The biggest obstacle that Jenn found were funds, or lack thereof. She and Sammy had been more or less pooling their money since they had started traveling together. Now that Sammy was gone, she only had the money from the Dratini research task to carry her through. Given that she needed to buy more food, medicine, and other equipment since she was traveling by herself now, it wouldn’t be enough for the supplies she’d need to safely get to Mulberry Town.
She thought about it. Battles earned money, right? Most of Sammy's money came from battles, and he'd quickly saved a pretty tidy sum. So she turned her focus to battles. Jen was grateful that she had a free room at the Pokemon Center, because she had earned a little from a couple sparring bouts with passing trainers, but it wasn't near enough. Luckily, the nurse was helpful in pointing out a tournament that was being sponsored by Miracle Cycle in only a day's time, and it was open to all comers. Jenn decided to enter, since there was a cash prize for anybody who finished in the top 4. Even the lowest prize amount ($100) was a decent amount of money to her. At the very least, it would be super helpful and cut down the time she needed to save a little bit. So Jenn and her team trained in the meantime; she got Oddish and Pikachu used to battling and sort of felt out their capabilities.
The morning of the tournament, Jenn went to Nugget Park and found the tournament ground, signing up only minutes before sign-ups closed. There were 32 competiors, so she only needed to win three battles in order to get some money. While waiting around, she was approached by a strange man named Ryu Nakamura. He mostly just stared at her and offered to buy her a snow-cone. She politely declined.
The tournament began in earnest, with two battles happening at once on two different arenas; one for each bracket of the tournament. Jenn's first opponent was a young man named Ben, with a deep and abiding love for shorts.
"I like your shorts." he said, seemingly approving of her attire, "They're so comfy and easy to wear, aren't they?"
"I...guess? Yeah?"
She beat him relatively easily; a good showing for Staryu. Her second opponent was a lumberjack-looking fellow named Gustav. He fought with a Machop that seemed as burly as he was, followed by a Pinsir and a Pidgeotto. Jenn had to struggle a little more to get through him; Gustav was more experienced than Ben, but Jenn was still able to outmaneuver him enough to pull out a narrow victory.
She had made it to the Top 8. One more victory and she'd earn at least a hundred bucks. She'd just have to give it her best shot. Her opponent this time would be Ryu Nakamura--the swimmer from earlier. He bowed to her and announced that with his victory, he would also win her heart. A little skeeved out, Jenn just sort of did her best to ignore that and sent out Pikachu.
"Hah. A Pikachu. A paltry foe! Cower in the face of my Pokemon--go, Goldeen!"
Pikachu easily defeated Goldeen. Ryu's jaw set.
"You may have defeated Goldeen. But you will never defeat my next Pokemon: Horsea, I choose you!"
Pikachu easily defeated Horsea. Ryu started to sweat.
"I have underestimated you, Jenn. But here and now I shall show you my true power! GOLDEEN! NOW!"
Pikachu easily defeated this second Goldeen. Ryu seemed shocked! He froze in place for a second before he sprinted across the park and dived into the nearby river.
Well that was easier than she'd expected. In the semifinals, she was set against a heavyset biker kid named Barnabus Rhames.
"I'm a heartbreaker. My name...Barnabus." he said, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's gonna be me who wins that trophy."
"You talk a big game," Jenn said, feeling a little cocky, "But let's not say any apologies until this is over, huh?"
"Heh. Skip right to the good part. I can respect that. If you insist! Grimer, let's break some hearts!"
Jenn led with Butterfree. Despite her advantage given Butterfree's Confusion and Sleep Powder attacks, Barnabus and his Grimer managed to beat them. Luckily, Pikachu was both fast and powerful, swiftly taking down Grimer down in kind. Barnabus responded with an Onix, and there wasn’t much Pikachu could really do about that one. Jenn just took the L and recalled Pikachu; she forfeited that one but she still had one Pokemon left. She chose Oddish, who brought Onix down. Each were down to their final Pokemon now. Barnabus chose Growlithe. Jenn’s stomach sank, but she refused to just lie down and accept defeat. She had Oddish use Sleep Powder, and she got lucky. Growlithe went to sleep, which allowed Oddish just enough time to get the upper hand and ultimately finish Growlithe off.
"Good job out there, ma'am. I guess today...I'm the heartbroken...."
In the finals, Jenn fought a local trainer named Murray. He was a flamboyant trainer who wore red sunglasses and a leisure suit from the 70's. He was apparently a pretty big deal around Cerulean City. He used Natu and she used Staryu to open with. Jenn and Stayu scored and early knock-out thanks to a critical Bubblebeam, but that was the only easy victory Murray would give her. The battle was tought and while it came pretty close, Pikachu pulled through and managed to help Jenn pull out a victory.
Jenn had never won battles or tournaments before! Given that she didn’t consider herself much of a battler, she was pleasantly surprised at her showing. Maybe she was a little more capable than she thought? Now with enough money to get the supplies she needed, Jenn left Cerulean after one more day to prepare.
Jenn…kiind of….sort of….got a little lost? She found out that she apparently couldn’t read maps (Sammy had done most of the navigating) and had a hard time finding the Route markers along the way. She didn’t panic, though. She just kept on going.
After a few days, she ran into Ryan the Bugcatcher again in the fields by where she was pretty sure the Route was? The two caught up a bit before Ryan mention that he was also traveling to Mulberry Town, in order to challenge the gym there. Ryan was apparently good with navigation and offered to be her guide. She accepted and despite his…overabundance of enthusiasm, Jenn found him to be harmless and actually kind of sweet.
After two days on the road together they came across a massive gathering of trainers; mostly rangers, but they also found dozens of tents apparently belonging to members of the Pokemon Fan Club. Jenn asked what was going on, and a lady with the fan club told them that there were reports of Scyther in the area. Ryan was surprised to hear that; Scyther didn’t usually nest this far north. He seemed a bit concerned about that.
The fan club lady wasn't concerned. If anything she was frustrated! She and the others had come out to see the Scyther—they didn’t want to catch them or anything, of course; they just wanted to watch. But the Ranger’s Union was being ridiculous and had closed access to the Route for a few days while they “monitored the situation”. Jenn asked how long the Route would be closed, but nobody knew.
Given that they apparently had some time, Jenn and Ryan set up camp with some of the other trainers who were being affected by the roadblock. Come the next morning, a ranger named Conner was asking anybody for possible information on suspicious people in the area. Jenn asked what kind of suspicious people he was looking for and he explained that he believed that the Scyther’s strange behavior was due to poacher activity further south driving them out of their usual nesting grounds. Conner wanted to track them down.
Ryan quickly volunteered to help and Jenn did as well. Conner was reluctant to let civilians help, but they were rather insistent. As the three readied to leave, they were approached by a tall punk girl named Zoey. She’d only just arrived and heard that Conner was getting ready to "stomp some poacher's heads". She wanted to lend a hand in the ass-kicking. Conner accepted the exta help, but emphasized that if he told them to leave they should listen.
Together, the four left the camp and moved south to search through the wooded hills and lowlands for any sign of poachers. Conner explained that they were looking for anything out place; litter, signs of a large camp, boot prints, tire tracks, traps or snares, and the like.
Ryan picked up a trail by a riverbed and they followed that for awhile. Their search was equal parts methodical and hurried. Jenn was a bit anxious.
"What's bothering you?" Zoey asked, "Scared of the poachers? Don't be; they talk a big game but they're mostly cowards."
"What? Oh, no, um...no, I'm not afraid of poachers." said Jenn, "I'm just anxious about the Scyther; I hope we stop these guys in time..."
"Ah. Well, if you ask me, I wouldn't worry your cute little head about it, Jenny," Zoey said, "Poachers ain't so smart. We'll find 'em sooner rather than later, and we'll bust their balls into next Thursday. Boom, the day's saved. End credits."
Jenn blinked. "Uh...thanks?"
In the evening on their second day of searching, they came across a Scyther who had fallen prey to a poacher’s trap; it closed around its leg and it looked pretty badly injured. The Scyther was scared and angry, lashing out whenever anybody got too close. Even Jenn couldn't get it to calm down.
Zoey tried offer it some treats, but it just slashed at her, resulting in her hand sustaining a fairly deep gash. Conner remared that they'd have to sedate it somehow, but Ryan insisted that if they did that, the Scyther would never trust them. They needed to calm Scyther down, or else it would just try to escape the first chance it got. In the end, it was Ryan who was able to approach it and calm it long enough for Jenn and Conner to undo the trap.
"Holy shit, bug boy, that's not bad." Zoey chuckled, "Where'd you learn to do that?"
"They don't call me Ryan the Bugcatcher for nothing." Ryan said with a big grin.
Ryan and Zoey carried the Scyther from the trap to a safe, clear space a few yards away.
The injured leg would require more care than just a potion. Ryan had experience treating such injuries and said that he’d be able to stop the bleeding and support the leg, at least long enough to get the Scyther to a Pokemon Center. Jenn helped him as best she could.
However, in the midst of helping the Scyther, a group of men came stomping out of the trees—poachers coming to check on their trap. Jenn noticed one of them with a telltale scar on his face. She could see that he recognized her, too.
A fight ensued, with the poachers intent on doing whatever they had to do to keep them from blabbing about their operation. Jen used Staryu, Conner used Machop, Ryan used Beedrill, and Zoey used a Haunter. Most of the poachers were defeated, but the man with the scar proved to be incredibly strong with a powerful Mawile.
The Mawile defeated Staryu and Pikachu, along with Conner’s Machop, Ryan’s Beedrill, and Zoey’s Haunter. The Poacher gloated in victory, and ordered his Mawile to attack the four of them, starting with the girls. Ryan, in a moment of adrenaline and anger, rushed the poacher and punched him. The Poacher laughed, and head-butted Ryan, knocking him to the ground.
Mawhile moved toward Ryan, but the injured Scyther leapt in to take the attack meant for the bugcatcher. The Poacher chortled.
“Looks like you’re getting a little extra dinner tonight, old girl.” he said with a dark smile.
Suddenly, a flash of fire came out of seemingly nowhere—Zoey had thrown out a Charmeleon!
"Don't start bragging before you actually win, dude. Makes you look like an moron." she said. The poacher gasped.
"What? A Charmeleon? But--"
“Holy shit, dude! What a fuckin’ asshole!" Zoey laughed, "What, you think I only have one Pokemon? Big mistake on your part.”
Zoey's demeanor suddenly got serious. She and Charmeleon made short work of Mawile, and Zoey had Charmeleon use Metal Claw to take down the Poacher. Conner contacted the authorities, who arrived shortly after.
Conner scolded Ryan, saying that what he’d done was stupid and reckless. Zoey chimed in that sometimes, stupid is the more fun answer.
“Dumb isn’t always dumb, you know?”
…Jenn didn’t really follow? At any rate, the Scyther they had saved seemed to want to go with Ryan, who was permitted to capture the Scyther. Once Ryan made sure he was all healed up, Scyther would become a member of his team. He seemed proud and Jenn was really happy for him.
With the poachers subdued, the four of them discussed what their plans were. It turned out that all four of them were going to Mulberry Town—Ryan for the gym, Conner to submit a report to the Ranger’s Union station there, and Zoey for the hell of it—so they decided they’d all stick together until they got there.
Along the way, they’d help a flock of Psyduck who were being bullied by a Golduck (with Conner capturing the Golduck in question) and Jenn’s Eevee found she had an admirier in a scruffy Meowth with shaggy hair. Jenn and Zoey talked, and they found that they kind of clicked. Jenn liked Zoey’s bold personality and admired her courage.
After about a week on the road together, they made it to Mulberry Town and went their separate ways. Well, almost. Zoey asked Jenn what she was planning on doing next and…she didn’t honestly know. She confessed that she wasn’t really into the idea of doing the gyms. She had come to Mulberry Town just to see the cherry blossoms. Maybe she could try some desert or something made with the mulberries that grew in the wild around the city. But other than that? Jenn hadn’t really given it much thought. "Why don't we stick together, then?" Zoey suggested, "The road's always better with a friend." "A friend? So--I mean, you see me as your friend?" Jenn asked, surprised. Zoey chuckled. "What can I say? I like the cut of your jib, Jenny. So how about it? Down to share the road for awhile?" "Sure! Yeah, I--that sounds like fun." Jenn said with a sheepish smile, "I guess we're travel buddies." "Seems like. Now come on, let's go check out those trees you wanted to see." Zoey said. With a happy skip in her step, Jenn followed along. They bummed around Mulberry for a few days, resting and seeing the sights until they decided they wanted to leave. Jenn had to admit that she liked Mulberry Town a lot. The two got to know each other. To Jenn's surprise, Zoey was a Kanto starter from the previous year; her Charmeleon was her starter. She had started with the badge thing but sort of fell off with it around badge number three. She just lost interest. Jenn told Zoey a bit about herself, too, including her work for Professor Oak and her recent breakup with Sammy. Zoey thought Sammy sounded like a chode. Over that time, Jenn contacted Oak and asked if he needed anything done. Jenn and Zoey would end up checking out a local apple orchard to watch the Cherrim and Butterfree who worked to help the trees grow and stay healthy. She and Zoey even each caught a Cherubi to send to the Professor--they had a unique blue coloration that seemed to be unique to the Mulberry Town. They also obsevred a small next of Doduo, though they pissed off Mama Dodrio. Thankfully, Zoey was fearless and a good battler, driving the Dodrio off with her Charmeleon. The would laugh about it later. After a few days, the girls traveled east; from Mulberry Town to Celadon City. It was so beautiful and the air was so clean, especially for a big city! They did a little sight-seeing, and Zoey was able to convince Jenn to hit the Game Corner with her. They ended up losing most of their money gambling (thanks, Zoey). Zoey considered either robbing something or trying to earn back their money by gambling. Thankfully, Jenn tracked down a more legitimate money-making opportunity: a Doubles Battle Tournament. It was being sponsored by the Celadon Department Store, with the grand prize being something “super secret and amazing”. Each duo could only enter two Pokemon each. Jenn entered Staryu and Pikachu, while Zoey entered Charmeleon and Haunter. Where Jenn was a bit inexperienced and rough around the edges in terms of battle, Zoey totally carried the pair to the top spots. That being said, they worked well together and made a formiddable team. The grand prize was a considerable sum of money, which they evenly split. But the super-secret-amazing prize were two tickets to the SS Anne! Jenn was shocked, excited, and nervous all at once. She’d never been on a cruise ship before, let alone one as fancy as luxurious as the world renowned SS Anne. They did consider trying to scalp the tickets, but Zoey ultimately convinced Jenn to live a little. They hung around Celadon City a few more days, buying some new clothes and other supplies for the trip (Jenn bought several books). Two days before the ship was set to depart, they boarded a train bound for Vermillion City; the port where the ship would be leaving from.
With a full day to wander around the city, Jenn was eager to check out the Pokemon Fan Club, which Zoey STRONGLY fought against. They ended up checking out the boardwalk, watching a dude from Alola juggle fire, took pictures in Vermillion Park, and finished the night by checking out a Blues Club.
The cruise was extravagent beyond Jenn’s comfort zone; she’d never experienced this kind of luxury outside of books. Zoey just chuckled and told her not to worry so much and to just “fly casual”. They both had tickets that they acquired fair and square, so they belonged there just as much as anyone else.
“If anybody has a problem with it, just kick 'em in the knees. They can eat shit.” Zoey said with a cheerful smile. Jenn couldn’t help but smile, too; Zoey’s confidence gave Jenn a little courage.
Their cabin was spacious; it was like a small apartment. Zoey laughed about there being seatbelts on the bed. Jenn asked why and Zoey just wagged her eyebrows. Jenn still didn't get what was so funny, but she was happy that Zoey was having fun.
The two spent most of their time together the first day or so. They checked out the various decks and activity halls, and browsed through the shops that were on board. They briefly swung by the Trading Hall (neither were interested in trading, but it was fun to people watch). Each meal was held in a cavernous dining room with live music. There were a selection of meals one could choose from (usually about five per night, including vegetarian options) and the waiters just kept bringing them food.
All in all, Jenn was enjoying the cruise after her anxiety settled down about things. Zoey scored some drugs on their third day at sea and invited Jenn to partake and 'expand her mind a little'. Jenn politely declined but encouraged Zoey to enjoy herself. On the morning of the fourth day, Zoey was passed out in bed and Jenn figured she’d just let her friend rest and spent the morning by herself. Maybe the afternoon, too? Jenn didn't know much about drugs.
She took her Pokemon with her to the “Poke Pool”, where she let Oddish, Eevee, and Staryu splash and swim and play. She sat on the edge of the pool, with her legs in the water. Her attention was divided between reading one of her books and keeping an eye on her Pokemon. That's when she received an unexpected visitor: Bulbasaur?!?
It was! Bulbasaur! The seed Pokemon scampered and splashed up to her, and she pulled him into a happy embrace! She was so happy to see him again! She asked Bulbasaur why he was there, but quickly put two and two together: if Bulbasaur were here, then—she turned at the sound of Mige’s voice calling out to Bulbasaur. Jenn walked Bulbsaur back to Mige and greeted him with a friendly wave.
The two were both surprised to see the other there! She asked him what he was doing on the ship and he just replied that it was sort of a long story. She told Mige about how she and Zoey had won the tickets, and the two spent a little time catching up. It was really great to see Mige again, and it made Jenn so happy to see Bulbasaur.
Jenn, Mige, and their Pokemon all hung out together by the poolside. Mige told her about some of his strange adventures, and Jenn told him about her own. They shared a mutual laugh when Jenn mentioned Ryan the Bugcatcher again. Before too long, they each went back to their separate cabins but made plans to see each other at some point the next day.
As it happened, they would see each other sooner than they thought! They were both entered into a limbo contest by their friends without their knowledge. Both she and Mige lost pretty early and had a laugh about it, and Zoey ended up winning the whole thing. Tim, Mige's friend, invited Zoey to a party in his cabin (a party Mige did not seem to know they were throwing) and Mige invited Jenn along, as well. Jenn was hesitant—she always felt a little crowded at parties—but found she couldn’t say no.
She took a little longer to pick out an outfit than Zoey liked (“How many different skirts do you HAVE? For the love of--those are both red! Just pick one!”, etc and so forth)
The party was a little more lively than Jenn liked at first, though Zoey took to it like a Goldeen to water. She met some of Mige’s other friends, including Will Tahjiri, Djorn Tony, and—holy shit, Ryan the Bugcatcher? What were the chances?!? Seriously…what were the chances?
Jenn spent the first part of the party along one wall with a drink, just keeping to herself. Mige joined her for a little bit, keeping her company while she sort of slowly grew a little more comfortable. He eventually went off to find where his Eevee had gotten to. Jenn had a few drinks and loosened up a little, and even ended up dancing with Ryan the Bugcatcher, and again later with Will Tahjiri and Zoey. She was present when Tim's Poliwag used Hypnosis on Djorn Tony, who was getting weirdly aggressive toward Ryan.
Jenn went back back to her cabin, and was one of the first to leave, around midnight. She didn’t see Zoey again until the next morning. It turned out that Jenn was a lightweight with drinks, and was super hungover the next day, which sucked. She asked Zoey if she had missed anything exciting.
"Hell if I know! I blacked the fuck out." she snickered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you need me to get you some coffee or water, or--"
"Don't be sorry! The less you remember, the better party was." Zoey said. Jenn perked an eyebrow. She was...pretty sure that wasn't right? But so long as Zoey had fun, she supposed. Zoey let slip that she and Tim had gotten pretty friendly. Jenn asked if Zoey liked Tim, a question that seemed to amuse Zoey--and, Jenn noticed, a question Zoey never answered.
When the ship docked in the Orange Islands, everybody went into the small town on the island to visit. It was completely dependent on tourism money, so pretty much everything was catered to them; there were more gift shops, charm salesmen, and memento sellers than there were Zubat in caves. Mige invited Jenn and Zoey to go with him and a few others into the jungle to find some Pokemon. Jenn wanted to go, but instead of saying that, she turned him down and said that she wanted to check out the town a little bit, actually, but maybe next time? She wasn’t sure why she said that, except that the lingering feeling that she’d be in the way or bother people if did. Zoey declined because Jenn declined, though she had been looking forward to exploring the jungle. They explored the town a little and grabbed some local juice-type drink. Zoey asked why Jenn declined hanging out with everyone else, and Jenn just shrugged and changed the subject. The unanswered question seemed to turn over in Zoey's head. Eventually, they went to the beach and decided to relax, swim, and soak up some sun. Zoey brought Jenn some kind of drink in a coconut (it was okay?) and asked what her deal was with Mige. Jenn replied that there wasn’t a deal; he was a friend and one she barely knew at that. They ran into each other a few times, they both had an Eevee from the same litter, and he caught her Pikachu for her. Beside that, there wasn't anything to say. Zoey commented that catching her a Pikachu was très romantique. Jenn rolled her eyes. "It wasn't like that. Mige is just...you know, he's a really nice dude like that. He remembered I wanted a Pikachu, and when he found one he caught it for me. That's seriously it." "Maybe." Zoey said with a slight grin, "But...I mean, you're into him, right?" "What? No! Of course not! Zoey, I barely know him!" Jenn said with a laugh. "Really. So you don't think he's cute? You don't want to jump his Super Rod and mess around with his Ultra Balls? Eh?" she asked with a teasing smirk and wagging her eyebrows. This caused Jenn to flush and stammer, before she playfully tossed her coconut at Zoey. “We barely know each other! There will be no…fondling happening.” “Fondling? I didn’t say anything about fondling.” Zoey laughed. “You—it was implied! There was implied fondling!” Jenn insisted, but Zoey only laughed more. “There was no implied fondling! I was just talking about fishing and Pokemon capture devices! Anything else you supplied with your own perverse little brain!” “I’ll throw another coconut at you.” Jenn said in a playful warning. The ship remained docked on the island for a few days. Jenn did end up going into the jungle one day by herself, but she only wanted to get some pictures and document some notes on the unique coloration of the Orange Island Pokemon. They spent some time on the beach with Mige and Tim and the others; they hung out, swam, and even played volleyball. Jenn played on a team with Mige, Ryan, and Djorn against Zoey, Tim, and Will Tahjiri. Jenn's team got smashed, but they all had fun. When the ship departed, Jenn spent much of the voyage back with Zoey, Mige, Tim, and the others in their social circle. They all hit the Battle Deck and Jenn was shocked--and a little horrified--to see Ryu Nakamura there. Seriously, what were the chances? Aside from that, they all lounged and hung out, even hitting the club on board once or twice. Jenn wasn't much for clubs or dancing, but Zoey was very persuasive--and persistant! The night before they arrived back in Vermillion City, Mige and Tim invited them to eat with them. Over dinner, Tim invited Zoey to join them on the road, with Mige adding that Jenn was more than welcome, too. Once again, Jenn was going to decline because she didn’t want to get in the way or annoy them. However, Zoey must have seen that coming and proved to be one step ahead--she quickly accepted for the both of them. It made Jenn anxious—she’d just gotten used to traveling with Zoey—but she supposed she didn’t have much choice: she was part of a traveling party now, she supposed.
Vermillion City was as hot and muggy as ever, even as September approached. The group decided to start by heading east toward Port Sapphire. If they made good time, they could catch the Summer's End Festival! Jenn was thrilled at the idea of that; she'd seen so many beautiful pictures and even watched a Travel Channel documentary on it once! They could wear traditional clothes and eat a truck load of traditional sweets and cakes and--yes! Zoey, seeing Jenn's enthusiasm, also voted for the idea. Mige and Tim didn't seem to care one way or the other, so that was the plan! Djorn decided to join them for the first leg of the trip. Jenn never really "got" Djorn, but he seemed mostly harmless. Except for his weird thing with Ryan? Anyway, they had smooth sailing for a bit, though they did encounter a herd of Rhyhorn blocking the road. They managed to clear it using their water-types; Mige used Squirtle, Jenn used Staryu, Tim used Poliwag, and Zoey used Cloyster. Before long, they arrived at the Tony Family Farm. It was a pleasant place and Jenn liked all of the Psyduck there. Seriously, there were a lot of Psyduck there, and they started following her around in a big group. Mige seemed a bit confused on how the Tonys made any money, but he never got a straight answer. Got it, so Djorn's...eccentricities were a familial thing. Over the day they helped around the farm. Jenn and Zoey got to groom a bunch of Psyduck, which was a silly little experience. Mige and Tim helped cure the Psyduck flock’s depression with a double battle (the Pokemon just wanted to battle again and let off some steam) and the next morning they left the farm behind. A strange place. Strange family. Nice, but strange. The road to Port Sapphire was pleasant, and they were fortunate enough to have good weather and no real setbacks for most of the journey. The only real aside was stopping to help Corrine, a young trainer, try to find an Aipom. They each offered a different plan to find/catch Aipom. Jenn suggested that she set up an elaborate, but harmless, box trap using Aipom’s favorite kind of berries—a trap that just ended up trapping Tim. Corrine managed it on her own, in the end.
At last they arrived in Port Sapphire, which was decorated with the orange and yellow colors of the Summer’s End Festival; they had arrived the night before the festival, so just in time. Paper lanterns hung from tree branches and strung up on lights, and many of the locals wore flowers or small strips of paper bearing prayers for the departed. Stalls and carnival rides were being set up for the festival, and bright lights illuminated the night. Mige and Tim wanted to look around, but Jenn just wanted a shower. She and Zoey turned in at the Pokemon Center, and apparently missed some ghostly shenanigans. The four of them got to dress in traditional fare for the Summer's End Festival. They indulged in traditional foods (Jenn went a little wild with the sweets) and messed around with carnival games and rode the ferris wheel. As night began to fall, the four of them made their way up to Maiden's Peak to visit the shrine there. Jenn prayed for the dead to find their peace. They watched the fireworks above the bay. It was a beautiful display, shining in the vivid greens and yellows of summer and slowly shifting to oranges, reds, and gold that represented autumn. All in all, it was a really special night spent with three people who had very quickly come to mean a lot to her. Jenn suggested that they all get a photo together at Maiden's Peak, and continues to treasure the photo even today. They ended up spending quite a while in Port Sapphire; the Summer’s End Festival passed and the autumn was taking grip across the countryside. The chill of September set in with the autumn winds that came in off of the sea. Mige and Tim spent a lot of time….doing whatever it was they did when Jenn and Zoey weren’t there. The girls mostly spent time either hanging out with the boys, checking out some shops, or sparring. Zoey kept kicking Jenn’s ass. After one particular loss, Jenn got frustrated and grumbled that she just sucked at battling, but Zoey totally disagreed. “Hey. C'mon, none of that shit. You forget that we won an entire goddamn doubles tournament? Or that you laid a smackdown on some poachers? Or that you ranked first place in that bike tournament? Or that you beat the shit out of those Rocket chucklefucks back at Mt. Moon? You can fight; you’re just getting in your own way. I know it’s easier said than done, but you gotta relax! You’re a tougher bitch than you think you are, Jenny: don’t let anyone tell you any different—’specially not yourself.” Jenn appreciated the pep talk and really did her best to live by it. It was difficult, given the sheer amount of intrusive thoughts and anxiety she struggled with on a daily basis, but it helped. She wanted to work on her self-esteem, and tried to do some things she found online to boost her confidence. During their time in Port Sapphire, the four of them became involved in foiling a plot by Team Rocket to kidnap the members of C-Pop band B4W (which Jenn was a fan of), and ended up getting tickets to the concert in thanks. Even Tim was tapping his toes by the end of the concert!
At long last, the time came for them to move along. Leaving Port Sapphire behind them, they traveled northward along an oceanside route. Sure, it was super windy and it rained a lot, but Jenn loved the smell of the ocean. However, the road was as treacherous as it was beautiful, and Jenn accidentally lost her footing and tumbled down the rocky hillside into a cavern below—and she accidentally brought Tim down with her. Finding themselves trapped in an underground cave, Jenn and Tim needed to figure out exactly what they were going to do to get out of such a situation. They bickered a little about what to do; Tim suggested they go one way, and Jenn suggested they go another. Arguing was getting them nowhere, with them both being as stubborn as they were, so they decided on using Rock-Paper-Scissors to make that decision for them. In the midst of that, however, they heard a low, deep Yawn. There in the shadows nearby, they found a Slowpoke lounging around and just...staring at them. Jenn gasped! It was so cute! She readied a Poke Ball to try to catch it, but Tim grabbed his bat and chased it away. Jenn became angry with Tim for chasing away the Slowpoke. "What the heck? I was gonna catch that!" Jenn said. "It was about to attack us!" Tim insisted but Jenn just sighed. "Tim, c'mon--" "I'm serious! It was about to whammy us with its psychic powers. You should be thankin' me!" Their bickering started up again and would have continued for some time if Jenn hadn't shushed him when she heard a weird sound. If she didn't know better, it sound a rather large chorus of sighs. Following the sound, they found a huge group of Slowpoke. They were all yawning in unison like a chorus, surrounding a giant Slowpoke. The normal-size Slowpoke were sticking their tails in the water and evolving into Slowbro. Jenn wasn't exactly sure what they were seeing--she was fascinated, but Tim seemed real nervous. After a brief time, the giant Slowpoke slowly plunged its head into the water. At that point, the Slowbro noticed Jenn and Tim. They seemed upset at the intrusion and began to (very slowly) make their way over to them. Tim and Jen panicked and ran from them—which should have been easy to do considering they were running from Slowbro. However, the cavern was mazelike and they kept getting lost and turned around, rushing through a narrow passage echoing with the yawns and growls of angry Slowbro, and each time came face to face with the angry Slowbro mob. "We're cornered!" Tim said, gripping his bat. "Put that away!" Jenn said, "Tim, we need to get out of here." "Gee, ya' think?" "So let's stop fighting each other and start fighting together!" Jenn said. Tim grinned. "Not a bad idea, Greene." At once they each threw out two Pokemon; Jenn used Oddish and Pikachu, while Tim used Misdreavus and Croagunk to fight off the mob of Slowbro. It was super tough, but they did manage to succeed in driving back the first wave of Slowbrow. More yawning echoed from deeper in the cavern, however, telling them that they weren't safe quite yet. Given a little cushion of time, the two turned tail and ran. Instead of arguing about where to go, Jenn followed Tim's lead--and sometimes, Tim followed Jenn's! They eventually found a ledge that led to a narrow opening, where they could just make out the faint glimmer of daylight. Tim boosted Jenn up to the ledge, and Jenn grabbed Tim's hand and helped him up. One at a time, they pulled themselves into the tunnel; Jenn went first and Tim followed, reasoning that if Jenn slipped, he'd be able to catch her. Not trusting she could return the favor, Jenn went with it. It was good that she did, too, because Tim ended up having to catch her fall twice on the way up. By the time they reached the surface, Jenn's fingers were bleeding and she was sore and her clothes were both soaked and torn. Tim wasn't faring much better. But they'd made it out! The two of them just laid sprawled out on the ground, laughing with the relief that came from feeling the wind against their faces! A worried Mige and Zoey found them not long after. Zoey asked what the hell had happened to them. Jenn and Tim looked at each other and burst out laughing again!
More time passed. The four of them made good time; they had only minor distractions to due to shenanigans or helping out a passing someone. They had a brief stop in Lavender Town, but it was gloomy and a little creepy, so it wasn't long before they embarked along Route 08. The area was mostly flat pasture and gentle hills, with small clusters of skinny trees. In the autumn, the grass was rough and pale, and the trail markers were harder to see.
A few days into the hike, they were hailed by a man who approached them, riding a motorcycle. He demanded to know “Arcanine or Gyrados?” Obviously, neither of them knew what he was talking about and the guy just stormed off on his bike.
It wouldn’t be long before the question made sense. They came to a broad bridge that crossed a fast-moving river. As they crossed, two different motorcycle gangs descended on the bridge, congregating at either end of the bridge. The Arcanine Boys were on one side, and the Gyrados Gang were on the other. Mige and Jenn tried to call out that they weren't with any gangs, but neither gang seemed to care. They road toward each other and clashed in a terrible gang fight.
Tim and Zoey both happily started swinging, fighting the thugs alongside their Pokemon. They actually seemed to be having fun? This was contrary to Jenn and Mige, who were normal human beings who understood the danger here. They tried to stay out of the way, ducking and trying to find some kind of cover. Two members of the Gyrados Gang rushed them; one of them attacked Mige (but soon regretted the decision thanks to Pidgeotto) and the other attacked Jenn. He swung at her and she ducked, but she tripped over her own feet and hit the ground.
The cueball descended on her with a wicked glint in his eye, rearing back to strike her, brass knuckles on his meaty fist. She braced herself for the strike, but Mige quickly interposed himself between Jenn and the cueball, and he took a punch to the stomach, and a follow-up to the jaw, that had been meant for her. Mige hit the ground, but Pidgeotto swooped back around and attacked the cueball, chasing him away. Jenn helped Mige up, tearfully trying to get him to be careful with how he moved. Mige simply insisted that he was alright with a reassuring smile.
Pokemon were being thrown out now, which made things even more dangerous. Tim fought with Mankey and Poliwhirl, while Zoey fought with Charmelon, Fearow, and Haunter. Mige used Growlithe and Pidgeotto, and Jenn had Pikachu and Butterfree out—she didn't want to, like, hurt people? But ample Thunder Waves and Sleep Powders certainly helped to keep the bikers on either side at bat.
Thankfully, the police arrived to break things up. Many of the bikers fled at the sound of sired, but most were captured. The four of them did have to argue that they weren’t part of either gang and had just been defending themselves. The officers weren't buying it, and Zoey eventually caved and showed them her ID card. The cops seemed confused at first, then looked at her--back down at her ID--and then their eyes widened with shock.
"I--I'm so sorry, Miss Silph! We had no idea!" the officer said apologetically, "Of course you weren't involved here. You and your friends are free to go."
"Thanks." Zoey grumbled, "Just...please don't call my dad, okay?"
The cop seemed hesitant to agree, but Zoey just glared at him and the officer just nodded. Zoey motioned for the others to follow along. They left the cops behind, and while they didn't talk about it right away, Jenn's head was spinning. Miss Silph? Miss Silph???
They walked until they reached a rest stop. Once there, Zoey turned to her friends and told them that she was only gonna say it this one time: yes, her real name was Bernadetta Silph, of the Saffron City Silphs; Zoey Parsons was an alias. Yes, her father was Hiram Silph, President and CEO of the Silph Corporation. She had run away a few years before; the whole heiress life wasn't for her. She left home for a reason, though, and didn't really want to talk about it.
They were all shocked that the tough, messy punk girl was actually an heiress to the most powerful corporation in the world—especially Jenn, who only then realized that she’d gone so long without even a suspicion that Zoey was hiding something that big.
Zoey was annoyed at the revelation more than anything. She didn't want them to treat her differently now that the Delcatty was out of the bag. Jenn promised that they wouldn’t say anything, and the other two agreed. In particular, the whole situation seemed to strike a chord with Tim. The two of them went off to talk privately, and Tim hugged her tightly.
She and Mige sat together for a moment. They were sort of processing the news, but her attention was soon called back to Mige. He had been injured in the fight, with one noticeable bruise where he'd been hit protecting her. She sat next to him and told him to stay still while she applied a cold compress from her first aid kit. After a few quiet moments, Jenn sheepishly thanked Mige for what he did. He told her she didn't have to thank him, but no, she did. That was the second time he'd done something like that. Mige didn't seem to really care and that made Jenn kind of laugh a little.
Jenn looked him over a moment, the compress applied to his jaw, like she was trying to figure him out. As she did, she became aware of something else, that was sort of hovering at the periphary of her brain. He'd put himself in harms way--he'd gotten hurt--protecting her. Again. Why did he do that? God, he was so dumb…and yet...she sort of completely adored that about him. He was so brave and gentle and kind. He thanked her for the compress with a slight smile, and she couldn't help but be reminded of how he'd smiled at her and assured her that he was alright. She felt butterflies in her stomach, flushing as she looked away and nodded. Of course; anytime.
Zoey and Tim returned and the four of them quickly grabbed their bags, put away their snacks and canteens, and readied to hit the road. Jenn was lost in thought. Mige had taken a hit for her. Again. But he smiled and tried to comfort her, despite the pain he was obviously in. Mige caught her a Pikachu after she told him how much she'd always wanted one. Mige stayed with her at the party back on the SS Anne and talked to her when she was clearly overwhelmed.
He was such a good person. He didn't always show it in an obvious way, but Jenn had gotten to know Mige enough to know that he was sincere and genuine, and he deeply cared about his friends. There was a part of her that really liked how it made her feel when she was someone he cared about. The knot in her chest tightened and her stomach fluttered again. For some reason, she couldn't stop smiling.
"Hey! Greene! What are you doin' back there, Slowpoke? C'mon!" Tim called out.
"Hustle those buns, girl!" Zoey called out in response. Suddenly snapped out of her thoughts (and a little embarrassed that she'd been so out of it that she hadn't notice the group start to leave), Jenn rushed to catch up to them. When she caught up, Mige asked if she was feeling okay. Jenn sheepishly nodded, her cheeks suddenly flushed as she quickly looked away from him. But she never stopped smiling.
They'd been on the road for so long that they'd almost lost count. After a number of misadventures and days and days and days and days of walking, they had finally reached Saffron City! It was so much bigger than Viridian City, and easily double the size of even Celadon City. You really have to take the elevated train if you wanted to get anywhere in Saffron in any decent amount of time. The city was busy and alive, and Jenn loved it (even if it smelled a little like pee). However, Jenn did check with Zoey that she was okay being back in Saffron, considering her family situation. Zoey waved it off; she wasn’t worried. So long as she didn’t go by Silph Plaza they’d be fine.
They went by the Marsh Gym. They met Will Darrow, one of the Disciples of Sabrina. It turned out that neither Mige nor Tim had enough badges to challenge Sabrina; it was an A-Class gym, so they needed at least five. Before they left, though, Mige seemed to double over with an intense and sudden migraine. Jenn grew very concerned, but Will seemed to do something to help him by alleviating the pain. Jenn asked what had happened, but Mige assured her it was nothing. Will seemed curious, but after that Mige seemed eager to leave. Jenn remained concerned, but didn't push it.
Finding themselves waiting at the elevated train stop, the four of them realized that they had no apparent next step. Without more badges they couldn’t fight Sabrina, end of story. There were other badges they could get in other cities? Mulberry Town and Celadon City came to mind, Jenn suggested (since she'd actually been to those places before). Tim remarked that they'd figure it out later. Mige seemed like he maybe wanted to figure it out sooner? Either way, until they agreed on a next step they needed a place to stay. The local Pokemon centers were almost always full--in a city that big, the free rooms never stayed open long. Jenn seemed unsure if they could really afford a room at a hotel, but Zoey announced she had the solution: her friend Duplica owned the avant garde Copycat Cafe, and had a loft above the shop. She was sure that Duplica would let them crash in the loft for a little bit.
With no better plans, the group made their way to the cafe. Jenn really dug the atmosphere of the place, and Duplica seemed really nice. She was super excited to see Zoey again, and embraced her with a hug! Duplica was more than happy to let them stay in the loft, but she wasn't sure how long they'd be able to stay there. While it seemed pretty busy in the cafe, it turned out that it wasn’t doing too well and would likely have to close by the end of the month. Zoey quickly offered her help keeping the place open, and the others agreed to help her find a way to raise the money needed to save the shop. Duplica happily accepts any help they can give.
The loft was basically a small studio apartment. It was really hot up there, given that there were numerous ovens and machines below them, but it was a place to stay. It took a few minutes to decide who slept where; Jenn would sleep on the futon, Mige would sleep on a recliner, and Zoey and Tim would sleep on the floor. It was a tight fit for four of them, but again, it was better than sleeping in the street.
Once they settled in, they all shot around some ideas on ways to save the cafe. Jenn suggested that they have some kind of fundraiser? Eventually, they decided on a concert fundraiser. Duplica loved the idea—it totally fit the whole style of the cafe. But that meant they needed to find a band who could draw in a crowd and find a way to get them to perform. Abruptly and after approximately 0 seconds of contemplation, Tim jumped up on top of a table--it was a little wobbly, but Mige held it steady--and boldy declared that they would just have to make their own band!
Jenn wasn’t so sure about that part. Tim tried to get her to sing, but Jenn emphatically refused; she could not sing or play an instrument to save her life, on top of having really bad stage fright. However, Jenn said that she’d be more than happy to help Duplica set up, decorate, and even help out behind the counter on the day of the fundraiser. Tim asked Zoey what she'd play, but Zoey simply implied that she had another idea. She steepled her fingers and grinned when she said that, which made Jenn a little worried as to what that solution might be? But nobody else seemed too worried about it, so...whatever.
Over the next few days, the boys bought instruments and started to make their band. Tim would be the drummer, Geodude would play bass. Steve the Hiker seemed to come from nowhere (she assumed Mige called him?) and offered to play guitar. Then, even weirder, Will Darrow from the Marsh Gym appeared to sing. It was all really weird. They named themselves the Negative Lilligants.
Jenn mostly helped Duplica behind the counter as the band formed and started practicing. They sounded awful, even after Mige sort of half-joined the band, using a synthesizer to add vocal effects. If anything that just made it sound even weirder. Duplica loved it though. She agreed that it sounded bad, but insisted that was the whole point. Jenn didn't follow. Duplica explained that it was out there and abstract, and a really great statement on the nature of modern indy music.
Okay, well…Jenn was happy she found some enjoyment from it.
Luckily, it seemed that the crowd more or less felt the same way about the “experimental band” when the fundraiser finally arrived. They even got an encore—which they used to play the exact same song again. Thankfully, Zoey's scheme paid off: she managed to contact B4W and convinced them to come in to do an impromptu show! That drew in a huge crowd; enough to save the cafe!
“We don’t usually do this sort of thing, but really, you know that we’d anything for you, Zoey.” said B4W in unison.
“Aww, shucks! You're gonna make me blush!” Zoey said with a bright smile.
Jenn watched all of this happen. She sat on the counter, sighed, and drank some milk. Her life was so weird now.
A day or two after the concert, Mige was getting restless. He proposed that the group go to Celadon City next, and maybe to Mulberry Town after that. They needed to get on earning badges. Tim groaned and responded that they’d been on the road constantly since June. Maybe they should just rest in Saffron for a little while and find some trouble to get up to in the city. Mige, however, stated that they’d already spent way too long in Port Sapphire. But they could always come back to Saffron when they got enough badges, though?
The two went back and forth about it, but they couldn’t come to an agreement about it; Tim really hoped Mige would want to stay in the city, but Mige was focused on training and getting his badges. Tim confessed that he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to keep collecting badges. Both Jenn and Mige are surprised by that. Tim assured that, badges or no, Tim did really like battling. Mige and Tim had a sparring match as a sort of goodbye.
“They’re not very good at communicating their feelings, huh?” Jenn said to Zoey, who chuckled and shrugged.
“Who in this group is?” she said with knowing grin. Jenn chuckled awkwardly and cleared her throat.
“Touche.”
At the end of the day, Mige and Tim understood that at least for the time being, their paths parted here. They were both bummed out, but accepted that was how things had to be for now. Jenn remarked that it'd be strange with just her, Mige, and Zoey on the road--until Zoey commented that she was going to stay with Tim. Jenn was a bit surprised and more than a little disappointed and upset that Zoey wouldn’t be there. Jenn had come to sort of rely on Zoey's confidence out there; Zoey was Jenn's best friend and she helped Jenn feel brave. Zoey apologized, but assured Jenn that she had all of the courage she needs in her already. Jenn asked if she was sure, and Zoey casually commented that she’d grown pretty attached to Tim. Wherever he went, she'd be going with him.
Mige asked Jenn what her plan was. It honestly hadn't even occurred to her to do anything but stay with Mige, and she told him as much. At the very least, he seemed happy to hear she'd be sticking with him. After a day of getting their supplies together, they all went to the train stop together; Mige and Jenn would take an elevated train out to the edge of the Route.
Jenn and Zoey hugged, and Jenn wished Zoey luck and made her promise to stay safe. Zoey replied that she'll take care of herself so long as Jenn doesn't let herself get in the way of doing what she wanted to do...or getting who she wants, with a glance cast over to Mige. A bit flustered, Jenn said her final farewells to Zoey and Tim before joining Mige on the train bound for Route 7 gate.
Boarding the train, Jenn and Mige glanced at each other and offered a supportive nod. It would be the two of them now. But they'd make it through alright if they did it together. Together...Jenn smiled over at Mige for a moment. He was just staring out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur, but she couldn't help but sort of study him for a moment. After a few moments, she turned to look out of her own window with a small smile on her face.
