachu was on the floor, devouring his share out his bowl. The pokémon master looked over at the approaching duo and grinned, his face full of food.
"Mouhin Kiddo. Shleep whell?"
Amber smiled and nodded at her father, pulling up a seat to sit at the table with her parents.
"Morning sweetie." Misty smiled. "How are you feeling?" The mother asked. A hint of concern in her voice.
"I feel ... fine, honestly." Amber paused then smiled widely, almost fake. "Nothing a good rest and large breakfast won't fix."
"Glad to hear it …" Misty replied, unconvinced. She looked her daughter up and down. It was evident Amber was still hurting and not just on the outside. All she wanted to do was embrace her daughter in a great big hug and hold her there forever so she could never get hurt ever again, but after what happened the mother had resolved herself to take a step back. Her daughter was not a child anymore but a young woman, and a more than capable strong pokémon trainer who could take care of herself. It was time to cut the apron strings to let Amber grow, but just because it was the right thing to do, it still didn't mean it was easy.
"Grwab a plate … … ish really gud." Ash spurted out between mouthfuls.
Amber grabbed two plates and began loading them up with goodies. Putting one down on her placemat, she set the other down on the floor for her pikachu, next to her fathers pikachu. The two electric mice looked at each other and chirped with glee.
"Pika pikachu." Ash's pikachu passed over a piece of ketchup covered omelette. The red sticky substance smothering the eggy ensemble to the point it's yellowed texture was barely visible.
"Pika?" Amber's pikachu sniffed the strange new food stuff. Unsure about the combination.
"Piiikaaaa" Pikachu encouraged his friend to take a bite.
Amber's pikachu shoved the eggy tomatoed substance into his mouth and his eyes lit up with hearts. He'd never tasted anything like it! "Piiiiiikaaaaaa!"
Ash's Pikachu smiled knowingly. The two continued to dig into their feast.
"Coffee?" Misty offered and began to pour a mug for her daughter, who accepted it gratefully.
Brock appeared from the kitchen, adorned with a bandana on his head and apron round his torso. He was furiously whisking batter in a large bowl tucked in the crook of his arm. "Good morning!"
"Uncle Brock!" Amber smiled. "You did all this?" gesturing to the banquet before them.
"Well, some of it, but I can't take all the credit." The man stood aside and Delia poked her head around the corner. "Morning sweetie! Did you sleep well?"
Amber smiled and nodded.
"Bwock and mumsh cooking ish the besht!" Ash beamed shoving another big helping into his mouth and then swallowing loudly. "I've missed it so much!"
"Really? I couldn't tell." Misty deadpanned, despaired at her husband's lack of etiquette. Ash grinned widely, oblivious to the dig.
Amber took a long sip of her drink, as she awakened more, looked around. "Hey, where is everyone else?"
"Still asleep. After such a heavy night my sisters won't be up for hours." Misty commented.
"Or your brother. Best eat as much as you can, whilst you can!" Ash quipped, helping himself to some more eggs.
Amber giggled and began tucking into her breakfast buffet.
"Eat up! You'll need all your strength." Delia sang out as she emerged from the kitchen with a hot frying pan, piling a few freshly made oat cakes onto her granddaughter's plate.
"They're right you know; we've got a big day ahead of us." Brock spoke out, still whisking the big bowl. "We've got to tackle Mount Moon."
Amber nodded and stuffed an oat cake whole into her mouth, emulating her father's manners - or lack there of - perfectly.
"Hey." Ash spoke out, looking at Amber. "Didn't you have to go see Bill at the old lighthouse?"
Amber's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I forgot!" She looked to Brock. "But were supposed to be travelling to Pewter City…"
Brock shook his head. "Don't sweat it. You go do what you have to do, I'll finish up here and we can set off when you're back."
"OK great!" Amber swallowed her food and stood up, slamming her palms on the table. "I'm going right now! Let's go Pikachu!" Amber pushed her chair out and leapt up from the table, headed towards the exit of the gym.
"Wait a second!" Misty called out firmly.
Amber stopped in her tracks and turned around.
"Wash up and get dressed first." Misty closed her eyes and look a long sip of her coffee.
Amber looked down; she was still in her pyjamas. The girl blushed as the pikachu sighed in unison.
Amber and Pikachu ran up the long winding path towards Bill's lighthouse.
I wonder why Bill wants to see us so urgently…
***Flashback***
Bill turned to Amber. "If it's alright with you Amber, I'd like it very much if you'd stop by the lighthouse tomorrow. I have something that only you can help me with."
"Huh? Well sure, no problem." Amber put her hand on the back of her head, a little confused but accepting of the request al the same.
"Excellent. Then I bid you both farewell and I will see you very soon." Bill slightly bowed and retreated.
***End***
The duo reached the building and knocked on the door, after running so hard for so long, Amber and Pikachu hunched over, hands on knees panting to catch their breath.
Bill opened the door and greeted them with a warm smile.
"We're … *huff huff* … here…" Amber wheezed out.
"Ah it's nice to see you again so soon, glad you could make it. Won't you please step inside." Bill courtliest as always, stepped aside and gestured for his visitors to step into his home.
Amber and Pikachu righted themselves and walked in.
"It's good to back here, I see it's a lot tidier than when we left it." Amber joked with her older peer.
Bill closed his eyes and gave a half smirk, the joke wasn't lost on him. "I see you are still in good humour. How are you after yesterday's events? You had quite the experience." Bill enquired after her.
"I'm fine." Amber gave a half-hearted smile. She hadn't fully processed everything that had transpired with Team Rocket, her family history and the legendary bird pokémon. She didn't even want to right now and had no desire to discuss how she was feeling deep down. It was almost an emptiness, like big hole was inside of her, draining her essence away.
Like water slowly swirling down a drain ...
In the corner of the room a little brown fox pokémon ears twitched at a familiar sound. "Ee?" She looked up. It was Amber! The little pokémon jumped for joy and bounded over to her previous trainer.
"Eeeeeee eeeeeeeee!"
"Eevee!" Amber's face lit up on seeing her old friend in person. She scooped up the pokémon and touched noses. "Oh Eevee it's so good to see you! I've missed you so much."
"Eee eee!"
"Hahaha!" Amber laughed out loud with glee as Eevee cooed and pawed excitedly at her.
"Seems Eevee feels the same way." Bill smiled.
"Pii Pii!"
Pikachu jumped up on Amber's shoulder, greeting his friend. Eevee paused at the new pokémon, but soon realised this pikachu was her old friend Pichu!
"Eeee veeee!"
"Pikachu!"
The two pokémon beamed at each other. They'd hadn't really been apart all that long, but so much had happened in that time, it felt like a lifetime ago that they had been together.
Amber smiled sincerely for the first time in a while and then turned to face Bill, Eevee cuddled in her arms. "You needed to see me?"
"Why yes Miss Amber, there is something I desperately need you to do for me and you're the only one who I trust to do it."
Bill smiled and looked down at Eevee.
"See it has to do with my continuing research …"
*** Flashback ***
Bill looked at Eevee puzzled. He'd gone through the data and checked the numbers; she was definitely ready to evolve. But it just hadn't happened and looking at her it didn't even look as though it would.
"Strange … what am I missing here?"
The phone rang out bringing the researcher out of his thoughts, Bill looked at the caller ID and picked up the receiver, the video screen coming on full, displaying a young red headed girl.
"Hello Miss Amber, what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Hi Bill! I need your help with something. I'm at the old Power Plant, just off route 10, and see we've got a small emergency that I think only you might be able to help us with. We need transport some voltorb, asap, but there's no working power here … "
"Eee?" Eevee's ears perked up and she bounded over to the monitor.
"Eeeee!" The little fox pokémon pawed up at the screen excitedly upon seeing her friends face.
"Eevee!" Amber's face lit up seeing her old pokémon over the screen. "How you doing? I miss you! I hope you're having fun with Bill."
"Eeeee eeee!" Eevee began to scrat excitedly at the screen, frustrated she could not get to her friend in person.
"We're having great fun." Bill came back into the conversation. "So, you've got some issues with teleportation? Well, you've come to the right person. How could I possibly turn down a request to help the great Amber Ketchum."
As the conversation went on, Eeeve continued to pounce around the screen and wag her tail, desperate for the girl's attention.
"Wow! The Zapdos?! I'll come right away in person! It's an opportunity I just can't miss!" Bill chatted excitedly. Eevee looked up at her trainer.
"That's great, thanks Bill, see you soon. Bye bye Eevee." The red headed teenager on the screen smiled warmly and waved. Then the monitor went blank.
"Eeeeee" Eevee cried out sadly and folded her ears down. Her friend was gone. She lay down and put her head on her paws.
Bill looked at Eevee, taking in her behaviour then back at the screen. He sighed, knew what had to be done.
*** End ***
"My research with Eevee has come full tuition, I've learned so much about transporting DNA and managed to fix a few bugs altering the pokémon stats during teleportation. I couldn't have possibly done this without yours and Eevee's help. The data you sent me was invaluable."
"That's great Bill. So what do you need my help with now?"
"Well, I have one more ask of you if you'd be so willing? See when I was analysing Eevee's data I was certain she was ready to evolve. But since being in my care, Eevee is showing no changes. I've gone through the numbers over and over and my calculations are spot on, bar one factor."
Bill looked Amber in eyes. "Friendship level."
The teens eyes widened. "Friendship level?"
"Yes. See when an Eevee reaches a certain level of friendship with their trainers they evolve into either Espeon the psychic Sun Pokémon, Umberon the dark Moonlight Pokémon or Sylveon the fairy Intertwining Pokémon. I was expecting her to change into one of these forms depending on the circumstances, but I simply don't have the bond with Eevee that you do to help her reach the next level."
"The bond that we have? Is that right Eevee?" Amber looked down at Eevee in her arms. The little pokémon held her former trainers gaze and wagged her tail.
"So I ask of you miss Amber, will you take Eevee and help her grow?"
"You mean Eevee will be my pokémon again? Forever?" Amber's face lit up. "Of course I will! Oh Eevee, is this what you want too?"
"Eeeeeee!" Eevee cried with delight.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked with joy at having their old friend re-join them.
"EE!" The pokémon wriggled out of her new trainers' arms and dropped to the floor. Eevee began to glow but stopped herself, shuddering.
"Eevee? What is it?!" Amber was alarmed, Eevee looked distressed.
"She's fighting her evolution." Bill looked out the lighthouse window to see the morning sun high in the sky. "She doesn't want to be an Espeon," Bill put his hand to his chin, a thought came into his head. "Amber, do you have a Thunder Stone?"
Amber reached into her belt and pulled out her last Thunder Stone. She held it up for Bill and Eevee to see.
"Eeee!" Eevee bounced up and down excitedly, she jumped up to the teenagers' hand, flipped around and struck the evolution stone with her tail.
Amber's eyes widened as Eevee and the stone glowed, morphing into each other and began to change shape.
"Jolt!" A new pokémon emerged, it's fur spikey and yellow.
"Eevee! She evolved into a Jolteon!" Amber exclaimed.
"She wanted evolve into a Jolteon, for you Amber." Bill commented.
"For me?"
"Yes. Eevee loved you and wanted to be Jolteon, just for you."
"Oh Eevee! Sorry I mean Jolteon!" Amber laughed and knelt down, hugging the spikey pokémon around her scruffy white neck. "You're my pokémon!"
"Jolt!" The eeveelution licked at her trainers face.
Bill and Pikachu smiled.
"You two were made for each other. Amber, please take good care of Jolteon for me." Bill conceded.
"You have my word." Amber pulled out a spare pokéball. "Jolteon, welcome to the group!"
Jolteon touched the pokéball and allowed herself back into it, the light locking with no wobbles. Jolteon was now officially Amber's new pokémon.
Amber looked at the ball and smiled warmly. "Huh?!" the ball disappeared from her hand.
"I'm guessing you already have 6 pokémon travelling with you?" Bill nodded.
Amber counted on her fingers. "Let's see … Electabuzz, Chinchou, Magnemite, Voltorb, Electrode and of course Pikachu here … oh yeah that's 6 pokémon."
"Then Jolteon will have been teleported to wherever you received your trainers license from."
"She'll be with Lt. Surge at the Vermillion City Gym."
Bill nodded. "A perfect place for our electric type friends."
"Yeah" Amber nodded in agreement.
Amber and Pikachu stood outside the lighthouse ready to leave for the next stage of their pokémon league journey.
"So, what's next for you Miss Amber?"
"I'm travelling to Pewter City to compete for a Boulder Badge."
"Ah the Rock Specialist Gym. I believe Brock used to the be the Gym Leader there …"
"Yeah, that's right!" The young redheads' eyes widened as she realised the time. "Speaking of I'm supposed to be travelling with Uncle Brock right now! He's waiting for me at the Cerulean Gym, I better get going!" Amber sweat dropped.
"Then I shan't keep you any longer. Till we meet again Miss Amber, Pikachu."
"Pika chu" The yellow electric mouse smiled and raised a paw.
Amber and Pikachu turned and headed down the dirt path towards the Nugget Bridge.
"Take care of each other." Bill called out as the duo left his light house.
As Amber and Pikachu walked away, the young trainer looked down at her faithful companion and smiled. "I sure am glad Jolteon is back with us Pikachu."
"Pi!"
"I feel complete again." The teenager smiled. Her first full genuine smile for a while. "Like a hole in my heart has been plugged. Does that make sense?"
"Pi Ka Chu." Her pokémon nodded.
Amber smiled as they carried on towards the Cerulean Gym.
"We're back!" Amber walked into the Cerulean Gym and fell flat on her face.
"Oof! Wha the? …"
There were piles on cooking utensils, pokémon supplies and medical aids organised into neat piles around the gym lobby floor. Brock was knelt a few feet away packing the items into his huge rucksack.
"That's a big backpack Brock…" Amber's eyes were wide. "Pi kaaaaaa." Her pokémon joined the expression.
"Well, we need a lot of things when travelling! There's our pokémon potions, food, a first aid kit, my sleeping bag, egg pan, crepes pan, crock pot, broth drum, herb rack … … …" Brock continued showing Amber all his supplies for them. Her eyes spun.
Daisy, Violet, Lily, Cole and Elesa had now all woken from their slumber to join the rest of the family, seeing their youngest member off on her continuing journey.
"Like leaving so soon? Bummer I just got this new cocoa butter to try on your hair …" Violet lamented holding up the bottle. "It's an advanced formula with mongongo oil!"
Amber sweat dropped. "Uhhh yeah sorry Aunt Violet but me and Brock have to hit the road, we're already running wayyyy behind." Phew got out of that one!
The three sensational sisters all looked slightly deflated on not being able to pamper their niece further.
Cole walked up to to his sister and ruffled her hair, which he knew she hated.
"Try not to get yourself in trouble this time Sis. I've got a really busy schedule ahead promoting my new movie and don't have time to vacate to clean up one of your messes your again." He joked cockily.
"What! But you didn't do anything!" Amber growled softly, knocking his hand away angrily.
Cole laughed, he loved winding up his baby sister. "Didn't I? Pallet Town is still fully populated because of me."
"Oh I just love the strong heroic type." Elesa sauntered over and slipped her arm around her fiancés, she smiled at Amber. "Take care out there, I'm really going to miss you. But I know you'll absolutely dazzle them."
Amber saw stars in her eyes. Elesa, her idol, was going to miss her?! She knew she was going to dazzle! Oh wow this was too cool! Pinch me I'm dreaming!
"Pikachu." The electric gym leader finished, petting the electric mouse and rubbing his cheeks just in the right spots.
Amber face planted.
"Pi Ka Chu!" Amber's pikachu beamed.
Picking herself up, Amber suddenly gasped as a realisation hit her. "Wait! I don't have a backpack! I lost it in my battle with Team Rocket! All my things! Oh and my pokégear!"
"No problame-o Kiddo, we've got you covered. Ta da!" Ash pulled out a brand-new backpack, already packed with items a young trainer needs along their journey.
"And I filled it with lots of tasty snacks for you." Delia chimed in.
"Alright!" "Pika!" Amber and her pokémon cheered at the thought.
Misty smiled. "As regards to the pokégear … don't worry about it."
"Huh?" Amber was a little dumfounded. That was one of the main conditions of being allowed out in the first place.
"After what has happened, well, we know now, we can't protect you from everything … but also, we don't need to. You're so strong now, a stronger trainer than me at your age that's for sure. We don't need you check in daily any longer or track your where-a-bouts. But still call as often as you can, Ok? We miss you when you're out there in the big wide world. I miss you." Misty smiled softly.
"Mom … Dad … I … … Thanks you guys." The daughter hugged her parents tightly before letting go and joining her new travel companion.
"Pi kaaaa, Pi-KaPika" Ash's pikachu called his friend, perched on his trainer's shoulder.
"Good Bye to you too Pikachu." Amber petted his head, as her own pikachu waved goodbye to his fellow pika-pal.
"Let's make tracks." Brock nodded.
"Byeeeeeeeeeee" " Love youuuuuuuu" "Pi-KaPikaaaaaa" The Ketchum family chorused as the two departed.
Amber, Pikachu and Brock smiled and waved goodbye as they headed out towards Mount Moon.
"She looked a lot happier." Ash commented to his wife. "Like her old self again."
"You noticed too?" Misty turned to her husband a little surprised. Ash wasn't always the most observant, especially when it came to matters of the heart.
"Of course I did. I'm not blind you know."
"Oh Ash ..." Misty's voice wobbled a bit as she leaned into her husband.
Ash hugged his wife into his side, she was a strong woman but he knew when she needed him to step up for emotional support. The pokémon master gave a small smile. "I know Misty. But we have to let her do this. Besides she'll be with Brock till at least Pewter City, he'll take good care of her."
"You're right. But it still doesn't make watching her go easy." The mother conceded.
"... I'm jealous she'll get Brock's tasty sandwiches for lunch every day, whilst I'm stuck with your one slice baloney piece ... Oofff"
Misty playfully elbowed her husband in the ribs. He had a knack for ruining the moment.
"Pi Ka Chuu" Pikachu giggled at his best friends misfortune.
Authors Note: So sorry for the delay! My personal life has been pretty full on, this chapter was originally muccchhhhh longer so I've split it into two parts. I can't express how hard I've found it to write these past few months, I had the worst mental block but it seems to be flowing now. See you soon for Mt Moon, the battle for the Boulder Badge and a cameo appearance - keep reading ;-)