Eight and Beyond!

[Stella]

(OOC: Heyo, folks. This RP is between JayJay and I. Short posts are short. We're doing our best. Practice makes perfect, right?)

“Bite him, Growlithe!” The Pokemon jumped into the air and grabbed onto the foe Rattata with it’s teeth. The Rattata quickly shook off the fierce Pokemon and prepared a counter move.

“Rattata, don‘t give it up yet! Use your quick attack!” The foe trainer put a smile on his face. The Rattata dashed quickly to the left and right of the Growlithe’s vision then clashed into its side. The Pokemon fell over, wounded from the fight. It was tired from the fight.

“I believe in you, Growlithe. Can you give it one more shot?” The female trainer clenched her fist in hopes of her young Pokemon being able to continue. Her Growlithe stood up once more, standing its ground. “Finish him off with Ember, my friend.” The Pokemon drew in a breath and released with several embers of fire flowing through the air, attacking the purple Pokemon in front of them. The Rattata then fainted.

“No!” the opponent cried out. He fell to his knees, saddened by the loss. The female trainer walked up to him, putting the exhausted Rattata in her arms. She held out an open hand to him, helping him up. It was obvious now that he was younger than her. He looked about the age of ten.

“Hey, kiddo.“ He looked up to her, observing her face. “Don’t get so down. You nearly had me beat for a minute there.” She put his Pokemon back into his arms. “Train your Pokemon and they’ll get stronger. Maybe we’ll meet again someday and we can battle again. Good luck in Kanto.” The boy smiled. She stood up and walked over to her Pokemon, which was patiently waiting for its trainer to return. “Great job today. You deserve a rest, my friend. Return to your Pokeball.” The Growlithe flashed red and the Pokeball she now held had closed.

The female trainer returned back to the deck to catch a view of the sunset. She peered over the railing and relaxed. She smiled, reflecting back on her cruise. The S.S. Anne would be docking in Vermillion City, Kanto, tomorrow afternoon. The boat had traveled all around the world from Kanto to Unova and back again. The two weeks of her vacation were coming to a close. She sat down in a lounge chair and picked up a magazine. Moments later, a woman walked up to her.

"Miss...?"

"Powell. Claire Powell."

"Well, Miss Powell, would you like an Oran berry? I'm handing them out to the trainers on deck"

"Yes, please. And thank you."

Given the Oran berry, Claire called out her Growlithe and handed the young Pokemon the snack. After eating it, young pup curled up on a pillow beside her. Its coat glimmered in the sunlight. Some distance away, several trainers were peering over the edge of the boat.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay Pyle yawned as he got out of bed from his afternoon nap. Before leaving his assigned cabin on the S.S. Anne, he decided to get changed into a new green short-sleeve shirt with a dark blue vest and blue jeans. His Cyndaquil, stretching out on the bed, then climbed onto JayJay's shoulder. JayJay glanced out the window as the sun was starting to set over the blue and orange horizon. He put on his black shoes and deposited his wristbands onto his vest pocket.


"Hey, buddy." JayJay looked at his Pokemon. "What do you want to do?" The Cyndaquil replied with a yawn along with a soft and cheerful cry." JayJay laughed a bit. He felt a little tired like his partner did. "Yeah, me too."


JayJay walked out onto the observation deck, noting the water Pokemon following the boat. He smiled. As he leaned over the edge of the rail, he glanced around the deck to see how many trainers were out. Afterwards, he headed over to the lounge chairs to find a place to sit and relax until they arrived in Kanto.

 

[Stella]

(OOC: Remember to take your time. I'm not going to give you crap for short posts and such. Get into the action on deck. Join a crowd. Y'know, whatever you want to do. Follow your heart and write it down. If you take a while writing a post, then so be it. I don't care. It's your post. I can only give you pointers. I can't force you to change something unless you want to.)

In her glancing around, Claire started to daydream a bit of what it would be like in Kanto. She had no idea what she'd do once she was back in Vermillion. Being back home after a month long vacation overseas would be strange. She was sure she'd miss the feeling of the boat rocking her to sleep at night once she was back home. Claire began to wonder if anything would be different after she had returned. Living with a single mother and younger sister, there would be no telling what could possibly happen over a month's period.

In secrecy, Claire Powell dreamed of becoming a trainer. If it was going to the Indigo League or making it to the Grand Festival, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Winning all eight badges from the gym leaders across the map would take her farther than most trainers ever make it.

Claire awakened from her daydream when she saw a shadow pass by her. Realizing it was someone looking for a seat, she called them over. "Hey, there's a seat available over here if you're looking for one!" She smiled and waved her hand in greeting. The teenager looked about her age and wore a green short-sleeve shirt with a dark blue vest, along with jeans to match his outfit. She took note of the Cyndaquil on his shoulder. It most likely meant that he was from the Johto region, which was the second stop at the beginning of the cruise.

Claire's Growlithe watched the boy as it stretched out, then turned over to its other side to lay on. She rubbed the small pup's belly until it fell asleep.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay thought as he walked around, heading to the lounge chairs, about what the challenge would be like in Kanto, seeing as he wanted to take on the Indigo Plato before he challenged the Silver Conference

JayJay noticed the kind young woman tell him about the seat the was open next to her

"Oh, thank you!"

Cyndaquil let out a frightened cry and tried to hide down the back of his vest

He chuckled and tried to get his tiny pokemon out of the vest. He ends up taking the vest of and letting Cyndaquil use the vest to hide in.

"Sorry about him, he's very timid around new people
I'm JayJay"

JayJay held his hand out for a handshake while he looked over her and her pokemon

 

[Stella]

The trainer noticed Claire's offering and came over to her. "Oh, thank you!" he said. She smiled, glad to see he had found a seat after all.

Claire watched as his Cyndaquil squirmed inside of his vest of fear. She giggled a bit. As the Pokemon settled into the vest after the boy removed it, Claire's Growlithe hopped up into her lap. Glancing at the wiggling vest, the Pokemon jumped down and glanced over the edge of the boy's chair. Growlithe let out a playful little bark and pulled up the edge of the clothing to peek inside.

The two owners laughed together at the sight. "Sorry about him," JayJay started. "He's very timid around new people. I'm JayJay." He extended his hand out to Claire, in which she accepted with a smile. "Claire. Claire Powell. Pleased to meet you. I couldn't help but wonder if you were from Johto, seeing as you own a Cyndaquil. I hear Professor Elm gave away a set of Pokemon to eager trainers, just as Professor Oak of Kanto did. I assumed you were one of them." She pulled her hand back to put back her magazine, then lean back into her chair. Claire was beginning to get sleepy, seeing as it was nearing evening. Dinner had not even started yet, which was a sad thought to her. She had skipped lunch earlier that day.

 

[JayJay]

Cyndaquil was startled by the Growlithe moving the vest and jumped out, his body covering the Growlithe's eyes in an odd poke-rodeo. JayJay laughed at his partner and replied to Claire

"It's nice to meet you, too. I am from Johto, but it was actually my brother who was one of the trainers to get a Pokemon from my friend, Professor Elm. He went on a journey and sent me an egg a few months later. Out of that egg hatched my little timid Cyndaquil. We haven't trained much, but I decided that we ought to head on a journey to find my brother. He said I could only find him after I beat the Indigo Plateau and the Silver Conference" JayJay finished with a smile

He sat down in the chair and tilted back a bit to relax, then he looked back to Claire

"So what are you on the SS. Anne for?" He inquired

 

[Stella]

Claire laughed at the tiny rodeo happening between the two Pokemon. She pet her Growlithe on the head and smiled, then turned back to JayJay. Claire listened to JayJay's explanation, interested at how he managed to obtain his Pokemon. As he concluded, she returned his smile. "So, what are you on the S.S. Anne for?"

Claire pondered through the many thoughts in her head that could tell why she went on the S.S. Anne. "My main reason was to relax and explore other regions a bit." She stretched out. "I'm from Vermillion City, the last stop of the cruise in Kanto. I wanted this sort of adventure in my life. Something that gave me a sense of adrenaline, maybe. Like how Pokemon trainers collect their gym badges and go to the Elite at the end of their main journey. I don't know what I want to do with my life. Exploration is what I love, however." Claire glanced up to the sky, as if thinking. "My Growlithe was a family pet, given to me by my father before my parents split up a few years ago. My younger sister wanted to take Growlithe on her Pokemon journey someday, but Mother insisted I did first."

Claire sighed and picked up her young pup, cradling it in her arms. "Life is just too short, and I don't know what to do with it. Maybe I'll eventually take a journey to face the Indigo Plateau. To gain all eight badges from all eight gyms across the region." Claire shrugged and stroked her Growlithe gently. "Maybe it's my destiny. Who knows in this Pokemon world?"

 

[JayJay]

While Claire gave her reasons, JayJay listened intently. He wondered what life was like in Kanto, and how other people trained their Pokemon and themselves to handle all the things that could happen

"Maybe it's my destiny. Who knows in this Pokemon world?" Were the last words in her description. At that moment Cyndaquil jumped off of Growlithe and back onto JayJay's lap to curl up

"That's my dream. I wanna get all eight badges from each region, and take on the Indigo Plateau and the Silver Conference so I can finally find my brother. It's our ultimate game, Hide and Seek."

JayJay pondered something for a moment, then asked Claire "What do you want to do when you get back home tomorrow?"

 

[Stella]

"That's my dream. I wanna get all eight badges from each region, and take on the Indigo Plateau and the Silver Conference so I can finally find my brother. It's our ultimate game, Hide and Seek." He looked as if he was thinking for a moment. "What do you want to do when you get back home tomorrow?"

Claire sighed. She had no idea. "If you want me to be honest, I have no idea what I want to do. Most of my friends from back home moved away a couple years ago, so I'm a little lonely back in Vermillion." She glanced out over the horizon as the sun had finished setting over the ocean. "I want some sort of fun in my life, so maybe taking on the Indigo Plateau would be something to surely put me on track."

The Growlithe was very exhausted now after the bit of play and had fallen asleep in her arms. Claire wanted adventure. She wanted the feeling of adrenaline in her life. She longed for new sights and barriers to break through.

"Can I ask you something?" Claire sat up, putting her feet back on the wooden deck. "If you go on the journey..." she paused, unsure if it was right to ask JayJay the question. "If you go on the journey, can I tag along with you?"

 

[JayJay]

"If you go on the journey, can I tag along with you?" She said with an air of caution, as if she wasn't sure of herself. JayJay gave a warm smile and looked to his Cyndaquil, who had heard the question and perked up a bit

"Yeah, that sounds great! I'd love some more company. What do you think Cyndaquil?"

Cyndaquil gave out a small dance of some kind, but JayJay knew that to be the "Yes" dance. So it was decided. JayJay stood up and offered his hand to her. His Cyndaquil climbed up onto his shoulder and held on as a small gust of wind blew through due to a flock of Pidgy flying overhead, heading to Vermillion City.

"Come with me quick. You need to meet my other Pokemon if we're gonna travel together" He said with a kind smile

 

[Stella]

"Yeah, that sounds great! I'd love some more company. What do you think, Cyndaquil?"

At that moment, Claire let out a sigh of relief. Watching the happiness in JayJay's Pokemon had put her at ease with her decision. When JayJay held his hand out to her, she took it and stood up with a thankful smile on her face.

"Come with me, quick. You need to meet my other Pokemon if we're gonna travel together." The two watched one another briefly, then walked off together to JayJay's cabin.

While walking to the cabin, Claire began to wonder if her mother would allow her to go out on a Pokemon journey. Claire was determined to enjoy life outside the walls of Vermillion City. However, something inside of her told her that her mother would disagree in her choice. When they returned to Vermillion the next day, Claire would need a plan. She didn't tell JayJay out of choice, not wanting to have his decision be changed. By this time tomorrow, Claire would be out of the walls of Vermillion and on the way to Pewter City, the first step in the Pokemon journey.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay lead the way to his cabin and opened the door. A wave of panic hit him like a truck, his cabin was in shambles and the PokeBall that was on top of his messenger bag was gone.

"OH NO! GROWLITHE!"

He dove into the mess, searching furiously for the PokeBall, his Cyndaquil helping as well. He turned things up on end, tossed the furniture around, and dumped his bag, sending clothes and supplies everywhere

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, NO! Who could have done this?!"

He made a second sweep of the mess, then quickly withdrew his wristbands and donned his vest, a look of steel will and iron determination on his face and he exited the cabin

"I need your help, someone stole my Growlithe" He said to Claire with no cheer in his speech. He seemed almost a different person when someone he cared about was in trouble and it showed right now

 

[Stella]

Claire waited patiently outside of JayJay's door, waiting for him to come out. At the sound of his sudden yelling, though she couldn't make out what he was saying, she was sure something was wrong. Claire put her hand to the door, leaning close to it. She was trying to find out what was wrong. Then, the door opened up. Inside the cabin, it was turned almost upside down in such a mess. Claire could only come to one conclusion: JayJay's cabin had been robbed.

"I need your help. Someone stole my Growlithe." She noticed the sudden change of JayJay's entire person. At that moment, Claire felt her heartbeat speed up in worry of the stolen Pokemon. As night now had risen over the S.S. Anne, Claire knew that the recovery of JayJay's Pokemon was now a race against the clock.

"We need to move now or we may be too late to save your Pokemon. Not many people are out on deck right now, which is going to make it easier for us. For all we know, the perpetrator could vary from a trainer all the way to a Team Rocket grunt." Claire put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find your Pokemon."

 

[JayJay]

"We need to move now or we may be too late to save your Pokemon. Not many people are out on deck right now, which is going to make it easier for us. For all we know, the perpetrator could vary from a trainer all the way to a Team Rocket grunt." Claire put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find your Pokemon."

JayJay felt reassured by her words, then looked to his Cyndaquil, whose Timid nature vanished as the red patches of fur on his back ignited into a roaring flame

"You ready Cyndaquil? This is unacceptable and I won't let anyone get away with it"

He cracked his neck and expanded his chest to pop his ribs before readjusting his wristbands, his muscles bulging and his icy blue eyes set. JayJay headed down the hall and back to the deck, ready to investigate

 

[Stella]

Claire took a separate path from JayJay to expand out the search. Multiple hallways led to doors after doors. As she prepared to turn a corner, she heard voices coming down the hall.

"Yeah, boss. We got the kid good..." Claire listened in, assuming the speaker was on a phone. "...No, we split up in case he set chase. I doubt the kid will find me. I mean, one of us has the Pokeball and he'd have to get lucky to guess which one of us."

Claire was just about to send her Growlithe out to JayJay as a warning when the grunt turned around in his moment of pacing.

"Hey! There's a girl that's been listening in!... Right, boss. Over and out." The grunt and Claire instantly went into hand to hand combat. Claire hoped that JayJay would find the other grunt in the case her opponent didn't have the stolen Pokemon.

"Hand over the Pokemon already. Give it up!" she yelled out.

"How do you know I have it? The other guy might." The grunt smirked.

"Well then, let's just find out. Team Rocket, meet Claire Powell!" She attacked with a strong kick.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay began to dash around the deck with Cyndaquil not more than a foot behind when he noticed a figure in a trench coat on a phone. He skidded to a halt and heard the last part of a conversation

"That doofus, figures he'd be busted in no time flat, alright, I'll go help him. Over and out"

The figure turns and their eyes meet, JayJay's frosty stare meeting his lax grin, a PokeBall in his hand and an R on his shirt

"Oh, so you already found me? Well, not like you can do anything about it, punk"

"HAND OVER MY POKEBALL!" JayJay roared out and chargeed with his giant fist cocked

The man dodged with ease and returned with a swift kick. JayJay skided back and noticed him pull out his own PokeBall and toss it into the air.

"Golbat, I choose you!" He called forth as the ball opened and a beam of white light materialized into a mean looking Golbat

"You think you can take me on, you're nothing but a little kid"

"WE'LL SHOW YOU, GO, CYNDAQUIL!! EMBER!" JayJay pointed forward as Cyndaquil leapt up and sprayed tiny rockest of fire at the Golbat

 

[Stella]

The swift kick landed into the Team Rocket grunt's side, pushing him back against the wall. She cringed in pain slightly, failing to deal the blow properly.

"That's going to cost you, kiddo." Inside the jacket of the grunt, he pulled out a Pokeball. "Come get it if you want it." Claire's ankle was aching from the failed kick, but continued on. The grunt was defending more than she could land a hit on the offensive. He was far more skilled than her.

"That's it! My dear friend, I need you!" She threw a Pokeball up into the air, revealing it to be her Growlithe. The grunt threw one of his own Pokeballs, a Kirlia inside, and accepted the challenge.

"Kirlia, use Confusion!" From its hands, the Kirlia released large rings of energy that circled around Growlithe. The Pokemon then became dizzy. Growlithe sat down and kept rubbing its furry face.

"Shake it off, Growlithe. Use Ember! We've got to save JayJay's Pokemon!"

 

[JayJay]

"Golbat dodge and use Leech Life!" The man declared as he jumped up to kick JayJay. JayJay took the kick to his head and fell back. He hit his skull on the wall, but quickly leapt back up. The Golbat bit Cyndaquil, then threw him back into JayJay. JayJay caught Cyndaquil and set him back down.

"CYNDAQUIL, EXTRASENSORY!!"

Cyndaquil's eyes glowed teal and a shockwave of psychic energy blasted from his head and slamed into the Golbat. The Golbat flew awkwardly for a moment, then shook it off and chargeed forward again

"Golbat, wing attack!"

"CYNDAQUIL, EMBER!!"

Golbat meet the Ember head on and the small explosion that ensued cloaked it. The thre wait for a moment, then see Golbat fall out of the cloud of smoke, KO'D

"Useless Pokemon! But it doesn't matter, I don't have your Pokemon, doofus does and he's probably off- BWAH!!

JayJay cut off the Rocket grunt with a solid right hook and dashed off with Cyndaquil in his arms resting

 

[Stella]

After a few moves thrown at each other's Pokemon, it was obvious that the two trainers were far too evenly matched when it came to their Pokemon.

"Give it up now, Team Rocket." Claire called out.

"If you want this Pokeball, you're going to have to come and get me." The grunt was taunting Claire to attack him again, knowing she would injure herself if she attacked with another kick that was off-center.

"I'm getting his Pokemon back, no matter what. You steal from enough people to give them hurt for a lifetime. I won't let you do it again." Running up to the grunt, they briefly got in a fast-paced combat. Their Pokemon were watching from a short distance, seeing as they couldn't interfere. Claire then threw another swift kick, in which the grunt turned slightly. He was thrown back to the floor, dropping the Pokeball, and Claire was knocked back a step or two. Her Growlithe ran and grabbed JayJay's Pokeball in its mouth.

"You win today, but Team Rocket is always watching." The grunt got up, though limping from the pain in his body. Claire then turned and watched his Pokemon follow him.

"Thanks, Growlithe." Claire pet the Pokemon on the head. She stood against a wall, trying to reduce some of the pain on her ankle. Claire heard JayJay's footsteps nearby. "Over here!" she called, hoping her voice would echo.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay heard Claire call out "Over here!" and rushed to aid her. He steadied her, then took her arm gently so she could lean on him, his heart pounding from the fight.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

He kept them both steady as he walked her back to the observation lounge to find a chair for her to rest in. He noticed the PokeBall in Growlithe mouth and asked the little Pokemon for it. Once he had it, he called out his own Growlithe

"Growlithe, come on out!"

Growlithe came from the white beam of the PokeBall and barked playfully

 

[Stella]

As the two returned back to the upper decks, Claire released from JayJay's grip to sit down. She removed her tennis shoes, observing her ankle carefully. Claire cringed when she tried to move it.

"Are you alright? What happened?" she remembered JayJay asking before the two left the hall. Her Growlithe now sat next to her in the chair.

"Team Rocket happened. The grunt had your Pokeball and I was trying to get it back. My kick was off-center and so I sprained my ankle. It's not too bad, but it still hurts." Claire leaned back in the chair, now watching the moon rise over the horizon. "My to-do list today was breakfast, contest, packing up, then bed. Not on the list does it say for me to kick Team Rocket's butt." She laughed a bit.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay laughed a bit with her. watching the moon rise reminded him of his brother and the fun they had together before he left for his journey. The day he received the Hide and Seek letter reminded him of those times and how fun they were. He had a very similar feeling around Claire. He enjoyed her company despite hardly knowing her. He was happy she wanted to travel with him, even if it seemed a bit sudden. He knelt down and felt her ankle, trying to be delicate before he got back up and went to get some ice

"Thank you very much, Claire. You don't know how much it means to me that you helped. I'm gonna go get some ice and notify the Captain of Team Rocket. I'll be back in a flash. Cyndaquil, Growlithe, stay with Claire"

 

[Stella]

"Thank you very much, Claire. You don't know how much it means to me that you helped. I'm gonna go get some ice and notify the Captain of Team Rocket. I'll be back in a flash. Cyndaquil, Growlithe, stay with Claire"

Claire smiled as he walked away. She hadn't felt this happy inside in such a long time. Even going on the cruise wasn't as satisfying as that moment. Claire could sense that JayJay trusted her, despite the short time knowing one another. She believed that, together, they'd become great trainers. For all they knew, they could go to the Champion together.

Though, secretly, even Claire knew that it would take much convincing to get her mother to agree. She had to come up with a back-up plan, just in case her mother disallowed her to go. Thoughts of what she could do, and a way to say goodbye, washed into her mind like waves breaking on a shore. Though, she was too tired to focus. Soon enough, she dosed off to sleep in the lounge chair.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay went to the bar and got ice, the told a sailor to notify the captain. He also ordered two tall glasses of ice water before heading back to the chairs. He saw claire sleeping and decided not to wake her. He quietly put her drink on the small table next to her and then sat down in his chair, their Pokemon resting on her lap keeping her warm. JayJay laid back with his glass against his head to relieve a headache.

 

[Stella]

Hearing her watch start beeping, Claire woke up groggily and glanced at her watch. "Eleven o'clock PM," she said sleepily. Rubbing her face, she sat up and glanced over to JayJay. "Hey, you're back." She smiled gently, though it was obvious she was tired. Her Growlithe hopped up into her lap and rubbed against her. "I really should be getting back to my cabin. It's late and I need some sleep. I can tell you do too."

 

[JayJay]

"I really should be getting back to my cabin. It's late and I need some sleep. I can tell you do too." She said. He took the glass from his head and motioned to them bag of ice for her ankle

"Here. lemme help you to your cabin, then you can get some sleep" He said in a soft voice. His Growlithe and Cyndaquil hop out of her lap and head to him. He stands up and downs his drink before offering her a hand up

"Thanks again for your help, Claire, I don't know what i would have done if Team Rocket stole my Growlithe"

 

[Stella]

"Here. Lemme help you to your cabin. Then you can get some sleep." Claire smiled. She took his outstretched hand and stood up, balancing against JayJay who had his arm around her for safety. "Thanks again for your help, Claire. I don't know what I would have done if Team Rocket stole my Growlithe."

"Trainers help other trainers right? Trainers also don't let other trainers get tag-teamed by the Rockets either." She laughed. "That's what friends are for." The two continued off to her cabin as the lights began to dim down on the ship.

 

[JayJay]

"Trainers help other trainers right? Trainers also don't let other trainers get tag-teamed by the Rockets either." She laughed. "That's what friends are for." she said as the two continued off to her cabin as the lights began to dim down on the ship. He smiled and helped her to her cabin and let her open the door, keeping her steady the whole time. "I think this is the fastest I've ever made a friend" He chuckled as he helped her to her bed. The Pokemon walked behind them, then danced about in the room a bit.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked in a kind tone, ready to help Claire with anything she might need.

JayJay has always liked being helpful, and his friends always come before him. He's literally given his shirt of his back to someone in need and it didn't bother him a bit.

 

[Stella]

"I think this is the fastest I've ever made a friend." JayJay chuckled. Claire giggled a bit. The two Growlithes and Cyndaquil danced together in the room a bit as Claire sat down on the bed. "Do you need anything else?" he asked in a friendly tone of voice.

Claire thought of him highly being that he was so kind to her. She propped her ankle up on the bed and grabbed a nearby roll of cloth bandages, wrapping them around her sprained ankle. "I think I'll be fine tonight. I really should thank you for all of your help. I don't know how I would've made my way back here if you didn't come when you did. I owe you one for it."

 

[JayJay]

"I owe you?" JayJay laughs a bit "No way, You saved my Growlithe, I just helped you to your cabin, I owe you big time" JayJay helps her with her bandages, then nods to her before getting ready to head out of the room.

"Well then, Claire, I'll see you tomorrow" He says with a warm smile, his Cyndaquil climbs up to his shoulder and his Growlithe jumps at his ankles

 

[Stella]

"Of course. Until then," Claire said, bidding farewell. She waved as the trio exited the room. Laying back on her bed, Claire replayed the day's events in her head. The day had passed by so fast, but it was calming to think about at the end of the day. Claire noted JayJay's gracefulness and was surely thankful that he had given her a hand when she got the sprain.

As Claire prepared for bed, her laptop made a ringing sound under her blanket. Her mother was calling. Claire answered it dreadfully.

"It's about time you guys got back in range of any internet. You must be close to Vermillion." The image of her mother's profile picture popped up on the computer to symbolize that it was she who called.

"Yeah. Probably will be there by dawn." Claire yawned. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something. I talked to a guy on the cruise today, and he's decided to head out on a journey to the Indigo League. I wanna go with him, but I told him that I did need to find out what you were going to say."

"You know I'd disagree with that. With your father not here anymore, someone's gotta watch out for Gabrielle."

"Can't you hire a sitter during the day? I really want to do this, Mom. Heck, you can take the money out of my savings. I practically saved up until I could buy an apartment in another city when I got a little older."

"When you dock in the morning, just come straight home. No questions asked."

"Mom, that's not fair. Every one of my friends are out on their journey, and you won't let me take mine?"

"Because I know you're not ready."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I love you too, honey. Goodnight."

Claire closed the call without a reply. She was angry. "I'll show her who's ready tomorrow. I'll face the Indigo League, whether she approves or not. I'll go the full eight and beyond." With that said, Claire put her computer down and laid back on her bed to think over a plan.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay made it back to his cabin and started cleaning up. With the help of his Pokemon, they were done shortly and he headed to shower. JayJay toke of his vest, then left the bathroom do something else quick He returned Growlithe to his Pokeball and got his PokeGear from his bag.

"I hope I can get a call into Professor Elm this late, then again, he doesn't sleep much either" JayJay sends the call and it's answered in moments by a wide awake Professor Elm, a cup of coffee in one hand, a Pokemon Egg in the other

"Oh, Hello there, JayJay, You're up late. What's going on?"

"Hey, Professor, I was just wondering if the package I sent arrived" JayJay inquired

"Oh, you mean the stone? Yes Yes, Thank you very much, It arrived here a few hours ago. Yes, evolutionary stones are quite peculiar. Say, did you use the stone on your Growlithe yet?"

"No, I was gonna wait a while" He went to his bag and pulled out a glowing Fire Stone, then walked back to his PokeGear "It's still here"

"Ah, I see, well, that's fine, too. I hope you find it useful. Oh, by the way, your brother was here earlier and wanted me to read you a note if you called"

"Oh? How was he? Was he still alright?" JayJay asked with anticipation

Elm chuckles a bit. "Yes Yes, he was fine, he seemed to be in great health, and told me he was looking forward to seeing you once your journey got that far. His note reads 'JayJay, I wanted you to know I sent a surprise for you to the Pokemon Center in Vermillion CIty. I know you'll find it very useful, but it'll take some time for it to work. I can't wait to see you -Hans'"

"Alright! I wonder what kind of surprise. Thanks Professor! I'll call again soon"

"Good bye for now, JayJay" Elm hung up his PokeGear and JayJay hung up his, really happy for tomorrow. He looked at his Cyndaquil and gave his buddy a thunbs up before heading back to the bathroom to shower.

 

[Stella]

Despite all the plotting she tried to come up with, there was only one solution that seemed the most firm. Claire had a plan to get out of her mother's ruling. She wrote on a piece of paper of the final details. In summary, her plan was to escape the household at night with JayJay should he still be in Vermillion by evening. Full of exhaustion from the long day, Claire drifted off to sleep. Her Growlithe curled up beside her and also was drowsy enough to fall into the realm of dreams.

 

[JayJay]

(OCC, we're fast-forwarding to the next morning)

JayJay stirs awake on the floor after a night of nightmares, his Cyndaquil sleeping on his chest. He chuckles a bit and stretches before standing up while holding his Cyndaquil in his arms. He slept in a pair of gray shorts and a black tank top. He lays his Cyndaquil down on the bed and checks the time. Only 4:00 am.

"Hm, oh well, let's get to work, JayJay"

He begins to do push-ups and starts counting

 

[Stella]

The cruise would be headed to a close within the next few hours as they neared Vermillion City in Kanto. Claire was fast asleep until later that morning. She was dreaming about making her journey to the Indigo League and successfully obtaining the title of Champion. Claire squirmed a bit in her sleep, of absolute joy, and thus woke up her Pokemon partner. The Growlithe browsed around the room and started batting around a Pokeball that was on the floor.

 

[JayJay]

"196 . . . 197 . . . 198 . . . 199 . . . 200!" JayJay collapses on the floor in a small puddle of sweat. His Cyndaquil was working his little heart out, wearing a Power Anklet and dashing around the room. JayJay gets back up and starts the shower and a bath in the sink for Cyndaquil. After they get cleaned up, JayJay gets dressed in a black t-shirt, his dark blue vest, a pair of black jeans, and his black shoes. He deposits his wristbands in his vest pockets and starts packing his bag. Once he finishes, he and his Cyndaquil exit the cabin and head to the deck, fully stocked with his messenger bag and the confidence of a new day. JayJay makes it to the lounge chairs and relaxes a bit

 

[Stella]

Claire woke up about nine o'clock that morning. She stretched out a bit and then got changed for the day to a white, short-sleeve, shirt and black jacket, along with her red scarf. Heading out to the deck, walking carefully with her sprain, she met up with JayJay in the lounge area.

"Morning. You must be tired. You surely look like it." She laughed, then laid back in a chair, watching the region in the distance slowly come closer.

 

[JayJay]

"Morning. You must be tired. You surely look like it." were the first words he heard since he left his cabin. He smiled a bit, then chuckled.

"Yeah 200 push-ups before breakfast will do that to a guy" JayJay said with his usual kindness. He looked at the region coming into view and he became visibly excited.

"We've waited a long time for this, huh, Cyndaquil?" He petted his Pokemon and looked to Claire. he noticed her new clothes and her ankle looking a lot better. "You excited to be going home?"

 

[Stella]

"You excited to be going home?" The question almost burned in her brain, because, in all honesty, that was the one thing she wasn't looking forward to.

"If you want the truth, and I'm sure you do, I'm not. Frankly, I could enjoy another week on the cruise. It's not like I'm seasick anymore." She laughed a bit. "Yeah, I did get a bit seasick the first day. But, anyway, going back home is the absolute last thing on my mind."

Claire glanced up at the sky, wondering if she should tell JayJay her plans before they left the docks. She didn't know if he'd be in town the entire day or if he'd leave and come back to Vermillion. Then again, she believed he most likely expected her to join on the journey first thing after checking in at home.

 

[JayJay]

He heard her say she wasn't happy to go home and a quizzical frown came to his lips and he cocked his head. He moved a bit closer.

"Oh, and why not?" He tried to read her body language and figure out the dilemma about her returning home "Is something wrong?"