The mood among the group was subdued in the Pokémon Centre yard for the rest of the day. Magmar and Blue were none the worse for wear after treatment, and they stood off to the side as the others trained. Despite wanting to continue bringing Nidoran up to the same level as the rest of his team, James had to keep the Poison-type back from the main group, since he and Ziggy were giving each other challenging looks again. Instead, he paired Nidoran with Doduo, whose bulk gave him a large target to aim for while they worked on reducing his hangtime during Double Kick attacks.
As Jen directed her team through a few basic drills, Kimmie wandered over.
“Hey,” she said quietly, almost as if she was afraid of setting Jen off. Jen looked up from giving Pichu instructions and smiled.
“Hey, Kimmie. What's up?” Kimmie shrugged.
“Just 'hey'. You and James had a tough fight back there.” Jen nodded.
“I didn't expect that sort of battle. Two on one, I mean,” she added, as Kimmie looked confused. “Chelsea did say Surge would be hard, after all.” She looked over towards James, a gesture Kimmie couldn't miss. “And he was right when he said we had to improve our teamwork. James may be my best friend, but we've never been in that kind of scenario before.” Kimmie raised an eyebrow.
“Really? I remember you saying that you guys have traveled together for a few years now. How is it you've never battled together?”
“It's not something we ever had to do. All our battles were one on one. If we'd had to battle together, we would've taken a lot longer to get through Johto.” Jen sighed as she watched Magmar chat with Togetic. “We've got a lot of distance to cover before we hit another gym. That should give us plenty of time to practice.”
“Which gym are you going to next?” Kimmie asked. Jen shrugged.
“The closest one is probably in Saffron, but we might not be able to get there right away. They'd shut down the northern gate when we were heading down here.”
“You don't want to challenge the Saffron Gym too early,” Kimmie replied, a hint of panic in her voice. “I've heard about the Gym Leader up there, and she's even more dangerous than Surge. I'm serious!” she added, as Jen looked skeptical. “She uses Psychic-types, and they're really difficult to stop.”
“Aren't there ways to take them down, though?” Jen asked, eyebrows still raised. “I mean, any Pokémon has a weakness. It's just a matter of figuring it out.”
“I'm just advising you, steer clear of the Saffron Gym until you guys figure that out. You don't want to get held up because you're focused on one leader.” Jen shrugged again, and went back to working with the team.
Across the yard, James was directing his own team as Chelsea held Ziggy in her arms, keeping her from charging Nidoran again. Both Pokémon had clearly not settled down after their battle the night before, and Chelsea kept having to tighten her grip on the squirming raccoon, who was putting up a terrific fight.
“Hold still, Ziggy,” Chelsea scolded as the Normal-type made another bid to charge the Poison-type. “You'd think she wanted to do more than battle,” she added, and James raised an eyebrow.
“I think they're both overeager, to be honest. Nidoran's been itching for a fight with just about anybody since I caught him. And I think he's frustrated that his sister's managed to evolve, and he's still in his basic form.” Chelsea looked over at James team members, and nodded.
“He'll get there. Once he gets all the way to the Nidoking stage, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.” Chelsea adjusted her stocking cap, not an easy feat with her arms full, and then turned back to James. “So I've got to ask. What can I expect from the Pewter and Cerulean gyms?” When James didn't answer right away, she continued. “I don't want you to plan my whole strategy for me. Just give me an overview.” James thought for a moment.
“Catch something that can fight out of water and at range, for one thing. Diglett's going to be no use against Misty, since she's anchored to the floor.”
“Not to mention the type advantage,” Chelsea interrupted, and James nodded.
“That too. Ziggy will be a tricky one to use as well; she's quick, but she doesn't have much punch to her attacks yet.” Chelsea scowled, and James held his hands up. “Hey, it's true. She took down Nidoran, yeah, but against more maneuverable and resilient opponents, not to mention ones that actually listen to their trainer?” He snapped a glance at Nidoran, who was busy aiming a Double Kick at Doduo and couldn't hear him anyway. “She's gonna be on the losing end.” He watched Chelsea's face relax, and continued. “I'd recommend a Grass-type for Misty, since Electric-types are kind of few and far between around here. Elekid managed to bring me home the win, but I already had him in the team.”
“That'll help in the Pewter Gym too. Diglett can do well there, but Ziggy? Not so much against Rock-types.” Ziggy started to fuss again, and Chelsea stroked her ears to calm her. “Easy, girl. You're gonna be a big help wherever you battle.”
“She's certainly got a lot of energy. That'll be an asset when the time comes.”
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The rest of the day passed without much incident. None of the group spoke much more to each other beyond a few pleasantries, and then each pair spent their evening time planning their next route. Kimmie and Chelsea would head through the Diglett's Cave back towards Pewter City, and retrace the same route the Violet pair had taken after clearing Viridian Forest. James and Jen, for their part, had several options, and argued over which one to use. James was all for heading back into Saffron and using the Kanto capital as a swingback point as they traversed the nearby cities. Jen, remembering the hassle they'd gone through after they'd left Cerulean, wanted to take the route by the eastern coast, which would eventually land them in Lavender Town.
“That way, if Saffron is blocked off from the east, we can take the other Underground Path and bypass it until we're ready.” Jen reasoned as she checked the map, while James pulled on a long-sleeved black shirt to sleep in. “Heck, even if it isn't blocked off, we can bypass it and double back later. Kimmie said the Saffron Gym will be a heavy challenge.”
“Worse than Surge?”
“Apparently. The Saffron Gym uses Psychic-types, according to Kimmie, and I don't know if we have the personnel to take on that kind of fight just now.” Jen looked at the map again, noting the symbols by the cities. “It looks like Celadon Gym is the next one over, and they appear to use Grass-types. We're in a lot better shape to fight them.”
“Definitely. I might even let Typhlosion loose for that one. He's gone a while without a real match.” James rotated his left shoulder as he moved to pull out his sleeping bag. “So...” Jen held up a hand as she approached the bed.
“Is this a 'quick' so, or a 'we're going to be here for a while' so? I do want to sleep at some point.”
“Bit of each?” James said, and Jen almost smiled. “What do you think of the other two? They seem all right.” Jen considered as she lay down.
“Well, Kimmie's really nice. I may not know a lot about contests, but she'll be pretty good at them once she develops her team a little. Chelsea...” She paused, trying to gather her thoughts about the blonde girl. “She's a bit too aggressive for my taste. I mean, challenging you out of left field, hours after she'd had a gym match? I'm not sure anyone should push their Pokémon that hard, especially one like her Zigzagoon.” Jen thought a little more, staring at the ceiling. “You're the baseball guy, you tell me. Would you want to pitch too many games in a row?”
“Do you want the short answer, or the detailed one?” James waited for a response, but Jen's silence told him he should keep things brief. “I mean, I couldn't even if I wanted to. My summer league has rules about how much rest I have to get, depending on how many pitches I throw.” He stretched his left arm reflexively as he spoke. “I did call Chelsea on that one, though, remember? Before she, ah...”
“Before she resorted to schoolyard taunts? Yeah, I was there. She acted like she wanted you to lose your temper.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“I didn't, though. I'll admit, I was annoyed, but I wasn't going to get too worked up over it.” James yawned and tensed his hand a few times. “We'd better get some sleep before we head for Lavender Town. See you when I get up.” Jen mumbled an assent, and the pair drifted off to sleep.
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The next morning dawned bright and cool. Once the group had snagged a quick breakfast, they moved out towards the city limits and prepared to go their separate ways. Kimmie scratched Typhlosion's ears as she chatted with Jen, speculating about which new Pokémon she might catch for herself.
“I mean, having both Oddish with me is going to be fine, but I need to have other options too, right?” She looked towards James, who was looking out at the Diglett's Cave and the next route. “You know, I should take a cue from him on something.”
“What's that?” Jen asked, snapping a quick glance at her friend.
“I should figure out a nickname for at least one of my Oddish. Otherwise, they'll both come running when I call. James did the same with Blue, right?”
“That's true,” Jen said. “I was the one who brought that up to him, you know. Spotted that issue the moment he caught both of them.”
“Is that right?” Kimmie responded. “I mean, I'm sure he would've figured it out the eighth time they both answered him.”
“Twelfth,” Jen said, then without warning, the two girls burst out laughing. James looked over, confused, but shrugged and turned back to the route. Chelsea walked over to him, her eyes wide at her companions' behaviour.
“What's got them going?” she asked, and James shrugged again. “Meh, Kim finds all kinds of weird stuff funny. You never know what's gonna set her off.”
“Some people are like that, I guess,” James said, stretching his arm again. Chelsea looked at the cave entrance herself, and smiled.
“Diglett's gonna be happy to travel through her old home again. Plus, she can keep the other ones off our case.” She looked at James again, adjusting her stocking cap. “So...when am I gonna get to see you again?” James turned to face her, taken aback by the tone in her voice. He thought he saw a slight pink tinge touch her face, but overlooked it.
“I dunno,” he said. “We're bound to cross paths again some time, right?” Chelsea's face fell, and he waved a hand to calm her. “C'mon, think about it. Ziggy and Nidoran will want a rematch at some point. Can't do that if we never see each other again.” As Chelsea nodded slowly, Jen and Kimmie walked up, Typhlosion at their heels.
“Ready to go?” Jen asked, looking from James to Chelsea. Both nodded, and Kimmie smirked.
“Don't worry, Chelsea, we'll see them again. The Staraptor play the Electabuzz every so often, why shouldn't you two knock heads the same way?” Chelsea glared at her best friend, and James grinned.
“That's right. Every player has a pitcher they can't hit.” Chelsea's glare turned to him now, as Kimmie started giggling.
“I'm gonna be the hitter you can't get out,” she grumbled. “Better add a pitch or two before we meet again, 'cause otherwise Ziggy and I will be sitting on the fastball, ready to crush it.” At Chelsea's words, Kimmie clamped both her hands over her mouth to try and stifle her giggles, and Chelsea's eyes got even narrower.
“Oh, don't worry,” James replied, oblivious to the girls' antics. “I'll be ready for any approach.” Jen checked the time and coughed pointedly.
“All right, we're calling time on this. We've got to get going.” She turned to Kimmie. “Good luck to you guys. Don't push too hard,”— she resisted looking at Chelsea as she said this—“and be careful going through Mt. Moon on the way back. Some idiot was ambushing travelers to try and steal their stuff when we went there.”
“Wait, really?” Kimmie said, startled. “I don't want my stuff to get stolen!”
“It won't, Kim,” Chelsea told her friend, a soothing tone in her voice now. “Good luck to you guys, too. Be careful at the Saffron Gym, when you get there. Kim's not wrong, the Gym Leader is dangerous if you're not prepared.”
“Will do. See you around.” Jen watched as Kimmie and Chelsea headed towards the cave, then turned back to James and Typhlosion. “Let's go, then.”
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Route 11 seemed just as straightforward as some of the other routes the pair had traveled along in Kanto. The route had broad paths that were bordered with large patches of grass, and various wild Pokémon would run past, staring avidly at passers-by. The only complaint Jen had was that the paths tended to take odd turns or double back on themselves, making the trip take a lot longer despite the even terrain.
With the discussion of the Celadon Gym in mind, James focused his attention on building up Doduo's speed and attacking strength. The Flying-type looked bulky, but he would be more reliant on quickness and an ability to hit hard than getting hit in return. Battling James' team before his capture had been the exception; the element of surprise wasn't going to be in very good supply in future. Using the opportunity to build his own arm strength, James started throwing baseballs for the Twin Bird to chase down, and Doduo took to the training with enthusiasm, even if he did get hit by the occasional fly ball.
As both youngsters had hoped, Golbat and Blue began their effort to help the latter learn Poison Fang. James was hopeful that Blue would get the hang of the move quickly, so she could make the Celadon Gym even easier in theory. Jen just wanted Golbat to be able to stay sharp, since his battle usage would probably drop after Celadon. Golbat was still showing no signs of triggering his next evolution, and Jen scolded herself for not looking it up yet. Unfortunately, the Pokédex was vague on the subject.
“High friendship? How do you even tell that?” Jen asked, after stowing the device with a groan. “I've had him since the Dark Cave, you'd think we'd be pretty good friends by now.”
“Maybe he's closer than we think. You never know.” James watched Typhlosion miss Nidoran with a fire burst and shrugged. “Maybe I should leave the area when Nidoran battles. Then he won't glare at me instead of following orders.”
“He's gotten better,” Jen answered, watching the Poison-type dart back and forth. “And he'll catch up to the others soon enough. Hard work works, as they say.”
From the Route 11 gatehouse, they moved to Route 12, heading north along what the signposts called Silence Bridge. Just outside the gatehouse, they saw a massive depression in the ground between bridge segments, and Jen nearly tripped because she didn't expect the change in incline.
“What do you think could've made that?” she asked after she recovered. “Something that size must weigh half a ton, at least. I'm glad it's not here right now, because I don't think we could handle something that big.”
As they moved up the route, Typhlosion stayed as far away from the edge of the wooden walkway as he could, so he wouldn't be splashed. Along the route, a group of middle-aged men were fishing in the slow-moving river, occasionally hauling a Magikarp or Goldeen from the water. James and Jen watched them for a short while, intrigued by how Magikarp in particular could put up a terrific fight, despite the species' reputation for hideous weakness. Of course, Jen then remembered that the weak fish eventually became the fearsome Gyarados, and James' skepticism died; Electabuzz had taken out two of the sea serpents in his career already.
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Silence Bridge ended with another gatehouse, and beyond here was Lavender Town. The first thing the two youngsters noticed was the high tower in the northeastern corner of the area, which had a large antenna poking out from the top. James talked Jen into checking out the tower before they went to the Pokémon Centre, and they soon found themselves in the building's foyer. Posters for various shows hung on the walls; a blue-haired woman named DJ Lily seemed to be the most popular host at the station, since her face adorned at least two thirds of the posters. James, however, was most intrigued by one near the service elevator. This one featured three baseball players, each wearing white uniforms with red pinstripes, as well as navy caps with a picture of a smirking bird with red, white and navy plumage on it. One player was holding a bat on his shoulder, another reached up as if to catch a fly ball, and a third was winding up to pitch. The words KSEL: The Radio Home of the Saffron Swellow sat beneath the player's pictures.
“Saffron Swellow?” Jen asked, looking at the poster. “Another baseball team, right?”
“Exactly,” James said, his smile fading a little. “Another team that beats the Electabuzz all the time.” Jen tried not to smile.
“Isn't there a team that doesn't do that?” she asked, and James shook his head.
“Doesn't seem like it a lot of the time.” As they turned to leave, they saw an elderly man in a purple shirt and khakis leaving the building. He spotted them, and smiled.
“Hello, there. Nice to see young people touring our little town.” Jen smiled.
“It seems like a quiet place, but there's still quite a bit to see.”
“Indeed,” the man replied. “My name is Mr. Fuji, and I live nearby.” He pointed to a small house not far from the tower. “If you have time, please visit the House of Memories. I am the caretaker there, and can show you around the public areas if you'd like.” Jen looked at James.
“Why don't you lead us there? We've got some time before we head to the Pokémon Centre.” James nodded his agreement, and the two youngsters and Typhlosion followed Mr. Fuji to his house.
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“You see, what is now the Radio Tower used to be known simply as the Pokémon Tower,” Mr. Fuji said as they entered the small entrance annex of the House of Memories. “The tower was meant to be a final resting place for the spirits of deceased Pokémon, and a place for people to pay their respects. Some in town were quite unhappy when the plans to convert it into a radio station were revealed.”
“Makes sense,” Jen said, looking around at the various photos and drawings on the walls. “If the tower was meant to be such an important place, it seems disrespectful to just up and change the building.”
“I did have that thought at first, young lady,” Mr. Fuji said with a nod. “However, I worked with the town and the radio people and we worked out a compromise. This House of Memories was that compromise. ”
“So they moved everything in the tower here?” James asked. “This place doesn't seem big enough to hold that much stuff...”
“Well, there is much more to the house than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I do not generally allow visitors into most areas. People only see this annex, and that's generally enough.” Both youngsters nodded, and Jen noticed a picture near the main door. The picture showed a man who had to be a young Mr. Fuji, and two other men in lab coats standing next to him.
“Who are these men, sir?” she asked. Mr. Fuji looked at the photo, and his face fell a little.
“One of them is an old colleague, with whom I lost contact years ago. The other is...was...my brother.”
“Your brother?” James asked, moving over to look at the picture. Jen, however, looked shocked.
“W-what do you mean, was?” she asked, her eyes wide. Mr. Fuji considered for a moment, then sighed.
“Why don't we move to the living area and have some tea? This is not a story that can be told simply, nor can it be told briefly.”