The footsteps of researchers rushing eagerly about the Pokémon Lab created a deafening cacophony that was only matched by the buzz of several scholarly conversations filling the sticky summertime air. The annual New Bark Town Research Convention was seldom missed by any Johto professionals specializing in the field of Pokémon biology and the locals took full advantage of that fact. Nearly every nearby hotel gloated in the illumination of "No Vacancy" under its sign and stands selling food and various other artisan goods lined the dirt streets in hopes of catching the interest of the abundant tourists.
The mid-morning sun was just beginning to peak over the mountaintops, glinting off of the lab's marble floors through the windows that were thrown open in an attempt to relieve the overly crowded room of its claustrophobia-inspiring mugginess. The doorway, which also stood ajar to let in the breeze, was filled by a tall, middle-aged woman with a heap of light brown hair that could only be compared to a Pyroar's mane. Though the wrinkles on her face spoke to her ailing age and the stress of years of Pokémon research, one could tell that she had been very pretty at one point, with full lips and a pair of emerald-green eyes. She gently stirred her coffee as she gazed out at the brightening sky, which was filled with a creamsicle-colored hue that reminded her of the bright feathers of newly-hatched Torchic.
From the lab, which was strategically placed atop a hill to offer a better view, the woman watched as the lush wilderness was soaked with sunlight, suffusing the land like a green wave crashing on a beach. If she squinted, she could vaguely make out the Goldernrod skyline to the west, though at this time of day, the buildings simply looked like abstract sillouhettes. To the east, the towering Mt. Silver pierced the clouds like a looming giant. It was always inspiring to watch the world emerge from slumber, the woman thought. However, she always preferred the quaint familiarity of New Bark Town to traveling and sightseeing. She liked to look at the world through the lens of science, not learn about its mysteries through exploration, unlike her husband...
A gentle hand lightly gripped her shoulder. She turned to find the spectacled face of her boyfriend, Professor David Elm, beaming back at her. She chuckled to herself as he always seemed to have a goofy grin spread across his face and his messy brown hair, which clearly hadn't been brushed in days, only seemed to complete the look.
"Sorry to interrupt, Jennifer," he said with a nervous smile, "But, I have some exciting news! Professor Aurea Juniper from Unova brought with her groundbreaking research on Pokémon's hidden abilities! You know how I love learning about unusual abilities!"
"Not a problem," Professor Jennifer Willow replied, giggling at her boyfriend's geekiness. "I'd to present our research on how different berries affect Pokémon breeding today."
Professor Elm nodded enthusiastically. "I also heard that Professor Samuel Oak plans to stop by! This could very well be the best New Bark Research Convention yet!"
Professor Willow couldn't help but to smile. Samuel Oak was a longtime colleague and adviser of hers. Reading his weekly Pokémon newsletter as a teen is what originally interested her in research in the first place. She recalled frustrating arguments with her husband when she had tried to make him read editorials on topics like "how friendship affects Pokémon evolution," while he had wanted to watch tapes of famous Pokémon League battles instead...
Snapping back to attention, Professor Willow scanned the sea of faces in the packed room. "David, have you seen my son anywhere?"
She watched as Professor Elm's blue eyes looked past the tables cluttered with lab equipment from behind his owllike wire-rimmed glasses. "Jesse? I can't say I have," he responded, scratching his head.
"I told him not to wander off today," Professor Willow sighed. "We were planing to give him a Pokémon as a gift for his graduation."
---
18-year old Jesse Willow hated crowds. Originally, he thought that this detestment stemmed from some form of social anxiety but soon realized it was simply a matter of not wanting to talk to "mom and dad's work friends." He shuddered at the thought of lectures about the Butterfree migration or how an Arbok's pattern changes based on the region it inhabits. Yet, his mother insisted that he attend Pewter University in Kanto in the fall to study Pokémon sciences. How perfect...
Jesse sat on top of a brick wall that was once apart of what he imagined was a demolished supply shed in the New Bark Pokémon Corral. Ivy snaked its way up the wall like devious Serperior lying in wait. He dangled his feet, which always donned a pair of white tennis sneakers, dilapidated from overuse, over the edge. He always dressed more for comfort rather than style. Like his shoes, the faded bluejeans he normally wore had also seen better days. Around his waist, he usually kept a red and black tartan-patterned flannel tied by the sleeves in case the weather took a turn for the worse.
Jesse's emerald-green eyes matched his mother's and he had a shock of shaggy blond hair that he thought he must have inherited from his father. His build was nothing out of the ordinary: Jesse was very lean and tall with a slight amount of muscle tone, despite hardly ever working out. The beginnings of a wispy beard were present on his chin. He was too lazy to bother shaving his face and his mother had him it was "very distinguishing," a compliment that he had enjoyed.
DJ Mary's radio show blared from the speakers of Jesse's PokéGear, which lay next to him on the wall. Mary had always been his celebrity crush of sorts. Even though Buena (the host of Buena's Password Show, another broadcast that Jesse regularly tuned into) claimed that Mary had a weight problem, he had always thought she was utterly perfect. Her soft, velvet voice filled his ears and Jesse felt relaxed.
"Hey, stranger!"
Jesse's stupor was abruptly ended by a startling voice. Arceus, is that you?
Turning his head so swiftly that it may have resulted in whiplash, Jesse met a pair of big, blue eyes that belonged to an open, lightly freckled face scaling the wall behind him.
"Gah! Audrey!" Jesse cried, tumbling forwards off of the wall.
Landing on his feet by pure luck, he turned and scowled up at the girl who had appeared so suddenly. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Jeez, it was just a joke," Audrey said, slightly bitter that she did not recieve the reaction she had hoped for.
"Jokes are supposed to be funny," Jesse replied, rolling his eyes.
Audrey sat down on top of the wall and hung her feet over the edge. Her neck-length auburn hair caught the sunlight and made it look as though her whole head was on fire. Although she had never been particularly curvy, her sky blue sundress made her bust jump out. There was a certain innocent friendliness about her that made Jesse's anger melt away.
"So," he started, looking down at the ground, "I heard about theater school. That's awesome."
"Oh, yeah!" Audrey beamed, hardly hiding her excitement "Castelia's Theater Academy is amazing! I still can't believe I was accepted."
"Me neither," Jesse joked. "After all, we both know I'm the more talented one. You sure you want to move all the way to Unova though?"
Audrey giggled but her expression became immediately serious. "Well... it's going to be an adjustment for sure, but I really think it's what's best. I think..."
Her voiced trailed off and an awkward silence followed.
"Oh," was Jesse's response. He pinched himself for having nothing more to say.
"But, hey, Pewter University! That's big!" Audrey said, trying to change the topic.
"Yeah, I'm excited," Jesse lied. He hoped she wouldn't see through his fake enthusiam.
"I bet. Just don't party too hard without me," Audrey laughed.
Jesse climbed back on to the wall and sat next to her. He ellicited an uncomfortable fake chuckle.
"We have to get better at hanging out before the summer slips away," Audrey said, staring ahead into the trees.
Jesse tried to guess what she was staring at, but it seemed to be nothing in particular.
"Yeah," he responded.
Another awkward silence fell between them. They both shuffled uneasily. Audrey fiddled with her silver necklace and Jesse's attention shifted to a Caterpie he spotted in the grass.
Audrey had an identical upbringing to Jesse, being the only daughter of two world-renowned researchers from New Bark Town. Her mother was a professor specializing in Pokémon history while her father focused his studies on extraterrestial Pokémon, having a quirky, undying love for Solrock and Lunatone. Because their parents were colleagues, the two spent a lot of time together and were always in direct competition. (For example, Audrey earned the title of valedictorian of their high school class while Jesse had to settle for salutatorian.) Jesse always referred to her as his "rival," but she didn't see it as so. She kept Jesse on his toes and always pushed him to his full potential, a dynamic that made him thankful for her friendship.
"Oh!" Audrey exclaimed, breaking the silence. "I almost forgot! I have something to show you."
She sprang off the wall and her hiking boots hit the ground with an audible thud. Jesse noticed that they didn't match her outfit at all. But then again, who was he to be giving commentary on fashion?
Jesse followed her to a clearing laden with tall grasses and wildflowers, some growing to what he estimated to be the height of his shoulders. Various wild Ledyba and Yanma fluttered about the foliage, but didn't seem to be interested in bothering the two teens. Without saying a word, Audrey untied her right boot and reached into her sock. Jesse noticed it was made of gray wool.
"Wool socks?" he commented. "In summer? Doesn't that get a little hot?"
Silent still, Audrey pulled a small object out of her sock between her index finger and thumb and held it out towards Jesse in a clenched fist. She released her grip and spread her fingers to reveal an easily recognizable sphere with a crimson top and pearl-colored bottom: a PokéBall. Tapping it lightly with her finger, the ball instantly grew in size, a subdued beep sounding in the process.
"The Theater Academy requires all acting students to bring along with them a partner Pokémon," Audrey explained. "They believe that to achieve mastery in every theatrical discipline, it's important to not only be able to collaborate with other artists, but with Pokémon as well. Understanding Pokémon and their spirits helps us to have a deeper understanding of people and how we relate to other beings through emotion... Or something along those lines." She shook her hands and rolled her eyes to imply sarcasm and laughed.
Jesse was evidently astonished. "No way," he said, "You have a Pokémon?"
"I choose you!"
Audrey tossed the PokéBall into the air with one swift hand motion. In a flash of bright light, a small blue pinniped Pokémon appeared in the grass before them.
"This is Vivian!" Audrey squealed delightedly. "She's a Popplio!"
She caught the empty PokéBall as it returned from the air.
"Bwark!" Vivian barked, stretching her flippers.
"H-hey, Vivian," Jesse said nervously. He had never been afraid of Pokémon but he was always apprehensive when meeting a new one for the first time. He reached his hand out for Vivian to sniff.
"She may not look like much right now," Audrey continued, "But she's a natural performer. Vivian and I are gonna make it."
"Bwark!" Vivian chirped excitedly. She began to blow a bubble from her snout.
"Hey, that's pretty cool," Jesse said. He poked at Vivian's bubble, popping it with his finger. "I can't say I'm not jealous."
Audrey smiled but all emotion suddenly drained from her face.
"So, I'm leaving," she said blankly. "Vivian and I are leaving."
Jesse was caught off-guard. "L-leaving?" he stuttered, confused. "Leaving to go where?"
"To go see the world," she responded. "I feel like I don't belong here."
"What about theater school? You've wanted to be an actress for as long as I've known you."
"If everything goes according to plan, I should be back by the end of the summer," Audrey said distractedly, lost in thought. "Then it's off to Unova, I guess."
"So that's it? You're just up and leaving?" Jesse was still in shock.
"I've been thinking about this for a while and it's what I want to do. You might not agree, Jes, but I can make my own choices."
"I'm just not sure I understand."
"I'm not expecting you to."
"Explain it to me?"
"I can't."
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
The idea of a Pokémon journey enticed Jesse, but his mother had always discouraged him from leaving. The idea of traveling and freedom set his heart aflame with passion and watching Pokémon battles often made him giddy. But after what had happened with his father... it just "wasn't in the cards," as his mother had put it. Jesse was one to brush his feelings aside to avoid confrontation.
"You think you know me way better than you do, Jesse Willow," Audrey said, raising her voice slightly. She crossed her arms, annoyed that he would question her so unfairly.
"We've been friends since we were kids and never once have I heard you talk about leaving on a journey."
Audrey turned to face away from Jesse. He thought he had seen tears welling up in her eyes, but he couldn't be sure. Was it something he said?
"Bwark?" Vivian was confused by the situation. She pressed her head against Audrey's calf, hoping to comfort her.
"I've learned that you need to cherish opportunities while you have them," Audrey said suddenly. "If you wait too long, you'll miss them. Like a sunrise or something. If you don't wake up on time, it'll be too late."
Jesse was speechless. A pathetic "Uh..." escaped from his throat. He hated that he could not think of a response.
"You don't know when an opportunity will be gone," Audrey continued. "It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be..." She paused. "...Orientation week," she said, practically in a whisper.
"I get that," Jesse sighed, hanging his head. "It's weird how fast time flies. Soon we won't be 'kids' anymore and I'll be in Kanto and you'll be hundreds of miles away at theater school."
"Yeah," Audrey murmured. She turned to face him. Her red, blotchy eyes and stuttering breath confirmed Jesse's suspicion that she had been crying.
"I-Is everything okay?" he stammered, unsure of how to comfort her.
"It doesn't have to start now," she said. "Come with me."
"M-me?" Jesse gasped, "Go with you?"
His legs suddenly felt weak from the weight of the decision at hand. He thought he might fall backwards, the towering foliage around him forming a fortress that might protect him from the outside world. His heart fluttered. He knew what he wanted to say.
"I-I don't even have a Pokémon," Jesse said. Why couldn't he bring himself to say 'yes?'
"You can catch one," Audrey suggested. "You know how to. Don't just give up on something you want, Jes. Don't you want to live without regret?"
Jesse had never been a risk-taker. However, he supposed it must be better to suffer the consequences than to never have taken the chance at all. She was right. You don't know what you have until the opportunity is gone.
"Okay," Jesse said.
"Okay, what?"
"I'll go with you."
The mid-morning sun was just beginning to peak over the mountaintops, glinting off of the lab's marble floors through the windows that were thrown open in an attempt to relieve the overly crowded room of its claustrophobia-inspiring mugginess. The doorway, which also stood ajar to let in the breeze, was filled by a tall, middle-aged woman with a heap of light brown hair that could only be compared to a Pyroar's mane. Though the wrinkles on her face spoke to her ailing age and the stress of years of Pokémon research, one could tell that she had been very pretty at one point, with full lips and a pair of emerald-green eyes. She gently stirred her coffee as she gazed out at the brightening sky, which was filled with a creamsicle-colored hue that reminded her of the bright feathers of newly-hatched Torchic.
From the lab, which was strategically placed atop a hill to offer a better view, the woman watched as the lush wilderness was soaked with sunlight, suffusing the land like a green wave crashing on a beach. If she squinted, she could vaguely make out the Goldernrod skyline to the west, though at this time of day, the buildings simply looked like abstract sillouhettes. To the east, the towering Mt. Silver pierced the clouds like a looming giant. It was always inspiring to watch the world emerge from slumber, the woman thought. However, she always preferred the quaint familiarity of New Bark Town to traveling and sightseeing. She liked to look at the world through the lens of science, not learn about its mysteries through exploration, unlike her husband...
A gentle hand lightly gripped her shoulder. She turned to find the spectacled face of her boyfriend, Professor David Elm, beaming back at her. She chuckled to herself as he always seemed to have a goofy grin spread across his face and his messy brown hair, which clearly hadn't been brushed in days, only seemed to complete the look.
"Sorry to interrupt, Jennifer," he said with a nervous smile, "But, I have some exciting news! Professor Aurea Juniper from Unova brought with her groundbreaking research on Pokémon's hidden abilities! You know how I love learning about unusual abilities!"
"Not a problem," Professor Jennifer Willow replied, giggling at her boyfriend's geekiness. "I'd to present our research on how different berries affect Pokémon breeding today."
Professor Elm nodded enthusiastically. "I also heard that Professor Samuel Oak plans to stop by! This could very well be the best New Bark Research Convention yet!"
Professor Willow couldn't help but to smile. Samuel Oak was a longtime colleague and adviser of hers. Reading his weekly Pokémon newsletter as a teen is what originally interested her in research in the first place. She recalled frustrating arguments with her husband when she had tried to make him read editorials on topics like "how friendship affects Pokémon evolution," while he had wanted to watch tapes of famous Pokémon League battles instead...
Snapping back to attention, Professor Willow scanned the sea of faces in the packed room. "David, have you seen my son anywhere?"
She watched as Professor Elm's blue eyes looked past the tables cluttered with lab equipment from behind his owllike wire-rimmed glasses. "Jesse? I can't say I have," he responded, scratching his head.
"I told him not to wander off today," Professor Willow sighed. "We were planing to give him a Pokémon as a gift for his graduation."
---
18-year old Jesse Willow hated crowds. Originally, he thought that this detestment stemmed from some form of social anxiety but soon realized it was simply a matter of not wanting to talk to "mom and dad's work friends." He shuddered at the thought of lectures about the Butterfree migration or how an Arbok's pattern changes based on the region it inhabits. Yet, his mother insisted that he attend Pewter University in Kanto in the fall to study Pokémon sciences. How perfect...
Jesse sat on top of a brick wall that was once apart of what he imagined was a demolished supply shed in the New Bark Pokémon Corral. Ivy snaked its way up the wall like devious Serperior lying in wait. He dangled his feet, which always donned a pair of white tennis sneakers, dilapidated from overuse, over the edge. He always dressed more for comfort rather than style. Like his shoes, the faded bluejeans he normally wore had also seen better days. Around his waist, he usually kept a red and black tartan-patterned flannel tied by the sleeves in case the weather took a turn for the worse.
Jesse's emerald-green eyes matched his mother's and he had a shock of shaggy blond hair that he thought he must have inherited from his father. His build was nothing out of the ordinary: Jesse was very lean and tall with a slight amount of muscle tone, despite hardly ever working out. The beginnings of a wispy beard were present on his chin. He was too lazy to bother shaving his face and his mother had him it was "very distinguishing," a compliment that he had enjoyed.
DJ Mary's radio show blared from the speakers of Jesse's PokéGear, which lay next to him on the wall. Mary had always been his celebrity crush of sorts. Even though Buena (the host of Buena's Password Show, another broadcast that Jesse regularly tuned into) claimed that Mary had a weight problem, he had always thought she was utterly perfect. Her soft, velvet voice filled his ears and Jesse felt relaxed.
"Hey, stranger!"
Jesse's stupor was abruptly ended by a startling voice. Arceus, is that you?
Turning his head so swiftly that it may have resulted in whiplash, Jesse met a pair of big, blue eyes that belonged to an open, lightly freckled face scaling the wall behind him.
"Gah! Audrey!" Jesse cried, tumbling forwards off of the wall.
Landing on his feet by pure luck, he turned and scowled up at the girl who had appeared so suddenly. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Jeez, it was just a joke," Audrey said, slightly bitter that she did not recieve the reaction she had hoped for.
"Jokes are supposed to be funny," Jesse replied, rolling his eyes.
Audrey sat down on top of the wall and hung her feet over the edge. Her neck-length auburn hair caught the sunlight and made it look as though her whole head was on fire. Although she had never been particularly curvy, her sky blue sundress made her bust jump out. There was a certain innocent friendliness about her that made Jesse's anger melt away.
"So," he started, looking down at the ground, "I heard about theater school. That's awesome."
"Oh, yeah!" Audrey beamed, hardly hiding her excitement "Castelia's Theater Academy is amazing! I still can't believe I was accepted."
"Me neither," Jesse joked. "After all, we both know I'm the more talented one. You sure you want to move all the way to Unova though?"
Audrey giggled but her expression became immediately serious. "Well... it's going to be an adjustment for sure, but I really think it's what's best. I think..."
Her voiced trailed off and an awkward silence followed.
"Oh," was Jesse's response. He pinched himself for having nothing more to say.
"But, hey, Pewter University! That's big!" Audrey said, trying to change the topic.
"Yeah, I'm excited," Jesse lied. He hoped she wouldn't see through his fake enthusiam.
"I bet. Just don't party too hard without me," Audrey laughed.
Jesse climbed back on to the wall and sat next to her. He ellicited an uncomfortable fake chuckle.
"We have to get better at hanging out before the summer slips away," Audrey said, staring ahead into the trees.
Jesse tried to guess what she was staring at, but it seemed to be nothing in particular.
"Yeah," he responded.
Another awkward silence fell between them. They both shuffled uneasily. Audrey fiddled with her silver necklace and Jesse's attention shifted to a Caterpie he spotted in the grass.
Audrey had an identical upbringing to Jesse, being the only daughter of two world-renowned researchers from New Bark Town. Her mother was a professor specializing in Pokémon history while her father focused his studies on extraterrestial Pokémon, having a quirky, undying love for Solrock and Lunatone. Because their parents were colleagues, the two spent a lot of time together and were always in direct competition. (For example, Audrey earned the title of valedictorian of their high school class while Jesse had to settle for salutatorian.) Jesse always referred to her as his "rival," but she didn't see it as so. She kept Jesse on his toes and always pushed him to his full potential, a dynamic that made him thankful for her friendship.
"Oh!" Audrey exclaimed, breaking the silence. "I almost forgot! I have something to show you."
She sprang off the wall and her hiking boots hit the ground with an audible thud. Jesse noticed that they didn't match her outfit at all. But then again, who was he to be giving commentary on fashion?
Jesse followed her to a clearing laden with tall grasses and wildflowers, some growing to what he estimated to be the height of his shoulders. Various wild Ledyba and Yanma fluttered about the foliage, but didn't seem to be interested in bothering the two teens. Without saying a word, Audrey untied her right boot and reached into her sock. Jesse noticed it was made of gray wool.
"Wool socks?" he commented. "In summer? Doesn't that get a little hot?"
Silent still, Audrey pulled a small object out of her sock between her index finger and thumb and held it out towards Jesse in a clenched fist. She released her grip and spread her fingers to reveal an easily recognizable sphere with a crimson top and pearl-colored bottom: a PokéBall. Tapping it lightly with her finger, the ball instantly grew in size, a subdued beep sounding in the process.
"The Theater Academy requires all acting students to bring along with them a partner Pokémon," Audrey explained. "They believe that to achieve mastery in every theatrical discipline, it's important to not only be able to collaborate with other artists, but with Pokémon as well. Understanding Pokémon and their spirits helps us to have a deeper understanding of people and how we relate to other beings through emotion... Or something along those lines." She shook her hands and rolled her eyes to imply sarcasm and laughed.
Jesse was evidently astonished. "No way," he said, "You have a Pokémon?"
"I choose you!"
Audrey tossed the PokéBall into the air with one swift hand motion. In a flash of bright light, a small blue pinniped Pokémon appeared in the grass before them.
"This is Vivian!" Audrey squealed delightedly. "She's a Popplio!"
She caught the empty PokéBall as it returned from the air.
"Bwark!" Vivian barked, stretching her flippers.
"H-hey, Vivian," Jesse said nervously. He had never been afraid of Pokémon but he was always apprehensive when meeting a new one for the first time. He reached his hand out for Vivian to sniff.
"She may not look like much right now," Audrey continued, "But she's a natural performer. Vivian and I are gonna make it."
"Bwark!" Vivian chirped excitedly. She began to blow a bubble from her snout.
"Hey, that's pretty cool," Jesse said. He poked at Vivian's bubble, popping it with his finger. "I can't say I'm not jealous."
Audrey smiled but all emotion suddenly drained from her face.
"So, I'm leaving," she said blankly. "Vivian and I are leaving."
Jesse was caught off-guard. "L-leaving?" he stuttered, confused. "Leaving to go where?"
"To go see the world," she responded. "I feel like I don't belong here."
"What about theater school? You've wanted to be an actress for as long as I've known you."
"If everything goes according to plan, I should be back by the end of the summer," Audrey said distractedly, lost in thought. "Then it's off to Unova, I guess."
"So that's it? You're just up and leaving?" Jesse was still in shock.
"I've been thinking about this for a while and it's what I want to do. You might not agree, Jes, but I can make my own choices."
"I'm just not sure I understand."
"I'm not expecting you to."
"Explain it to me?"
"I can't."
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
The idea of a Pokémon journey enticed Jesse, but his mother had always discouraged him from leaving. The idea of traveling and freedom set his heart aflame with passion and watching Pokémon battles often made him giddy. But after what had happened with his father... it just "wasn't in the cards," as his mother had put it. Jesse was one to brush his feelings aside to avoid confrontation.
"You think you know me way better than you do, Jesse Willow," Audrey said, raising her voice slightly. She crossed her arms, annoyed that he would question her so unfairly.
"We've been friends since we were kids and never once have I heard you talk about leaving on a journey."
Audrey turned to face away from Jesse. He thought he had seen tears welling up in her eyes, but he couldn't be sure. Was it something he said?
"Bwark?" Vivian was confused by the situation. She pressed her head against Audrey's calf, hoping to comfort her.
"I've learned that you need to cherish opportunities while you have them," Audrey said suddenly. "If you wait too long, you'll miss them. Like a sunrise or something. If you don't wake up on time, it'll be too late."
Jesse was speechless. A pathetic "Uh..." escaped from his throat. He hated that he could not think of a response.
"You don't know when an opportunity will be gone," Audrey continued. "It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be..." She paused. "...Orientation week," she said, practically in a whisper.
"I get that," Jesse sighed, hanging his head. "It's weird how fast time flies. Soon we won't be 'kids' anymore and I'll be in Kanto and you'll be hundreds of miles away at theater school."
"Yeah," Audrey murmured. She turned to face him. Her red, blotchy eyes and stuttering breath confirmed Jesse's suspicion that she had been crying.
"I-Is everything okay?" he stammered, unsure of how to comfort her.
"It doesn't have to start now," she said. "Come with me."
"M-me?" Jesse gasped, "Go with you?"
His legs suddenly felt weak from the weight of the decision at hand. He thought he might fall backwards, the towering foliage around him forming a fortress that might protect him from the outside world. His heart fluttered. He knew what he wanted to say.
"I-I don't even have a Pokémon," Jesse said. Why couldn't he bring himself to say 'yes?'
"You can catch one," Audrey suggested. "You know how to. Don't just give up on something you want, Jes. Don't you want to live without regret?"
Jesse had never been a risk-taker. However, he supposed it must be better to suffer the consequences than to never have taken the chance at all. She was right. You don't know what you have until the opportunity is gone.
"Okay," Jesse said.
"Okay, what?"
"I'll go with you."