~2~

~Meet the Parents~

Not to say I was disappointed or anything but I really wasn’t expecting to have a bulbasaur as my starter. For one bulbasaur was the only starter pokemon not native to my region. So I was kinda pleased to have such a rare pokemon in my team though if I ever had to go to Kanto then I’d be considered somewhat average.

The professor shook my hand. “Congrats boy. Bulbasaur is a good pokemon to start with ‘cept for one thing. This bulbasaur has got quite a temper. He could attack you if you get on his bad side. Watch out for that.”

Oh great I get the one that is likely to attack me any second.

The girl shook the professor’s hand and left, with her torchic cooing contently on her shoulder.

I had one last question to ask, “Professor what was the water type?”

I already knew the answer; it was the pokemon I’d always wanted. “It was a totodile. A feisty one that. So keep in touch boy. Enjoy your journey.” Yeah without my totodile…

The professor left without another word into an adjoining room.

I looked down at my bulbasaur he hadn’t even stirred. All curled up like a ball.

Great…

“Come on Bulbasaur. We gotta make one trip home. So you can meet my mom,” I gently tried to shake it awake…I don’t think he liked that. I snatched my hand away as a vine came flying out of nowhere.

Bulbasaur opened one eye. “Bulba bulbasur!”

“So you aren’t coming with?” I asked, trying hard to keep my cool. Somehow this all seemed familiar like a story I’d once heard but couldn’t remember.

Bulbasaur shook his head defiantly.

I took out Bulbasaur’s pokeball. He eyed me, extending to thick vines.

“Too slow!” I said and beamed the pokemon just as he shot his vines to strike me. The red glow did not fade. I could see Bulbasaur was trying really hard not to submit to the beam. “Bulbaaaa!”

I eventually backed down. “Fine I’m just going to have to carry you.” I was going through way too much trouble for a pokemon who didn’t even like me.

I tried to pick it up but it squirmed. I tried to drag it but it whipped me with its vines. I tried to beam it again but it resisted. Eventually I was sprawled out on the floor in exhaustion. “You don’t make this easy, do you?”

“Bulbasaur,” he said and curled up again. Now was my chance I beamed it as quickly as I could. He was obviously taken by surprise and submitted to the ball. I could feel the pokeball shaking in my hand after a few minutes it stopped.

Now to get back to my mom. She was probably going to love this…yay…

I was grateful to the out of the lab. Just being near the professor was annoying I couldn’t imagine how I was going to manage keeping in contact with him regularly.

By that time it was slightly later in the day. The dozy chill that normally comes with early morning was gone and it became normal to see people walking around outside actually looking fresh and awake.

My house wasn’t too far from the lab. I made it home okay without having to run it. Not that running would have made the trip go faster. I wasn’t a quick runner at all. My running and my walking didn’t differ much in speed.

I went inside to find my mom and my gran sitting down to breakfast. Both are killers when it comes to food. They are always the first people finished but the last people to get up from the table. Meaning that they went for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths and sometimes sixths.

Both looked up at me from their food. “Sumi you’re home! Let’s see your pokemon!” My mom got up from her food. Which for her is an incredible feat.

I hesitated slightly as I took out the pokeball. I could already see all the trouble I was going to have getting Bulbasaur back in again.

In a red flash Bulbasaur appeared looking kinda peeved. It roared. I had to dodge a couple of vines before it glared at me and turned its back.

“Well…He’s an energetic one. You could say that.” My mom had a strange expression on her face like she almost felt sorry for me. Or was it the pokemon?

She knelt down and gently stroked the pokemon. I don’t remember her doing that to me even when I was sick! I had pneumonia and all I got was an “Are you okay, Sumi?” then a get well soon card. Great parenting huh?

Bulbasaur looked ready to snap. But my mom wouldn’t have it. She held up a stern finger and adopted a cross expression.

Wow I didn’t even know mom could be strict.

“Now Bulbasaur you can’t go around biting people and using your vine whip out of battle. It’s just not right!”

To my surprise Bulbasaur backed down a little and even let her stroke him. But I had a feeling Bulbasaur was smarter than the rest of us. He decided to cut his losses and be nice now but once we were on the road well…I’d better watch out.

The four of us had breakfast together. My gran was studying Bulbasaur and me with an odd expression on her face. Like she was remembering something.

Mom let Bulbasaur sit at the table with us. He could barely see over the table but nobody seemed to care least of all him.

He was quite chatty to my mom. The two of them ate together compatibly (both eating with the same speed and seemingly endless stomach) and I was beginning to think that I should hand Bulbasaur over to my mom.

“So have you found out Bulbasaur’s name yet?” My mom asked me. I shook my head. Did pokemon have their own names?

Bulbasaur threw me a dirty look. Geez we’ve only been together for less than an hour and he already hates me.

“Uh Bulbasaur do you have a name?” I asked, feeling kind of stupid.

“Bulbasaur.” Now I had no idea what that meant. Considering all pokemon could say were the name of their species, what was the point of having names that you yourself can’t pronounce.

“That is so sweet! His name is Little Whip Jnr. Awwww!” My mom grabbed Bulbasaur and hugged him. I could see the poor guy suffocating so I came to the rescue. “Mom I think I hear the teapot.” My mom is a tea fanatic so she dropped Bulbasaur and went to tend to the tea.

“So was your dad called Whip snr?” I asked, in a bad attempt to get to know my new pokemon.

“Bulba,” yeah I knew exactly what that meant.

My gran was surveying us from behind her granny specs. It was kind of uncomfortable. The three of us sitting there with the only sound coming from Bulbasaur chewing loudly. Or should I say Little Whip Jnr loudly?

“Little Whip Jnr. I think I’m going to call you Whip…or maybe Whiplash. Little Whip jnr is just a bit…long,” I said to the pokemon.

“Bulba,” Was that a yes or a no?

So I decided to call him that and if I got a whip in the face then I’ll know it was a no.

“Whiplash could you pass me the orange juice?” I waited for the blow to hit. Nothing.

All I got was orange juice.

“Thanks.”

Something changed in gran’s expression and she returned to her food.

My mom came back into the room, carrying two cups. Here I was expecting tea but no Whiplash got the honours. It turned out that Whippy liked herbal tea. Brilliant now he and my mom had even more in common.

“You know, Sumi, I think you chose the perfect pokemon. I really like Little Whip over here.” She said. Yeah mom the perfect pokemon for you, I thought.

“Bulbasaur bulba!”

“I should call you Whiplash? Did my Sumi give you that name?” my mom rubbed the top of Whippy’s head. He purred. Oh my G I had no idea that bulbasaurs could purr!

Neither it seems did the rest of my family. Gran glanced up at us again. Even Mom looked surprised.

“Bulba?” Whippy looked confused at our reaction.

By that time we were all done with breakfast and I was itching to leave. My first pokemon adventure!

“Thanks for the breakfast Mom. I think Whippy and I are going to hit the road.”

My mom teared up again. “Oh my baby is leaving me! All alone!” I was crushed together in a hug.

My gran gave her a look.

“Okay Mom…I gotta go. I’ll call you...okay suffocating!” I was released from the death grip and stumbled away.

“Okay Whippo you gonna get in the ball?” I asked my pokemon. He growled at me.

My gran’s attention was caught again. She watched as me and Whippy argued about the pokeball. It was a difficult argument for me cos I had no idea what Whippy was saying.

She smiled. To tell you the truth it was the first time I’d seen her smile in a long time. These days she hardly talked and took to watching people. She had a nice smile. It was calm and serene but at the same time managed to be mischievous.

“Before you go I took some photos of me and gran so you can remember us. Oh and I thought maybe you’d like to see how we looked when we were young and beautiful so I managed to dig up some of those as well.” Oh no now I had to look at them wearing weird outfits ‘back in the day.’

She pulled out some photographs of her and gran. The recent ones didn’t surprise me but even I gasped when I saw Mom and gran as youngsters.

Mom was actually pretty. (Don’t tell her I said that.) She had her signature thick hair but it was thicker with youth. Her eyes shone with excitement. Her skin had no wrinkles. Heh I bet she wished that were still true.

Now if I was surprised about Mom looking good then you had to see me look at gran.

She was beautiful. Her looks were very different to my mom’s. My mom was dark, with dark hair and eyes but gran was fair with blue eyes, a big playful smile and vibrant orange hair.

END PART TWO

What suspense! I was gripping the edge of my seat! Does Sumi’s gran remind you of someone? (Hint hint) Will I ever tell you Sumi’s real name? (Maybe) And will someone please review my work?! All this and more in Part three!

~JJJ~

Regards

The Abstract Noun