Chapter 5A: Visiting Dad, Part 1


     Nathan and I left about nine that morning, for one reason and one
reason only. It was time to visit my gym leader father. I never see my
dad and I wasn't too particulary excited now. I tried to act like I was,
but Nathan could probably tell I would rather be training.

     The door made an echo in the gym as it shut behind us and the man
in the middle of the room nearly jumped. "Hey, it's you!" he cried.
Awww, thanks Dad, such a sentimental greeting. Glad to know that the
youngest kid is so loved.

     "Yeah, it's me!" I said with false cheerfulness. "How are you,
daddy?"

     "I'm okay, but how did you get here? Do you have Pokemon now,
Jenn?" Unlike my mother, my dad is fine with calling me Jenn. My mom
prefers Jenifer.

     "Yeah, a Torchic and a Wingull!" I said happily. My mom could care
less about my Pokemon, but my dad was really interested. Pokemon is my
dad's life, so it was easy to believe that.

     "Good! I'm proud of you!" he said with a smile. And then he seemed
to notice Nathan for the first time. "I'm not battling right now,
sorry." I thought that was extremely rude of him, but didn't comment on
it.

     "No, dad, this is my travelling companion, Nathan Pickens," I
introduced. I don't think Nathan thought too highly of my father, but he
was polite anyways.

     "Nice to meet you, sir," Nathan said, outstretching his hand and my
dad shook it. I think my dad thought more of Nathan than Nathan thought
of him.

     "You must be Jacob's son," my dad said. Of course, only he would
remember that. I had met Jacob Pickens previously, though my mom didn't
know it, and even though the man probably said something about Nathan,
it didn't stick in my head.

     "Yes, sir," Nathan said. It was so weird to hear him call my father
sir. 

     At that moment, a freak with green hair interrupted my reunion with
my father. He looked frail and there was something about him I did NOT
like. "Norman, you said you would help me catch a Pokemon today," he
wheezed.

     My dad obviously didn't care much for the kid either. "I'm sorry,
Wally, I can't. I have um," my dad paused as he tried to think of an
excuse. "Paperwork! Yeah, paperwork to do. Sorry." He didn't look sorry.

     The kid (Wally) put up a fight. "But Norman, I'm leaving for
Vendanturf today! I have to go live with my aunt and uncle!"

     My father, the great gym leader, softened a bit. "Okay, how about
this? Jenn, go with Wally to catch a Pokemon!" My mouth opened in
protest but my father gave me a 'do-it-or-you're-grounded-for-forever'
type of look and I shut my mouth and walked off with the freak, leaving
Nathan to the tortures of Daddy.

     "So you're travelling with my youngest daughter," Norman said,
closing the door that me and Wally had left through.

     Nathan managed a smile. "Yes, I am, sir." He felt somewhat afraid
of this guy, like he would take a shotgun and blow his head off if he
said the wrong thing. 

     "Are you dating her?" Norman asked pointedly. Nathan was shocked at
the thought, though he had been thinking of it too. 

     "No, sir. My parents and her mother just suggested we travel
together since we're both inexperienced." Norman kind of chuckled, and
Nathan wondered why. 

     "My daughter Jenifer? Inexperienced? There's something I haven't
heard before. Nathan, I'm thinking there's a whole lot you don't yet
know about my daughter."

     "Like what?" Nathan asked him, thinking he knew everything between
Taylor and Team Rocket.

     "My daughter has beat Team Rocket twice!" Norman said proudly.

     "I know, she told me. She was almost killed by a hyper beam that
the leader shot at her," Nathan said almost smartly.

     "Oh, that was the first time. Didn't she tell you about the second
time?" Nathan shook his head quickly. "Giovanni sent a man out in red.
He brought out a Charizard and almost burned her to death. She was in
the hospital for a month!"

     Nathan was kind of amazed that I forgot this little detail. "Man in
red... Charizard... It must've been Maxie!"

     Norman bent his head a little to the side. "Who's Maxie?"

     "The leader of Team Magma!"

     "It could've been him," Norman said thoughtfully. They had it easy,
they were talking. Lucky men... While at the same time I was being
subjected to torment at the hands of Wally.