Less than five minutes after I messaged Green he came flying through the front door.
"I'm in the kitchen!"
His steps were quick and heavy as he practically ran in, seeing me calmly stirring a pot on the stove he froze. The look on his face was priceless and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
"Hahaha. Calm down Green do you think I would have settled for just a text if there was anything wrong."
He didn't say anything but he was opening and closing his mouth like a Magikarp. Placing a finger over his mouth I gave him a little push.
"Go take your shoes off and calm down, then we'll talk."
Rising up on my toes I placed a kiss on his cheek before pushing him a bit harder.
"Go."
Turning away from Green I poured freshly heated water from a kettle into a teapot and added dried pecha berries before placing the lid on top. Carrying the teapot and two cups to the table I sat and waited for Green to come back. When he did he was much calmer and looked a little annoyed.
"You didn't text back on purpose didn't you?"
"Oh...did you text me?"
I feigned shock to which he just chuckled.
"Okay okay. I'll stay home for the next few days."
"Mmm-hmm. Sure you will."
I took another sip of tea and fixed my gaze on him.
"Green ever since the System made those new berries available you've been getting more and more reckless. You walked right into a cloud of Victreebel poison pollen without protective equipment just to recover a body. That would have killed a normal person and yet you are walking around town a day later like nothing happened. Are you trying to make it obvious that you are super human?"
Green cleared his throat and looked away sheepishly and quickly changed the subject.
"So what happened? Is Jake okay?"
I just sighed, we would talk more about his actions later.
"He's going through what every normal person goes through after they take their first life. Only time will tell how it will affect him."
Picking up the teapot I poured a cup for myself and Green.
"He's too young to be going through this now. I shouldn't have let him roam around freely by himself."
Taking a sip of tea I answered Green's first question.
"As for what happened I have only heard the public story so I myself don't know exactly what happened."
Green looked a bit confused.
"Public story?"
"Come on Green you and I both know how smart our son is. He twisted some of the story to make it more believable for people who don't know about System users. What really happened and what he told the crowd are two completely different things."
Green held up a hand to stop me.
"Hold up. Why would he need to make up a public story for a crowd of people?"
I just looked at Green speechless.
"I'm surprised there aren't stories being told about it yet. Our son came flying into town on the back of a wild Pidgeot escorted by a flock of around 30 other Pokemon."
Yup he looks just like a Magikarp.
"And it turns out that the Pidgeot he flew in on is the same one that Alice from three doors down released around 15 years ago. It made for quite the touching reunion."
I just watched as Green processed everything I just said. After a minute or so he reached out and took a sip from his cup before finally speaking.
"So Jake and Growlithe were able to take down a Pidgeotto. That's impressive. I mean he was able to handle that huge Arbok but a Pokemon that can fly is a whole different level."
Jake's voice came softly from the hallway.
"Growlithe was still in his Pokeball. I killed the Pidgeotto on my own."
** Jake's POV **
I faintly heard dad come barreling into the house and guessed mom had told him what had happened. Pulling a Pokeball off my belt I just stared at it. That Pidgeotto was family to this Pidgey and I killed it, Flutter knew I was the one who killed it's child and yet it still entrusted another of it's children to me. Why? Why would it risk another of it's children's lives.
With a press of the button I called out the Pidgey and started stroking the feathers on its head. It chirped and nuzzled it's head against my fingers and palm. Did I really deserve this level of affection from this Pidgey?
Mom says this is a kill or be killed world and I understand that but can I handle it. As my thoughts were spiraling over and over a memory surfaced, but it wasn't mine. A group of guys dressed in orange with shotguns holding up beautiful birds that were about the same size as a Pidgey. Pheasants. All of the guys were laughing and smiling while holding up the dead birds and comparing them to each other. I felt that I knew these guys but I couldn't recall their names, and the harder I tried to focus on the memory the farther away it became until it faded completely.
"Was that one of the other Jake's memories?"
Speaking the words aloud helped me to process what I had just seen.
"So the other Jake was able to kill and even laugh about it."
Thinking about what I had just seen I remembered being surprised that I didn't feel the urge to puke when I saw the Pidgeottos guts in the bowl. Was I able to be the same as the other Jake, unfazed by taking a life.
Opening the Pokemon Bestiary again I flipped to the page on Pidgeotto. Right there under it's name was the threat level. Moderate. Meaning that even adults should be careful not to antagonize them.
I wasn't fully ready to accept taking more lives but I wasn't going to sit around mopping about it anymore. Standing up I lifted the Pidgey to my shoulder and waved for Growlithe to follow. Walking down the hallway I heard what my dad said and smiled as I responded.
"Growlithe was still in his Pokeball. I killed the Pidgeotto on my own."
Mom and dad both turned to look at me.
"You okay buddy?"
"Yeah dad. I think I've managed to wrap my head around it. Not sure if I want to do it again but I'm not going to dwell on what happened."
Dad got up and gave me a hug when I got closer. Pulling back he glanced at the Pidgey on my shoulder.
"I'm glad to hear that Jake, and I see you've added another Pokemon to your team."
"Yeah."
I leaned my head lightly to the side and bumped the little bird who started chirping happily as it rubbed up against my head.
"Want to tell us how you came to meet this little guy?"
"Okay."
I spent the next twenty minutes telling them everything that had happened out in the woods today. Mom's face had all kinds of worried expression pass over it while dad's had more amused expressions.
"So yeah. After I caught Pidgey Flutter gave me a ride home."
As I finished talking dad burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha...your mom said you received an escort of around 30 Pokemon home as well."
I scratched the back of my head.
"Honestly I didn't even know they were following until we were close to town."
Right as dad was about to speak there was a loud ringing and mom got up.
"That would be dinner, go wash up you two while I set the table."
I followed dad towards the hallway bathroom.
"I'm proud of you Jake. You handled a dangerous situation perfectly and were even able to understand how a Pokemon you had never seen before was feeling. You are going to be an amazing trainer when you get older."
"Thanks dad."
Returning to the dining room I saw mom was already scooping rice into our bowls. From a casserole dish she added meat and gravy and it smelled amazing.
"That smells great Em."
"Thank Jake. It's been a while since we've had Pidgeotto."
As she said that her hand froze and she looked at me. I just shook my head at her.
"I'm ok mom."
She looked at me closely before nodding and continued to dish up dinner. She placed a bowl of cut fruit and nuts beside me and with a happy chirp Pidgey dove at it. Another dish of sauce and meat was placed beside Growlithe's water bowl and we all tucked in to another delicious meal.
After we had all eaten our fill mom packed the leftovers, I cleared the table, and dad did the dishes before we all moved to the living room to watch TV. During a commercial dad asked a question.
"Your birthday is coming up soon Jake. Do you want to do anything special?"
I thought for a moment before my eyes lit up.
"Can we have my birthday party at the beach?!"
"I think that's a wonderful idea sweetie. I'll call Beth and Delia tomorrow so we can all prepare."
"Thanks mommy!"
The rest of the night passed like normal. For the next few days I didn't go into the woods again. I went to Trainer School, came home and did my homework, played with Daisy, Ash, and Gary. The usual. When I did eventually go back to my tree house there was something different.
When they say me the Mankeys cheered. As I got closer around a dozen Primeapes came out from behind trees and I was wondering if I was about to be jumped. Instead, one of them walked forward and held out a fist. I had seen other Primeape do this to each other. Holding out my own fist we bumped fists and the Mankey cheered louder. Looks like I have been officially accepted into the tribe.
As I walked towards my tree house the Mankeys and Primeapes returned to what they were doing and from the corner of my eye I saw a group of Mankey throwing rocks at a tree.
'Oh great. I accidentally taught Mankey Rock Throw. It's super effective!'
Climbing up the tree I went into my little fort and saw a small pile of items on the desk. Several Chesto berries, a miracle seed, and a few different pretty rocks, as I was looking at the pile a shadow fell across the desk. Looking up I saw a young Mankey sitting on my window, it pointed to the pile, then to me, and then it smiled as it jumped out of sight. The Mankeys had given me gifts it would seem, with a smile I moved them all into my bag before heading outside.
I didn't stay long as I had just wanted to make sure the Mankeys wouldn't forget that this tree is mine but I don't have to worry about that now. Since I had been accepted I wouldn't have to fight them off anymore, the Primeapes might want to spar every now and again but it wouldn't be as brutal as before. I returned home with a bounce in my step and a smile on my lips. Only one more school day until my birthday party/beach camping trip. We were going to stay on the beach all weekend.