After a few minutes of running, I could feel the change of terrain from a rough, ragged dirt trail to a smooth, cemented street.
Finally, Cherrygrove City. I breathed a sigh of relief as we arrived. I couldn't believe I'd have missed cemented roads that much, but here I am. All I wanted to do right now was find a nice place to sit, maybe even to lay down, close my eyes and relax...
"I'm hungry..." My sister complained. I had forgotten about that critical flaw of her, her hunger. Though the problem wasn't exactly that she got hungry, but rather that she could eat an entire wailord and not be satisfied, which made me question how much longer could we go before she spent all our money on snacks for her.
Thinking back now, I wonder why it took her this long to complain about being hungry. Maybe she was too excited to care.
"We could stop at the pokémon center to get something to eat, and then go straight to Violet City." I said, looking around my surroundings. Cherrygrove didn't change much since the last time I was here, there were more houses and buildings, yes, but nothing too drastic, except that maybe the pokémart changed locations, since I couldn't find it anywhere. It still had that small town feel, even though it was technically a city.
"Ooh, I'm gonna buy the biggest cheese sandwhich they have! Do you think they make hamburgers? I hope so, then I'll get the biggest hamburger!"
The word 'biggest' weighed down on my brain and my wallet. We'll go poor in a matter of days if she doesn't learn that we don't need to be eating every minute or two.
"What will you have, Cyndaquil?" The fire mouse on her head replied by lighting the fire on his back and letting out a "Quiiil!"
My sister giggled. "That's a great choice, but might I suggest the sweet malasada? It's a-ma-zing! You know what, scrap that sandwhich, I'll have a malasada!" "Cyndaquiiil!"
There weren't many people out in the streets, and the ones we passed by were mostly elderly women. I'd apologise for my sister being so loud, but they seemed to be okay with her energetic attitude. They probably found her cute, like the other ladies back in New Bark. They also didn't have to live under the same roof as hers for ten years straight.
"And you, Sentret? What will you have?" She asked the small squirrel nestled on my shoulder. Sentret tapped her paw on what I assumed was her chin a few times, as if deep in thought. "Sen..."
"If you're in doubt, just go for a malasada. Believe me. When you put it in your mouth it's like everything around you stops and you're alone in the universe," I looked at my sister with a raised eyebrow and noticed her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be fantasizing about the sweet. "And then, it's as if every sweet sensation invaded your mouth at the same time and you experienced perfection!" My sister let out a squee.
Both Cyndaquil and Sentret were looking at my sister in awe. I think I already know what I'll be buying for them.
"And what about you, bro?" She looked at me after her small fit of crazyness. "What will you be having?"
I started to think, realizing I didn't really have any special food in mind. "I dunno. I'll see when I get there."
"Oh, you just HAVE to try out the sweet malasada," My sister started again. "After you take a bite, all the happy moments you've had in life flash before your eyes, complementing the delicious-" I chuckled as I listened to her new explanation of the sweet. She could probably try pursuing a career of advertisement in college after this pokémon journey phase dies down.
The glass doors of the pokémon center slided open as we approached it. My sister went inside, marvelled by what she saw, and I have to admit I was quite surprised too.
The place was as clean as a palace. Everything was shining bright and there didn't seem to be a spot of dirt anywhere. Inside it was not only the normal healing machines and nurse Joy but the pokémart by the right and a pokécafé by the left. They seemed to have implemented the three in one. So that's why I couldn't find the pokémart earlier... well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find this much better.
There were quite a few trainers in all parts of the center, they were either buying preparations for their journeys in the mart, chatting and eating or drinking something in the café or were waiting for nurse Joy to heal their hurt pokémon.
Nina had already grabbed me by the arm and was pulling me over to the café. "Come oooon, Jack! I'm hun-gry!"
"You've waited years to start this journey, Nina. You can surely wait a few minutes to eat something."
Nina gasped, not like she really meant to. "What do you mean by that? Food can't wait, bro! Food can never wait!"
"Just as scandalous as ever, aren't you?" Came a voice from behind us that I could only describe as 'snobby'.
Both Nina and I turned around to see a girl with long, brown hair looking at us from the chair she was sitting on. There was no one else with her on her table.
Nina clenched her fists and glared at the brunette. "If anyone's scandalous here, Julia, that one is you."
I'd love to help my sister out by agreeing with her, but then I'd be blatantly lying. That Julia girl just seemed like your generic 'My dad has money so I can do what I want' girl. Usually those are scandalous, but she didn't act like that so far, and if she really was more scandalous than my sister... Arceus help me...
The Julia girl, or Snubbul, as I kindly nicknamed her on my mind, started laughing. It was noticeably a very fake laugh.
"Try not to make such a fool of yourself in this 'journey', alright?" Julia laughed again. "We don't want the entire school to know you can't keep up with the challenge, do we?"
"Of course I can keep up!" My sister rebbuted. "In fact, we're going to be heading towards Violet City right away, right bro?" She looked at me, determination burning deeply in her eyes.
"Well, have fun there," Julia giggled and got up, walking towards the exit.
"Wh-Where are you going?" My sister asked, she seemed pretty annoyed.
"I'll take a walk around town, see the sights, buy some clothes... it's not like I need to worry about you beating the gym anyway," She did that fake laugh of hers again. It was starting to annoy me too, honestly.
The glass door slided open, and Snubbul waked away, glancing back at us one last time to give my sister a fake smile.
"Look at the good sign," I said. "She thinks she's so all-mighty that we don't have to worry so much about hurrying to Violet City anymore."
My sister huffed and turned away. "Cyyn?" Cyndaquil seemed a bit worried with her, so he nuzzled her head with his.
She picked Cyndaquil up from her head and hugged him tightly. "Who does she think she is? We're totally stronger than her, right Cyndaquil?" "Cyyndaquiil!"
"Hey," I was trying to intervene, to cheer her up a bit. "Weren't you hungry? Come on, stop sulking and let's buy some food. This isn't like you!"
Once I said the word 'food' it was like I turned a magical switch, making her mood change drastically. "Yeees, let's!" "Cyn! Cynda!"
"Alright, alright!" We walked over to the balcony of the pokécafé and my sister sat in one of the chairs next to it. I was staying in the small line to order our food.
Sentret and Cyndaquil were happily munching down their heart-shaped candy as my sister grumpily took bites out of her sandwich. She was put down by the fact the closest Malasada store was in Violet City.
I took a bite out of my cereal bar as I stared at the pokémon center in general. I had learned that apparently what keeps the place clean is the swablu from the café's owner. It was amazing to see such a full place be ever so clean and pleasant.
I looked at Sentret to find her enjoying her meal, she seemed so delighted her eyes were closed while she munched the candy, as if to isolate herself from the world and be able to feel the flavor only.
I questioned myself wether I should pat her or not. Past experiences should be enough to warn me not to, but I felt this time it was going to be different. She wasn't a wild pokémon after all.
I reached my hand out to touch her, trying to shake away the mental image that Sentret would try to jump on me and start scratching my face.
As soon as I ran my fingers through her soft fur, my sister yelled and both Sentret and I turned towards her, scared and surprised.
"That was my sandwich!" She yelled while pointing at a brown blur running on the ground, quickly making its way towards the exit of the center.
My sister quickly took Cyndaquil on her arms and ran after the blur while I was left there dumbfounded. Sentret quickly climbed up to my shoulders and pointed towards the exit while she munched on her candy.
I hastily made my way out as well, determined on catching up with my sister and the thing that stole her food.
I quickly caught up to her and noticed I was getting better at this running thing, having to repeatedly do it so many times in such a short period does that to you.
Now that I was closer to the thief, I could see it better than just the running brown blur from before. It seemed to be a furret, and a pretty large one at that.
The furret thief was quick at dodging people on the street and making its way to... wherever it was going, though it wasn't able to get me or my sister to stop following it, which seemed to be making it nervous.
It suddenly turned around and pushed open the door of a tailor store. "Oh, that's perfect," I said, slowing down into a stop with her, "That's probably its owner's shop. We'll be able to get your food back, sis."
Not too long after I said that, the door burst open. The furret came out of the shop with a pink scarf on its back and started running away again. A blond girl soon came out of the shop as well, looking very irritated. "Get back here, you thief! Thief!"
The furret darted away faster than before, and it was no use trying to follow it anymore as it hid itself among the crowd of people that had now formed in front of what seemed to be a new building in the city. Its Cleanness gave that away.
An old man with white beard and hair, mostly hidden by his brown bowler hat, was standing in front of the building with two security guards by his side. They were wearing solely black, and looked quite threatening.
The old man took a step forward with the help of his black walking cane. The crowd cheered him, and he rose his right hand up, asking them for silence.
I was about to listen to what the man was going to say when I was grabbed and forcefully turned around. The girl from the tailor store was holding me, and was looking pretty angry. Her cheeks were red, and her blond hair was a bit of a mess. Sentret hugged my neck, scared by the close-up girl.
"Are YOU the trainer of that darn furret?" She asked, shaking me as she seemed to get more and more angry. "I'll let you know you owe me thousands of pokédollars for all you and your pokémon stole!"
"Uhm... n-no, that furret isn't mine!" I blurted out, a bit shocked by her accusations. I probably didn't sound very convincing, and her unchanging face confirmed my theories.
"That sentret on your shoulder tells me otherwise." She said, making Sentret quickly shake her head and arms, trying to deny what she was saying.
"Hey! Leave my brother alone!" My sister tugged at her clothes, trying to pull her away from me, but she wasn't strong enough to do it. "He did nothing wrong, and neither did Sentret!" "Cyyyndaquiiil!"
"Did you catch it? Did you catch the furret?" Asked an older female voice from inside the shop.
"Not yet! But I think I caught its trainer!" She yelled in reply, turning her head towards the store. "I already said I'm not that furret's trainer," I said angrily, "How can you be so sure it even HAS a trainer? It could very well just be a wild pokémon!"
"Why would a wild pokémon go all the way to our store in the city to steal our expensive clothing items?" She asked, and I swear, if looks could kill I'd have been long gone. The daggers she glared at me made this even more uncomfortable.
"Look, I- ... I don't know! This is just a big coincidence!"
"Oh, a big coincidence, sure... mom! Call the cops!"
"No! Wait! There's no need for that!" I yelled, reminded by the fact Nina and I needed to hurry, "We don't have time for cops! My sister and I need to get to Violet City, and fast!"
"And why's that?" She asked, still annoyed, "Got some more items to steal there?"
"Look, just... tell us what we need to do to prove our innocense, and then we'll be on our way."
The blond girl raised one of her eyebrows and let go of me. She cleaned her hands on her shirt, as if I was dirty. "Help us catch that furret, then. If you're not its trainer, or the thief, you'll have no problem doing that, right?"
I looked at Nina to see what she thought of this. She nodded. This was just my luck, I should've expected something like this would happen to deviate us from that stupid bet again.
"Well then, shall we head inside to discuss our plans?" The blond asked, entering the shop. My sister followed suit, and so did I. We had no time to waste.
The blond girl and an older blond woman, who I assumed was her mother due to their likeliness, led both my sister and I to the second floor of the store, which seemed to be where they lived. It looked like a small, comfy house.
We sat on the table in the kitchen and the blondie's mother offered us tea. She gave both Sentret and Cyndaquil pokémon food and started heating up water.
"You're being way too nice with those thieves..." Murmured the blond girl. I was starting to get annoyed by her constant jabs, but until proven innocent I couldn't really do much.
"Look, let's just stop with these unfriendly remarks and get on with the plan-making, alright?" I said, massaging my temples. I was afraid I'd get a headache from all this ruckus in just one morning.
The girl grumbled, but nodded. "What were your names again?"
"I'm Jack, and that's my sister Nina."
Nina waved to both the girl and her mother. "Hi! It's a pleasure!"
"The pleasure is ours, sweetie," Said the older woman. She seemed to be much nicer than her daughter. "I'm Emily, and that's my daughter, Mel."
If I were to guess, Emily was barely the same age as our mother. Maybe a few years older, give or take.
I was curious as to what their plan was to catch that furret, that is, if they had any. Other questions started flooding my brain, like, 'what was a wild pokémon doing in the city?', 'why was said wild pokémon so intent on stealing food, clothes and fabric?', and the most important, 'why was that blond girl such a jerk?'
"Is there something on my face?" She asked as I was brought back to reality. I hadn't realized I was staring at her the whole time. That probably was a bit awkward of my part, so I muttered a "sorry."
Emily had set our teacups in place and was already filling mine with tea. It's been some time I haven't drank any, Nina and I would only do so when dad was home, since mom didn't have the habit of making it for us.
"Thank you." I smiled towards her. Her nice attitude was comforting.
"Don't mention it, dear," She shrugged my compliment off, "It's the least I can do for you two." You know, I should tell mom about her in a future call, I'm sure they'd become great friends.
"Well, it's not like they deserve it." Mel glared at us. I know she thinks she has all rights to be angry at us, but she could tone it down a bit.
"So, when did that furret start stealing your stuff again?" Nina asked, taking a sip of her tea as I did the same. Hmm, cammomile.
"It was about a week ago..." Emily started, "Mel had just finished one of her special scarves and she left it downstairs as she climbed to get something to eat. When she came back down she saw the window open and the Furret running out with the scarf."
"Ugh, it really annoys me, thinking I wasted so much time on that, only to have it stolen..."
Mel had a hint of sadness to her voice. I almost felt bad for her. Almost.
"Hey, it's okay!" Nina shouted, "We'll get it back, you'll see!"
"But how will we get it back, is the question," Mel said, in her annoyed tone, "Since that thing is as slippery as a wooper."
"What has it stolen so far, only scarves?" I asked, curious.
"No, it also stole a few of our pokémon contest clothes and bandanas." Jennifer's mother replied.
"Maybe that's how we could lure it? We could make a trap, like the ones people use to catch bunnelby, put a scarf or something under it as the bait and BOOM!" Nina hit one of her fists against the other for added dramatic effect.
"That's actually not too bad..." Mel commented, and that quite surprised me. Who knew she could actually verbally compliment people? It was a miracle!
"We could act as if we left and forgot the house open!" She continued, "It's bound to come and try to steal again... right?" She asked, somewhat hopeful.
"That really depends... but I don't see why we shouldn't give it a try." We needed to get done with this as soon as possible, no matter the plan.
Mel and her mother nodded. My sister smiled as her plan was accepted. They all started to further discuss how the plan would go, but I zoned out by then, I wasn't interested anymore. I took a sip of my tea.
What had really picked my curiosity was that old guy from before. I had a feeling I've seen him somewhere before... but where? The TV, maybe? That'd explain all the commotion.
Another thing that had me thinking was why that furret was here in the city, and why was it stealing clothes of all things? The only answer that made sense to me was that it was being used by some thugs, like the old Team Rocket grunts...
"This just doesn't make sense..." I muttered to myself, taking a final sip of my tea. The liquid was still warm, and seemed to ease my worries as it went down my throat.
"Are you coming or not?" Asked an annoyed Mel from the doorway. I was so focused that I didn't realize they had walked off.
I nodded and stood up, heading towards the doorway where she stood. I expected her to move away and let me through, but that's not what happened.
"Hey, uhm... Jack, right?" Her annoyed tone had left, that much was noticeable, but she still tried to put a façade up, "Sorry for the way I acted back there or whatever, I just thought you were the one behind our stolen clothes... my mom and I... we live off of this, and the clothes being stolen were disheartening to me... you know."
I smiled. She wasn't a stuck-up brat, just... a worried daughter. I'll admit, I'd probably have acted the same way. I gave her a thumbs up and smiled. "It's fine, I understand."
My sister came running back and grabbed Cyndaquil, who was still eating. He didn't look very happy with that, and Sentret only laughed at his sadness.
"Come on, Cyndaquil! We gotta go!" She said, returning downstairs, but this time stopping by us. "And you two too!"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, we're going." I said, holding Sentret and setting her on my shoulder. This time she was the one to look displeased as Cyndaquil laughed on my sister's arms.
They set up the trap inside the house, on a table, a beautiful brown scarf lied under it, the color resembling the furret's. The four waited outside the house, behind some foliage in the small garden by its side.
"Now, we wait." Nina whispered, anxious for the pokémon to appear so they could catch it red-handed.
AN: I wrote this when I was 16, and wow, I used to write a lot, huh? This story makes me nostalgic and I did consider picking it back up. I'm not sure if I'll continue it frequently and if I'll rewrite the older chapters or just continue from where little me stopped, but whatever I do, I'll make sure to have a lot of fun doing it.
Hopefully this brings someone, somewhere, fun as well. See ya!