Outcast

Part 3

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Jason felt awkward hopping onto the porch of someone he only knew as an employee of the company; he and his family had always subscribed to the tenet that work stayed at work, and nobody took it home with them. With the possible exception of Carson Creight himself, who primarily worked out of the home. Jason knew that today – a Friday – corresponded with Janice’s usual day off, which was really the only reason he’d even consider being here now.

He rapped his knuckles on the door five times in rapid succession. Within moments, the door swung open and he found himself looking up into the face of Janice Forester. Though she was still attractive for being in her mid-60's, wrinkles were threatening to overtake her well-tanned features nowadays. Her silver hair was bound back into a ponytail and she was wearing an apron... indicators that she’d found work of her own to take care of.

She offered him a polite smile. “Jason Creight. And here I thought today was a work day for you. What brings you to my humble abode?”

“Uh... I was wondering if I could talk to you for a little bit,” he said, suddenly feeling anxious.

“Oh? What about?”

“My brother.”

If he hadn’t already known what he knew, he might not have noticed... but he could see the smallest bit of her smile fade at the mention of Daniel. She tilted her head at him. “Is something wrong?”

“I... was actually wondering if you could tell me that. I saw him... do something today. And he knows I saw it.”

Now her smile was gone, and she cast furtive glances in each direction. “Are you sure this isn’t something better discussed with your father?”

“I had to hide. Danny chased me. I think he’s already talking to my dad.”

She stepped forward and gently draped an arm across Jason’s shoulders. “Come inside, Jason. I think I can spare a few minutes.”

He blew out a heavy sigh of relief and gratefully stepped through the door into her home. As he glanced about, he saw that it was about what he would have expected – at least one plant in a corner of each room, windows covered by sheers and bracketed by heavier drapes... lots of furniture, but no guests to speak of, except himself. He found his mind swimming through a hazy memory of being at his grandmother’s house; Janice’s residence bore similarities to the comfortable atmosphere and the idle air.

She gestured to her dining room, where there was a small table surrounded by four rolling chairs. “Come in and have a seat. Do you want something to drink? Water, tea?”

He let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t suppose you have any soda, do you?”

She made a face. “No, unfortunately. I don’t care for it, myself... if I want caffeine, I’ll take coffee, and I don’t need all that sugar rotting my teeth out. I hope you brush often.”

“Maybe more often than some people think,” he said cautiously. He sat down. “But I guess some water would be okay.”

“Fair enough.” She went into her kitchenette and fetched the requested beverage, then sat down at the table and leaned on it with both elbows while Jason took a series of long gulps. She tilted her head at him. “So. You saw Daniel ‘do something’.”

Jason nodded. “He was in a pen for land-based Pokémon. He was fist-fighting with a Machop, actually fighting it. He ended up beating it down to where it stopped getting up. He was about to hit it some more. I’ve never seen his face look like that. It was like he wanted to kill it.”

“Was there anyone else there?”

“No, it was all empty of humans except him and me. I think the others knew where he was. I was looking for him, but nobody wanted to give me a clear answer. ‘I saw him go that way a little while ago.’ ‘Oh, I think you just missed him.’ ‘Wasn’t he in one of the land pens earlier?’ And when I found him, that’s what he was doing.”

“And he chased you for seeing it?”

“Not at first. He tried to explain it. He said he saw the Machop beating up a baby Sandshrew. Said it was aggressive, the kind that this Pokémon gym up north in Kanto is after. He said he knew he went too far with it but he was trying to defend this Sandshrew. But I didn’t see a Sandshrew anywhere. So I told him I didn’t believe him and said there wasn’t anyone else around where there should be. He tried to grab me so I ran off and hid.”

Janice’s expression changed. “And then you came here. So nobody knows where you are?”

“I guess. Except for you. I’d rather nobody else know right now.”

“I can’t promise that, Jason. I’ll have to let your parents know where you are eventually. But I think you’re safe here for the time being. As for your brother...” She sighed. “I wish I could say this was the first time hearing he would do something quite that brutal.”

“So I was right?”

Janice arched an eyebrow. “Beg your pardon?”

“I figured if he’d done it before, you would know. Those are the pens he goes to the most, if he’d get caught beating up a Pokémon, it’d be there.”

“Well, then, yes, your instinct was correct.” She laced her fingers atop the table. “I’ve only seen him do it once myself, and even then it wasn’t nearly as bad as what you describe. But it could easily have gotten there if I and a couple of my assistants hadn’t been there. He got very frustrated with a Tyrogue that he was trying to help strength-train. It kept failing in battle and Daniel threatened to get into the ring with the poor thing himself if it didn’t shape up.”

“Didn’t you tell Dad about it?”

“That was the first time. I thought of it as an isolated incident but I warned him I didn’t want to catch him behaving that way again towards those or any other Pokémon. If they don’t respect you, they certainly won’t listen to you. And respect is a two-way road, as any high-schooler already knows.”

“But doesn’t it make sense that if he was doing it once, he’d do it again?”

“That’s the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, Jason. A lot of things make sense once you’re looking back at them. And your father is very keen on giving everyone a chance. So I let the matter go. I suppose your brother decided to take my warning literally. I never did see him behaving that way again with my own eyes, but the others started reporting to me that they’d seen him roughhousing or tormenting Pokémon in the pens. I brought the matter up to him after the third report got back to me... he said they misunderstood what he’d been doing. He even offered me an excuse for each one.”

“So what happened then?”

She shrugged. “I said if I kept hearing about it, I would see to it he didn’t enter the pens I operated, no matter whose son he was. And I stopped hearing about it. But steadily, my assistants seemed to get more and more uncomfortable with working there. I had a couple of them quit unexpectedly, and they didn’t give me a reason. When I finally gathered everyone together and confronted them, they reluctantly told me what I thought had been happening – Daniel was again bullying the Pokémon, and throwing his weight around with anyone who caught him doing it. That was when I took the matter straight to your father. I gave him every detail and told him as long as I worked for his company, Daniel was not welcome to enter those pens.”

Jason frowned. “So... Dad fired you?”

Janice let out a sigh and took Jason’s hand in her own. “Jason, one of the things you have to learn as a company employee is that when the management wants your time with them to end, they’ll offer you two options. The first one is you can choose to quit. You give them your two weeks’ notice, which gives them time to find a replacement for your position and keeps them from having to deal with the hassle of a fast hire. If you did a good enough job, they’ll give you a healthy severance package so you don’t cause them any trouble down the road.” She flipped her free hand over to palm up for emphasis. “The other option is for the company to fire you. You leave immediately, you get no extra money, and it looks very bad on your résumé if you’re ever looking for other work. I chose the option that would be the least trouble for everyone involved.”

“But why? Why wouldn’t Dad listen to you? You’ve worked for him for so long... as long as I’ve been in school! Danny hasn’t even worked for him for a full four years yet!”

“Because your brother was crafty. He’s gifted in many ways, and one of those ways is a very good memory. He told your father about each incident the day they happened, and he told him in private. Each time, he offered what your father said was a ‘heartfelt and genuine confession of his own humanity’. He underplayed what he had actually done to your father, who had no reason not to believe his own flesh and blood, especially when he’d gone and told him he knew he’d done something wrong.”

“So because Danny told Dad... Dad wouldn’t believe what you told him.” At Janice’s nod, Jason tried to wrap his brain around all of this new information. It was confirmation, all right, but of behavior that ran more deeply than he would ever have guessed at the beginning of this day. “I still don’t get it – I mean, did he think you were trying to beat up on Danny or something?”

“Fathers and their sons, Jason. First sons, especially.” She held up a conciliatory hand. “I mean no offense to you by that. But I think you’ve seen it, your father heavily favors your brother. It’s the worst-kept secret that he wants Daniel to eventually take over the company. I don’t think it’s entirely your father’s fault, but he’s blind to the damage Daniel is causing. And based on what I’ve seen and what I know now, I would prefer to take early retirement than work for a company that had someone like Daniel at the helm. I said all of this to your father, and his response was that he would expect to see my two weeks’ notice by the end of business that day. So it looks like I’ll be getting my preference.”

Jason frowned. “So... that’s it for you, then? I mean, there’s nothing else?”

At that, she smiled. “Oh, hardly. Any number of Pokémon handling companies would be happy to hire me for my experience and success rate. But believe it or not, I consider this an opportunity. I’ve rarely left Tangelo Island for much and I’ve thought for a long time about traveling all of the Orange Islands. Work never really allowed for it, even though I was paid generously. Now I can put that money to use.”

He shook his head in confusion. “That’s such a big change, though. I mean, you want to change your whole lifestyle because of this one thing?”

“When it comes to adapting, it doesn’t matter if I want my lifestyle to change. I have to do it. So I may as well do it on my own terms.” She patted the top of his hand encouragingly. “And I hope that’s a lesson you’ll keep close to you. When your life comes to a crossroads and you’re not sure what path to take... pick the one you’d want to tread slowly. Life’s no fun if you turn it into a race for the finish line.”

He scoffed. “Right now life’s feeling a bit more like a dead end.”

“So do something about it.” She gestured at him. “You’ve got a brain. Use it. Figure out a way you can get out of there and into a place you want to be.”

“Easier said than done.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, dear.” She smiled and patted his hand once more, then stood up. “Tell you what, I’ll give your father a call, vouch for you, and take you back home myself. Daniel’s not going to be beating you or anyone else up while I’m here.”

He felt his heart skip a beat or two, directly followed by a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Even if he doesn’t, Dad’s still gonna be mad at me.”

“We’ll see about that.” She approached her kitchen’s wall phone and dialed a number in. As she held the receiver to her ear, she offered him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Jason. I think things will look up for you. Just give it some time.”

—

Jason felt himself wilting under the gaze of his father. The pressure did not lessen when Carson Creight shifted his eyes to Jason’s older brother, whose face displayed an expression of abject humiliation and embarrassment. Whether he actually felt either of those things or not, Jason could no longer say, but if Daniel was acting, he was doing a phenomenal job of it – he looked as pained by their father’s piercing stare as Jason felt.

Mr. Creight looked at Jason again. “Jason, I have no reason not to believe your story, but no other employees in the complex noted Daniel running or appearing to give chase to anybody.” Then he glared at Daniel’s downcast head. “Though given your tale, I can certainly understand you wanting to hide from him. Rest assured he will not be in a position to cause you harm, either now or any point in the future.”

He glanced back to his younger son once more. “I’m disappointed that you didn’t just come directly here. Your brother arrived in my office promptly to talk to me about what happened. Notably, he omitted some of the more... colorful details, but he told me he knew right off the bat what he did was out of line and apologized for letting me down. Do you have an answer for that?”

“I, uh...” Jason cleared his throat. “I... kind of thought he would beat me here. And then you wouldn’t believe me over him.”

“Jason, that’s ridiculous. You know you can talk to me about a dispute between the two of you. I do my best to be fair and listen with both ears. In this case, both of you have given me the same basic story – you saw Daniel in a round of fisticuffs with that Machop and stopped him before it got too far out of control, then were scared off when he gave you an explanation.”

“But Dad, you’re missing the point!” Jason blurted out, and he looked up at Mr. Creight’s face. His father was already wearing a frown, so when he saw the lines in his face deepen with exasperation at having been interrupted, Jason had to resist a cringe. “It’s happened before, and every time, you’ve forgiven him for doing it instead of punishing him! If you’re gonna punish me, shouldn’t he get it, too?”

That inquiry brought a distinctly unpleasant look to Daniel’s face and he shot a glare at Jason. Mr. Creight was quick to notice the glance and he turned a hard stare upon his elder son, then said, “Daniel, please give us the room. I’ll speak with you when we’re done.”

Jason had never seen his brother look as happy to leave the presence of their father as right at that moment; he turned around and promptly left the office without a word. It wasn’t difficult for Jason to understand why Daniel was relieved – the full attention of their father was now squarely upon his younger son. “That was rather boorish of you, Jason. You know I expect better.”

“But he beat up a defenseless Pokémon and he tried to beat me up! Shouldn’t his punishment be the same as mine?”

“No. He reported to work today, right on time, and when a problem surfaced, he came to his employer to discuss it and to try to find a solution. He still has a lot to learn, and even he admits it’s entirely possible his place is not in the Pokémon pens.”

Mr. Creight directed an accusatory finger at Jason. “You, on the other hand, did not report to work. Instead, the moment you got out of school, you came to me so you could vent your personal reservations about a professional decision I made, and then you sought out your brother to confront him for the very same reason. You hid in a broom closet, and then you ran away entirely. All the while, your trainee was waiting for you to show up so he could learn how to do the very job from which I’m promoting you.”

“Dad!”

“Jason, rest assured that I will discover the truth of this particular matter, and that I will deal with your brother as appropriate. Right now, my concern lies with you. Once we discovered you were nowhere to be found, your mother and I became very worried. You even asked Janice not to tell anyone where you were. I can understand you being afraid of confrontation but a request like that puts her in a position you shouldn’t have asked her to be in. And if it’s going to be that you’ll run off like that with no word on where you are, then we’re going to have to keep a closer eye on you, for the time being.”

“Dad, I don’t need babysitting!”

“Your behavior indicates otherwise. For the next week, you’ll come home from school each day and immediately report to my office, where you’ll do your homework until it’s complete, and show it to me for review. I don’t like hearing from your teachers that you’re not motivated, so this gives me an opportunity to provide you the little kick you need.”

“But what about my job?”

Mr. Creight heaved a sigh. “Son, I’m sorry to say it, but yours just isn’t that special a job. There’s any number of people who can stock shelves and who’ve handled inventory before. For a week, I can rotate the responsibilities. You don’t need the job that badly right now. What you need is discipline. I do want you to help your brother run this company when it’s time for the two of you to take over, and self-discipline is the best quality someone could ask for in an employee, a successor... even a son.”

Jason’s frustration only grew with each sentence his father uttered, and at that last, he glowered up at Mr. Creight and couldn’t restrain the retort on the tip of his tongue. “Danny doesn’t have it but he’s your favorite anyway.”

Mr. Creight’s expression suddenly grew very dark and he leaned across his desk to direct an icy stare at his progeny. “I see one week won’t do the job. Three, then. And I guarantee you we’ll be talking about that remark soon. But tonight, I’m done with you. Send your brother back in here and go to your room. Stay there until you have to go to school.”

Jason’s jaw dropped. “It’s Friday!”

“Yes, it is. Now get out of my office.”

Jason could find no other option available to him but to do as his father told him. He trudged out of the room and hung his head as he made his way up the hall. Daniel was standing against the door frame leading into the bathroom, arms and legs crossed casually as he stared at his younger brother. “Nice try, trying to get me in trouble like that,” he said.

Jason’s head snapped up. Daniel’s expression implied a touch of playfulness and devil-may-care attitude mixed in with the gravity of his jab; there stood his brother, and not the brute he’d seen in the Pokémon pen.

His nostrils flared. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He jabbed a finger at Daniel’s chest. “This is all your fault! You should be getting it, too!”

“Not my fault he likes me more.” Daniel leaned forward. “Hey, and for the record, the Machop wasn’t seriously injured. A trip to the PokéCenter and he’s in tip-top shape again. All in all, no harm done.”

“What, so you think that makes it okay? You beat that thing senseless!”

“I’m saying it could’ve been worse. I was gonna thank you for keeping me from making it that way but I think I’ll just keep those thanks to myself now, ‘cause I see how it is.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“You’re a jealous little pest.”

“At least Dad thinks he can fix me. He wants to talk to you again, maybe he wants to see if you need therapy.”

“That’s real cute, squirt. Hope you enjoy your stay in your room.” Daniel pushed off the frame and paced back to their father’s office; from within, Jason could hear the man tell his brother to close the door behind him. It wasn’t of consolation to him that the man’s voice was no more forgiving to Daniel than it had been just a few moments ago.

But on his way to his room, a thought entered his mind that was completely unexpected, given the current circumstances. Now I really wish I could have that Gyarados... just to help make them back off of me...

He scoffed at the thought. Yeah, like that would accomplish anything. Why would I even think about that at a time like this? If anything, my chances of getting a Pokémon of any kind just went straight down the toilet with what happened today... not like it’s even my fault it happened like it did. I’ve got basically no chance at it now, unless Dad sees me doing everything he wants me to do. Get the highest marks in school. Stay at work past midnight every night. Be a good son, be a loyal little brother, and don’t question either of them.

He went into his room, closed and locked the door, then laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. For a long while, no coherent thoughts passed through his mind... just vague flashes of resentment and frustration that he tried to quell. But even the peace of silence within his own head could not be maintained forever. Maybe Janice really is right. Dad won’t ever look at Danny and be disappointed in him. Not like he does with me. He’ll just keep on giving him free passes ‘cause Danny knows how to say all the right things.

And what happens when Danny and I are supposed to take over? Yeah, right, who am I kidding? It’ll just be Danny that takes over. I won’t ever really be in the picture as a partner of any kind. Sure, I’ll be working here, and maybe with the kind of money that says I’m set for life... but if Danny’s gonna keep acting fake toward people and brutal toward Pokémon...

I think I’m with Janice. I wouldn’t want to work for a company where the guys in charge thought it was okay to abuse the Pokémon they’re supposed to raise.

He frowned. But what would that all end up looking like? I quit from CBC and go looking for other work – Mom and Dad would be furious. Sure enough I wouldn’t get a Pokémon then. And it wouldn’t really fix the problem. Danny will still go off on the Pokémon pretty much whenever he wants. Even if he doesn’t work in the pens anymore, he’s got his own Pokémon... so he can still act as abusive as he cares to and nobody would even know.

Heh. Maybe if I ever did get that Gyarados, he’d end up being a pushover for having injured Pokémon...

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head. That’s not right, me thinking that. Shouldn’t even be fun for me to think about it. It isn’t any better than thinking a Gyarados could make someone back off. Nobody should be beating up on Pokémon, but by the same token, Pokémon shouldn’t be used to beat up on people, either. That’s not what they’re there for. He sighed. Kinda makes me wonder what that Viridian Gym wants with such aggressive ones, anyway. Is it just the gym leader, or the trainees there, too? And there’s no theme that we can tell to the purchase. Why would they buy so many Pokémon?

Then he opened his eyes and frowned. Wait a minute... buying the Pokémon. The rule is that Dad won’t give me a Pokémon until I’m at least fifteen, but he never said anything about me not being allowed to get one with my own money.

He turned over on the bed and sighed. Not like that’ll do me any good right now. I’ll be lucky to get any food around here, much less a reasonable discussion out of my dad. At least I have a Pokémon license that covers handling them... I don’t need a trainer’s license unless I’m planning to register with a league.

And not like that will be happening anytime soon, either.

He closed his eyes again and tried to find the respite of sleep. I’ll find the right time.

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© Matt Morwell, 2011