Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with a new chapter. This one is a little bit of fun and I wanted to do a bit of a deja vu and throwback to the anime! As the title suggests, it does indeed involve a bike and has a nod to the tradition of Pikachu blowing one up :P It's a light-hearted one with Katie Ketchum and all the Morgan boys when they are kids so I hope you enjoy :3
Ages:
James: 33
Misty: 26
Katie: 6
Jayden: 9
Jaxon: 8
Justin: 12
Disclaimer: I own the story and the OCs mentioned!
The lavender haired male shook his head fondly to himself and smirked, standing up at the same time as his orange haired best friend as they both prepared to tidy away all of the lunch plates and clean up all of the events of chaos that had ensued moments before. James pushed his hair from his face, his eyes glinting in the same way that his mouth was showing off a grin.
"I don't know…" he began and right away, Misty turned her head curiously back towards the older male. It was quite often that she was left curious and intrigued by what he was going to come out with next and that moment was no different. As she moved a couple of the empty lunch plates to the sink ready to wash up, James joined her and stood by her side. He continued after a moment of hesitation. "If you told me all those years ago that you and I were going to end up like this and running after a clan of children then I would have thought you were insane!"
My own head turned at the same time that Misty's titled further, curiosity disappearing on her face and in its place a look of mischievous knowing took over. Following James shrugging and nodding in agreement at once, the orange haired female laughed and properly acknowledging his words. She reached over to lightly squeeze his shoulder.
"I don't know…" my best friend's orange haired wife copied her best friend by pausing in the same way that he had but after she stopped squeezing his shoulder and reached to give me a pat as I resided on the kitchen counter top and by the sink, ready to help out, she soon finished her words with a smile. "Sometimes it doesn't really surprise me at all. I mean, look at it out there. In some ways, things have hardly changed at all."
And with that, we all knew to crane our necks past the kitchen sink area in the Morgan Mansion and look out of the window at what was going outside. Needless to say, the three of us already knew seeing as we had been keeping an eye out since everyone had dashed out following lunch but we still smirked all the more at everything that was going on. And in addition to that, we all started nodding our heads in agreement. For Misty was correct.
The more that things vastly changed, the more that they still seemed to stay the same also. As a ten year old child it wasn't rare to find Misty surrounded by boys rather than members of her own identity. After all, she had been on a long and enjoyable and memorable journey with her now husband as well as Brock and of course Tracey too.
Everywhere she went, it always seemed to be boys that she ended up crossing paths with. Giving Gary a good old snide remark when he insulted Ash too much. Her sweet little friendship with Max when she visited us all in Hoenn. Professor Oak whom she regarded as a parental figure almost as much as her raven haired husband did. She was absolutely a girl among a gaggle of boys but every bit their equal. And it was evident that all of that had been passed onto her and Ash's daughter as well.
Outside the window on the very late summer's day was Katie practicing riding her bicycle up and down the long driveway outside the front of the Morgan Mansion and helping her every step of the way was Jayden, Jessie and James' dual haired son who patiently had his hand on the back of her seat to assist her.
Not too far away and sometimes getting in the way was Jaxon who – from our position watching from the window – seemed to be switching between being a spy crawling on the patch of grass and keeping close to the ground before springing up and running around in a carefree and energetic way. Yes, we then saw that he was indeed sometimes getting in the way from the way that Jayden had to take hold of Katie's handlebar and help her to steer to the left before there was a collision.
Then last but not least was Justin who – unlike his youngest brother – wasn't really getting in the way at all. He was very much minding his own business. Enjoying the last couple of day's home from his Pokémon Journey before heading off again then that summer was coming to an end, he was making the most of that spare time and being at home and using the wall of the summer house to kick his football against.
So yes, Katie was very much another girl among boys and also their equal. However, all three of James, Misty and I couldn't help but worry a little bit at the way that the orange haired little girl wobbled and her eyes widened every time she felt Jayden loosen his grip and control on her bike. Katie was most definitely her equal. But at six years old she wasn't quite as headstrong as her mother as a ten year old.
Her orange haired mother's expression softened as she watched her daughter with the older boy's but especially with Jayden, her hand going lightly to her heart.
"She's had her stabilisers off since the beginning of summer, bless her, but she still can't quite get it in her head that she'll be okay without them." Misty commented and straight away, I hopped onto the lavender haired male's shoulder to have a better peer along with the standing adults at the same time that he smiled softly and nodded, even more of a watchful expression taking over his face. The orange haired female continued, can't helping but add. "Jayden is a sweetheart for being right there though. And perhaps she's enjoying him being so patient."
The male ex-rocketeer gave his orange haired best friend a look when he heard these words and soon enough Misty's head turned and she gave James the same look back. They certainly had their own silent language between the both of them! But I understood it as well. It flattered the parents almost as much as it did both Jayden and Katie to notice how well that they got along.
And it was then showing that the orange haired female's words most certainly were right at the way that Katie wobbled all over again when Jayden had to take his hand away from the back of her bike to tend to an itch on her nose. It was then the lavender haired male's turn to inwardly hold a hand over his heart but outwardly lean forward, a wave of protection washing over him when he noticed Jaxon smirking and sniggering at Katie's loss of confidence. It wasn't in an intentionally unkind way but it caused James to turn to his best friend.
"Do you think you should go out there? I know those boys are good kids but I think you should even out the numbers a little bit." James uttered caringly and with a light crease of a frown before his eyebrows and then when he sensed the younger woman unable to refrain from rolling her eyebrows fondly, he made a joke about it, gesturing around his kitchen. "Go out there. I know our kiddies left it a bomb site after lunch but I think I can handle it."
"I have no doubt that you can handle it… I think. But I very much am going to help you out anyway." Misty told James in a rather adamant way and while I remained on his shoulder, I felt his body stay put and I knew that he knew that it was no point arguing with her. The orange haired female leaned forward and flicked the tap on with warm water to begin washing up all of the plates and then she turned back to the older male. He already knew that she was going to say more. "Besides… Katie can handle herself as well. She's blessed with the stubbornness of both her father and I but she asks for help when she needs it. She'll shout if she needs anything."
And with that, after Misty reached to squeeze her best male friend's shoulder a second time at the way that he not only looked out for her but her daughter as well, James knew to believe her words because he knew them to be true also. He nodded his head. Both Katie and her mother were worldly kind of girls. They knew how to hold their own around guys while being grateful for their sheltering gestures also.
So with that, the lavender haired male and the orange haired female cracked on with cleaning up the lunch mess for good! I was like the both of them – I knew that Katie could hold her own and didn't feel out of balance around the Morgan boys. But despite this, I still wanted to head on out there. Even if the orange haired little girl was okay, it wouldn't hurt to add an especially friendly face into the mix.
After digging my claws lightly into the shoulder of the ex-rocketeer male as my way of squeezing his shoulder also and giving Misty a friendly smile, I made my way down the halls and out of the front door, ready to join everyone else. I left the two adult best friend's starting to make bubbles with their hands and the dish water and the dish soap. I just had to wonder if there was even the slightest maturity difference between the friends inside and the friends outside! Oh well. At least they still had fun.
I smiled to myself when not only did the crisping late summer breeze hit my cheeks but the sound of child-like chatterings did also. My paws took me over the line and out of the step and onto the stone drive. Straight away, voices hit my ears and I was honed to some in particular.
Seemingly as patiently as ever, nine year old Jayden had his hand on the back of Katie's bicycle seat and while she rode with her blue mermaid patterned helmet on, he walked around with her another lap. The deep purple haired twelve year old Justin was presumably oblivious to everything that was going on as he continued practicing his football skills on the patch of grass adjacent to the one that Jaxon was army crawling on. The magenta haired youngest of the three brothers was evidently not as indifferent as his oldest brother.
He suddenly shot up like a rocket like he often did and walked over to Jayden helping Katie riding her bike. Straight away, the dual haired male turned the orange haired little girl's handlebar to the left to avoid colliding with the eight year old boy but Jaxon held his hands out, making a point of standing closer to them both. He wanted to talk to them. So he did, itching underneath his nose with his finger.
"Are you going to do that all day long?" he asked, enunciating one of the words in particular and elongating some syllables for effect. Jayden merely glanced at Katie before back at his brother, his meadow green eyes widening as he waited for him to continue. Of course he did. Jaxon looked right at Katie. "It's probably boring for Jayden. He might want to ride his bike too."
"Well… He can." The orange haired little girl answered promptly while the two brothers closest in age glanced over at Jayden's old bike abandoned propped up against the wall of the house. When they looked back, I saw Katie's cheeks starting to flush at the realisation of what Jaxon's words truly meant. I took steps forward, starting to feel as protective as James and possibly more. But I trusted the eldest Ketchum daughter to correct the situation. She mumbled. "If he… If he wants to ride his bike instead of helping me then he can say. I wouldn't mind. Jayden… I wouldn't mind."
The dual lavender haired and magenta young boy answered as promptly as his orange haired younger good friend after she made sure to look at him following flushing at Jaxon's words. Jayden merely shook his head and smiled, his curly locks bouncing angelically.
"I don't mind. I don't mind being here. I wouldn't want you to crash and hurt yourself so I'm happy being right here." The middle of the Morgan boys told Katie sincerely and then following that, he surprised me by giving Jaxon a firm glance.
Surprising me further, the magenta haired young boy held his hands up to show that he didn't mean any harm before preparing to go back to minding his own business. But something stopped him. He thought about Jayden's words. He turned around on his heel and pressed things further before his older brother could go back to assisting Katie with riding. Jaxon scrunched his nose.
"Why are you so afraid of crashing? Is that why you want Jayden right there? Crashing is the best part! At least you know that you've tried something new."
I didn't like to join the little of gaggle of children properly so as not to intrude but I was most definitely listening in and keeping a watchful eye. So because of this, I heard clearly when Justin's football hit the wall of the house at a weird angle when he grew distracted by his youngest brother's words. He obviously heard them and glanced over, silently pondering if he agreed or not. It depended. It depended on what happened next.
What happened next was Jayden rolling his eyes at their youngest brother. The curly haired male was an easy-going and fair young boy but it was clear that he had just as much of a protective streak as his father when it came to the Ketchum girl's. Especially Katie.
He moved closer to Jaxon, able to take his hand away from the younger female when her cycling had come to a halt. His expression was fixed which made it more serious.
"Well then why don't you get on your own bike and crash it?" Jayden made a point of asking and although I heard Justin's football smacking against the house all over again, I was certain that he would remain listening in also. He could never shut his ears off from the quirkiness of people for too long. After Jaxon folded his arms over his chest, starting to flush himself at being challenged, the dual haired male just shrugged, blanking him for Katie. "Whatever. We're happy doing this. So we're gonna keep doing it."
Jaxon was known for being a persistent boy and I saw him digging his trainers into the gravel of the drive for a little bit longer but then he prepared to turn away for good. However, he was stopped all over again.
"No…" Katie mumbled and straight away, she got both of the boy's attention. Instinctively, both Jayden and I's pupils dilated with watchfulness if her word was out of upset towards Jaxon. Nevertheless, we both soon were enlightened of the exact reason for it. Though Katie swallowed and her cheeks reddened a little bit once more, she prepared to dismount her bike. Her small hands went to the chin strap of her helmet to unclip it. "We've… We've been doing that for ages. Ride your own bike if you want, Jayden. I'm happy to take a break."
And with that, needless to say, the dual magenta and lavender haired nine year old boy made sure that Katie was absolutely sure with that decision and he feigned contentment with whatever outcome she decided. But after Katie took off her bicycle helmet for good and joined me by my side before wandering with me to sit on the front step and have a cuddle, it was clear that Jayden was pretty pleased with that outcome. And Jaxon had a similar grin and glint in his eyes when it became obvious that those two then had a chance to race their bikes.
So it was a possibility that all of the magenta haired boy's judgements and words from before were not malice but simply wanting to have a bit of fun with his own brother. Of course he went about it the wrong way! But he would learn. And I got the feeling that the deep purple haired of the brother's hoped that he would learn rather promptly at the way that he shook his head in between playing football with himself while having the same observations.
I hopped onto Katie's lap and enjoyed a chin tickle on the front step and in the late Kanto summer sun as together we watched Jayden and Jaxon ride their bikes. It was no doubt that they were skilled at it. Of course the orange haired little girl was too but she didn't have the same independent enthusiasm as the boys. Among other things, they had age on their side. But I had no doubt that the eldest Ketchum girl would get their eventually and at her own pace. After all, it was her mother who had ridden her bike into the skies!
I moved closer to the orange haired female and while the sun shone gladly upon my face, I enjoyed the closeness with her all the more and I enjoyed the playful antics between Jayden and Jaxon the same amount. Boys being boys, they raced each other with gusto and they didn't seem to mind when they almost collided handle bars on a good few occasions and minded even less when they almost ran over and popped Justin's football!
They kept that up for a good while. They didn't seem to tire of their racing. It made me remember times when I loved things that passionately and energetically and would feel my heart thudding in my chest during times like Pokémon battles. But when I looked at Katie and felt her hair tickling my face as well as her fingers, I smiled to myself and realised that I felt that electricity about my family. They were my new dream. And in a way, the Morgan boys were too.
Jaxon and Jayden had one more race and then while the dual lavender haired and magenta haired male had a rest and got his breath back but still had a smirk on his face and determination in his eyes, it was the plain magenta haired male who cycled over to Katie and I and skidded his brakes so he was right next to us both. Taking off his helmet to wipe the sweat from his brow, he asked.
"You sure you don't want to get back on your bike solo? I've still got opportunities to trash Jayden but we need someone else to race as well. What do you say?" Jaxon asked and after a twinge of protectiveness grew in my belly all over again, I knew to let that go when I sensed that his tone was innocent enough.
Even so, the deep purple haired pre-teen boy must've heard Jaxon's words and assumed the same thing as I and on top of that, he probably noticed the way that Katie gingerly hesitated and looked down. Justin went against his usual thing of not getting involved and after kicking his ball one more time; he picked it up and held it under his arm, coming to join the younger children. He gave his brother a look. But it was a look of authority rather than irritation.
"I think Katie is with Pikachu now so you can stop pestering her. You two can race me. I'll run against the both of you and I will still win." Justin looked at Jaxon rather than Katie even though he was talking about her also and he dropped his football down on the ground with an adamant thud.
I couldn't help but smirk. I found that his confidence was amusing and well-received rather than off-putting. Naturally, Jaxon scowled momentarily and took a step forward. However, before I could look up at the orange haired young girl and get a sense of her reaction, I was lifted up. By her. She suddenly stood up off the step and held me in her arms much like her mother used to. She uttered.
"No." she spoke that word far more certainly that time and it caused all of the Morgan brother's to look over at her. Despite being six years old, the Morgan female tended to be wise beyond her years so she had the instinct to look at Justin surely (albeit bashfully) to half thank him for seemingly sticking up for her before locking her eyes on Jaxon to answer him. In the process, she caught side of Jayden still getting his breath back which softened her voice but not her orbs. "What I mean is… I can ride my bike by myself I-I guess. But I won't be racing. I will ride. But I won't race."
And it seemed like the magenta haired male was a little bit taken aback by her words as well as her glance and he seemed satisfied with this enough. I was sure that a part of him wanted to race Justin running also but he didn't mean to come across overbearing to the younger female. He was merely competitive and said what he thought. He nodded his head and shrugged acceptingly, turning to get back on the bike.
After I looked up at Katie while in her arms and gave her my own smile, I felt her look over at the dual magenta and lavender haired male a second time when she felt him still smiling at her. That was all the two of them needed to do. Jayden knew that Katie had made a decision for herself and knew that when she did that, it was okay to go along with as well.
So following Justin going back to his game of football and me joining him that time, in between head-butting the ball back to the pre-teen boy I watched Katie put her bicycle helmet on all by herself all over again and prepare to mount the bike. I was certain that James and Misty were watching from the kitchen all over again but from the reflection I could not see. Either way, I knew that they were going to be proud. I was.
The orange haired little girl bit her lip cautiously but then after a deep breath, she got on her bike with all of the composure in the world. She merely sat on the seat and with her feet planted on the ground for a good couple of moments at first while Jayden and Jaxon went back to having their races. She watched them as much as I. She watched them racing and saw them having fun and for the first time she felt a pang like she wanted to join them. She knew that she could if she wanted to.
First of all, she felt another pair of eyes on her and it was not my own. It was Justin's. Despite the fact that he was still kicking the ball to me and with me and doing fancy football moves in between, he glanced over at her and silently admired her courage. Whether it was him looking at her then or his prior unmoving confidence prior but Katie took yet another breath and prepared to take off on her bike. Paired with feeling an admiring gaze from Jayden in the middle of him riding with Jaxon made Katie know what she had to do.
All by herself, her foot twitched before it went on one of the peddles. I held my breath. I knew that I was possibly going to go as red as Justin's football but I didn't care! I didn't dare breath. I burst with pride. Katie's knuckles went white as they gripped onto the handlebars but they were full of concentration. Her other foot went to the other peddle. She was really about to do it. She was really going to do it. She was going to ride her bike all by herself and without stabilisers.
Before she could stop herself, adrenaline went through the young girl's body and she pushed down on her right peddle and prepared to set off. She almost made it a couple of inches. She really almost made it. Maybe she heard Jaxon's brakes squeaking near her. Maybe she heard Justin's feet scuffing as they did a special move with the football on the grass. Maybe she heard my lack of breath. She suddenly had a lack of nerves.
Katie squeezed her eyes tightly shut and squeezed the brakes even harder, them making a similar noise to Jaxon's. Everyone looked round. Jayden and Justin's eyes were still filled with admiration yet sympathy as well. Meanwhile the magenta haired male's expression was mostly filled with what was perceived as childish disappointment.
"Oh! Oh so close to joining us for our race." Jaxon exclaimed in what was from his point of view a really sincere announcement but the years on the other two Morgan boy's side made them worry how Katie was going to take it. Justin found himself shaking his head and muttering his youngest brother's name. Jayden's eyes merely filled with all the more empathy. With twitching eyelids, after they opened, Katie's eyes found hers searching for the familiarity and stability of the middle Morgan son. Before she could find him, Jaxon got off his bike and shook his head. "He wants to ride. Come on. You really need to learn to do this. Let Jayden ride by himself. I'll help you."
I had a moment to think about the youngest Morgan child's words. I knew that he was still a child and as carelessly speaking as he could be, his last words were proof that he didn't mean to be unkind. But I still couldn't stop that wash of protectiveness rolling through my body. Sometimes I did worry about Katie, despite her being a girl in a room of boys and very much their equal.
She was a child who felt things deeply. She was a people pleaser. She had high expectations for herself. She possessed the stubborn and courage and certainty of both her parents but also the sensitivity and softness and innocence of them both. I felt that the words from somebody she didn't connect with as much as some of the other Morgan family members were certain to wound her. And I was certain that they were going to wound her deep.
But thankfully, along with all of those earth-shattering qualities that she got from both of her parents and my best friends, she also had their ability to turn something negative into something positive. There and then, she almost gained confidence from her embarrassment and her vulnerability.
She stopped searching for Jayden. In fact, she didn't search for anyone. She searched within and found herself saying firm words, looking at Jaxon with a shake of the head. There that word came out of her mouth all over again.
"No." she told the slightly older boy, standing her ground. Though she hopped off her bike all over again, she had an air about her that made it wordlessly communicated that she wouldn't be deterred from it forever. She persisted, her voice quiet and calm but her hands clenched into firm fists. "I don't… I don't need your help. I don't need anybody pushing me. And I definitely don't need your help!"
And in that moment in time I didn't know if I was prouder of Katie or Justin from the way that he managed to withhold his derision-filled filled snort and merely nod his head admirably at the little girl six years his junior.
Following that, though Jaxon's eyebrows knotted together stubbornly, he got very quiet indeed and knew not to push it any further. Among other things, he had been raised to take girl's words seriously! He prepared to mount his own bike and have another little race with Jayden.
Needless to say, Jayden was endlessly proud at his childhood best friend and though he would have been quite content to go back to walking next to her while she practiced riding and wanted to suggest that to her, he equally took her seriously when he heard her words. He did not want to push her.
The dual magenta and lavender haired nine year old boy got off his own bicycle and out of sincerity; he took his helmet off as he took some more steps to Katie. The orange haired little girl knew that he was going to offer her something. Straight away, she looked over. He smiled as he gestured and tried his best to convey that he was okay with whatever outcome also.
"It would be cool to race Jaxon some more. But do you want Justin to walk with you while you practice? He helped me when I was younger so he's done it before. And he's way more reliable than Jaxon!"
I was proud of myself when I managed to hold back my own snort upon hearing that. For once, Jaxon managed to let that one go with just a scowl. If he had been older then he would have definitely done a rude gesture to his brother with his finger and one to Justin too for good measure!
The deep purple haired male at first was far too busy looking over at the magenta haired male and making sure that he didn't say any more out of place words to Katie or their meadow orbed brother. But following that, he had a bit of an amusing double take and his eyes widened when he heard Jayden's suggestion. It wasn't that he was against it – more that he wasn't expecting it.
Katie didn't know what to say. It was true that she felt no problem with rejecting Jaxon and that was probably because he had been so persistent! But Justin was so indifferent. And because of that and perhaps due to feeling used up with her determination towards the youngest Morgan brother, she wasn't sure if she had the boldness to cycle with a new person.
The deep purple haired pre-teen male continued looking at Jayden for a couple of seconds longer but then following that, he pushed his lank and long locks from his eyes, abandoning his ball and leaning closer to the younger female. He rested his wrist on her handlebar but airily so. He asked her with almost as much uncertainty as she was looking at him while her toes curled in her trainers.
"Do you want me to do this with you?" he asked her and Katie felt her breath hitching in her throat. I imagined that she didn't know why at first but while I watched, I figured it out for myself. And then following that, Katie still didn't fathom it out but she felt herself relaxing and I put it down to her subconsciously realising that her dear Uncle James' eldest son was as blunt as blunt could be. So if he was that then he wouldn't judge it within her. She shook her head openly with a polite smile instead of saying the word "no". Justin just simply chuckled and bared his teeth and stood back up to his full height. "No problem. Maybe I'll get to race Jaxon by running and beat him after all."
And upon hearing this, Katie couldn't help but grin and bear her teeth back despite being still a little shyer than the pre-teen male. The deep purple haired male was all talk and he didn't actually go over to his little brother to race and instead plopped down on a patch of grass and with me. However, before he went, I noticed the way that he reached out to straighten Katie's helmet for her.
Between his casualness and Jayden's too, I knew that their methods would be the best for instilling confidence in her. Yet a strange part of me amongst the protectiveness felt that maybe Jaxon would irritate confidence out of her as well. Maybe it was the same way for Justin too! He certainly furrowed his brow and shook his head disapprovingly at him.
But speaking of the dual magenta and lavender haired male, after looking shyly over at Justin, Katie looked shyly over at Jayden but in a much more familiar way. She grinned sheepishly. Feeling her newly adjusted helmet, she looked at him and she asked him.
"Will… Will y-you ride with me one more time? And then maybe I'll help you out and hold your bike for you." Katie offered and made a joke but it goes without saying that Jayden did not hesitate to nod his head and smile earnestly at the younger female. Part of him would have liked her to do exactly that! They spent a lot of time together. He didn't need to be told to do nice things for the younger female. He liked doing it. And I knew that it would last for a very long time.
I left the deep purple haired male's ball abandoned on the ground and I joined him and sat next to him. While Jaxon singly (and potentially huffily) rode his bicycle by himself, Jayden went back to Katie's side and assisted her with her riding. They went up and down the Morgan driveway – and up and down again.
At first, Katie grinned determinedly at Jayden and then all of that faded away. She grew far more inwardly courageous and on the outside she was merely content. She really did enjoy his company. They had grown up together. Even then she couldn't imagine a moment in time without him. She hoped that it would always be that way. I believed that it would.
Jayden had the patience of a saint and I hoped that that would last for many years also. He continued helping her out and both Justin and I smiled to ourselves when we saw the way that soon enough he held the back of her seat with only a couple of fingers and she didn't wobble. She absolutely noticed it. But she felt comfortable doing it.
It was then that Justin and I smiled at each other. Slowly and steady seemed to be the pace for Katie and that was really okay. Everybody was free to learn and grow at their own pace and I hoped that the orange haired little girl would always have people around her to push her when necessary but just support her when it was even more important.
Fortunately or unfortunately, not everybody is on the same page at the exact same time. You see, I didn't really notice it at the time but a couple of minutes into Jayden assisting with Katie's cycling; Jaxon had got off his bike and removed his helmet also. He had evidently been watching the typical scene that had started all over again and instead of admiring Jayden's patience and Katie's too, he wanted to challenge it. In a way, he wanted to challenge the orange haired little girl to do what he knew that she could do. But he didn't have to do it in that way!
I'm disappointed that neither Justin nor I spotted it. I'm disappointed that James and Misty didn't either if they were watching from the window. Jayden and Katie most certainly didn't spot it. At the same time that the meadow orbed Morgan male switched to holding just one finger on Katie's bicycle seat, Jaxon came charging over. Jaxon came charging over and he tried to slap his slightly older brother's hand away so the orange haired little girl could ride for good. Justin finally spotted what was going on. I was taken aback by how much he bellowed. No wonder he grew into the performer that he was!
"Jaxon! For goodness sake!" Justin gritted his teeth and his firm big-brotherly self, most definitely came out with disapproval at how Katie was being treated. Even if he was mostly indifferent, that was not on in his eyes. Unfortunately, the orange haired six year old girl heard the noise and it caused her to whimper. It caused Jayden to hold onto her bike supportively and rest his cheek against her head protectively.
And then, all of a sudden, it wasn't just the Morgan boys who were in the garden. Ben had come down from upstairs and hearing about all the Pokémon Journey stories from Jazmyn and upon hearing the commotion, he had rushed outside. He heard Justin's bellow and he saw Jaxon's flushed determined face but that wasn't what caught his eye. He saw Jayden close to his sister and helping her ride. The raven haired little boy's expression screwed up with annoyance.
"That's my sister! Don't upset her, Jayden! And if anyone is going to help her with her bike then it's going to be me!" the six year old boy childishly insisted and in the middle of Jayden trying to shove Jaxon away when he tried to slap his hand away all over again, Ben charged towards the action and tried to get in on it. Needless to say, it made Katie very upset indeed and with tears pricking her eyes, she got off her bike and left it propped up by its stand and announced that she wasn't going to get on it again until everybody stopped nagging her. Ben decided that it was all someone in particular's fault. He scoffed, his eyebrows knotted protectively. "Well done Jayden!"
"No, well done Jaxon!" the deep purple haired pre-teen completely abandoned his morals of not getting involved and stood up, his arms folding over his slim chest. Needless to say, all eyes shot towards him, even Katie's tear filled ones as I moved to her side to console her. Justin insisted. "Jaxon, you had no right to push Katie. She's right. Nagging isn't going to get her anywhere. So would you all just leave her alone?"
I could feel Katie's cheek flushing with surprise or perhaps emotion as I hopped onto her shoulder to nuzzle her properly. Despite the fact that everybody very much heard Justin's words and Jayden could be content that they weren't directed at him, because both Ben and Jaxon were the youngest boys, they resumed bickering and very almost shoving one and other.
And then it was in the middle of preparing to do that to each other, after Justin had looked over at Katie just one more time, Jaxon had looked up long enough to see his eldest brother's body jolt. In his mind he was either going to turn to go inside and fetch their father to give Katie a caring cuddle or he was going to march towards the youngest boys and separate them.
Either way, Jaxon was having none of it. He moved away from the raven haired little boy long enough and his eyes darted to the abandoned football. Before anybody could do anything, Jaxon did something. With all of his might, he kicked the ball and he kicked it right in Justin's direction! I gasped very loudly and thought about fetching the parents myself! But Justin had quick reflexes and without a moment of hesitation, he kicked it back with the same strength as his younger brother.
But for once and for a rare occasion, out of disappointment of it all, he didn't quite have the same aim. All of a sudden, the football was hurtling towards Jayden. Luckily, the magenta haired little boy was quick as a whip as well. He withheld his gasp and as Ben and Jayden started to obliviously narrow their eyes at one and other and bicker, Jaxon kicked the ball all over again and even harder. He didn't have the same aim that time either. While Katie was wandering away from her bike and with me on her shoulder and sniffing slightly, the ball came hurtling towards us! It came hurting towards Katie. Justin bellowed all over again.
"No!" was all he called out and looking back as I remember all of it, it seemed to go in slow motion. Jayden and Ben actually looked up from bickering, their eyes widening. Jaxon finally gasped out loud, his own eyes widening. Katie's merely looked up, her eyelashes spiky with the emotions of all of the time outside.
It was that moment in time that it was so very lucky that as well as the brotherly instincts that made him react fast, Justin was a tall lad for the age of twelve. And it was lucky that some days he wanted to be a football star almost as much as he wanted to be a rock-star. Uttering that same word of "no" all over again, the deep purple haired male suddenly kicked his leg high in the air and just – only just – managed to make contact with the ball. He squeezed his eyes shut as he kicked it hard and got it away from hitting Katie in the face.
Everybody let out an exhalation of breath when we all saw that the football started to fly through the air away from Katie. But we soon realised something else. It was heading straight for Katie's bike that had been left propped up. And I cannot for the life of me tell you but for some reason it was that that evoked a reaction within me.
After swallowing roughly with relief that the eldest Ketchum daughter had not been hurt by the football, I leapt off her shoulder and sprinted towards her bike, hoping to save it being walloped and knocked to the ground. And it was then and there that it happened. I very much knew that autumn was approaching from the more of the crispness in the air but I didn't know that it was officially upon us. But I knew it when the first autumn leave trickled down from the tree and tickled me on the cheek.
While I ran and tried to stop the football from smashing the bicycle, I felt the aftermath of the leaf brushing against my cheek more and more. I tried to stop it – I really did. I couldn't help it – I really couldn't. There was something in me that made it happen. And as I came to a half and almost collided with the bicycle myself – it happened. A familiar electrical bolt came shooting out of my cheeks and Katie's poor bike had the same disaster happen to it just like Misty's had done all the years before.
I unleashed a thunderbolt attack by accident and as well as frying Katie's bike to smithereens, Justin's football popped with a loud bang in the process. The orange haired little girl jumped and gasped. All of the boys did. And then they laughed! They laughed and laughed and soon enough, the eldest Ketchum female's eyelashes softened all over again and she laughed and laughed with everybody.
I could hear familiar laughs and adult voices when my cheeks finally stopped producing those electrifying sparks and I very embarrassedly turned around to look at them. I wondered if James and Misty had been watching all along or if it was just my finale that caught their attention. Either way, they didn't seem very annoyed at all. And the orange haired female uttered words that went along with what exactly I was thinking.
"Well… Didn't I tell you Jimmy? I'm really not surprised with how things have turned out. Because the same things that happened then are still happening now!" Misty announced and with that, while James couldn't help but shake his head in an agreeing way and fold his arms over his chest, the orange haired woman reached out to me to make sure I was okay before pulling her daughter to her side also.
From being filled with relief and doted on by my best friend's orange haired wife despite destroying another bike that was very nearly hers, I squinted sheepishly and then glanced at everyone else as I wondered who was going to speak next.
After all of the bickering and gasping and then giggling, the three younger ones of the boys had gone very quiet and wide eyed – especially in the presence of the parents. It shouldn't have surprised me when it was the oldest one to speak up. Perhaps he was the most outspoken. But he knew he came with valid points. His own arms folded over his chest, just like his father.
"I did tell you that it would do no good to keep on at Katie. I just didn't think that it was going to be Pikachu to be the one to take matters into his own paws!" the deep purple haired pre-teen announced and then all eyes were on me. It was then that Misty gave me a bit of a look. She still stroked my tingling cheek but she glanced at me and I hung my head back.
But then Katie came to my rescue. She was determined. She was courageous. She was adamant. And she was my hero as well. From cuddling into my mother's side, after giving Justin a bit of a glance of "thank you" for sticking up for her and a look at the other boys for caring about her in their own way, she snuggled further against Misty but she spoke. And when she spoke, she made everybody laugh.
"And I did tell you that I wouldn't be getting on that bike until everybody let me be. But now I don't think that anybody will be getting on that bike ever again!" Katie exclaimed and with that, everybody fell about laughing. The orange haired little girl was tickled pink to have done it and it was definitely that that meant the most to her that day. She hadn't conquered learning to ride without stabilisers just yet but she knew that she would get there in her own time.
Justin was right that she didn't need nagging. Jayden was right to support her. And in their own way, Jaxon and Ben were right to believe that she would get there in the end. Because she would. And not just that. Slow and steady would always win the race when it came to Katie. After all, not everything could be as electrifying as the way that a lot of bikes came to an end when I was around!
That was another thing that was right. The more things changed – the more they did indeed stay the same. I was lucky to have many chapters of my life repeat themselves but also with new added twists. It kept me young. It kept me alive. It kept me electrified. Although in the future, I would have to keep any excitement sparks away from unsuspecting bicycles!
The End.
There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 It kind of feels strange to upload again after a few weeks off! I've been hard at work though writing for a variety of characters and circumstances as well as some more familiar ones too. This one was fun to write as well. I enjoyed the young versions of the Morgan boys as well as their interactions with Katie. Jaxon is definitely a persistent boy but like Justin says at the end, he'll soon learn that nagging is not the way to approach her! And she'll learn how to stand up for herself all the better too. Against all of them :P Thanks again for reading and I'll be back on the 28th to update To You Both so see you then!
AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3