Chapter Sixty - Friendship is Magic, and Magic is Complicated

Tabitha awoke early the next morning and ran through her usual ablutions, with some added time taken to ensure that she was properly packed for the trip. She had purchased some camping equipment from a store in town.

There was a simple technique to buying equipment, one that her sister had taught her.

Never buy the least expensive, and avoid purchasing the most expensive as well. The item two or three prices below the most expensive was usually the best.

It wasn't so luxurious that it would be tempting to those who had more money than sense, and yet would usually fit within the range of an item that was of acceptable quality. In any case, she had purchased a few thousand pokedollars worth of equipment that she carefully stowed into a Sylphco backpack she'd also purchased. It was off-white, which bothered her a little as it would clash slightly with her white outfit, but otherwise it was also of decent make.

"I suppose it's time to go," she said to King Krabby.

"Krab," the krabby agreed before reaching out and very carefully pinching Tabitha's leg. It wasn't painful, more like a small... hug?

Tabitha left her room with a smile. It was faint, but it was there, and it lasted until breakfast and when they hit the road.

Basically, it lasted until they reached the entrance of Ilex Forest and she heard Jazz's fourth disparaging comment.

She bided her time, however, waiting until Jazz had to register them at a Pokemon Ranger outpost, a process that would take at least a dozen minutes according to the amount of time the last person to enter had taken and based on the level of frustration Tabitha could sense from the trainers currently waiting in line.

Tabitha and Broccoli moved off to the side of the road. There was a small open area with a few picnic tables and a picket fence next to the forest itself. Broccoli let her pokemon go free, and both of them started a game of high-speed tag.

This was as good an opportunity as any, she supposed. "Miss Bunch," Tabitha began.

"Mhm?" Broccoli asked as she turned and blinked at her. Her mind was still impossibly open and her eyes still filled with guileless curiosity, but that curiosity quickly faded to be replaced by concern.

How?

Tabitha couldn't sense an ounce of psychic power from Broccoli. Her powers, whatever their source, were not psychic. Tabitha had theories about the source, but they'd wait for further observation to occur before she delved deeper.

Still, it begged the question, how was Broccoli so quick to read a person? Tabitha wasn't aware of any change in her expression.

"What's wrong, Tabby?" Broccoli gasped. "Is it because I called you Tabby?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I do not mind the nickname. It is actually rather endearing. No, my issue pertains to... Are we friends?"

"Yes," Broccoli said instantly without a single moment's hesitation.

It was... almost painful.

Tabitha had her mind open and her psychic senses on alert. She was listening, mentally, to Broccoli, ready to hear her response. The lack of doubt, the complete lack of hesitation, it was so honest that it almost defied any logic. It was the absolute certainty of a true believer delivered with the sincerity of the recently converted.

Tabitha blinked for a moment, processing the reply.

"We are friends," she repeated.

"Mhm," Broccoli agreed with a small nod. "Are you worried that I won't have time for all of my friends?"

"No, I'm not worried about such a thing," Tabitha said. "I am... Miss Bunch, if we're friends, then why aren't Jazz and I friends?"

Broccoli tilted her head to the side. Her ears slowly tipped over as well, the one further up bumping into the other and causing it to fold onto itself. Idly, Broccoli reached up and straightened her wayward ear. "It's complicated," she said at last.

"Can you explain it, please?"

Broccoli eyed her. "Friendship in general, or your friendship with Jazz?"

"All of friendship, please."

Broccoli continued to look into Tabitha's eyes, not breaking eye contact. Tabitha felt her barriers melt. It wasn't even like when her sister tested her. This was so much worse, because there was no resistance. It was as if she wanted to crumble.

"You aren't ready to know all I know about friendship," Broccoli said.

Tabitha reeled back with a gasp, only to feel Broccoli reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Tabby? Are you okay?"

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"I'm—I'm well" Tabitha replied after a moment of getting her bearings.

"Oh, okay, you gasped all of a sudden. Was it a hiccup? Did you swallow a fly?"

"I'm well," Tabitha repeated. She would not ask Broccoli to explain friendship to her again, just as she would not walk up to Arceus itself and demand to know the secrets of the universe.

"Hmm. Anyway, uh, Jazz. I feel like your situation is kind of complicated right now. It might get better on its own. Close contact has a way of turning people into close friends. But sometimes it also makes people dislike each other more. I don't know how it'll turn out between you two. But... well, there's one thing that's more important than all the rest."

"What is it?" Tabitha asked.

"Do you want to be Jazz's friend?"

Tabitha considered it. She wanted friends, yes. The experience seemed like a worthwhile one to have, and allies were oftentimes useful. Broccoli, at least, was going places. Strange ones, but it wouldn't hurt to know her after she reached those heights. Jazz had potential too. But Tabitha knew that friendship wasn't just about opportunism. It was more than that. She'd read enough people who were friends to know.

"I think I'd like to be both of your friends," Tabitha said.

"Good good!" Broccoli said. She clapped her hands. "In that case, do you mind if I give you some advice?"

"I would appreciate it," Tabitha said.

Instead of giving her advice, Broccoli started to ask her questions. "When you think of Jazz, what comes to mind? No no, you don't need to tell me, that's for you. Mostly, what I'm trying to ask is, do you respect her?"

Tabitha considered it. Did she respect Jazz?

The girl was... a bit of a failure, wasn't she? Tabitha had uncovered how Jazz had failed to get past the third badge two years in a row. Even now, she suspected that Jazz was on the run from something, and her current identity was clearly false. There was no Poison family in either Kanto or Johto. It was a moniker. Not unheard of for young trainers, but still, suspicious.

Did she respect Jazz?

"I don't know," Tabitha admitted.

"Well, then it's going to be hard to be her friend. Being a good friend means listening, it means being there, it means putting some weight into what your friends say. It means caring. And it's hard to care for something when you don't have respect for it; and that includes friendship."

"I think I see," Tabitha said. "So how would I go about learning to respect Jazz more?"

"You can respect someone for a whole heap of reasons," Broccoli said. "I respect Choco for his curiosity and his bravery and his self confidence. I respect Marill because she's brave too, and she wants big things for herself and is ready to work hard for them. I respect them both for being so gosh-darned cute as well! It's hard being cute, you know?"

Tabitha wasn't sure she did, but she nodded nonetheless.

"If you want to learn how to be a good friend for Jazz, then learn to respect her. And if you want that respect and that friendship to be real, then you're going to need to learn to get to know her so that you can learn what she does that's worthy of your respect," Broccoli said.

"And learning about her more will lead us to be better friends?" Tabitha asked.

"Exactly!" Broccoli cheered.

Her pokemon, catching on to her good mood--and having tired themselves out a little with their game of running around--raised their little paws and cheered as well.

"What are you lot screaming about?" Jazz asked.

Tabitha jumped faintly in surprise. She'd been suppressing her psychic powers without even realising it, so Jazz had been able to sneak up to her without issue.

"Hi Jazz," Broccoli said. "Is everything ready?"

"Yeah, it is. We can head out now. They want us to carry a tracker, just in case. We won't need it, since we're absolutely not leaving the trail no matter what, but if, somehow, we slip off the trail, the Rangers will know to come looking for us if we don't report in on time." Jazz raised a small plastic-looking disk painted a rather garish orange. "What about you two?"

"We are also ready to go," Tabitha said.

Jazz nodded, turned, then headed out.

Tabitha followed her with her gaze for a moment while Broccoli collected her pokemon up. Learn to know Jazz... the best way to do that would be to challenge her, wouldn't it?

***