Episode 12: 'Just the two of us…'
By 'Whisper Shadowhunter'/ Kitty Ocean
© Nintendo (their characters) and Kitty Ocean (my characters)
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"Look!" Chris yelled and pointed. "It's Tentacruel Bay!"
While the sun tried to get up, Aemilia, Chris and Gary looked at the appearing city. The orange light in the sky painted the buildings orange too. Though the sun hadn't risen yet, the city was already full of people. They looked at the people while the SS Nidoqueen entered the harbour. Within minutes, it stopped its engine completely. The sun slowly revealed itself.
"Welcome to Tentacruel Bay." Some young girls welcomed the passengers who left the ship.
Aemilia and Chris decided to leave the boat together while Gary and his fans got the car. They stepped foot on land and immediately some vendor went to the two girls.
"Could I interest you for a bottle of Oddish number 8?" One asked and Chris turned away.
"No thanks." She said and pulled Aemilia away. "Come on, we have to find Gary."
They walked trough the crowd to the exit. Everywhere they looked they saw people, some with their Pokémon. Chris felt home again. At Raindrop Island it was always quiet, but she got used to crowd. Though she came from the quiet Pallet Town, she was a person who couldn't be alone.
"It's hopeless." Aemilia complained. "We can't find him trough this pile of Weedles."
"It's not that difficult. All we have to do is follow the smell of ego, that is enough." Aemilia smiled.
They walked further and ended up before the Tentacruel Pokémon Centre. They decided to go in and ask if Gary was there. It would be the best place to wait, Chris thought.
Aemilia and Chris sat down and ordered some drinks. They looked to the Chansey who had brought it. After that, they saw a Nurse Joy.
"Welcome to our Pokémon Centre." She said smiling. "Is everything fine?"
Chris nodded. "Yes, but we are waiting for a friend of ours. We just came from the SS Nidoqueen, but we lost him. I guess he'll come here to look for us. By the way, do you know the Nurse Joy from Raindrop Island?"
Nurse Joy smiled. "Yes, she is my third sister. She is the youngest."
The doors of the Pokémon Centre went open. They looked to the boy who came in. He looked around him, searching for somebody.
"Yo Gary!" Chris yelled. "We are here!"
Gary walked fast to Aemilia and Chris and his fans followed him. "I already thought you might be here. I couldn't find you."
"So did we." Aemilia said. "Take a seat and have a drink."
Gary sat down and he and his fans ordered some drink too. Until the drinks came, it was deadly silence at the table and Gary wondered if something was wrong.
"Something wrong?" He asked concerned.
Aemilia looked to Chris. You have to tell it, she thought. Chris sighed, if she had read the mind of Aemilia. "Well euh…." She started. "There is a little problem indeed." Gary wondered what might be wrong. Was it something he said or did? "It's not you." Chris said. "It's us. We… euh… I don't know how to say this…." Aemilia bumped Chris with her elbow. "Au! All right, we don't want to travel with you anymore!"
Gary leaped shocked up. "What? Why?"
"We want to travel together." Chris said while she avoided his looks. "Just like the old days. And I hate your fans! I can't stand them!"
Gary and his fans became silent. "You know you'll be sooner home if you'd come with me, don't you?"
"Yes." Aemilia said. "But we want to walk. When you are in a car, you sometimes miss the greatest stuff."
Chris walked to her nephew. "It's nothing personal." She saw the disappointed face of him. "Let's make a bet, all right?" Gary's face looked wondering. "I'll bet you I'll be the first who is home."
"Yeah right!" Gary said laughing. "You know a car is faster than foot, do you?" Chris smiled. She said nothing. "All right! The first one who is home gets… euh… has to help Gramps with cleaning his Pokémon."
Chris shook his hand. "That's a deal!" Gary stood up.
"Than we'll leave right away. Good luck." Gary turned away. Suddenly, he turned back and hugged Chris. "Be careful, okay?"
"Sure." Chris nodded. "I've got Aemilia and our Pokémon to protect me. We'll leave within a few hours. We have to get some things first. But you'll need the head-start."
Gary walked away and waved to Aemilia and Chris. When the doors of the Pokémon Centre closed, Aemilia asked to Chris: "You already knew we couldn't win this, so why did you bet with him for such a thing?"
"You need to ask that? I don't mind helping Grandpa." Suddenly she giggled. "But I know Gary. His fans will slow him down. We might have a chance. Come on. We have to get some food and drinks for on the road."
They walked out of the supermarket. Their backpacks filled with Pokémon food, human food and water, they walked to the city boarder. Chris took a Poké Ball.
"Why are you getting a Pokémon?" Aemilia asked.
"Rapidash can bring us to the forest before the night." Chris answered. "It's already late and I'd like to be in the forest before dark, so we can set up camp."
"You know the way?" Aemilia wondered. Chris swallowed.
"Good thing you remind me off. We have to get a map!" Chris dumped her backpack and turned around. "You just wait here!" She said and ran away.
Aemilia looked at her running friend. She took a Poké Ball. If she gets Rapidash, she thought, than I'd better get Ponyta. She tossed her Poké Ball away. "Come on out Ponyta!" She yelled. The little Ponyta came out. Aemilia walked to her and started to talk to her. "We've got to get to the forest before dark, you think you can make it?" Ponyta nodded and Aemilia patted her. The flames weren't hot at all. "Weird to listen to a Pokémon eh?" She asked again and Ponyta nodded again.
Suddenly, someone tapped on Aemilia's shoulder. It was an Officer Jenny.
"I'm sorry." She said. "But you are standing in the way. Please move aside."
"But I'm waiting for my friend over here." Aemilia said. Officer jenny smiled.
"If you move to that bench you can see her coming." Officer Jenny said nicely. "But if you stay here you'll get into problems."
Aemilia took Chris' backpack and walked with Ponyta to the bench Officer Jenny had pointed, and sat down.
"What the…?" Chris looked around her. Where was Aemilia? She looked around her, not seeing her friend. She turned around and started to run. She had to find her friend!
Suddenly, a Pidgeot flew to her. "He!" Chris said. "Pidgeot, where is Aemilia?" the Pidgeot turned around and slowly flew to Aemilia. "I told you to wait there!" Chris said angry.
"I'm sorry, but Officer Jenny told me to move." Aemilia said angry back. "I waved my arms like hell and still you didn't see me. Thank god Pidgeot is fast enough. You got the map?"
Chris held it high, showing her proudly the map she bought. Than she took the Poké Ball from Rapidash again. "Rapidash, go!" She yelled and tossed the Poké Ball away, releasing the fire-unicorn. Chris leaped on his back. Aemilia did the same with Ponyta.
"All right Rapidash." Chris said. "The forest is about 3 hours away. You think you can make it before dark?" The Rapidash nodded. "Great. I know you'd like the exercise."
The Ponyta and Rapidash started to walk and Aemilia returned Pidgeot. Not running their longs out of their body's and not as slow as a Slowbro, they headed to the forest. They didn't say much during the way, but they knew everything was like before. Though they had to walk 4 years ago, they could ride the way back. But they didn't want to ride all they way, only when needed. They didn't take these Pokémon along just for transportation.
The sun began to set and they couldn't see the road to good anymore. But they saw a large forest before them appearing.
"Well done Ponyta." Aemilia said and stepped off. "All we have to do know is finding a great camping spot."
Chris agreed. "Let's find a river or something like that. I think that would be the best spot." She took a Poké Ball. "Wartortle go!"
"Wartortle!"
"Wartortle, can you find water in this forest?" She asked. It nodded and started to run. Chris and Aemilia followed it.
Within minutes, Wartortle had found a little waterfall. Aemilia and Chris put their backpacks down. Both took all their Poké Balls. They released them all.
Aemilia's water Pokémon immediately dove into the water, but the little Psyduck stood on the side. "Have some fun Psyduck." She said.
"Psy?"
"I still wondered why you insisted to bring him along." Aemilia said. "He can't fight or something like that."
Chris walked to the little Psyduck and patted him. "I love Psyducks. And you know I know how to give him a headache. It's a powerful Pokémon and adorable also."
"Psy?"
"You know it better than I do." She looked at the Horsea and Starmie who had fun with swimming in the water. Chris' Wartortle dove in the water too.
Chris patted her Pokémon. "We'd better eat something and than go to sleep. Charizard will make a fire. But we have to find some wood first."
"Bulba, Bulba!" The little Bulbasaur exclaimed. Chris came to look.
"He, there are a lot of twigs here." She said. She walked to it and wanted to get it, but suddenly, she fell.
"Chris?" Aemilia asked, because Chris suddenly had disappeared. "Where are you?" She walked in the direction she had seen them go.
"Look out!" Chris yelled and Aemilia stopped walking. She looked to the bottom of the pit and saw Chris and Bulbasaur. "It was a trap." Chris said. "But we have some wood now."
Aemilia changed into Venusaur and lifted Chris and Bulbasaur out of the pit. She helped Bulbasaur getting the wood out of the pit. While Charizard made a fire, Aemilia changed back.
"I wonder what a trap is doing here." Aemilia said.
"I guess somebody made it to trap someone." Chris answered ironic. "We'd better look out, maybe there are more here."
Chris took some Pokémon food out of her backpack. She divided it over some plates and put them before some Pokémon. "I know it's not much." She said. "But we can't have a 3 course dinner party. The next town is 4 days away." She handed over a big bowl to Charizard.
Aemilia took a can of pees. She gave it to Chris. Than she sat down to Ninetales and took some food out its plate. "Tastes great." She said. "But it's not the same like you made it."
Chris looked at the waterfall. She stood up and took a cup. She filled it with water and drank it. "We'd better get some sleep. It's already late. We travelled a lot and we have long way to go."
All the Pokémon lay down. They lay next to each other next to the fire. Chris and Aemilia put themselves in the middle.
"If someone gets it cold." Chris said. "You can go into your Poké Ball. It's warm in there." She lay herself against Charizard. "Goodnight everybody."
"Goodnight." Aemilia said and closed her eyes.
A hand moved to Rapidash and wanted to pat it. But the flames burned his hand and he cried from the pain. Everybody woke up from the noise they had heard.
"Who are you?" Chris yelled and grabbed the little boy.
"I'm Tyco." He said frightened. "I just wanted to pat your Rapidash. Please, believe me, I didn't want to harm it." The boy started to cry. "I'm so sorry."
Aemilia walked to Tyco. "What are you doing here?" She asked friendly.
"I live here." He said sobbing. "And I had never seen a Rapidash before. I just wanted to pat it without you knowing it."
"Now there is a bad choice." Chris said sarcastically. "Didn't you knew a Rapidash burns everyone he doesn't trust?" The boy shook his head. "Well, nobody is harmed, so there isn't a problem. You know who dug that stupid pit?"
The little boy nodded. "I did." Chris became furious. "But I did it to scare those mean people."
"Who?" Aemilia asked.
"A man with black hair and a woman with purple hair." He started. "They wanted to catch my Tangela today, so I let Sandshrew dig a trap."
Chris looked to Aemilia. "What does Team Rocket want with a Tangela?" she asked. "I know they want rare Pokémon, but a Tangela isn't that rare."
"The brains of Team Rocket works in mysterious ways." Aemilia said. "But if they wanted to steal him once, they'll try again."
Suddenly, some spots blinded them. They tried to look to the people who put them on, but they couldn't see them.
"To protect mankind from devastation." They heard.
"To unite everybody within our nation."
"To denounce the evil of friendship and love."
"To extend our reach to the moon above..."
"Shana!"
"And Shane!"
"Team Rocket! Blast off with the brightness of light!"
"We are the best, that's right!"
They leaped out of the tree.
"Wait a minute…." Shane said. "Where is that arrogant boy and his fans?"
"What are you doing here?" Chris asked bored. "And can't you make up a new yell. This one bores me."
Shana was insulted: "You brat! Don't be so confident yet, because today we'll steal not only his Pokémon, but yours too!"
"Oh yeah?" Aemilia asked.
"Yeah!" Shane answered. "Hand them over and nobody gets hurt."
Chris sighed. "I don't think so." She said. "And I also think they wouldn't come along. By the way, if you can't steal Pokémon from a little boy, how did you planned to get ours? And make it snappy, I want to go to bed again."
Shana took her Poké Ball. "Geodude, now!" She yelled.
Chris snapped her fingers. "Wartortle, would you please?" She asked nicely.
"Wartortle!" It yelled.
The Geodude dodged away and suddenly began to glow. Wartortle stepped back frightened.
"Graveler!"
"You gave my Geodude enough experience to let it evolve." Shana said beaming with geniality. "Thank you. Try to defeat it now. Graveler, Earthquake!"
The Graveler reacted to his command and attacked Wartortle. Not knowing what to do, the little Pokémon stood frozen to the floor. Injured, it landed before Chris.
"Wartortle, don't give up already!" Chris yelled. "It's still is a rock type. Use your water gun!"
Encouraged by her words he used its water gun, but the Graveler was too fast. It dived to Wartortle again and knocked it against a tree. He became ver angry.
"Wartortle, war, war!"
"What does it say?" Tyco asked.
"It never let Chris down and he didn't plan to do different today." Aemilia answered. "Wartortle!" She suddenly said. "Aim at me!"
Aemilia transformed into a curled plate and Wartortle used his water gun again. Because the Graveler didn't know where the water would come, it couldn't react and got blasted against the tree, unconscious.
"Nice one…." Chris said to the changing Aemilia. "I never thought of that."
"It's a gift." Aemilia said. "Now Starmie and Horsea, use your water gun along with Wartortle and blast them out of the forest!"
The Starmie and Horsea obeyed Aemilia and together they blasted at Team Rocket with great power.
"Looks like Team Rocket got some wet feet!" Shana yelled while they were blasted away.
"Now there was an original one!" Chris said smiling. She turned to Aemilia. "You did great as a trainer." She said complementing.
"I know, I know. That's a gift also." Aemilia said and suddenly she burst out into laughter. "Well, what did you think of my Gary-imitation?"
Chris smiled. "It was great. Well Tyco." She started. "Looks like your Pokémon are safe again."
Tyco didn't answer but just glazed at Aemilia. Aemilia waved her hands before his eyes, but he even didn't blink. He stood like a statue. "Are you a sorcerer?" He asked finally.
Aemilia giggled and said: "Thanks for the compliment, but no, I'm not a sorcerer. I'm a Ditto."
"We used to never tell anyone about it, but since we're travelling again we don't care about it anymore." Chris explained. She looked to the moon. "We'd better go to bed again."
"You can stay at my place." Tyco suggested. "It's not big, but it's warm there. I'll show you they shortest way out of the forest tomorrow."
Chris walked to Tyco. "We don't want to push ourselves upon you. The woods are good enough for us."
"Oh no, I insist!" Tyco exclaimed. "You saved my Pokémon, it's the least I can do for you. Just follow me."
Starmie put out the fire and Aemilia and Chris took their backpacks. After that, they returned all the Pokémon and followed Tyco to his home. It was a large wooden mansion by a little lake.
"And this is not big for you?" Chris asked astounded. "If this is small, I don't want to know what big is in your dictionary."
A young woman and man walked out of the mansion. "There you are Tyco." The woman said. "We were worried about you."
"Hi mom, this is Chris and that's Aemilia." He turned to Chris and Aemilia. "These are my parents. Mom, dad, they saved Tangela from Team Rocket."
"How nice of them, but it's already past your bedtime." His father said. "Go to bed."
"I promised them they could spend the night here." Tyco said. He looked to his parents with big eyes. They sighed.
"All right, they can stay in the guest house." His mother sighed again. "I'm Gloria Cram and this is my husband, Simon Cram."
Aemilia and Chris looked at each other. "Are you by any chance related to George Cram from Raindrop Island?" Chris asked.
"Yes." Simon answered. "He is my father. You know him?"
"It's a small world." Chris only said.
To be continued…
