Chapter: 06

Jerome and Gray

(…Yeah, I’m working up a plot and I finally got a map of Kanto so, I’m redirecting a lot of stuff here)

As the three traveled together, a small purple monkey with a big hand at the end of its long purple tail came running up to them in distress as it used its tail hand to elevate its height. The monkey started pointing towards the forest in distress As Ji-Ji bent down to its level. “Do you understand it?” Tiro asked with doubt. “Yes, an injured man is inside the forest!” She said with a serious look on her face. Tiro and Seki’s eyes widened as the three ran after the quick monkey.

After a few minutes of confusing running for Tiro and Seki, (because Ji-Ji lives in viridian forest with other monkey pokemon) and rocky paths (which weren’t very long) they finally reached a man with purple spiky hair in a blue hat. He was laid down on the ground with a blotch of scarlet red blood seeping from his white buttoned dressed shirt. His breathing had slowed and a pool of blood lay underneath him.

Ji-Ji put the side of her fist on her open hand. “Oh wow, my guess was really accurate wasn’t it?” She said as she looked up at Tiro. The orange haired boy hit her head with his hand. “BAKA (Japanese for: Idiot or stupid.), what the hell would you have done if you were wrong?” He asked her angrily. Ji-Ji repeated her actions. “Oh crap, I guessed wrong didn’t I, Tiro?” She looked up at said boy with a bump on her head clearly showing. He started pulling on her cheeks. “Baka, baka, baka, baka….” He continued repeatedly. “THERE’S NO TIME FOR THIS!!!” Seki yelled at her companions.

The girl ran over to the hurt man and knelt beside him. “Are you alright sir?” She asked him filled with concern. The man only stared at her half dazed. She cursed as she got out her handy first aid kit and got out a role of bandages and cloth. (I learned something from Red Cross visiting our school. I’m not sure if this is how you treat big wounds though)

She laid the cloth on the wound and started wrapping the bandage around it until she had a long piece of cloth still there. Then she used her hand to make some type of halving before bending half of the bandage back and bringing it back up to meet with its bottom half. She tied the two pieces securely together and flattened it so it was barely visible, (something I added for no reason at all).

“Tiro,” She said firmly as the boy tensed. “Hurry and get me some water!” She ordered. The boy scurried off to find water for her. “Ji-Ji,” She yelled firmly. “Yes!” The young girl responded excitedly. “Go and sit somewhere so you won’t bother us!” Seki ordered. Ji-Ji sat on a nearby rock in a depressed state. Seki took off her shirt revealing her undershirt that wasn’t as loose as the last one. She folded it and put it under the man who decided to take a snooze.

Tiro came back with the said water and immediately Seki poured it on the man. “Waaah!” The man yelped as he started flailing around at the sudden surprise of the water. Ji-Ji looked at Seki for a bit, “If you continue to flail, you’ll die.” She said. Everyone stopped.

--

The man finally stopped chugging the water bottle with an exasperated sigh of contentment. “Thanks a bunch you three really saved me and my aipom’s life back there!” He said with a happy laugh. The three travelers only nodded as Ji-Ji looked at the pile of empty water bottles. “Your welcome, but maybe we should’ve left you to die instead…” She commented before getting kicked away by Seki and punished by Tiro. “Aw, s-she’s only joking uh…” she trailed off in thought.

“Jerome.”

“Yeah, Jerome-san, she only jokes a lot except her jokes ...always …never …were … laughable ….” She said with a turn to Ji-Ji on each word. The black haired girl looked fearfully at Seki as Tiro continued to pull on her cheeks. Jerome started laughing before immediately hacking up some blood. “J-Jerome-san, you shouldn’t laugh so much or you’ll just re-open your wound!” Seki scolded him. “Hahaha, sorry, sorry,” He laughed before hacking again. “JEROME, WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST TELL YOU!?!?!” Seki yelled at him angrily. “Sorry…” he said sadly.

Seki sighed and decided to go and find food. “Well, I’m gonna go find some berries, Ji-Ji, you come too!” She said and pulled on the young girl’s ear. “Yow!!” Ji-Ji yelled as she was dragged away from the guys. Jerome smiled as he waved them good bye while Tiro only picked up a water bottle and started to drink.

“Y’know, it’s very polite and nice if you’d at least wave at them.” Jerome said looking at Tiro straight in the eye. Tiro glared back and put the water bottle down. “Why the hell should I?” He asked. Jerome smiled. “Don’t know, things just happen from time to time. Y’know?” He said Tiro continued to glare back before his Pichu and Cleffa came from no where and hid behind Tiro. “What’s wrong with you guys?” he asked before lazily looking at the empty dirt road which the two emerged from.

All of a sudden, Tiro felt a very strong impact on his cheek that sent him flying to the base of a tree. “W-what the…hell?” He said as he whipped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked directly at the smiling aipom that was perched on the shoulder of Jerome. “Sorry about that, My Aipom can get a bit…feisty.” He said with a bit of danger reflecting in his eyes. “Who are you?” Tiro asked cautiously. “Just a passerby.” Jerome said, returning to his cheerful personality once again.

He bent down and made sure to put his face near Tiro’s ear. “But I’ll tell you a secret…Team Universe is planning something big...” He said with a smile as Tiro’s eyes widened. “What do you mean…by that?” The boy growled out. “I mean…You might die.” He said and looked out to see Seki coming forward with a basket filled with Berries. Tiro only stared forward, unbelieving what he heard.

Ji-Ji, who was trying to escape from Seki earlier, had hid behind the tree Tiro was at. Her eyes were wide as she heard Jerome’s accusation. What? Tiro will…die?” She thought with fear. “Hey, Ji-Ji, how dare you run on me now!?” the young girl immediately looked up and smiled an uneasy smile. “S-sorry about that…” She said and returned to the camp where Jerome was waving excitedly at them.

Seki sat down with the basket of berries and said, “Dig in!” immediately, all of the pokemon that have been with them so far came out of their poke-balls and began to eat the food before them.

Seki looked at Jerome questioningly. “Is Aipom your only pokemon?” Seki asked. “Yes actually,” He said and returned to devouring his food with his pokemon. Seki looked around and noticed Ji-Ji was eating too much and Tiro hadn’t touched a thing. The tension was horrifying.

“Ah…excuse me...” The four looked behind Jerome and saw a boy no older than Seki wearing the uniform of Team Universe. Everyone stood up, their guard on full. The pokemon came in front of their masters, ready to attack at their command. “Oh my…Please relax, I’m not here to fight, only to retrieve.” He saw three quizzical faces directed at him and he only smiled. “Mr. Jerome, it really is best to come with me without a fight, or else something bad might happen to you sometime.” The boy said warningly. Jerome said nothing and only stared.

“Mr. Jerome…” Before he could come any closer, Seki and Ji-Ji stepped forward in a protecting manor. “Leave him alone…” Seki said in a warning tone. “We don’t want scums like you around.” The boy sighed, “Then I shall take my leave.” For now… he mentally added and left.

Tiro glared at Jerome with the intensity of A THOUSAND SUN’S!!! Naw I’m just kidding, but he was glaring at Jerome intensely (Family Guy Star Wars: Magic Johnson’s how to defeat the death star reference). “Why was there a Low life coming here?” Tiro asked anger obvious in his voice. His Pichu’s cheek started to spark off some electricity. “Ah well, I guess the jig is up!” Jerome said as he stood up to stretch.

“I escaped from Team Universe’s jail.” He said in a serious tone after stretching. Jerome inwardly smiled at their shocked faces. “How is that…possible…” Seki said, shaking a bit. Jerome pulled his hat down to cover his eyes more than before. “There are some things in the world that are better off not said, okay?” He said and returned to sitting down on the rock and devours the remaining berries.

Slowly the day went on with few words passed on to one another. Tiro had continuously glared at Jerome who continuously smiled or had a happy and mysterious aura around him. Ji-Ji avoided any eyes contact and Seki decided to b the leader and continue to act level-headed despite her cautious mind.

--

It was Night and Murkrows had decided to accompany the four as they slept.

Jerome’s eyes immediately opened up as he quietly sat up. He smiled slightly as he got out of his separate tent. He walked over to the one across from his and slowly lifted the flap. Ji-Ji lay there, sleeping soundly. Her cap was put off to the side and her little side antenna was no longer there revealing her short hair. Jerome smiled at this and slowly he took out a knife.

As he was about to strike, a hand grabbed his wrist and quickly threw him outside. Surprised he started to tumble away from the tent. Jerome looked up and his eyes met with those of angry brown ones. She started growling at him. “I should’ve known who you were…Jerome…” She said as she took out one of her poke-balls. Jerome smiled and quickly made distance between them.

“Oh, so you know who I am? Then that must means you remember how we met before?” Jerome asked with a smirk. “Shut it!” Seki yelled. “Golem, defeat him with pride!” Seki yelled, letting her anger get the best of her. The poke-ball let the rocky turtle like pokemon out. It roared in anticipation and looked at Jerome with the same anger as Seki did. “Golem aye, fine, Aipom come out a lets defeat this rock.” The purple monkey came out and smiled at its opponent.

“Aipom, Iron tail,” Jerome said. Aipom’s tail glowed as it quickly ran towards Golem. “Golem, counter with Rollout,” She ordered as Golem turned into a ball and sped towards the opponent. The two attacks did indeed collide with on another, but it seems aipom withdrew its glowing tail for only an instant.

With the sudden end of pressure for that one instant, Golem relaxed and lessened its power for only a second.

Aipom attacked.

The poor Golem was hit all the way back to skid on the dirt and halt at Seki’s feet. “G-Golem!!” She yelled with pure concern. The unyielding pokemon slowly stood up staggering a little as it tried to ignore its obvious pain. “Wow, I’m surprised you pokemon still has the energy to stand after dealing a blow like that.” Jerome said as He Aipom started to snicker. “Golem, are you okay?” The pokemon nodded and got into a fighting stance.

“Golem use Earthquake!” Seki yelled as the rock pokemon started to jump around. The ground beneath Aipom and Jerome shook. Although Jerome was able to keep himself from staggering, Aipom continuously staggered about and tripping resulting into a great deal of damage. “Now, Magnitude,” She yelled. Golem grabbed the Ground with his hands and started to shake the ground.

Aipom was still dazed though so this sudden shake startled it as it began to stumble and trip again. “Finish up with Rock throw.” Golem took a huge rock and quickly threw the rock towards the weak Aipom.

SMASH!

Seki stared disbelieving at the sight before her. “No...No way…” She whispered in shock. Aipom continued munching on the berries it had as it continuously restored its health. Its tail that was previously glowing returned to normal as it started to clear off the remaining dust. She heard clapping from its master. “Very well done, Seki,” He said as he clapped, “But you should know that even if you did train…I will still be getting stronger…no matter what.” He said. “Now Aipom, finish this with Iron tail.” He said as his Aipom sped towards Golem and finished it off.

“G-golem!” She yelled as she glared at the smirking man. “Well, don’t you have any other pokemon, Seki?” He said playfully. She glared hatefully at him, already taking out a poke-ball for her next battle…that is until,

“Thunder wave!” a voice said as it immediately strikes Jerome and Aipom. Shocked the two feel to the ground as the same boy from before came and picked Jerome up as well as return Aipom back into its Poke-ball.

“I am really sorry about this, Jerome really needs to come back and I do hate being yelled at.” Seki just looked at him with fearful and defiant eyes. “W-who—who are you?!” She yelled. The man that was currently walking stopped. “I am…Gray, a man willing to help in any possible.” He didn’t turn around as he disappeared into the darkness.

Seki gritted her teeth and punched the ground. “D-dammit!” she mumbled. “DAMMIT!!” She yelled at the air as tears streamed from her face.

--

Ji-Ji peeked out of her tent, watching Seki cried. She had seen the battle and frankly, she thought she was going to meet her demise soon. She silently thanked Seki and returned to bed.

--

“It was Gray again I presume?” Giovanni asked as he played some Checkers against an unknown opponent. “Y-Yes, sir…” a girl with purple hair said. “I see…did he catch Jerome?” Giovanni asked again. “Y-yes, sir.” The girl answered again. “I should’ve told him to not speak with others under any circumstances.” He said. “S-sir, does that mean h-he’s okay?” She asked. “Yes Rena, he is…for now.” Giovanni said as he shooed her away. The girl bowed and left. ‘Gray…just what are you planning?’ She thought grimly.

--

A/N: Terribly sorry for the long wait! (Even though no one actually reads this story…) But for those who are reading this story, please review…Please….-goes into pit of despair- Ah but anyways here is the first C/P (Chapter Preview)!

C/P: Although a bit quiet, the three travelers continue on and meet three other travelers by the names of Souhmas, Shawn, and Sue. It seems they know a lot about Team Universe but don’t like to talk about it at all, especially about Gray. What is there connection with one another? What about Seki’s relationship with Jerome? Who is this lady that is starting to continuously appear before Tiro?