Sam had never felt more guilty in his life. His grandfather may have blessed the trip, saying that it was a good thing, but Sam knew that it meant the old man would be stuck maintaining the land by himself. The only good thing about Paul being a part of the Board was that at least the administrative duties that his grandfather used to do were now being taken care of. Folks now only gathered around the meeting table for cordial visits rather than to discuss the town’s next moves. Instead they met at the Town Hall, seated in rows and rows before a different table and brought their grievances and suggestions forward to a panel instead of just to Roger Oak. He had gladly given up the responsibility and had pushed for Paul’s appointment harder than anyone else.
“Gotta let the next generation take care of things. We old men have had our time.” He said.
Yet when Sam pushed to get as much done around the farm as possible before he left, his grandfather had taken him aside and told him quite gently to knock it off. Old he may be, but he could still work. Sam should take the time to brush up on his knowledge about Johto and maybe spend a little more time with Aggie before he leaves. Sam disagreed with the sentiment and pushed himself harder instead. He drafted the harvest estimates and got a head start on the budget for next year. He inspected and repaired the irrigation system, coordinated with the Rattata on pest control, and ordered another batch of fertilizer. Anything that could be done to make his grandfather’s life a little easier.
His grandfather eventually just hid his copy of the keys to the tractor and barn and refused to give them back. Sam tried to negotiate, but the effort was in vain.
“Sammy, look. You’re smart. Talented, even. Could I use you around the farm? Yes, absolutely, but the fact is what are you going to do when you run off to college? It’s not like you’re going to be able to run back home every night to help out. Better that we get used to the new normal of things around here while you’re only gone for a short while than try and figure stuff out when you’ve finally left for good.”
“I wouldn’t leave for good, Grandpa. I’d even come back on my breaks.”
Roger Oak had chuckled at that. “And do what? Run the farm? No, Sammy, once you get a taste of what else is out there you’re not going to be coming back. You’re not… you’re not a farmer, boy. It took me nearly twenty years to get proficient at what I do, and several more beyond that just trying to keep up with the latest technology. But you? You’ve absorbed everything like a sponge. What’s our Koppen climate class, and what temperature should the ground be before we plant the wheat?”
“CFA. ‘C’ being mild temperate, ‘F’, fully humid, and ‘A’ being hot summer. Just above freezing… think it was between two and four degrees?”
“See? That’s my point. You can just rattle that off. You might be sixteen and an ‘adult’ in the eyes of the law, but honestly Sammy, you’re young yet. Once you get the chance to experience the world and folks out there see what you’re capable of, you’ll be so busy doing amazing things that you’ll hardly get the chance to even think about home. So! Off you get, go read over the packet Dean gave you and quit helpin’’ ! I’ve got Crescent, and he’s worth two of you anyway.”
Sam had never really given the future all that much thought beyond a few bullet points, so his grandfather’s words had him at a loss. Trying to dwell on them would just make his brain hurt, so Sam pushed the guilt to the back of his mind like so many other things. Like Aggie. Instead, he focused on what had proved to be an ample distraction.
He knew a few things about the places they were going to visit already, but whoever had put together the itinerary for the upcoming visit to Johto had clearly spent quite a bit of time researching. Like most League documents, much of the regional dossier was absurdly verbose. Sam found himself reading the same few paragraphs over and over again while trying to make sense of it all. Rather than continue to struggle through just reading it, Sam used a trick that Dean had shown them all in the Youngsters. He took notes in a little water-resistant journal that had been one of his graduation gifts from the Trainer.
Cinnabar was a resort town known for its dormant volcano and many alkaline hot springs. Named after the reddish mineral that was prevalent on the island that shared its name, it had seen a tourism boom after the war and was now a frequent vacation destination for the rich and powerful. Cherrygrove, by contrast, had hardly changed at all post-war. Despite being both a seaside and riverside town, it had been deemed strategically important as the coast was too rocky and the river too shallow to consider moving troops down its banks. Oddly enough, the town had claimed that it was the local Quagsires’ blessing rather than the terrain that had kept it out of harm’s way. Sam had scoffed at the idea, but wrote it down anyway as a cultural note.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Goldenrod CIty on the other hand, had its landscape utterly dominated by a massive radio tower. The people there had embraced every modern amenity available, a stark contrast to the otherwise more “traditional” Johtoian sensibilities. It was the hub of the country and Sam was more than a little excited to get a taste of what city life could be during their layover. Apparently there were at least three cinemas, each playing the latest films! Normally Sam would have to avoid the entertainment section of the papers for fear of spoilers for months before any of the new releases would make their way to the tiny cinema in Pewter. The idea that he could watch something while it was still actually new was more than a little exciting.
Finally, Azalea Town. It was like Pallet, but with more woods, a little smaller, and had a lot of Slowpoke. Besides being home to the artisan shop that his father had purchased Crescent’s ball from, Sam had little expectations for the place. Just like Pallet, it was quaint, quiet, and a bit boring.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Sam continued to fill his journal with everything he thought he could possibly need to know on the journey. Crudely drawn maps that were little more than a skewed grid, notes about the most common Pokemon that could be found in each area, additional cultural notes such as to stay away from the waterfall near Cherrygrove unless specifically invited and so on. Tape was written on, stuck to itself, then again to the pages in a nearly haphazard fashion so he could easily hop directly to the most important items. Dean’s words bubbled up from Sam’s memory.
“Preparation is the key to any Trainer activity. Whether that is researching what Pokemon live in an area or what tactics your opponent likes to use, without preparation you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed.”
Beyond this, at his grandfather’s urging and at Sally’s insistence, Sam had spent some time with Aggie. It had still been awkward at first, but the girl would have none of Sam’s lingering hesitations. Fingers had found their way around his own and the usual domineering attitude had taken on a new light as Aggie dragged him all over town, packing list in hand. She insisted that they shop for the few items he didn’t have already together, and further insisted that she buy him extras as well.
“Better safe than sorry, Sam. Gotta stock up while you still can! Who knows how much the city will gouge the hell out of you!”
“I read that it’s usually a bit cheaper in the cities because the shipping costs - “
“Hey Duncan! We’re getting four of these cable locks, four of these flashlights, and basically as many batteries as you got!”
“Aggie I only need two - “
She proceeded to ignore him. Sam was starting to get frustrated at how everyone seemed to not care what he thought. He knew what needed to be done! He had it more or less planned out already. He even had a special ordered a rucksack on a frame to go with the duffel bags he was taking. At the rate that Aggie was spending their money, he wouldn’t have room for any of his clothes! At least Aggie had been kind enough to take the extras home with her and pack them separately. She even bought an extra duffel to put it all in.
“You’ve got enough packing to do as it is, Sam. I’ll bring it with me when I see you off tomorrow.”
Still, Sam had found himself enjoying the ridiculousness of the situation even though the looks he received upon returning home had been nothing short of annoying. Sally had waggled her eyebrows at him, his grandfather had full on belly laughed at him, and both asked when Sam would be talking to Maude about officially courting her daughter. Even Crescent had betrayed him. The Nidoran had especially enjoyed Sam’s flustered appearance when the ladies at the bingo parlor had all seen him walking hand in hand with Aggie. Each time Sam would look over, his partner had mimicked the expression and the little muted cry he had yelped upon seeing them turn and begin gossiping amongst each other. If it wasn’t for the fact that Crescent had been instrumental in getting all of his purchases home, Sam might have not allowed him to sleep in his spot on the bed.
With all that was going on, the time passed quickly. It was now the final night before his departure, and Sally had gone all out with dinner. She had made all of his favorites, and even had taken inspiration from their barbeque adventure to whip up a glazed mutton and rice dish that had come very close to the delectable flavors at the restaurant. Even as full as he was, Sam found it difficult to sleep with the anticipation of what was to come in the morning. Dean and Blaine would be teleporting directly to their front door at 7 am sharp. They’d load everything on the trailer, then head into town as a group. Farewells would be given at the dock, then off they would go on an adventure. Sam had tried to get some last minute chores around the farm done, but his grandfather had caught him putting on his mucking boots and told him to just go to bed.
So instead of sleeping, he went over his notes one more time. It was better than to allow the guilt that he still felt to overwhelm him. He double checked the encyclopedia and the dossiers and scribbled last second notes in the margins of the pages of the journal. Sam’s fingers ached and the part of his palm that touched the paper had several ink smudges. He wished that there was a better way, an easier way, of being able to reference stuff on the fly without having to go through all the effort and carpal tunnel. Maybe one day they’d make little primers like the ones at the port for the islands nearby. Quick guides that any trainer could just pick up at every Mart or Center. Sam grimaced as he misspelled another word and hastily crossed it out. One day perhaps.
Tomorrow, however, would not see him unprepared.