Against All Odds (2011) [PG-13]

[mattbcl]

Exile

Part 3

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The rain had passed. Outside the smell of ozone still lingered, causing Jason’s nose to wrinkle. He was used to tropical storms but most of them had not been accompanied by so much lightning, leading him to passively wonder just whether the storm had originated naturally. At the very least, the weather was drying up. His shorts were already there and they were what he wore for this excursion, in exchange for the loaned pants. His host had been kind enough to allow him to keep the T-shirt, citing its condition – several small holes dotted it and its bottom fringe was threadbare – and the fact that it was now two sizes too small for him.

On the other hand, there’s such a thing as too much kindness, the teen thought sarcastically.

His brown-coated companion gestured to the local beach, just to the west. “Your Gyarados holed up there for the duration.”

The sea serpent was still there, as well, its upper half lying belly-down on the sand. Its rear fin splashed idly in the shallow waters. Upon first glance, it might have appeared as if Gyarados was beached, but then the tide swept in and nearly engulfed the Pokémon. Jason already knew that it was perfectly capable, if not willing, to travel across land if the need ever arose, but the water was much more its domain.

Gyarados raised its head at the sight of the approaching humans and emitted a muted growl. Jason scoffed inwardly. And here I’d hoped for a running tackle-hug... He trotted across the sand and met his Pokémon as the tide fell away. “Hey there, big guy. Doing okay?”

His response was another quiet growl. What else can I expect? Jason cautiously touched the creature’s scaly back and then patted it, as much to reassure himself as Gyarados. “I’ve just challenged this trainer to a battle. But I can’t battle without you. Think you can do it?”

Jason liked to think Gyarados could understand at least enough of the words to make sense of what he was saying. His hopes were rewarded when its head rose up, along with the top half of its body, and it let out a more defiant-sounding roar. It directed its gaze at the trainer, who did not appear to be impressed by the display. Jason, on the other hand, smiled and patted Gyarados’ side. “All right, let’s do this. But hey.” He aimed an index finger at its face. “I need you to trust me. He doesn’t think we can win ‘cause you’re tired out. I think we can win if you listen to me and do what I tell you.”

Without waiting for a response, he stood up straight and turned to face the elder man. “We’re ready. One-on-one battle. I choose my Gyarados. Show me what you’ve got.”

The mustachioed man smirked and tossed a Poké Ball into the air. “Too easy. I choose Lanturn!”

The instant the ball cracked open, a flash of neon energy poured out into the churning waters some distance beyond Gyarados and coalesced into the Pokémon Jason had first spied when meeting his opponent – a long-bodied fish with a glowing ball of light dangling from its dorsal fin just over its face. It chirped happily. “Turn! Lanturn!”

Jason paled as he set his eyes upon the Pokémon, and then glowered at its trainer. “Hang on. Lanturn evolves from Chinchou later in its growth cycle than Gyarados evolves from Magikarp. I don’t even know if Gyarados is strong enough to compete.”

His opponent’s set expression offered neither mercy nor apology. “You’re the one who opened this box, son. Rookies get reckless and challenge everyone in sight. You want to take back the challenge, be my guest. You want a match with a Pokémon trainer, that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.”

Jason pursed his lips. Great. This isn’t anything like what I had in mind. I thought he’d hand up his Voltorb. Easy Earthquake. A Lanturn means a higher power rating, and it’s in the water, which means it really can cook Gyarados. Guess it’s time to start adapting. C’mon, Jason, use your head!

He made his choice. “Still doing this. I’m ready whenever you are.”

The trainer chuckled. “If you say so.” Then he took a few steps away from the teen and faced his Pokémon. “Lanturn, let’s go! Spark attack!”

Jason whirled to his own sea creature and leveled a finger at the opposing one. “Bite that Lanturn!”

The glowing lure attached to the Lanturn’s dorsal fin abruptly took a harsh glow as the Pokémon began to concentrate its energies, and it circled about Gyarados, trying to gain some distance for a running – or swimming – start. But Gyarados was hardly helpless, and suddenly it was away from the shore and upon its foe in the blink of an eye. Almost before Lanturn knew what was happening to it, Gyarados had its mouth wrapped about its opponent and was squeezing its jaws, forcing its fangs into Lanturn’s softer hide. The shorter Pokémon yelped in surprise and pain, and the instant Gyarados released it, it shot forward and away, looking for distance from its attacker.

Jason wanted to grin in relief, but he restrained the smile. Lanturn flinched but there’s nothing to stop him from telling it to zap Gyarados again, and I don’t think we can make it flinch quite as easily this time.

Sure enough, the opposing trainer was already calling out Lanturn’s next command. “Okay, Lanturn, let’s try that again. Spark!”

“Gyarados, get in the deep water and dive!” Jason demanded.

Much to Jason’s surprise, the Pokémon again did as it was told without hesitation; the last he saw of it was its wide tail flapping up vertically just before it dove deep beneath the water’s surface. At first, Lanturn wore a confused look, then went diving after Gyarados.

The other trainer looked at Jason curiously. “What’s going through your mind, son?”

“That’s your second Spark attack.” Jason didn’t dare glance back even out the corner of his eye for fear of not catching something crucial. “That’s basically an electrically charged tackle. You keep telling Lanturn to attack Gyarados bodily. Can’t do that if Lanturn doesn’t know how to dive.”

“What makes you think mine doesn’t?”

Abruptly, a violent geyser of water sprayed up from the surface of the sea, and soaring into the air was the Pokémon of Jason’s opponent. It looked more surprised than pained as it flew nearly fifty feet up – its trajectory was an arc that carried it over the beach, and past where Jason and his elder rival were standing. Jason felt his face stretch uncomfortably as he anticipated the mess Lanturn might end up creating from falling from that height; but as it came down, a blast of water gurgled from its mouth, creating a cushioning column on which it could descend more slowly. It still took the landing hard, but it landed in a belly flop, distributing the impact across its body.

Jason felt a swell of pride in his chest and he smirked. “That answer your question?”

Another explosion of water revealed Gyarados darting for landfall. Though Jason wouldn’t have credited it with fast movement across the sand, it nevertheless snaked incredibly quickly over the local landscape and came to rest towering over the injured Lanturn. To its credit, the smaller Pokémon didn’t show an inch of give.

The elder trainer arched an eyebrow at Jason for just an instant, then looked back at his Pokémon. “Lanturn, Thunder Wave! Let’s see how Gyarados does when it can’t move!”

That gets through and my advantage is down the drain. Time for my trump card. Gyarados helped play it beautifully. “Gyarados, Earthquake!”

Even if Jason hadn’t given that order, clearly Gyarados had the same move in mind because it was already in motion by the time Jason’s mouth opened. But even as the gargantuan sea serpent’s body rose up, Lanturn was rearing its own attack – the orb that hung over its face burned brightly, then emitted a burst of visible bluish-yellow static at Gyarados. The electricity wreathed about Gyarados, causing it to cringe and convulse.

Jason grimaced in sympathy, and clenched his fists. C’mon, Gyarados, just power on through and nail that sucker!

Even though the static burst had produced an obvious effect in Gyarados, the larger Pokémon apparently would not be deterred from its goal – which, at the moment, seemed to be to obliterate Lanturn where it perched. Lanturn rolled out of the way just in time for Gyarados not to land on it, but the sea serpent committed a full body slam upon the sand. The effect of the impact was a clear demonstration of why the name of the attack was so apt. Jason and his opposing trainer staggered as the ground rolled and shifted beneath their feet. Crags and fissures broke out all around Gyarados and Lanturn and more than a few spears of rock jutted up from the disturbed landscape, surrounding the two Pokémon and threatening to skewer Lanturn, in particular.

Jason pumped his fist in victory. Lanturn had to have taken some serious damage there. Show this guy how we go to work, Gyarados!

If the elder trainer was impressed, he was able to restrain his admiration from appearing too openly; he was more content to cross his arms. To Jason, this was a sign that he might actually be getting nervous about losing the battle. Yeah, see there, old man? Just ‘cause you’ve got a type advantage doesn’t mean I can’t stand my ground. “Let’s keep it up, Gyarados! Give it another Earthquake!”

But instead of rising up to perform the move again, Gyarados seemed almost bound to the spot on the ground where it had impacted the first time. Jason had to peer closer in order to see that his Pokémon was convulsing where it lay – an indication that it was suffering from the paralyzing effects of Lanturn’s Thunder Wave attack... an attack meant less to damage, and more to still the target.

Now it was the other trainer’s turn to smirk. “Lanturn, Thunderbolt!”

Jason’s eyes widened as the smaller Pokémon released a cry – and along with it, a thick golden arc of electricity that rocketed into the air, then came down upon Gyarados’ body and consumed it. Gyarados had no choice but to lie there in convulsions, seizing so violently Jason feared it might snap its own back. Its roar stuttered and died in its throat, and after several moments of shuddering, it lay still, eyes closed and jaw slack.

The older man leveled his gaze upon Jason, apparently satisfied with the results his Lanturn had given him. “I think it’s safe to say your Gyarados is unable to battle.”

Jason needed no further encouragement; he ran over to his Pokémon and knelt down beside it. “Hey, Gyarados, c’mon... give me a sign, here.” He placed his hands on the sea serpent’s soft underbelly and sensed a strong pulse still present; Lanturn’s attack evidently had not disrupted Gyarados’ vital functions, for which Jason was grateful. But the massive creature was quite clearly unconscious, and although Jason was dismayed by the loss, he wasn’t entirely surprised. The old man was right. Gyarados might have had a fighting chance if I’d taken him to a Pokémon Center, but as it was, he was so exhausted, it was a miracle he was able to last as long as he did.

He sat back on his heels as the elder trainer approached behind him. The bearded man stared down at the teen for a long moment, then asked, “What were you trying to accomplish? You knew what Pokémon I had, and you must have known your Gyarados was close to the end of his rope even before the battle.”

Jason sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

“So?”

The teen sat down on the sand and rubbed Gyarados’ side. “I guess... I thought that with all I put into him... trying to get him used to me, having him learn moves that would throw people off... he just had to be good, no matter how close he was.” He stared at Gyarados’ giant slackened face. “Guess not good enough.”

“Well, son, I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to expect my Pokémon to be willing to give their all after a long trip like the one you’ve had. Really, from the way you describe him, I’m a bit surprised he followed your orders all that time. Usually trainers need a league badge or two before their Pokémon will respect them at the level your Gyarados seems to be.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Jason muttered.

“Hey, now, listen up.” The trainer knelt down beside Jason. “Just ‘cause he couldn’t cut it for this match doesn’t mean he’s not a good Pokémon. I’ll give you credit, you got a good jump on us that I wasn’t expecting. Maybe you knew what you were up against better than I thought you would. But that alone won’t get you a victory, and neither does having a type advantage or a strong Pokémon. You have to work all of those aspects together.”

Jason tried to come up with a response, but all he could find it in himself to produce was another sigh. “Guess the first battle’s always the toughest, huh?”

His white-haired rival raised his eyebrows. “First battle? You must be kidding me.”

“Well, first trainer battle,” Jason clarified. “We’ve run into a few wild Pokémon out on the water.”

“But I’m the first trainer you’ve battled with your Gyarados.”

“Yeah.” Jason didn’t have to see the other man to feel his stare upon him, but the silence after his admission was beginning to draw out longer than he expected, so he turned to look up at him. The portly elder had an expression of near-disbelief. Jason adopted a defensive tone. “What?”

“Son, if that really was your first trainer battle, you did better than some of the best rookies I’ve seen in a long time. You knew everything you were doing and you did it all right, the best you could.” The trainer placed his hands on his hips. “Didn’t realize I was up against the new kid in school.”

“If you had, would you have eased off?” Jason asked.

“Nope. Not my style. You needed the lesson, but I don’t think it was for lack of knowing it. Just a lack of paying attention to it.”

The teen scoffed.

The elder man knelt down next to Jason. “Tell you what. I’m not the kind to give handouts, but I think I might be able to point you in the right direction, at the very least. You’re thinking about heading to Kanto, correct?”

“Well, I was, until you knocked out my Pokémon.”

“So we’ll get Nurse Joy out here, she’ll fix him up.”

Jason frowned and looked back at the trainer. “Hang on, the local Pokémon nurse–?”

“Is called Nurse Joy, yes,” the older man chuckled, “and there’s one in every town. You’ll also find an Officer Jenny in every town. Don’t ask me why or how. We trainers think it’s strange but it offers us a wonderful convenience in not needing to work very hard to memorize the names of local authorities.”

Jason shook his head in confusion. “What, are they all clones or something?”

“Hadn’t thought about that. But they claim they’re related. Like I said, don’t ask me how it works, I try not to think about it too hard and just be grateful I always know a couple familiar faces no matter where I go. Anyway.” He clapped his knee. “Getting back to the point I was making. After Gyarados is patched up, you’re thinking about heading to Kanto. I can give you a couple of directions, show you how to get to a place I know. Then you can try and get yourself back up on your feet the right way.”

“Didn’t realize I was doing it the wrong way.”

“You’re not. Yet.”

—

A number of questions were burning their way through Jason’s mind as he watched the pink-haired nurse approach the beach alongside the nameless trainer. She looked exactly the same as the one he knew on Tangelo Island. Related, huh? I wonder how distantly.

Walking with the humans was a Chansey. This surprised Jason much less than the sight of Nurse Joy, since he was accustomed to seeing Chanseys in use as healer Pokémon – their eggs were prized as curative, as well as good luck charms. Their extreme rarity in the wild notwithstanding, hospitals far and wide employed Chanseys in any number of capacities for their seemingly natural gifts in rehabilitation.

Nurse Joy approached Jason first and offered him a polite smile. “I understand your Pokémon doesn’t yet have a ball in which you keep it.”

“Not yet, no,” he confirmed. “Can you help him out without it?”

“Of course. But it’s probably a good idea if you get one for him soon... it’d be much easier for you to get him to a Pokémon Center that way.” She knelt down next to Gyarados’ face and inspected it for a moment. “You’re lucky the local one is so close.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right to work on that,” Jason muttered.

The portly trainer, meanwhile, was scribbling on a notepad he had somehow managed to acquire. Jason tilted his head in curiosity. Said he’d give me directions. Is he meaning right now?

He didn’t need to wait long to find out. The trainer ripped the written-on piece of paper off his notepad, then handed it to the teen. “There you go. It’s not precise, but since you don’t have a map or a compass, this is about the best I can offer. You should be able to get to Kanto with those directions, at the very least, even if you don’t end up at the lab.”

Jason scanned the paper’s instructions, and then it registered more fully what the other man had just said. “Lab? What lab?”

“There’s a Pokémon laboratory in Pallet Town, which is a village on the southern tip of the Kanto mainland. These directions won’t get you precisely there, as you can see, but they can guide you to Cinnabar Island. From there, all you have to do is–”

“Head straight north, yeah, I see that,” Jason noted, aiming a finger at the specified instruction. Then he glanced up at the trainer, who seemed to be restraining an amused expression, and not that well. “I’m not stupid, you know. That lab is run by Professor Oak, probably the authority on Pokémon in Kanto, if not the world in general. You’re sending me there?”

Now the elder man loosed a chuckle. “The professor is a bleeding heart, more of one than I am. I’ve known him for a little while. He’s the man you should be seeing.”

“For what, a job?” Jason scoffed. “What could I do that he would need me for? I’ll bet he probably doesn’t need another research assistant.”

The trainer shrugged. “I couldn’t say exactly what he needs, since his needs are constantly shifting. What I do know is that if he meets you, he’ll help you out the way you should be helped out, more than a ratty old T-shirt and a halfway-decent meal.”

Then the older man turned to Nurse Joy, who was still tending Gyarados. “Fix him up good, he’s going on a trip as soon as he’s ready.”

“Have you ever known me to give substandard care?” she asked pointedly. “This is what I do.”

Jason couldn’t help but snicker to himself, and at the same time feel distinctly creeped out. I’ve heard her say that before, too... man, where do they come from? Then he looked to the trainer, who had turned and was starting back up the beach towards the house. “Leaving so soon?”

The other man half-turned and shrugged. “Not much to stick around for, son. Go to Kanto, get your head screwed on straight. You can make something of yourself if you’re willing to work hard for it.” Then he waggled a finger at Jason. “Don’t be stupid and wager your Gyarados on a match. You’ve got too much in him already for him to be a prize for anybody but yourself, and you know that.”

“Never did get your name,” Jason remarked.

“How about that. Never got yours, either. Guess I’ll never know if you made it or not.”

Jason rolled his eyes – he knew a challenge when he heard one, and this one carried too much of a lure for him to ignore. “Jason. Jason Creight.”

The trainer appeared to consider the name, then bobbed his head. “Spencer. Nice meeting you, Jason.” He turned back in the direction of the house.

Wait a second, Jason thought, that isn’t fair! “Hold up. ‘Spencer’ what? First name or last?”

“Know any other Spencers that look like me?”

Jason frowned. “No.”

“Then it’s all you need. Be seeing you.”

The furrow in Jason’s brow deepened as he watched the older man walk away, and beyond earshot. He moved closer to Nurse Joy and spoke in a low tone. “Could you tell me what his last name is?”

“If he didn’t, then why should I?” was her response, offered without looking away from Gyarados and her own ministrations.

He grimaced. “You were listening.”

“I’m lots of things, Mr. Jason Creight, including attentive.” Her eye darted to him for only an instant before returning to his Pokémon. “If he values his privacy, I see no need to compromise it just to satisfy your curiosity. Just take his help for what it is and stop worrying about who it came from.”

She patted the side of Gyarados’ face. Its huge eyes blinked open at her touch, and a low growl issued from its throat as it squirmed on the sand. Then its gaze shifted to Jason, who offered it an apologetic look. “Sorry, buddy. We couldn’t win that one. But I’m really proud of you for getting as far as you did.”

Its eyes shifted away from him then, and it turned its head to face the sea that roiled and shifted barely fifteen yards from where it lay. Jason followed its gaze, then looked back at the serpentine creature. “Thinking about hitting the water again? I don’t blame you. I’m about ready to go myself, I guess.” He glanced to Nurse Joy. “Assuming he’s okay to travel, of course.”

“Yes, my work is done here,” she said, and she stood up fully. She and Jason were roughly the same height. “I’ve given him a series of supplements which should help to replenish his energy and stamina, and the potion sprays I’ve used will have already gone to work in healing his injuries. He’s fairly thick-skinned, which is in his favor for outward injury, but for electrical attacks, he really has no ability to resist. I can’t stress enough the importance of avoiding a confrontation like the one you just had if you want to spare your Gyarados serious harm.”

Jason groaned. “Seriously, how many different ways are you people going to find to call me stupid? Simple fact is I’m gonna encounter trainers who have Electric-Type Pokémon, and this just showed me I need to get better, and maybe some different Pokémon, all right? Does it have to be about anything more than that?”

He stopped short when he saw the look on Nurse Joy’s face – one of poorly-restrained frustration. She didn’t respond to his rant, opting instead to organize the remainder of her medical supplies in her toolbox. Only when she was clearly ready to leave did she speak next. “Stay safe in your travels, Mr. Jason Creight.”

She turned heel sharply and strode away from the beach, back toward the city and the Pokémon Center on whose behalf she operated. Jason wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but there was something inside that bade him to speak up, to not let the conversation end on so terse a note. “It’s Jason.”

Nurse Joy looked back, a cross expression dominating her otherwise attractive features. “I know. Jason Creight.”

“No... just call me Jason.”

She cast her scowl in his direction another moment, then turned back toward the city.

Jason sighed and patted Gyarados’ back. “Making new friends all the time, aren’t we?”

The Pokémon growled softly; its gaze had yet to diverge from the open water to the northwest. Jason shook his head. “Know something? I don’t think you even know where it is you want to go. I think we’d have made it there by now if you did.”

Its large eyes shifted now to stare at its trainer. Jason could hear a rumble inside its throat, a sign that it recognized on some level his challenge to its intentions. He held up the piece of paper he’d been given. “Luckily for both of us, I happen to have directions than can get us somewhere we can finally take a real breather. Get our bearings, take stock, whatever.”

It rose its head higher into the air and it gave a louder growl. Jason frowned at the reaction. Maybe Gyarados is perceiving these directions as a threat to whatever he’s got in mind... like he’s really got anything in mind. “What, you want to keep wandering around aimlessly in the ocean, is that it?”

Now it let out a dull roar, and it was all Jason could do to keep his stance and not clench his eyes shut or clamp his hands over his ears. He held up a hand, though whether it was to try to calm Gyarados or guard himself from it should it decide to attack him, even he couldn’t be certain. The Pokémon was producing a series of snarls at Jason, lending more credence to his belief that it was not a fan of being told where to go.

“Hang on a second!” he shouted through the din. “I’ve been sticking with you this whole time, trusting you to find the things I need to survive!”

The snarl ceased but Gyarados’ angry expression didn’t abate. In fact, Jason wasn’t sure if there was anything that could lessen the persistently enraged look Gyaradoses were known for. But now that he’d gotten his to stop, he pressed. “You didn’t have any reason to, you could’ve just thrown me off and gone your own way, but you kept me along for the ride and you’ve waited for me to get on your back before moving on to the next landmass. Now I’ve finally got some directions to a place we can both go to finally relax like we need to – both of us, you and me – and you’re gonna get angry at me?”

He held up the directions. “You could even call this returning a favor! You don’t even know where you’re going! That’s the one piece of this puzzle you’re missing. You don’t have a destination in mind so you’ll just keep running around until we find somewhere we like, just by chance? No way. The best way we can find a life to live is by going to grab it, not just hoping we’ll show up on its doorstep on a roll of the dice. We go to this place, maybe we have a chance.”

Another snarl issued from behind Gyarados’ bared fangs. Jason crossed his arms. “What is it, you think I’m wrong? What would you do, then? What direction would you start swimming?”

At that inquiry, Gyarados’ head came back down to rest on the sandbar, and it relaxed its body. This took Jason aback. “You’d... stay here? This is Mossdeep City. You’d be trading life on one island for life on another. An island smaller than Tangelo, no less. It’s not where I need to be and it’s not where I want you to be, either.”

It flapped its tail fin restlessly and tilted its head, but gave him no vocal response.

Jason planted his hands on his hips. “We need to keep going. I think Spencer’s pointing me to Professor Oak’s lab because he thinks I’d be a good Pokémon trainer. Kids go to regional labs to get their license and their first Pokémon and Professor Oak’s is one of the most famous labs there is. Lots of really good trainers got their start there.” He looked at the ground and chewed his lip. “Don’t know if I’m really trainer material, but Spencer seems to think so, and he’s old. It’s worth trying.”

Then he looked back up at Gyarados. “I need you there with me, as weird as that sounds.” He chuckled nervously. “I mean, here I am, talking to the Pokémon that wrecked it all for me. Drove me broke, destroyed everything my family had, made it so I can’t really ever go home again. I ought to hate you. I should be wishing you’d just disappear. Or die. That’s what a normal kid would do.” He shook his head. “Guess I’m not so normal. I wanted you to be my Pokémon, and I wanted you to be good at what you did. Know something?”

He moved closer to Gyarados and touched the trident-shaped horn adorning its face. “You’re both.”

The creature’s eyes landed more fully upon Jason. The teen knew he might never be aware of the extent of Gyarados’ understanding, but as he looked back, he felt a connection stirring between them... something ethereal and enticing and scary, all at once. For a tenuous moment, he felt like he could enter Gyarados’ mind through their locked gazes and plant the exact words he was saying into its head, and it would understand them... if not necessarily what Jason was trying to get at.

The moment was fleeting, and in the next instant, Jason felt himself separate from the Pokémon and return to the usual limitations of his awareness. He patted the horn his hand still graced. “C’mon. I know you’re healed up. Let’s get moving while the sun’s still out so we both know which direction we’re going.”

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, flanked by a series of clouds on each side. Cast over the island were more clouds that caught a blaze of nearly every color of the spectrum – the deepest reds and the brightest yellows, the starkest blue and the clearest purple. The sun itself was afire in reddish-orange hues that it passed to the clouds directly surrounding it.

Jason let himself marvel at the sight even as Gyarados rose up from where it lay and proceeded toward the water in snakelike fashion. In spite of himself, the teen smiled. Don’t get to see that every day. He glanced to Gyarados and directed a pointing finger at the sunset. “Hey. What do you want to bet the sun’s a Pokémon we just haven’t discovered yet?”

Gyarados didn’t appear terribly interested in the remark, but now that it had Jason’s attention, it let out a small growl and tossed its head, indicating to the teen that he should get on. Jason sighed, got up, and stepped into the shallow waters to climb on his Pokémon. As he did so, he mused, “It’d have to be one heck of a Poké Ball that could catch it, though.”

The sea serpent shoved into the water. Nudges from Jason’s feet guided its direction, guidance the Pokémon took both seriously and in stride. Jason consulted the note he’d been given by Spencer.

“Head to open water east-northeast. Continue straight. First landmark is volcano at Cinnabar Island. Straight north to Pallet Town.”

He patted Gyarados’ side. “There was a story my mom liked to tell me before bed. I always fell asleep just right after she said ‘second star to the right and straight on until morning.’ Guess we’ll find out what happens when I wake up.”

Gyarados blasted air through its narrow nasal passages and it released a creaking growl. Its course having been set, it then sank a little lower into the water and swam more swiftly.

Jason laid his head against Gyarados’ side and closed his eyes.

Second star to the right, straight on until morning.

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© Matt Morwell, 2011