Beyond the Adventure - A Pokémon Story

Chapter 2: First Steps pt2

            The midday sun shines bright and feels good against my face.  A gentle breeze blows through my messy silver hair.  It is one of my favorite things living Goldenrod City; warm sun combined with a cool ocean breeze.  All my life, I wanted to escape the busy noise of city life, and now that I am about to, I suddenly do not want to leave.  The conflicting emotions of the excitement of adventure and solemnity of leaving home swirl inside, giving me Butterfrees in my stomach.  There is so much unknown in this journey.  I have no idea what will happen, where I am going, or what I will even do when I get there.  I am unsure of how I will even keep in touch with Mother.  I suppose I will have to use the Pidgey Post in each town.

            We arrive at the Goldenrod Department Store.  The automatic double-door entrance opens wide for us and we walk through.  The store is bustling with shoppers and their Pokémon, moving from shop to shop, spending their money.  We walk over to the elevator, push the button, and go inside.  The department store has five floors, an atrium on the roof, and a basement.  I work in the basement, moving boxes around with the seven Machoke down there.  The Machoke are great workers, strong and loyal.  I will miss them, especially the one I nicknamed Brawny.  He was the strongest of them, responsible for doing the heaviest lifting.  He once picked up another Machoke and held her for a full hour, while she held the repairman fixing our lights because his ladder broke.  He always opted to work with me over everyone else down there.  Yeah, I will miss him very much.

            The elevator chimes and the doors open.  Jaws and I step into the basement.  It must be a truck day, for the Machoke and the employees are busy moving and stacking boxes, while other employees unpack them.  I find the dock manager, Craig.  He smiles at me.

            “Hey, Crono!” he greets warmly.  “Isn’t today your day off?”

            I nod.  “Yes, it is, but that’s not why I’m here.”

            Jaws looks around at the Machoke in awe.  He looks genuinely impressed at the strength of the creatures carrying all these heavy loads.  He hops excitedly.  I spy Brawny coming out of the truck with an armload of boxes.  He sees me, runs to put the boxes down, and then runs up to greet me.

            “Ma-ma-CHOKE!” he bellows with joy.  I laugh and offer a high five.  He slaps my hand like I taught him, causing my very bones to vibrate painfully.  I wince with a grin and shake my hand.

            “Good to see you, Brawny!” I say.

            Jaws looks up in awe at the muscular Pokémon.  He walks up to Brawny’s leg and gently touches his muscular calf.  Brawny looks down.

            “MA-choke!” he says.  Jaws grins and waves.  Brawny reaches down and picks up Jaws, looking him in the eye.  Then he looks at me.  “Ma-choke-choke?”

            “Huh?” I look at him for a moment, then nod.  “Oh, yeah, go ahead, if it’s okay with Craig.  Sir, he’d like to take a break to play with Jaws.”

            Brawny looks at Craig eagerly.  Craig smiles and nods.  “Go ahead.”

            Brawny tosses Jaws into the air excitedly and catches him.  The thrilled, yet nervous look on Jaws’ face is priceless.  The two trot off to play.

            “I don’t know how you do it,” Craig says.  “I’ve been working with these Machoke for six years and I still don’t understand them.  Then you come in for barely a year and can have full blown conversations with them!”

            I just shrug.  “I don’t know either, sir,” I say.  “I just… understand them.”

            Craig chuckles.  “Quite the talent, I’d say.  Also, quite the unusual Pokémon you have there.  Never seen anything like it.”