To James, the hours after Jen's victory at the Violet Gym felt like an eternity. He spent most of his time collecting whatever he thought he'd need on a long trip; Shane helped him with this, keeping track of what his brother had tossed into a haphazard mess near his desk. All the while, Cyndaquil was poking around the room, but he stopped when one of James' empty Pokéballs fell from the desk with a BANG, sending the little Fire-type scurrying out of the room in a panic.
"You really shouldn't leave those expanded." Shane told his brother as he picked up the ball and touched the small button on its front, shrinking it. "They could break if they fall, or just make a noise. Cyndaquil sure doesn't like them, I see," he added, smiling. "When they crash like that, it's no wonder."
"It's not my fault Cyndaquil gets spooked by them," James answered, tossing a black hooded sweatshirt onto the mountain of clothes and supplies. "He won't even stay in his own, and you should've seen how he acted when I caught Pidgey and Geodude: he completely freaked out. I'm sure he still thinks they're gonna break out when he least expects it."
"Some Pokémon can't stand 'em, kid." Shane put down the ball and started sorting through the pile. "Cyndaquil seems like an energetic Pokémon, which is unusual for his species. Most Cyndaquil are pretty lazy, but yours can't sit still...kinda like you, as a matter of fact."
"What do you mean by that?" James asked, annoyance entering his expression now.
"Well, it's a point of contention among Pokémon researchers that domesticated Pokémon—particularly a trainer's first—sometimes reflect the personalities of their trainers. You've always been really energetic and a bit restless, even when you were little. The fact that Cyndaquil acts like you do is interesting, is all."
"Well, it's kind of a good thing he acts like me," James said, smiling now. "We wouldn't get along so well if he didn't."
----------------------------------------
Next door, Jen's situation was much different than James'. Everything she needed was already sorted into neat piles, ready to be packed. Now she was now making sure her essential equipment was separate from the rest: her Pokédex, Pokéballs and trainer card were on a chair near the door, so she wouldn't forget them or lose them among everything else. As she finished putting various t-shirts into a pile, her mother walked in.
"How are you getting along, dear?" she asked as she surveyed the room.
"Just fine, Mom," Jen said as she put a last shirt, a black one with an ice-blue diagonal stripe across the front, on the pile. "I'm just making sure I've got enough stuff to last for a big trip."
"Well, from the looks of things, you're just about ready to go." Her mother laughed, and Jen did too. Jen walked away from the piles of clothes and other items on the floor and jumped onto the bed, breathing out loudly as she landed.
"I'm so excited, Mom. From what James has told me, Johto's nothing like back in Sinnoh. I can't wait to see it all!"
"I'm sure you are, Jennifer. You've pleasantly surprised me and your father; we were afraid you wouldn't be very happy in a new town, let alone a new region. Just the fact that you've gotten used to it so quickly makes us happier than you can imagine."
"I promise, I'll make you guys so proud of me! Me and my Pokémon are going to reach the top, no matter what it takes!"
"I know you will, dear. Now, make sure you've double-checked everything, and tell your father to come and inspect when you're ready. I'm going to head next door and help Andrea—Mrs. Enfield to you—prepare dinner for everyone. I'll let you and your father know when to come over. Alright?"
"Sure, Mom. I'll make sure everything's ready to go."
"That's my girl." Emma gave her daughter a hug, and then left the room, while Jen began sifting through the various piles.
----------------------------------------
At about 6:30, Jen arrived next door with her father and headed into the yard. James and Shane were tossing a baseball back and forth, while their Pokémon had found a small corner to themselves, some sleeping, some eating, still others just lying around with nothing much to do. Jen let her Pokémon out and watched them run over to the group, and then walked towards the three boys.
"Hey guys! How're you doing?" she asked as she reached them, a big grin on her face.
"We're not too bad, Jennifer. How about you?" Shane answered as he fired the ball to James, who caught it and threw it back so hard that Shane had to take his glove off and shake his hand to dull the sting.
"I'm okay, just finished packing!" Jen said brightly, casting a glance at Shane's hand. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine. James just has a really strong left arm, is all." James flushed a bit at the half-praise, and then walked over to his brother.
"Dad and Shane have been saying I should try out for the Electabuzz someday. They have this crazy idea that I could somehow turn them around." All three Enfield boys were big Electabuzz fans, appropriate for baseball-mad eastern Johto. "I think I'd have more success training Pokémon, to be honest."
"Well, we'll find out soon," Jen said with a cheeky smile. "We're both setting off tomorrow, and I just hope I can consistently battle the same way I did against Falkner. Without the early knockouts, that is," she added with a giggle. "My Pokémon learned a lot in that battle, and they've been growing a lot too. I'm hoping to find a lot of opponents along the way, so that they can grow as strong as they possibly can." At that moment, Darrell came out of the house carrying eight folding chairs at once, followed by his father with two tables under his arms.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
"You want some help with those, bro?" Shane called to Darrell, who ignored him and continued to walk over to the edge of the yard. The eldest Enfield brother set the chairs down, then looked over at Shane with a cocky grin. "Okay, point taken," Shane muttered as he jogged over to help unfold the tables his father had brought out. James and Jen started to move the chairs as soon as the tables were set up, and almost instantly both their mothers started to bring out the food they'd prepared for everyone. Andrea Enfield had made a gigantic bowl of spaghetti with her signature Tamato Berry sauce, while Emma Richards produced a freshly made salad and home-baked rolls. Everyone sat down and began to help themselves to the food, and Shane set out food for the Pokémon before sitting down himself.
----------------------------------------
"This was fantastic, Andrea," John Richards said between mouthfuls of spaghetti, removing spots of spicy red sauce from the corners of him mouth. "You and Emma have truly outdone yourselves tonight."
"Thank you very much, John," Andrea replied, taking another bite of salad. "My grandmother used to make this same sauce when I was little, and the recipe's passed through three generations so far."
"Well, it's the best I've had in a long time," Jen piped up, finishing off her own plate. "Thanks so much, Mrs. Enfield, it was terrific."
"You're very welcome, Jennifer," James' mother told her, then got up and walking towards the house. She returned with two containers of ice cream and a stack of bowls, which she set on the table and opened the first. Everyone took a bowl and got some of the frozen dessert, before sitting down again. Once everybody had finished, they all helped clear the dishes away; James attempted to show off by trying to carry a table in by himself, but unfortunately, he could barely lift it. His father spared him by taking both tables in, leaving James to slump down on the grass in embarrasment.
"Don't worry about it, James," Shane said consolingly. "I couldn't lift that thing either."
----------------------------------------
Everyone sat down in the living room after everything was cleared away; Andrea decided to leave the washing-up until the next day. Emma had made a pot of tea, and the conversation changed topic several times. James was fiddling with a loose thread in his shirt before his father spoke up.
"Everyone, I think we need to discuss James and Jennifer's imminent departure," Matt Enfield said, looking meaningfully at his wife before turning to the two ten-year-olds. "I trust both of you are ready to go?" Both of them were taken aback by the abruptness of the question, but Jen nodded, while James muttered, barely audibly, "Yeah, Dad."
"Excellent, because we have some news for the two of you." Jen's mother told them, which caught both of their attentions. "As you probably remember, we haven't been in Johto long."
"Right," James said, looking uneasily at his parents. This wasn't news to him at all.
"That means that we don't know the region very well, which affects Jennifer in particular." Emma continued, emphasizing the point. "So we have been talking with your parents about an idea that will benefit everyone, especially the both of you."
"And?" Jen didn't understand the sudden turn either. "What's your point, Mom?"
"The point is," Andrea said, deciding to get the news out sooner than later, "that we want you two to travel the region together."
----------------------------------------
Silence fell after this, and it took a few seconds for either James or Jen to react.
"You're...you're kidding, right?" James couldn't believe this. "You mean, we're...we're going to have to travel alongside one another?"
"That's what together means, James," Shane said jokingly, before his mother's stare shut him up. James, meanwhile, looked at his father, completely blindsided by the news.
"Mom, Dad, I can't believe you don't trust me by myself!" Jen protested; she wasn't happy about it either. "I can manage!"
"It's not a question of that, Jennifer," John told her, trying to keep things calm. "But you know almost nothing about the region, and traveling alongside someone who does will be better for everyone."
"Trust us, it's for the best," Matt added, looking at his youngest son and cutting him off before he could say anything else. "James, you are...shall we say a little impetuous? And Jen, as John says, doesn't know the area well. It would make us feel better if both of you were traveling together, rather than separately. Besides, it's not like you're not already used to it, right? You two did travel home together, after all."
"Well, that was really only a short distance..." James didn't like where this had gone. He had looked forward to being on his own, being able to travel at his own pace and train with just his Pokémon with him. At the same time, he wondered whether he should have someone to travel with. Either way, if their parents had made this decision already, there was nothing he could do about it. Arguing would get him nowhere. He sighed and nodded.
"Alright then, we'll travel together. Right, Jen?" he asked tentatively, seeing that Jen was as happy about this as he was.
"Yeah, I guess so," she said finally, slumping her shoulders as she accepted defeat. Just as quickly, her expression brightened a little. "Who knows, we might be better as a team. And we'll each have someone to train with, too."
"Excellent!" Jen's father said, and the tension calmed. "So, shall we all meet up again tomorrow to see these two off?"
"That's a fine idea," Matt Enfield said, nodding his approval. "James, you'd better pack your things tonight. Tomorrow will be too late."
"Fine, Dad," James answered, feeling a sudden fatigue hit him. He needed to get some sleep, too.
"Very well. We'll see you all tomorrow, then," The Richards family bade the Enfield family goodbye, and then headed back next door. As soon as they were gone, the Enfield boys ran for the stairs, racing each other back to their bedrooms, each one trying to push the other two out of the way.
"Calm it down, you three!" Andrea called after them, but couldn't help letting a smile cross her face. She knew the three boys were incredibly competitive with each other, and that no-one would get hurt, and decided that it was best to leave them to it.
That night, James tossed himself into bed after packing his last supplies into his bag. He was more tired than he had been in a long time, and knew that it would be a long time before he returned home. As he turned to shut off his desk lamp, his mother walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"How are you feeling, James?" she asked, concern filling her face.
"Alright, I guess," James answered, turning over to face her. "I'm just tired and a bit nervous, is all. I can't believe I'm heading out tomorrow."
"Neither can we," Andrea said, smiling at her youngest son. "We knew this day was coming, ever since Darrell left home for the first time. You'll be just fine. After all, you'll have a friend with you, and your Cyndaquil seems to be the perfect partner."
"I know," James said, not really caring if he did. "It's just...it's going to be long, and hard. I'm definitely ready for it, but I really want to make you guys proud."
"You will," his mother said, stroking her youngest son's unkempt hair. "All you have to do is believe in yourself."
"Thanks, Mom," James told her as he closed his eyes. Andrea kissed him on the forehead and left him to drift off to sleep, ready for the challenges of the morrow.