Beyond the Adventure - A Pokémon Story

Chapter 14: A Dream Revelation pt3

        Sunlight peeks through the window and casts a beam right into my eyes.  I squint and shield my eyes as I get up.  I go to the window and adjust the curtain.  I am tired, but I am up and decide to not go back to sleep.  Darius and Jess are both asleep in the top bunk, with Jess spooned up against Darius.  I chuckle and take a quick picture with my Pokégear camera.  Jaws, too, is snoring away in the bed above mine.  I don’t see Skarmory, but I hear him chirp-snoring in the same bed as Jaws.  I decide to let them sleep.  I step outside and take a deep breath, taking in the fresh open air.  I look to the east and see the sun glowing an angry orange due to being partially obscured by a pillar of smoke coming from a volcano in the distance.  The colors painted across the sky are beautiful and awe-inspiring.  This is definitely the life.

        I walk along the stream, watching the Magikarp and Goldeen swim by.  A patch of Oddish bury themselves in the tall grass across the stream, hiding from the sun.  A Heracross rummages through a nearby tree, looking for food.  Another Heracross climbs down the tree and the two begin to wrestle.  Further down the stream, I hear the sounds of vehicles and men shouting.  I continue walking toward the sounds, curious as to what is going on.

        “Back up slowly!” a familiar voice shouts.  When I arrive, I see Jeff standing behind a large cargo truck.  The truck slowly backs toward him as Jeff signals the driver with hand movements.  Finally, Jeff closes his fist and the truck stops.  He climbs up the back, removes a padlock, then jumps off and pulls a lever.  The cargo door opens.

        “Skhan!”  A creature roars from within the cargo truck.  Jeff reaches into his satchel and pulls out some berries.  He holds them out and waits.  After a minute, I hear the stomps of whatever creature is on board and at last, it emerges from the cargo truck.  The large brown biped looks at the hand of berries, then slowly reaches out and takes one.  On its stomach, a small head appears from a pouch.  It takes me a moment, but I recognize the creature at the endangered Kangaskhan.  The Kangaskhan hands the berry to its baby.  The baby reaches out, takes it, and ducks back into the pouch.  Jeff steps back, encouraging Kangaskhan to step off the truck onto solid ground.  Once the beast is on the ground, the other workers close the cargo door and the driver pulls away.  Jeff tosses the berries onto the ground in front of Kangaskhan.  She sits by the pile of berries.  The baby peeks out of its mother’s pouch, looks around, then climbs out and starts eating the berries.  Jeff smiles proudly.  He then notices me watching and motions for me to come over.

        “Morning!” he says cheerfully.  “Like our newest addition?”

        I nod.  “She’s magnificent!”

        “Straight from Kanto,” he says proudly.  “It took a couple years of careful breeding and acclimatizing, but at last, we were able to bring her here.  We will need to keep a close eye on her, make sure she adjusts well, but I have a feeling she will do just fine!”

        I smile.  “That’s wonderful,” I say.

        “She’ll be off limits to visitors,” Jeff says.  “She’ll be well protected until we can get the population to increase steadily.  That won’t be for a couple more years, but once that time comes, trainers all over Hoenn can come get their very own Kangaskhan.”

        Knowing that this beautiful creature is in good hands puts me at ease.  Jeff really cares for Pokémon and takes good care of them and this park.  I now see him as a role model, someone to look up to, someone to aspire to be like.  It is a good feeling, one I have not had since Father died.

        “May I?” I ask.

        Jeff looks at me, then back at the Kangaskhan.  “Sure, I don’t see why not?” he says.  “Just take it easy.  She’s still a little skittish.”