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Chapter 22: Let’s leave
After a little while Jessie had finally managed to take a moment to recollect herself. Seeing her not be able to meet my eyes after telling me all of that, especially while doing it all while balling her eyes out, all I could do was try not to make a big deal of it while we let the awkward moment pass.
“If I cried in front of a girl it would be embarrassing for me.” I thought with empathy. “Definitely can’t start telling her it’s fine, I think that’d just make it worse.” Staring at the wall in front of me, I sat on the bed and tried my best to figure out what it is that I should do. “Do I go to the PokeCenter here and call Nurse Joy or try to get in contact with Jenny? Or should I go to the police station? I haven’t really had anything happen to me that they could use against me…” Thinking hard, I got a sudden thought. “Wait. Aren’t Gym Leaders something like an authority higher than officers, or is that something I’m just assuming? Either way they’ll have more credibility than someone random like me right? If I manage to get in touch with Erika again, I could let her know what’s happening and get her to help me before things turn bad and help everyone else here!”
“Hey, Koal.” Turning to my side, I saw Jessie staring at me. She had a look of hesitance, but she quickly fixed it into fierce determination. “Come with me.”
Not knowing how to respond to the sudden demand, I tilted my head.
“Huh?” I responded eloquently.
Standing up to walk in front of me, Jessie fixed her hands into fists as she looked down on my sitting form.
“Let’s leave. Before your luck runs out.” Taking a step closer to me so that she was standing in between my knees, she unclenched her hands and set them on my shoulders. “I know I might not be the best choice. We hardly know each other and I was homeless when we met and I might even go back to being homeless after we leave, but I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re fed and happy. Even if I starve every night and get frostbite from freezing when the weather gets bad, I’ll make sure you’re warm and go to bed with a full stomach. I swear to you Koal, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you don’t end up in a situation like this ever again.”
All my previous thoughts were halted by the shock of what I was hearing. Here was a woman who had an undoubtedly rough life that would make most people give up, pleading for me to leave with her. The story I managed to remember from the anime along with the reality of what she told me last night gave me that much knowledge. Yet, here she was, telling me that she would willingly suffer more if it meant I would be safe. The look in her eye as she stared unwaveringly at me told me all that I needed to know about how far she would be willing to go for me, a man who just happened to be nice to her.
“Jessie…” I whispered, deeply touched.
“And…” Biting her bottom lip she looked to the side, seemingly deciding something, before meeting my gaze again. “And if you’re really worried that I won’t be able to support you, there’s something I didn’t mention to you.” An unsure grin came to her face. “When I was homeless, before I ever worked at Helpful Hand, someone came up to me. They told me that someone is building an organization, that they’re trying to gather rare Pokemon and everyone who joins will be rewarded as soon as they become powerful enough to stand against the Elite Four. That their first goal is to take over the Game Center and turn it into something better than it is now. Back then, I didn’t join because of how shady it sounded, but now I truly believe that whatever it is that they’re trying to accomplish, that whatever they’re willing to turn this Game Center into, it has to be better than what’s going on right now, and even if they’re not safe, I can do all the dirty work and keep you out of it. As long as I can go back to a home where you’re there, it’ll all be worth it.”
“An organization?” I thought with an analytical mind. “That has to be Team Rocket right?” Like a lightning strike, a memory came back to me. “It’s a little fuzzy, but didn’t Team Rocket have something to do with the Game Center back in the Pokemon Games? I haven’t played in so many years and with everything that has been happening so suddenly, I really haven’t had the time to properly go over everything in my mind, but I’m sure that Team Rocket had something to do with the Game Center. So what is it? Were they using another way to recruit people to Helpful Hand, are they trying to be their own competition to keep people who may want to find out what Helpful Hand is truly about close to their chest so they can deal with them, or did I come in at time period where they haven’t taken over the Game Center yet? Hell, were they the ones who even created the Game Center? I don’t think the game ever expanded on that.” Mind reeling, I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter. I still have a way to get out of the situation safely.
Erika.
The Gym Leader of Celadon who probably doesn’t even know how dark the casino in her city really is. If I can somehow meet her again, I could have her handle this and make sure Jessie doesn’t ever have to join Team Rocket so that she has a better future.
“Maybe even with me.” I thought with a gentle smile.
Of course I remembered Jenny. Gorgeous, righteous, and my savior, but after finding out that the blind faith I put in her to know more about the place she was sending me to was unfounded…well, let’s just say it left me in a purgatory of how deep my feelings currently were for her. Sure I can’t fully blame her, but isn’t she supposed to be a future officer? Did she do no research and just left me here for whatever fate may come to me? Right now, Jessie was willing to become my savior, right now, Jessie was willing to risk her own safety so that I could come out of this unscathed. She was even willing to join what I think is Team Rocket so that she could have me waiting in an actual house for her. Hell, she rejoined Helpful Hand just to keep me safe. She was going above and beyond what Jenny did.
But.
“I can’t leave if it means letting her join Team Rocket, even if on some chance Helpful Hand and Team Rocket are already connected.” Clenching my jaw, I stood up, causing Jessie to take a step back and release my shoulders. “This girl, no, this woman is taking a bet on me from the kindness she received. I won’t let her go down the wrong path if it means she has to save me. I may be in a reversed world, but I’m a fucking man.”
“Jessie.” Watching her expression turn unsure at the way my tone shifted to outright solemnity, I reached down and grabbed both her hands, making sure to brush her hair out of her face so that both of her eyes were staring into mine beforehand. “I want to go with you.”
Face lighting up like she was given the greatest present on the planet, I cut her off before she could speak.
“But we can’t let this place keep going like this.” Trying not to avert my eyes after seeing her expression shatter, I powered through. “Like you said, these people are probably getting blackmail on the men to keep them quiet, and keeping the women silent by letting them fulfil their sexual fantasies, but I don’t have anything like that holding me back.” Gripping her hands hard, I tried to will her to understand. “If I can get to Erika again, I can explain the situation to her and bypass any officers that may be in their pockets or avoid having them stop any other attempts we can think of.” Smiling softly to her, I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers, never breaking eye contact. “If we leave now, what’s to say they won’t try and hunt us down? A guard who knows the darker aspects to this place and a man who they didn’t get any blackmail on leaving? That’s too much of a loose end. We’d have people sent after us almost immediately.”
Seeing her realize what I meant, I leaned forward and kissed her.
“I don’t mind being with you Jessie, no matter how short we've known each other. In fact, I think someone with your type of personality is the best I could hope for in this world.” I said softly after pulling away from the gentle kiss.
“Yeah.” True humor passing through me, I had to laugh at myself. “I think I got it wrong actually. You’re not a white knight. You’re just someone who was waiting for the right person to become devoted to, and I’ll respond correctly.”
Letting go of her to walk towards the door, plan in mind, I felt Jessie’s hand come up to grip my shoulder from behind.
“Wait.” Her voice low and fearful, I heard her take an audible gulp. “W-who did you say you were going to for help?”
Before I could answer, the door to my room opened and Roy was standing there looking smug.
“Brenda gave instructions.” He said, his eyes never leaving mine. “You're going to the second floor tonight.”