Pokémon Journeys - Pt. XII - An Old Friend

[tenebrae]

Preface: ShowHide

Progress is slow on new chapters but I don't want to rush through potentially important story points. The next few will probably be shorter, like this one. They will still be important though! I am about ¼ through the next chapter too! No ETA but likely this year! *fingers crossed*

Link to the Beginning

The "Cut Tree" erupted into existence behind us. I decided I would call them this because of the need to use HM Cut to get past them.
"Jus' ta le' ya know, I waz goin' easy on ya," Lt. Surge said, playfully winking at me. This was slightly off putting, but I went with the flow.
"What was that Pokémon you used at the end?" I asked the gym leader. "You said it was a Raichu but I've never seen one that looks like that before."
"Ah yes! It was indeed a Raichu. Ya see, I evolved it when I was overseas. I was quite surprised by it too, but everyone tol' me all Pikachu evolve into that particular type of Raichu o'er ther'."
"I see," I nodded in reply, not completely understanding how or why that would happen. There was still so much I had left to learn about Pokémon.
"An' then, after I go' back ta Kanto, I did'n' know what ta do wit meself. Joined a gang, did some dirty work, even challenged tha Pokémon League. Los' tha' one o' course." He let out a hearty laugh. "So I se'tled on becoming' a Gym Leader, an' 'ere I am." He let out another laugh as we walked past the boundary of the gym building.

We continued walking for a bit longer, Lt. Surge telling me all about his time as a gym leader and all the battles he's had in the past.
"So there's someone I wanna intradoose ya to," Lt. Surge said, abruptly shifting the conversation as the doors to the Pokémon Centre opened in front of us. "After you," he said, motioning me forwards. We walked into the building and the doors closed behind us.
"He's an ol' mate o' mine back from ma days servin' the military," Lt. Surge continued as we walked up to the counter. "He'll be glad to meet ya."
We both handed over our Poké Balls to Nurse Joy and the familiar jingle rang out as our Pokémon were healed in a matter of seconds. It made me wonder why we had to buy Potions and other healing items when the technology in the Pokémon Centre was offered for free. I was about to open my mouth to inquire with Nurse Joy when Lt. Surge quickly spoke up.
"Thanks agen, Nurse," he said in a loud booming voice. "Us Gym Leaders would be in a wee pickle without ya help!" He gave her the same wink he gave me earlier before turning back to me.
"C'mon le's get goin'," he said to me, much softer this time.
I thanked Nurse Joy for treating my Pokémon and followed the Gym Leader out the Pokémon Centre.

"This way," he said, taking the lead and setting off in one direction. I had to quicken my pace slightly to keep up wth his large stride.

***

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We arrived at a small house on the water's edge. I knocked lightly on the wooden door.
"C'mon, ya gotta knock a lil harder," Lt. Surge said, reaching past me and bashing on the door. Any harder and I felt like he might knock the door clean off it's hinges.
"Come in, come in!" a weak voice called out from the other side of the door.
I gently pushed open the door and walked into the small building, Lt. Surge stepping in behind me. The door closed with a loud bang. I found myself inside a moderately sized room with a moderately sized table in the centre. Against he back wall was a moderately sized couch and sitting in the centre was... an old man. He smiled softly when I saw him, but quickly glanced away upon noticing Lt. Surge.
"Welcome!" he said with mild enthusiasm. He beckoned me towards him and I cautiously approached. Despite Lt. Surge's overbearing aura, the room was filled with a gentle aura.
"Don't be shy, dear," the man said, noticing my apprehension. "I don't bite!"
He let out a raspy laugh that evolved into a coughing fit.
"Excuse me, my lungs aren't what they used to be."
He let out that soft smile again.
"Come now, sit down." He motioned to the side of the table opposite him, where there was another smaller couch. I took up his offer. The couch was quite comfortable after the big battle earlier and I let myself sink into its soft cushions. That comfort quickly ended when Lt. Surge sat down beside me, shifting the delicate balance created by the cushions.
"Now now, let's see..." the man said. "Welcome! To the Pokémon Fan Club! I'm the chairman here!"
I looked around the room, noting photos of various Pokémon and who was probably their Trainers on the walls. "What brings you here?"
It was at this point Lt. Surge piped up. "Oi Capt'n, ya jus' gonna keep ignorin' me?"
His booming voice sent vibrations through the air and I swear some of the pictures on the wall shook.
"Oh, hello Surge," the old man said, much too calmly. "I didn't see you there."
Lt. Surge rolled his eyes and grunted. "Yeah yeah, yer in need o' some new eyes."
"New lungs too," he replied, with a small cough. "Well, I must thank you for bringing in someone new. It's been a while since I've seen a new Trainer." He motioned in my direction. "And you need to visit more often too!"
"Well I'm sorry then," Lt. Surge retorted. "We don' ge' too many new Trainas these days. 'pparently tha union's bin sayin' kids're ge'in' sick o' Kanto or someting." He shrugged as he finished speaking.
"Let's stick to the positives then, shall we?" the old man said.
He pointed around at the photos as he told me various tales about the Trainers and their Pokémon that were in them. Many of them featured Lt. Surge too, although he looked much younger than the man sitting next to me this moment. I realised he's probably been a Gym Leader for a very long time. All the photos had the chairman's Rapidash in them, iridescent blue flames flowing down the length of its back. He told me it perished many years ago during a bad weather event that caused the whole city to be flooded. He just stared off into the distance as he recalled the many years of memories they had spent together.
"Her remains now lie in the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town," he said solemnly. Amber seemed particularly moved by this story, perhaps feeling a bond as both are fire type Pokémon. "I would introduce you to my Fearow, but he's out at the moment collecting the groceries for me."
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he opened the book that had been sitting on the table this whole time.

***

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"Shall we add another entry to the Fan Club's Album of Memories?" the chairman said as we finally reached the end of the photo album he was showing off. It was evident he had seen many different Trainers and their Pokémon come through. He got up and walked over to the shelves against the wall and pulled off an old Polaroid camera.
"Surge, can you get the tripod please?"
I followed him outside, Lt. Surge following behind with a camera tripod. He set the tripod up and the chairman placed the camera atop, facing out toward the bay. The chairman and I moved towards the edge of the water. Lt. Surge fiddled with the camera momentarily before hastily joining us. A moment later, a bright flash went off, and Lt. Surge went back to the camera to collect the photo. Both men were either side of me and Amber stood in front of me. Lt. Surge went up to the camera and took the film from the camera, waving it through the air as he walked back to us.
"You can have that one," the chairman said, taking it from Lt. Surge and passing it to me. "We'll take another for the album." I put the photo inside my jacket.
After another flash, and another developed photo, Lt. Surge took the camera and tripod back into the house.
"Thank you for today," the chairman said to me now that we were alone. "I have something for you as thanks for spending the time with me and listening to all these stories.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper.
"This is a voucher for a free bike from Miracle Cycles in Cerulean City. I believe it will be a very useful tool to assist you on your journey through Kanto."
"Thanks," I replied as I took the voucher and also slipped it into my jacket.
"Ain't tha' great?" Lt. Surge had returned.
"Well, I best leave you now. Good luck!" With that, the chairman left us and went back inside the club house.
"Guess you'll be headin' up north agen?" Lt. Surge spoke energetically, as we both started walking back through the city.
I nodded, grimacing slightly at the thought of having to traverse the Underground Path again.

As we nearer the intersection behind the gym, we could see someone in a white coat pacing back and forth beside the Cut Tree blocking the path to access the gym. Beside the tree was a briefcase I assumed belonged to them. They were also holding a clipboard. As we approached, we could hear him muttering mild expletives to himself.
"Ya alrigh'?" Lt. Surge piped up at him.
The man in the white coat stopped and shook his head. "I need to get to the gym, but I forgot to bring a darn Pokémon with HM Cut." He sighed and shook his head again, once again cursing.
"Ahh, ya mus' be tha guy from Silph ta fix tha control system then. Ya can come with me, I'm the leader afta all." He slapped the man on his back, sending him flying forward a few feet.
Lt. Surge took out one of his Poké Balls and pressed it to the tree. Within a flash it was gone, a tiny sapling in its place.
"I guess this is where we part," Lt. Surge said, turning to me. "Was nice bat'ling. Good luck with the rest of the gym leaders!" He turned back to the Silph Co man. "Le's go."
The man picked up his briefcase,  and together with Lt. Surge, they both walked over the sapling, and then they couldn't be seen after the great tree erupted back into existence. I turned, and with Amber by my side, we once again set off in the direction of Cerulean City.


Click for the next chapter, Part 13!

[synderfin]

Surge and the chairman are friendship goals.