Chapter 41: Reinventing
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Jennifer and May were currently heading into town to pick up anything they would need for their trip to Kanto.

“*SIGH* I just don’t like this…” Jennifer grumbled a complaint as they walked.

“Ugh! Come on Jen!”

“Kril! Krili a Kirl!”

Both May and Kirlia groused as Jennifer groaned for the umpteenth time since they had left the medical G-Men facility.

                

“I just don’t like the idea is all…”

May scoffed at her friend.

“I happen to think it’s a good idea!” May encouraged.

Jennifer scoffed at her friend.

“You would! You’ve always liked the idea of spies and such… I really don’t want to be dressed up like this…” Jennifer complained as they headed down the sidewalk of down town Mauville city. They were going to different outlet stores to do essentially shopping for their upcoming trip to Kanto.

Jennifer was currently in a sun had, large dark sun glasses, and had a scoff tied around her neck.

May had even convinced her to give up her shorts and tee-shirt of a long-sleeved sun dress.

Jennifer felt mortified as she traveled down the street wearing this ensemble.

         

“Seriously though!” Jennifer complained. “Didn’t they catch all of they people from Team Dunes during my rescue?” Jennifer asked. “Why do I need to go in disguise?”

“”SHHH!”” Both May and Kirlia shushed Jennifer.

“Not so loud, Jennifer!” May growled in a low voice. “We don’t know if they have more people around, or who may be watching you now.” She reminded her as she looked from one side of the street to the other.

“Kirl li! Lia Kirl lia!” Kirlia also berated.

Jennifer let her shoulder sag as she watched her Pokémon and May walked about in front of her, dress in “inconspicuous” clothing.

More like, highly “suspicious” clothing…  Jennifer thought embarrassed. Jennifer didn’t know where, but May had found some clothing to fit Kirlia as well. So she was also wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, and a scarf and dress.

I do think she looks nice in those. But isn’t it ridiculous to dress Pokémon? Jennifer thought to herself.

        

*tap* *tap* *tap

       *tap* *tap* *tap*

                  

Jennifer turned back to look at Machamp, who was following behind them.

“Ma! Ma champ!” The extremely muscular Pokémon behind her gave her three thumbs up while smiling widely.

And then there’s this guy! She groused. We couldn’t look more suspicious right now if we tried! Jennifer thought to herself.

Three overly dressed people, two of which were acting as if they were amateur bodyguards, with a large four armed Pokémon traveling behind them.

Jennifer let out a sigh at the thought.

“May, can’t we just—“

But she felt more taps on her shoulders.

She looked back towards Machamp, to see him shaking two of his hands in a non-committal way.

“Ma Ma champ Ma amp champ amp.” He said to her.

Jennifer looked into his face quizzically before letting out a long drawn out sigh.

“I wish I still had my powers, so I could communicate with you better;” She said before looking back up at him. “Are you saying that we should just let the two have their fun?” Jennifer guessed. Something she was very unaccustomed to doing in the whole of her life.

“Ma Ma Champ!” He gave her two thumbs up for guessing correctly.

        

Jennifer couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the antics of those around her.

Whatever… I guess I should take a page out of Machamp’s book and just go with the flow. It’s not hurting anything.

Jennifer watched as her best friend and her Pokémon both pretended to have  guns in their hands with their finger and thumb sticking out, as they pointed them around every corner they came across.

        

…………….. But, then again! Jennifer thoughts leaned towards stopping them once more. This is the third most mortifying thing I have ever been associated with…

            

Jennifer sighs as she grabs her forehead, as she watches the two of them take corner cover next to the store they were heading into.

Jennifer doesn’t even stop to acknowledge them, as she walks past into the store they were “guarding” in front of.

“No wait! Jennifer!”

“Kirlia! Kirli!”

               

*DING*

      *DING*

           

Hi there!” A young male clerk calls out to the trio entering the store. “Welcome to Specs-Shades! How can I help you three?”

“Hi there,” Jennifer calls out to the clerk casually. “I’m actually here for—“

“Jennifer!” “Kirl lia!” The two behind her shout irate at Jennifer complete dismissal of their game.

“You didn’t even let us check if the store was safe yet!”

“Kirlia! Kirlia!”

      

The male clerk blinked as he watched these strange trio of customers come in through his doors.

Jennifer rolled her eyes at her friends’ complaints.

“As I was saying: I’m here for my proscription pair of UV-sensitive shaded reading glasses.”

“Ah yes! I just received word from Doctor Shemp and I did so happen to have a pair of lenses of those type, for that proscription strength you need.” The clerk then pointed towards the array of glasses scattered and hung through out the store. “I’ll go get the lenses from the back. Why don’t you go pick out  a pair of frames that you’d like to wear.” He suggested.

Jennifer smiled at the man.

“Thanks, I will.” She then turned back towards her friends and grabbed them by their arms. “Come on you two trouble makers. Help me pick out a pair of glasses’s frames to wear.” She ordered them.

“Huh?! Wait! Jennifer!” May complained as she was dragged away by Jennifer towards a wall of frames.

“Kirli ia!”

                     

                      

Jennifer stood there with her friends staring daggers at her.

“What’s the big idea Jennifer?!” May groused playfully.

“Kirli a a!”

                

“Tsk, what’s the big idea with me? What is the matter with you guys?” Jennifer groused in real irritableness. “Can’t we just take this seriously and get this done and over with?… the less time we waste the better……… we don’t…… have a lot of time left here……”

                

After hearing this, May was beginning to realize what the real problem for Jennifer was.

She reached out and put her arm around her sister’s shoulder.

“Hey… talk to me… what’s the issue? I know it’s not the fact that Kirlia and I are playing around. So what gives?” May asked her.

“……….………………”

At first Jennifer said nothing. But after a while, began the to open up.

“………I hate it May……….” Jennifer told her surrogate big sister. “…….I hate it so much…. I hate Team Dunes for what they did to me….. I hate them for what they did to Ral—…..Kirlia…..” Jennifer corrected herself. “…….I hate how they’re chasing me out of yet another home for me!” Jennifer said in a strained voice. She looked over towards May with tears in her eyes. “……….I hate them for hurting me! For taking away my psychic powers!…… I know I said I always wondered what it would have been like without them, or that I sometimes wish I didn’t have them……..: but I did have them May…… they were as much a part of me, as my left arm is……. And now they’re gone………..*SNIFF*” Jennifer said petulantly. “And I just hate the fact, that I hate them! I don’t want any part of them, May! I just want to be left alone! *HIC*”

May pulled the taller and younger girl over into a hug. Letting Jennifer cry into her shoulder.

Jennifer stood there clutching onto May for dear life as she let her tears of frustration come through for the first time since she woke up two weeks ago.

          

“You know!— *HIC* —You know what the worst part for me is?!” Jennifer mumbled into May’s shoulder as she cried.

“No… what is it?” May whispered her question back into Jennifer’s ear.

“That I was legitimately wanting to go out on an adventure with Ralt-… with Kirlia and possibly you at one point…… I went to class that day… intent on telling… …..him…. ……That I was planning on dropping out of class….. That I was going to ask you two weeks ago, if you would go on an adventure with me……. That I wanted to explore the Pokémon world together……”

May didn’t say anything as Jennifer lamented and cried her troubles out. She just ran her hands up and down Jennifer’s back comfortingly like she would do for her little brother Max.

“And the worst part is May!…. That!— That even though I hate battling. That I hate watching Pokémon fight each other… I know I can’t escape it now…… they’re after me…. And as much as I’m going out there into the world to hide…. I know I can’t run forever…… That out of everything that Team Dunes is forcing me to do or has done to me…… I hate them the most, for forcing me to fight back…..”

         

After she had finished crying, Jennifer pulled away and looked down at Kirlia. Who was now hugging Jennifer’s leg, as she sent Jennifer comforting feelings over through their bond.

Jennifer smiled down through her tears at her Pokémon. She reached down and stroked Kirlia’s hair.

“Hey? Why don’t you go and find me a pair of frames for my new glasses R— Kirlia…”

“Kirli A Kirlia Kirli?” She asked her mistress.

“Nah. I don’t have a preference. So whatever you pick, I’ll like.” She assured Kirlia.

       

“Kirlia!” Kirlia cheered as she ran back over and looked through the different frames.

          

Jennifer and May watched side-by-side as the Feeling Pokémon searched and choose what type of frames she should get for her trainer.

“So? Was that everything you needed to get out of your system?” May asked Jennifer.

“…Pretty much… I just don’t like how I’m now being forced to go through with this… rather than it being, my choice… But I realize that, I was going to leave for this journey, sooner rather than later anyways… I just hate it... I hate how it was taken from my hands.” Jennifer explained.

May nodded her head in understanding.

“That’s reasonable, I suppose.” May concurred.

“…… I also hate how I’m going to have to watch Ral— I mean, Kirlia fight and battle other trainers… I hate it… this isn’t what I wanted to do; how I wanted things to go……” Jennifer bemoaned.

May just nodded once again, as she listened to her friend basically speak aloud.

         

“But you know……. Now, rather than think about what they’ve taken from you, Jen…” May said gently while turning to look at her sister in her face. “Maybe now is the time to think about the opportunities you have because of it; you have a couple of Pokémon now, and a few new friends you’ve met here and also Sabrina, who should be back in Kanto by the time we get there.” She pointed out. She watched as Jennifer bobbed and nodded her head along with what she was saying. “And more importantly,” May added. “Is that now you get to have a chance at being normal for a bit; even if that time frame is two years or so: now you have a chance to try being a trainer; even if it’s one that doesn’t do any battling.” May suggested. “So take this time to reinvent yourself!” May encouraged.

Jennifer snorted quietly with a smirk on her face, as she heard May’s suggestion.

“…Reinvent myself… huh…” Jennifer pondered May’s words as she repeated them.

                

Before either could say anything more. Kirlia was walking back up to Jennifer. As she held something in her hands from behind her back.

“What’cha got there?” Jennifer asked Kirlia, genuinely curious about what pair of frames that she had brought Jennifer.

          

“Kirlia!”1”These!” Kirlia announced as she held them up for Jennifer to inspect.

       

Jennifer stared in wonder down at the frames in her Pokémon’s hands.

They were just a common pair of think frame glasses, but the thing that made them stand out were their color.

“Blue……” Jennifer whispered as she picked them up. “Sky blue…” She said in awe as she looked at them.

“Kirli! Lia a lia!”2”Yup! That’s right!” Kirlia spoke triumphantly. “Kirlia Kirl ia Kirli lia Kirl lia li!”3”I found the perfect pair of frames!” She bragged. “Kirli Kirl lia ia Kirl.”4”They match your eyes.” She mentioned why she picked them.

Jennifer chuckled at her Pokémon’s logic.

“My eyes huh?” She said with a chortle as she inspected the frames. She looked through the rims where the lenses would be set. Staring straight at her Pokémon’s own features. She smiled at Kirlia who was staring up at her with a happy smile of her own.

“If anything, I think they look more like your hair color Kirlia.” Jennifer mentioned while reaching down to pet Kirlia’s hair.

“Kirli Kirl, lia irl Li Kirl?”5”So then, Do you like them?” Kirlia asked her mistress her opinion.

This made Jennifer laugh at her Pokémon’s question, because she knew, that Kirlia already knew the answer to that.

“Yes, Kirlia.” Jennifer told her. “I love it!” She assured her Pokémon.

“Kirli!” Kirlia cheered. “Kirlia Kirli lia Kirl!”6”Now we match more closely!”

And as Jennifer heard this. She once again looked down at her Pokémon through the rims of the frames, noticing her Pokémon’s colorations. She had a thought, a wisp of an idea.

So she tamped it down and hid it within the recesses of her mind.

She loved this idea, but she also wanted to surprise the two people in front of her with it. So she put the thought away and focused on something else.

“Hey? You two?”

“Hmm?” “Kirl?”

       

“Want to go get some ice-cream after this?” Jennifer offered as a distraction.

“Huh?!” “Kirl?!”

             

            

————————————————-

                  

                     

“So! Captain?~” Aviary asked her friend and fellow agent next to her. “Are you as excited for our first mission as I am?!” She asked her with a large bright smile.

Jenny had to laugh at her still now subordinate Aviary.

“Aviary…” Jenny chuckled with a sigh. “We’re not officers anymore.” She reminded. “I’m not even your direct superior either.” Jenny mentioned.

“But we’re still at least part of law enforcement! Just on a global scale now!” Aviary argued playfully, as she skipped through Petalburg with Jenny following, while they were picking up essentials for their trip. “And we’re about to embark on a trip as actual spies!” Aviary said with lots of enthusiasm. “Aren’t you excited?!”

Jenny laughed once again.

“I think you’re excited for the both of us.” She told Aviary. She looked up at the city around them. “I’m really going to miss this place actually.” Jenny told Aviary how she honestly felt.

        

Aviary followed her gaze and smiled fondly.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ve made a lot of memories since coming to Hoenn… I honestly can’t wait to get back to my home Region again. I can’t wait to show you around there.”

Jenny chuckled at Aviary’s comment.

“I’ve actually been there before.”

“You have?” Aviary asked surprised.

“Yeah,” Jenny answered. “Long time ago, during my Pokémon journey. I left Hoenn and decided to go try my hand there.”

“How’d that go for you?”

Jenny reached back and scratched the back of her head.

“It was terrifying: I came right back home after getting there…” She told Aviary in embarrassment.

“Hahahaha!~” Aviary started laughing.

      

Jenny narrowed her eyes playfully at Aviary.

“It’s really not nice to laugh at other people’s experiences…” Jenny groused jovially.

“Yeah, well! You made it sound like you left to go on this grand adventure. But you came right back after leaving.”

Jenny shrugged her shoulders.

“This is where I was born… I’m used to it here. At first, I thought I wanted to try something different; to be more than my heritage, you know?” Jenny told Aviary with a shrug. “But then after I left, I realized just how far away from home I was…” Jenny hesitated before finishing. “and I got scared.” She told Aviary.

Aviary snorted at her fellow agent’s words.

“You? Scared?” Aviary questioned incredulously.

         

Jenny looked at Aviary with a glare for a second, before her face split into a smile and she let a chuckle escape her lips.

“Yeah… me.”

“But,—“ Aviary said astonished. “You’re a Jenny?!” She pointed out. “Jenny’s aren’t afraid of anything!” Aviary declared.

Jenny snorted in disdain at that.

“Yeah, that is what they say about my family: “An officer Jenny at every precinct, far and wide, doing their duties to serve and protect…” Jenny quoted sullenly.

“Jenny?…” Aviary called out to her friend in concern.

“……It’s nothing Aviary… I just… *SIGH* ……It’s nothing…” Jenny trailed off as she decided it wasn’t worth talking about.

“Hey…” Aviary called out to her friend and superior, and touched her arm gently with the finger tips of her hand.

Jenny looked at her with sad and confused searching eyes; making Jenny look almost distressed to Aviary.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s the matter, if you don’t want too.” She told Jenny. “But just so you know, I’m your partner and backup for life: I’ll always watch out for you and have your back, Sergeant.” Aviary proclaimed.

               

Jenny hiccuped as she wiped the tears that had tried leaking out of her eyes after hearing Aviary’s speech.

“Thanks there Aviary… I needed that.” She said to Aviary with a smile. “I’m glad we met on or first and last case together.” Jenny told her. “And you’ll always be the Private that I met back than too.” She declared.

       

Jenny paused as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Do you know anything about the Kakeru incident?”

      

“Kakeru?” Aviary pondered this as they made their way down town. Her finger tapping her chin as she thought. “Ka…Ke…Ru… was that a case we had a the station?”

Jenny chuckled sadly while shaking her head.

“No.” She told Aviary. “It’s not a case.” She then looked over at the younger woman in front of her with a smile. “It’s not that surprising that you’ve hadn’t heard of it; it’s not like it’s talked about anymore. It was a pretty scary idea and subject a few generations ago. But as with most things with time. Feelings change or people forget. Which is a good thing, but there are still those who remember and treat us differently.”

“Treat you differently?” Aviary questioned by emphasizing the word and seeing if it involved her superior, before turning around to look at her.

        

Jenny nodded her head.

“Yeah,” Jenny confirmed. “Me.” But then she shrugged one shoulder. “Or, I guess you could say, all of my family… and Joys too.”

“Joy?”

Jenny nodded solemnly.

“Yeah… has she told you?” Jenny asked her.

“Told me what?”

“About the Junsar-Joy restriction?”

Aviary’s eye went wide as she heard this.

“Oh yeah!” Aviary exclaimed in remembrance. “I do remember Joy talking with me about… that……” Aviary realized that this was actually a pretty serious topic.

              

“Yeah… that. So you know that all Joys and Jennys are on a waiting list and register to have kids, right?”

Aviary nodded.

“Yes,” she answered. “I do know that.”

Jenny nodded before explaining.

“But what you probably don’t know is why, huh?” She asked Aviary.

“It’s… something to do with your…… hate to use this word… but the population of Joys and Jennys. Am I right?” She answered haphazardly.

“That’s right,” Jenny affirmed with a nod. “Every Jenny and every Joy, is sat on a waiting list in order to have kids.”

“Why is that?” Aviary asked curiously.

“Why?” Jenny snorted a reply. “Because if nothing was done, Jennys and Joys could wipeout humanity as we know it.”

              

Aviary’s eyes went wide yet again as she heard this.

“What?!” She exclaimed.

“Hahah! It’s true!” Jenny remarked laughingly. “We are basically a walking doomsday device.”

“How?!” Aviary asked as she looked Jenny up and down. “You don’t look at that terrifying. Just like any other Jenny or Joy I’ve ever met.”

Jenny snorted at the irony of her statement.

“That’s the thing,” Jenny told her. “It’s because we’re all the same.” She held up a hand to forestall her obvious question. “Let me explain it all to you:” She told Aviary. “It all began when a group, specifically two families had noticed, that despite having multiple kids at different times and different years. Every child looked the same.” Jenny in edification.

“These two families were the Joys and the Junsar’s. It was later discovered that my family and Joy’s bare a strange mutation, that has given us extra chromosomes: three extra to be exact.”

“These extra chromosomes ended up overwriting the DNA of any partner Joys or Jennys had; to put it simply, it effected three things, what sex we turned out to be, how we looked, and how we behaved.” Jenny explained. “This is why, while there are minute differences in personalities or interests. Most Joys or Jennys end up in nursing and law enforcement, respectfully.”

        

Aviary could believe what she was hearing. But she didn’t have time to register a response or ask a question, because Jenny continued her families origin.

                       

“That is why we’re called the clone families…… because every one of us, is basically a copy of the original two Jenny and Joy: and most of us are taught at a young age, that we should follow up in our mother’s and ancestor’s footpaths. So that is why most Jennys take up law enforcement, because of mother’s Jenny, also took up law enforcement, as did their mother’s, and their mother’s before them.” Jenny pontificated about her family line. She moved over to stop and lean against the railing near a pond they were passing next to.

Aviary stopped as well and stood next to her idol in life. Not even sure what to say to this.

“The thing is,” Jenny began speaking while looking down at a hand she held out in front of herself. “There are plenty of times when a Junsar will be named something other than Jenny… or when we just don’t behave in a certain way like the rest of our family.” She then clenched her hand into a fist out in front of herself. “I’m beginning to wonder if I’m not one of those sort of outliers, you know? That maybe my life would have turned out better if I just fell in line like the rest of my family…” Jenny stated with a depressed tone.

Aviary looked at the Jenny’s face, as she looked at her clenched fist in frustration; Aviary watched as Jenny’s face contorted into anger, as deep lines of frustration set in on her face. Aviary let a smile spread on her face, as she walked forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jenny and leaned against the railing she was leaning against.

She reached out with one hand and laid it gently on top of Jenny’s clenched fist.

Jenny was startled at the contact at first, and almost jumped back at the touch. But she felt how gentle and kind Aviary’s hand felt on top of hers, as Aviary rubbed her fist. So she let her hand open up, and Aviary’s hand slip into her own. To which Aviary pressed their palms together, and interlaced their fingers.

                 

             

“I’m not sure if my words will bring you comfort, but I don’t think of you as an outlier.” Aviary told her. “And while I’ve seen you as just another Jenny in the past. I don’t think I would mistake you for another one of your cousins if I tried. You’re different to any other Jenny I’ve met up until now… but that’s not a bad thing. When I first started working with you, I thought that was just how Jenny’s were. But then I realized that you operated differently than what I expected. And you didn’t do things the conventional way. But on the same note, your thirst for justice is like any other Jenny I have ever met as well.” Aviary told her with a smile. “I don’t know what brought this on or why you decided to share this with me: but I feel privileged and honored that you think of me as a friend enough open up like this.”

Jenny smiled back at Aviary and squeezed her hand back in gratefulness of her words.

“The honor is mine to have known you Aviary… Thanks for being my friend… and making me feel unique.” She told her with a blush rising to her cheeks.

“Aw!~” Aviary gushed at her Captain’s words and the look on her face. She stood up and ruffled Jenny’s hair. “Always Captain!~” Aviary assured as she stepped back quickly to avoid the swing of Jenny’s fist after she messed with her hair. “And you’ll always be unique to me; I don’t think there is anyone like you.”

Jenny laughed at the Sergeant’s words.

“Many people would beg the differ.” She pointed out.

“Yeah, well.” Aviary murmured in begrudging acquiesces. “They just don’t know you like I do,” Aviary argued.

Jenny just chuckled at that as she stood up straight to follow after Aviary.

“Maybe so.” She agreed.

           

“So why did you bring that up? You mentioned it after admitting to being afraid. Is there a reason?”

Jenny nodded her head.

“Yeah,” Jenny said as she scratched the back of her head. “It had to do with the fact that I gave up on my own Pokémon journey, to stay at home.” Jenny informed her.

“Oh?” Aviary questioned curiously. “Why’s that?”

“Because my mom was sick… I got scared of leaving her alone… so I came back to stay in Hoenn to train and be a police officer.”

“Oh… So that is what happened… What ended up happening? Is Jenny senior okay?”

Jenny snorted at Aviary’s word choice.

“Jenny senior?” She questioned laughing.

Aviary huffed while putting her hands on her hips in indignation.

“Well!” She groused. “What else would you call it when you pass on your name to your child?! It doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive to men, does it?!” Aviary argued.

“I suppose not,” Jenny said with a chuckle. “But I wasn’t talking about her.”

“Huh?”

“I was talking about the woman who raised me.”

“Wait?! What?!” Aviary blinked in surprise when she heard this. “Are you saying?! What I think you’re saying?!~” Aviary asked excitedly.

But Jenny just laughed while shaking her head.

“No, my mom wasn’t a lesbian.” Jenny told her. “At least my birth mother wasn’t.” She clarified. “I don’t know about my actual mom though.”

“This is… getting a bit confusing.”

           

Hahah! Let me fix that with a quick explanation.” Jenny told Aviary. “To put it simply and quickly. My birth mother, Jenny, and my father got married and had me. Then my dad divorced my mother, and then it was just she and I: the reason he did, I heard was pretty shallow. Anyways, back to the my quick recap origins.” She said at breakneck speed, before pausing for breath and speaking again.

“Afterwards, it was my mother and I for four years. Just a couple of Jennys living together.” Jenny explained. “But to skip some details, my mother was killed in the line of duty.”

Aviary gasped as she heard this.

“Oh no!” She cried in distress and worry. “I’m so sorry.” She told Jenny.

Jenny shrugged.

“It happened a long time ago… and as sad as this is to say… my mom wasn’t anything special… just another Jenny in the mill of our family.” Jenny looked at Aviary’s shook expression. Jenny let out a laugh at her face. “I know! I’m terrible!” Jenny quipped before shrugging. “But it was so long ago… I hardly remember my mother…… I’m sure she and I loved each other, like any other family… but from what I’ve met of other Jennys… I don’t think she was much different from them… sad as it is to say about my deceased mother.” Then Jenny shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“But we weren’t talking about my birth mother; we were on the topic about my actual mother: my mom; well, my aunt you could call her.”

“Your aunt?” Aviary asked.

“Yeah, from my father’s side.” Jenny told her. “My father didn’t want to have anything to do with me. So right before I was about to be shipped to another Jenny’s home. My mom swooped in and rescued me, so to speak.” Jenny said with a smile. “She was a fellow officer of the law, that worked beside my mother. That was how my birth mother Jenny, met my dad. My mom introduced the two of them together.” Jenny then shrugged. “To make a long story short: My aunt from my father’s side took me in, and became my new mom, and the one I think of as my mother. We lived together for years after that, and she raised me just like any other kid; which I wonder if that has anything to do with how I turned out.” But Jenny just shook her head. “But in any case: Just before I was going to go to Kanto, to my mom’s home town and start my Pokémon journey, she became really sick… …I got scared leaving her and got homesick after I arrived at Kanto, so I immediately went back and stayed here in Hoenn ever since.” She then shrugged again. “So I took up training to become a police officer like my mom, but not after my birth mother, ironically; like so many other Jennys did before me. I thought that, doing something that I had a predestined disposition for, would be the best career option for me, so I could help my mom while she was sick.”

        

Aviary smiled fondly at her friend.

“That’s really noble of you, you know?” Aviary pointed out. “Not many people would have done that. Especially kids who were excited about starting their journey.”

Jenny shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe… but I loved my mom… I didn’t want to see her suffer alone. So I stepped up to the plate to help her.” Jenny smiled sadly as she thought of her mom. “I wish she was still around…”

“…if—….” Aviary began speaking, but the words caught in her throat. “If you don’t mind answering….. how did she die? What was her disease?”

Jenny snorted.

“In for a penny and all that…… She died of cancer.”

“Oh no…..” Aviary regretted asking. “I’m sorry……” She told Jenny, not really sure what else she could say.

Jenny just shrugged sadly.

“It’s okay… I had several good years with her. She lasted all the way up to me graduating the academy with honors. I think she was most proud of the fact that I beat out every other Jenny who was in the academy with me. It was about two years later that she finally died. But… even though I still miss her terribly… *SNIFF* …I’m thankful for the time we spent together.” Jenny looked  over at the orange setting sun. “I just hope she’s proud of me, despite all the trouble I’ve gotten into over the years on the force.” Jenny pondered.

               

Aviary smiled and nodded her head.

“I’m sure she is, both of them in fact;” Aviary commented. “Both your mom and Jenny senior.” Aviary said with a smirk.

This made Jenny chuckle at Aviary’s name for her birth mother.

“I hope you’re right… nothing like being kicked off the force to really put a stain on your record.”

Aviary then started laughing.

“Are you kidding?!” Aviary nearly shouted in disbelief. “You’re part of the freakin’ Pokémon G-Men Detective group now!” Aviary pointed out. “What parent wouldn’t be proud of you!” She stated with a smile. “If anything, they would be thrilled that you got out of that horrible place we called a police department.” Aviary groused with a harrumph. “Good riddance I say!”

Jenny couldn’t help but laugh at Aviary’s antics or her passionate speech.

“Yeah,” Jenny agreed. “I’m sure you’re right.”

Aviary nodded her head.

“Of course I am!” She told Jenny. “Any parent would be thrilled to see their child blazing their own path and escaping to surpass their legacy.”

Jenny stared with wide eyes at Aviary’s back as she walked away after Jenny came to a standstill.

“Do you mean that?….” Jenny asked softly as her friend walked forward without noticing her stopping.

Aviary turned back to see her about twenty feet away with an expression of cloudy confusion and hopefulness on her face. Aviary gave Jenny a reassuring smile.

“Of course I do,” She told her. “Any parent would be proud of their child if they followed their dreams, rather than be miserable in taking up their parent’s dream.” She walked back up to her friend and slugged Jenny in the arm.

“Ow!” Jenny said in complaint as she rubbed her arm were she was struck.

“You better start realizing that you don’t need to compare yourself to what you are or where your family line is from… I’ve heard you compare yourself to other Jennys a lot.” Aviary confessed. “You should stop thinking of yourself as what other’s think about you, and start thinking about what you, think of you.”

Aviary said with a smile before turning back around.

“Come on Captian!” She called back towards Jenny who was just standing there in a daze. “We still have shopping to do!”

        

Jenny stood there rubbing her arm were she was slugged by her fellow agent, as she thought about Aviary’s words.

“Start thinking about what I, think of me, huh?” Jenny repeated quietly to herself as she pondered the statement in amusement.

She looked down towards the water next to her, to see the setting sun reflecting on her hair.

“…What I think of me…”

                 

                  

————————————————-

                         

                                  

May and Kirlia were sitting on the park bench eating ice-cream as they waited for Jennifer to get back to them.

“I can’t believe she ditched us…” May groused as she continued to lick her ice-cream cone.

          

“Kirli a!” Kirlia agreed.

         

“I mean! She got ice-cream with us, told us to stay here and she made Machamp run off with her, leaving us in the dust! What is with that?!”

“Kirlia Kirli!”

          

“Well! We’ll show her and give her a piece of our minds when she gets back here!” May groused as she looked down at the Emotion Pokémon next to her. “Right?!” She asked her.

“Kirli a!” Kirlia agreed.

            

But then they both sighed as they thought about Jennifer abandoning them there at the park while she went off to do something without her.

“And we were having such a good time too after picking up her glasses.” May murmured in thought. “Then she ups and leaves us out of something…” May looked towards Kirlia in curiosity. “Any idea what she was thinking of befoee she left? Or why she told us to wait here?”

“Kirlia irli.” Kirlia said with a shake of her head.

May dropped her head in disappointment.

“Guess not…” She looked back up and towards the center of the park and watched as the kids played near the fountain. “Guess it was time for a break anyways… just wish Jennifer was here to enjoy it with us.”

“Kirl lia, Kirlia.” She said in agreement.

May looked up at the setting sun with worry.

“I hope she’s alright and gets back to us soon.” May murmured with worry in her voice.

            

“Hey guys!” A familiar voice announced from behind them. “I’m back!”

May and Kirlia jumped up, dropping their ice-cream on the ground and turning towards the voice calling to them from behind.

“Where have you been!” May asked before she even registered Jennifer in her sights. “Do you know how worried sick!—……”         “Kirlia! Kirli lia irlia Kirl! Kirl… lia!—…….”

        

Both Pokémon and trainer stared at their friend, who stood there in a completely different ensemble, with completely different hair style.

Jennifer’s hair, which was down to her neck. Was now cut back and styled in a more shaggy spiky cut. It fell to just halfway below her ears, with the hair on the back of her head being left longer.

But the most striking thing about the new hair style itself wasn’t the cut or the style. But the color.

“It’s…”

“Kirlia…”7”Orange…”

            

Jennifer’s hair stood up jaggedly in bright orange.

Which matched the rest of her new ensemble: she wore a sky-blue teeshirt, with a bright orange vest, along with orange shorts and blue shoes.

“So?!” Jennifer asked her stunned friends. “How do I look?!” She asked them, excited to hear their opinions.

        

May stood with her hand leaning again the back of the park bench.

“Are you kidding Jen?!” May groused. “What were you thinking?!”

Jennifer winced as she heard her friend complain.

Not the reaction I was hoping for… She thought to herself.

       

“Jen! I thought we were trying to lay low and be inconspicuous?!” May waved a hand towards Jennifer. “This is anything but!” She argued. “You look like a bright neon traffic cone that screams: “LOOK AT ME!~” I’M A TAGRET! AIM HERE!~” May said sarcastically.

Jennifer tried to hide the disappointment she felt at her friend’s assessment. But she felt she couldn’t really blame her or get mad at May for it either: since she really wasn’t trying to be more sneaky with the look she chose.

Jennifer nodded her head begrudgingly at May’s descriptor of her style.

“Y-Y-Yeah… I suppose you’re—“

                

“Kirli a?…” Kirlia spoke up for the first time.

“Hmm?” Jennifer looked towards her Pokémon. Who was staring at Jennifer with a look of awe.

         

Kirlia got up and hopped over the bench and hurriedly walked towards Jennifer.

“Kirlia?” May called to the Pokémon in confusion as she walked towards Jennifer.

But Kirlia completely ignored her. She singlemindedly walked towards Jennifer, while taking in everything about her new look.

When she got to Jennifer’s side. She lifted her arms like a child that wanted picked up.

Which Jennifer smiled and was more than happy to do. She reached down and picked up her Pokémon, bringing her up to her chest, so that they stared face-to-face.

“So?” Jennifer asked with nervous trepidation. “How do you like it? Do you realize what I was trying to go for?” Jennifer realized, that Kirlia’s opinion mattered more to her than May’s did; it mattered more to her, than anyone else’s.

       

Kirlia lifted a hand and brushed it through the side of Jennifer’s head, looking at and feeling the hair that was now as bright a color as her horns.

“Kirli a?!—… Kirli a Kirlia, Kirl lia irli?!”8”did you?!—… Did you do this, so we could match?! Kirlia whispered in complete awe of what Jennifer had done.

Jennifer nodded her head as she smiled at her Pokémon.

“Yeah, I did. I remember at the glasses store,” Jennifer said as she pushed up her frames. “That you liked how we matched with my glasses; so I took it a step further… So? Do you like it?” Jennifer asked with a crooked trepidatious smile on her face.

Jennifer watched as tears welled up in Kirlia’s eyes.

                  

But before she could get concerned. Kirlia threw her arms around Jennifer’s neck.

“I love it mistress! I love it Jen! Thank you! Thank you so much! You look so beautiful before! But I love that you did this for me!” Kirlia cried tears of joy as she held on to the person that meant the most to her in the entire world.

Jennifer smiled at the warmth she felt from the emotions pouring into her from Kirlia.

We just can’t hide how we truly feel about one another. Jennifer thought.

          

“So umm?” May spoke up while she was coming around the bench. “What’s going on?” She pointed towards Kirlia. “Is she okay?”

Jennifer smiled at her concerned friend from over Kirlia’s tiny shoulder.

“She’s fine.” Jennifer assured. “Just really happy with my clothes choice, unlike some people!” Jennifer said in a playfully indignant tone.

“He-Hey!” May complained. “I-I think it looks good! Just not practical for what we’re trying to do!” May stressed her opinion.

“Is that so?~” Jennifer quipped while smirking at May.

“Grrr!” May growled playfully. “Don’t make me hurt you!” She threatened her friend.

                 

The three friends shared a laugh as they talked about Jennifer’s new style.

May looked at her phone then showed it to Jennifer.

“We should get going,” She reminded Jennifer. “We don’t want to miss our boat.”

“Wait!” Jennifer spoke loudly.

“What?!” May asked startled by Jennifer suddenly raised voice. “What’s a matter?!”

May watched as a smirk spread across her face.

I don’t like this smirk……

“Do you still have Jenny’s number?”

“……………” May hesitated before answering. “Yes… why?”

Jennifer’s smirked transformed into a full on mischievous smile.

“Because,” Jennifer announced. “We have one more person to pick up before we leave.” She told May.

          

“H—HUH?!”

                 

                   

                   

Announcement
Just so people are aware:

The part of Officer Jenny’s origin is non-conon. I just felt that it was weird and strange that there was so many of them, when I was watching the show; And I feel we all have, after watching the show. As it doesn’t “really” give a true explanation for it: so I added one.

So what I wrote is non-gospel.

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