Pokémon Pokemon Freelancer

[Orderneri]

18: To Adventure!​

Ralts further relayed that Sandshrew had found his way to the forest around Pallet. He was still on the move. Ralts could track Sandshrew thanks to the overbearing annoyance. It was noticeable even a couple miles away. There were a lot of emotions throughout town, but Ralts could tell the difference between humans and Pokemon thanks to Pokemon having energy. She could even figure out the exact species. The only thing Ralts couldn't know was the cause of an emotion.

Joe was about to say he'd go and grab Sandshrew, but he watched Sonia instead. She darted around the lab, giving Joe a better look at the interior. It was a wide-open space with white tile floors. There was a balcony to the left, stairs hidden by a wall. Under the balcony was a desk.

Sonia grabbed a long beige coat from the chair at the desk. Rushed to put it on. She ran upstairs and Joe heard a tremendous clattering. Sonia rushed into view a minute later, a pile of items in her arms. Joe could pinpoint a tent, sleeping bag, and clothes.

"You don't need to-"

He was cut off as Sonia ran around him. She grabbed his bag and dragged it down. Joe was somehow brought to a knee. Sonia didn't look like she worked out, but somehow she was absurdly strong. She put enough pressure on Joe's rucksack that it took Joe down. She started unloading Joe's items and shoving her own inside.

"That'll do." She muttered to herself. Ran inside and dumped a pile of Joe's items on the desk chair. He could only see clothes so that was okay.

"I suppose you're coming with me." Joe commented as he stood. He didn't mind the extra load. He would have offered to carry Sonia's share.

Sonia nodded her head vigorously. "The li'l fella is my responsibility, so I gotta come! We're prepped for campin', but I ain't done it before!" She started jumping around. Sonia was energetic if nothing else. "Oh man, this is excitin'! C'mon!" She slammed the door shut. Grabbed Joe's arm. Dragged him along.

They followed Ralts' general Northern directions from her perch on Joe's shoulder. Made it to the outskirts of town. Before them was the start of a dense forest. Joe could see roads to his left and right that led to nearby towns and villages. There was a highway further to the right that Joe couldn't see.

At some point, Sonia let go of Joe's arm, but that didn't stop her talking a mile a minute. Joe was sure that by the time this little excursion was done, Sonia's word count would rival the average for novels. Joe eyed Sonia. She wore boots. He gave her some credit. She was more prepared than expected. Correct footwear was key to hiking. The terrain in forests could be rough and uneven.

Joe swapped his comfortable, civilised shoes for hiking boots. The group walked into the treeline. Ralts pointed North-West now. Sandshrew was still moving.

"You said you've never been hiking before, so you listen to me, okay?" Joe said. Saw Sonia nod vigorously, a giant smile on her face. She didn't know how to take this seriously. "We are not rushing. That's a good way to tire yourself out. We will absolutely reach Sandshrew, but this isn't a sprint. We take it slow." After Joe spoke, he realised Sonia probably knew this. She filled his bag with her items. That meant she expected to be out here for a while. Maybe a couple of days. A couple of days in the middle of nowhere with beauty. Joe's life was blessed.

"I know! We learned that ages ago!"

Joe nodded. Sure enough, they took it slow. Leaves covered them in shade. Thick trunks were always within arm's reach and there were no clear trails to follow. To Joe's surprise, Sonia didn't get tired. She was hyper, but hiking had a way of humbling even athletic people. But not Sonia. She kept up.

Ralts felt like the distance wasn't widening, but it wasn't closing either. Sandshrew was going far. Outbursts didn't usually result in walking miles into a forest. Sandshrew was stubborn in achieving its goal of getting into a fight.

Joe wanted to break the ice further. Even if a question had an obvious answer, it was okay to ask. Especially because Joe was stuck with Sonia whether he wanted to be or not. And damn did he want to be. But in that sort of situation, it's best to get along and talk.

So far, Sonia had talked Joe's ear off, but he hadn't said much. He had the perfect topic. He brushed a branch aside and let Sonia pass "So, your accent. It makes me think you're not from around here."

"Nope!" Sonia responded cheerfully. "I'm from Galar. My accent's a Southern thing."

"I met a woman named Melony recently. She was also from Galar." It was an odd coincidence. Joe supposed people with higher end jobs travelled a lot. Scientists and Gym Leaders. Sonia was here to learn, and Melony was here to enjoy herself. He wondered which country Melony was in now.

"Oh, Oh! I know her! I saw her on TV. She's a Gym Leader. Takes after her dad or somethin'." Sonia's face scrunched up, deep in thought. "Ya not from Kanto either, right? I saw it on ya profile."

Joe nodded. "Johto."

"Man, ya have no idea how happy I am that ya here! I lost my cool a little. I was refreshing the app every second. No one around here has it. I didn't know what to do." She looked up at Joe and gave him a toothy grin. "Thanks a bunch, Joey!"

Joe raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It suddenly clicked for him. Sonia wasn't an airhead. She'd given Joe a nickname and shortened Professor Oak's title to just Prof. She was fashionable. Joe didn't keep up with trends or slang, but he'd heard the word 'gyaru' up in Sinnoh. He'd met a few. They spoke differently and were extra bubbly. Extreme extroverts. Even if Sonia's speech was from an accent, Joe felt it was enough to count her as a gyaru.

"How's your work experience so far?" Joe took a genuine interest. It wasn't every day that he had the privilege of talking to a lab assistant. At least, that's what he assumed Sonia was.

"It's cool gettin' to hang out with all the Pokemon! Oaksy left on a trip, so I've been on my own for a bit. Ugh, an' then I go an' lose Sandshrew! But yeah, it's fun. They all 'ave different needs and…"

She continued to talk Joe's ear off about extreme specifics like the schedule and how certain Pokemon woke up and how they acted when they were hungry. She just had general work experience right now to get used to working in a laboratory. That mainly involved caring for the Pokemon. If she couldn't do that then she wasn't fit to be a Pokemon Professor. Eventually she needed to pick a specialist route to take, but for now she was just enjoying what life threw at her. She definitely wasn't holding off on taking her career further because she was undecided on what to do.

Hours later, Sonia's stomach rumbled. She wrapped her arms around her belly and grinned sheepishly. The sun was going to start setting soon anyway. They found a river. Found a nearby clearing. Couldn't see or hear the river, but knew it was close. That was the point. Joe wanted Sonia to know he wouldn't hear her bathe. She deserved to feel safe and secure.

Joe had Absol take down a tree. Split it in half. He built a campfire. Put the two halves of the log on opposite sides. Set up the tents. Brought out pans and started cooking.

"Sorry ya gotta do everythin'. I didn't think this far ahead."

Joe shrugged. He didn't mind. Even without Sonia, he'd be doing a similar amount of work. His Pokemon came out. Cyndaquil and Sprigatito played before dinner. Ralts floated over to Sonia. They had some girls' time again, with Sonia being as animated as usual. Ralts had a calm smile on her face, enjoying talking to another person that emitted happy emotions.

Joe made food. His Pokemon started eating. He handed a plate of salad to Sonia. She ate with gusto, as expected of the bubbly woman at this point. Used a spoon to scoop massive amounts of vegetables into her mouth.

She squealed. "That's some good stuff! Ya a chef or somethin'?"

"Just a hobby. I've lived alone for years now so I guess I got good at cooking."

Sonia grumbled as she finished her meal and looked Joe up and down. "Ya must eat good since ya body seems in good condition. Gran always says good food is key to a good body."

"She's not wrong."

Sonia grumbled further. She'd taken her coat off some time ago so she was revealing midriff again. She pinched her side. Pulled some flab like pulling a cheek. "But fast food is too good. Health nuts are missin' out. Oh well, gran also said men like women with some extra meat on her bones."

Joe coughed as he was chewing food. Laughed a little.

"Into chubby ones, huh?" A sly grin crept across Sonia's face. Another aspect of a gyaru was being shameless. No problem with comments related to adult activities.

"I'm not against them." Joe recalled the times he'd met women at the fitness center. They were just starting so they had some extra fat. He liked it. From stick figures like Jasmine, to extra thick women like Melony. He didn't discriminate.

"I woulda guessed ya a fitness freak, but I guess ya don't want a woman as buff as yaself." Sonia eyed Joe. "If ya wanna look good, ya coulda picked better clothes."

Joe finished his meal. Placed his plate down. He'd wash the equipment in the river later. "Was I supposed to come out here wearing a suit and tie?"

Sonia laughed. "Nah, I guess guys don't really care about their looks."

"Have you ever been to the men's section in a clothes store? It's either be plain or be a walking advertisement." Joe referred to the amount of branded shirts in existence. Even if they were simple, they still had a logo on them somewhere. And then there were shirts referencing movies and shows. Joe didn't have a problem with people showing off what they enjoyed, but it wasn't for him. Plain suited him best. "It's nice being simple, but I do appreciate how much effort it takes for women such as yourself to look good."

Sonia's cheeks reddened a little. She waved a hand his way like an old woman. "Oh, you! Smooth talker! But I ain't complain', praise me more!"

Joe's Pokemon finished their meals. It was getting darker, so it was time to rest. Sprigatito sat on Joe's foot, watching the campfire. Cyndaquil rested against the log, by Joe's legs. Ralts sat with her knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs.

Joe and Sonia spoke until the gyaru let out a giant yawn and fell into her tent. Joe stayed out a bit longer. Read a book. Watched Ralts waddle into Sonia's tent. He moved Sprigatito and Cyndaquil, who were also asleep, into his tent. Zipped Sonia's tent up. Worked out before bed. He did what he could to maintain his body. He was tempted to grab Absol and use her as weights, but he knew how that would end. Claws to the face. A shame. She weighed a fair amount. Not like he could ever tell a woman, animal or not, that she was heavy.

Before entering his tent, Joe simply stood and listened. The noises of the animals. Chirps from birds, buzzing from bees, and roars from fierce fighters. The soft breeze. Joe closed his eyes. He loved the great outdoors. He simply wanted to absorb it all for a moment. Then he'd enjoy wrapping himself in a sleeping bag and dozing off in the middle of nowhere.

The next morning, Joe was awake first. He went to the river. Washed. Went back to the clearing. Started getting breakfast ready. The smell wafted to Sonia's tent and through small gaps. Joe soon heard the young woman wake up. He heard rustling for a bit and then saw Sonia struggle to unzip her tent. He watched, amused, as the zip got caught on fabric at least five times. He could tell Sonia was getting more frustrated, the zip moved faster and harder with each attempt. Eventually she got it. Crawled outside and stood, slouched.

Her eyes were closed and she was sloppily dressed, but she was wearing her sweater, jeans, and coat from yesterday. The coat had fallen off one shoulder and was at risk of falling from the other. Her ginger hair reached down her neck, not fashioned into the side ponytail yet. Sonia gave a tired wave and a sleepy smile. "Mornin'."

Despite just waking up, Sonia somehow looked immaculate. Her skin was perfect, and the wavy ginger hair suited her. Joe commented on it. "Did you even sleep? You don't look any different."

Sonia chuckled as she sat down. Missed the log and hit dirt. She stayed like that. "I remember, smooth talker."

Joe handed her a bowl of cereal. She ate. Got crumbs everywhere. Chunks of food stuck to her cheeks. Joe wiped her with a towel. Fed his Pokemon as they woke up.

It took some time, but Sonia eventually woke up fully. She gasped. Smiled at Joe. "Mornin'." She spoke with as much vigour as yesterday.

Joe grinned. "Good morning."

Despite apparently not remembering greeting Joe, Sonia remembered his comment about her looking good straight away. She got all smug about it. "Ya wanna know how to stay beautiful like me?"

Joe bowed. "O Great Sage, please teach me."

"Well, if I must." She began cackling like a witch. "It's magic!"

They continued to talk for a while. Sonia went to clean up in the river. Joe sent Absol with her, just in case. Sonia knew about the outdoors, but lacked experience. She might turn around and think all the trees looked the same.

Joe packed everything away just in time for Sonia's return. She had fashioned her hair into a side tail again, but otherwise looked the same. Joe's guess what that she wore no makeup. She was just naturally stunning. They set off, Ralts on Joe's shoulder leading the way. They'd closed to gap a little, but Sandshrew was active again and on the move.

"That li'l bugger! I'll teach him a lesson!" Sonia said. She rolled her sleeves up. Punched the air and made sound effects with her mouth.

"Good form." Joe commented. He meant it. Sonia had at least seen boxing before, and it led to this point where she could shadow box accurately.

"Ya look like a fighter! We'll both teach him a lesson!"

They kept walking until they reached a trail. It was faint, but there were small patches of dirt visible through the long grass. They followed the old path since it was generally in the right direction. They ended up on the edge of a dead settlement. The trail turned into a dirt road that went into town for half a mile. On either side of the road were dilapidated houses placed sporadically. At best, the old buildings had two walls left standing. Roofs had fallen a long time ago.

"Oh, oh! Do you know what this is?!" Sonia ran ahead, a spring in her step. She twirled and gestured with open arms. "This is Old Pallet! This place is, like, hundreds of years old!" She spun to face the village. Leaned forward in excitement as Joe came to stand next to her. Sonia stood up straight. Clasped an imaginary monocle on her eye. Adjusted said monocle. Stroked a moustache. "I say, good sir." She went back to normal. "That kinda thing!"

Sonia knew of this place due to flipping through the old books at Oak's lab when she had a spare moment. As evidenced by her knowledge, this was where Pallet was originally situated, but the population moved closer to the coast at some point, for some reason. She hadn't absorbed much apart from name, age, and a picture.

Joe grinned. Sonia's stereotype was that of an old Galarian. This was Kanto. The people that lived here were certainly different from Sonia's impression. Joe put on his best accent. "This is a prime opportunity for some jolly exploration, I dare say."

Sonia had to grip her stomach because she laughed so hard. Put on the voice again. "Only for a time, good friend, as we have our sights set on an objective already!"

Absol rolled her eyes. Now there were two jokers around. As if Joe on his own wasn't bad enough.

They walked until they found a fork in the road. One way had a larger building at the end, so they chose that path. Reached a house three times the size of other buildings. The town hall. It was as badly damaged as the rest of the village, so they didn't risk going inside.

Once again, Sonia's stomach rumbled loudly. Her body knew what it wanted. Joe took off his bag and grabbed some sandwiches. Handed one to Sonia. They sat on a bench outside the town hall. Ate happily.

Halfway through his sandwich packed with lettuce and meat, Joe noticed a little bug had crawled up to him. It had a green body with yellow circles on each segment. A bulbous yellow tail. A red horn that split at almost one hundred and eighty degrees. It looked up at the giant. Looked at the food. Joe figured why not. Handed the bug the rest of the sandwich. He watched it curl around the food and munch on it. He smiled. Noticed goosebumps running up his outstretched arm. Paid it no mind, although it was a little odd.

Sonia had already finished her meal. She'd shoved it all into her mouth in one go and chewed with puffed up cheeks. She gave one big gulp. Jumped to her feet. "All right, let's go!"

Joe rose. Followed after Sonia. The bug watched the humans go. It appreciated the tasty meal. It got comfortable and continued eating.

Joe and Sonia arrived at a cliff edge. Joe shuddered. He didn't have good luck with these places. He'd already survived two falls in a week. He didn't want to make it three. Third times the charm, after all. He might not walk away from this one.

"Sorry." The little voice from Joe's shoulder said in his mind. "Sandshrew is down there."

Joe stroked Ralts' cheek. There was nothing to be sorry about. He had Rotom fly around and look for a way down. About half a mile to the left of Old Pallet was a steady path.

Sonia walked closer to the edge. Put a hand to her hair to stop the wind from messing it up too badly. She had the biggest smile imaginable on her face. She turned to Joe. The smile was infectious. Sonia had never been out in the wild like this. There was a certain thrill to it for beginners. She loved the sights. The fresh, clean air.

She took a step towards Joe and the ground crumbled. She'd been standing on a thin overhang. It had been failing the entire time Sonia stood on it, and it chose this moment to finally give in. Sonia fell backwards as her smile morphed to a neutral expression. She wasn't comprehending what was happening.

A quizzical sound left Sonia's lips. "Huh?"

 

[Orderneri]

19: Scars​

Sonia had already fallen too far. Joe had no chance of pulling her up. So he jumped. Grabbed Sonia's arm and pulled her into his chest. Saw that the drop was maybe seventy feet. He held Sonia tightly. Spun with the momentum so he would hit the ground first. Absol saving him on Mt. Silver ran through his mind.

Joe was going to shout Absol's name, but he saw a thick white thread rush down the cliff. It wrapped around Joe and Sonia. Their descent slowed. When they were just one foot from dirt, they stopped. Joe could feel Sonia shivering. He flexed his arms. Pushed outwards. Broke the thread. He fell that final short distance. Sat up. Cradled Sonia in his arms. Absol hopped down the cliff. Landed beside Joe. The green bug looked around Absol's head from its perch on her back. The bug had saved them. Repayment for the sandwich.

Seeing her Trainer was okay, Absol started spitting. Used a claw to dig between teeth. The bug hopped down and wormed its way over to Joe. The bug's reactions had been just a little faster than Absol, and Absol understood what it was doing. It was going to use String Shot to grab Joe and Sonia. But it was just a weak bug. Absol had to grab the string with her teeth. Supporting the weight of two people was almost beyond Absol's capabilities. She'd inched close to the edge as Joe and Sonia kept falling.

Joe helped Sonia stand up. She stared blankly at nothing. She wasn't responding to anything. Joe snapped fingers in front of her. No reaction. She'd gone into shock. Not surprising. She almost died. If this had been an accident like a car crash then Joe would be checking Sonia over thoroughly, but he knew she was physically fine from this fall.

Joe put his hands on Sonia's face. Got her to look him in the eye. He'd dealt with this before. He just needed to reassure her. "Hey, Sonia. You're alive. Focus on that. You're okay. You'll see the sun rise tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that."

Her mouth opened. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She sniffed. Joe took his hands off her. Sonia burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Joe. He returned the gesture. Hugged Sonia tightly. He would give Sonia as much reassurance as she needed. She was safe now and Joe wanted her to understand that. She really leaned into Joe. Being with Joe made her feel safe. If she squeezed any harder she might crack a rib, but Joe would consider it a small price to pay for bringing peace to Sonia's mind.

Joe gave Sonia all the time she needed. This was her first time in the field. Probably her first time in danger. She hadn't been prepared for it. He considered what came next. They still had an objective. That was good. Sonia needed to take her mind off what happened. Time healed all wounds.

Ralts hopped onto Sonia's shoulder. Stroked ginger hair. Looked up at Joe. "Sorry I'm not strong enough."

Joe smiled. It wasn't Ralts' fault. He understood what she was capable of. It's why he was going to rely on Absol. He had no doubt that Ralts' psychic powers could one day be exceptional, but she needed time to grow first.

Sonia finally pulled away. Joe let her go. She wiped her face with a sleeve. Looked up at Joe. "…Thanks." She said quietly. The cheer Joe had come to expect from the woman was gone. Hopefully she regained it with time. Joe would hate for this situation to have such a negative effect on someone.

He stroked her head. "Anytime. Just remember to be more careful now, okay?"

She nodded and made a noise in the affirmative. Tried her best to put on a brave face and go back to her old ways. "…Maybe I should lose this extra fat after all." She forced out a laugh with no emotion behind it.

Joe would do anything to take Sonia's mind off the situation, so he tried to make something more of it. "I think you're perfect just the way you are."

She turned away, cheeks turning red. Didn't know how to respond. Joe grinned. Looked around until he spotted the green bug. He had suspected it. This was Joe's and Sonia's saviour. He knelt in front of it. Sonia took notice.

"Thanks for the help." Joe said. Stroked the bug's head. It wormed its way into his hand. It liked the attention. Joe could feel goosebumps again. He took note of it but didn't know what to make of it. The bug latched onto Joe's hand when it felt like Joe was going to pull away. Slivered to the back of his hand and back onto his palm as he twisted his wrist. Joe smiled. "Are you joining us?"

It gave a cute little nod. Joe wanted to battle, but it could wait. He still had to focus on Sonia. She leaned in. Gave the best smile she could. Stroked the bug and thanked it. She, too, felt goosebumps run up her arm. Rotom scanned the bug, claiming it to be a Caterpie. Joe put his hand to his shoulder. Let Caterpie sit by his head.

Joe accepted Caterpie without much thinking. It'd lived around here all its life, however long that had been. Both people and animals tended to move on, like how Joe moved to another city. It was part of life. Find new friends, start a family. It happened with animals all the time. It made Joe a little curious what the estimate was for the amount of Pokemon that were caught by people every year.

"You hold onto Ralts for me." He gestured to the fairy on Sonia's shoulder.

Sonia nodded, a faint, real smile tugging at her lips. She reached up. Took Ralts in her hands. Held the fairy to her chest, arms wrapped around Ralts. Whether Sonia realised it or not, she started stroking Ralts' head. Animals brought comfort and Ralts was talking to the woman, reassuring her further that it was okay now.

"Ralts, lead the way. We still have a Pokemon to find." Joe said. Eyed Sonia as Ralts pointed and the woman turned that direction. He hoped Sonia was okay. Hoped his idea of committing to the task would help her. Now that she wasn't looking, Joe ran a hand through his hair. Three falls from heights in a week. He was starting to think gravity hated him. Joe was surprised he didn't have a phobia of heights.

Joe trailed after Sonia. He ruffled Absol's head as she joined him. He was thankful to her, too. They walked around the bottom of the cliff until they reached an utterly destroyed house. This was why the citizens of Old Pallet had moved. Building on a cliff could be dangerous. Whether they moved before the first accident or not was knowledge lost to history.

They passed the demolished building. Joe looked between gaps of rubble, like wooden beams. Something glinted. He perked up. "Hm?"

Sonia stopped. Turned because she heard Joe make a noise. She watched Joe move to the structure. With a grunt, Joe tossed wood that was twice Sonia's size. It fell and kicked up dust. He wormed his way inside, shoving and lifting whatever was in his path. Sonia tried to see what he saw. She spotted it when Joe moved a cluster of wood all nailed together. An old chest that people put at the end of their bed. It looked like a treasure chest that pirates buried. Thick, dark brown wooden planks. Rounded top. Strips of metal along corners. That's what Joe had seen glinting.

Joe reached the chest. Looked it over. Despite the fall, it was in one piece. It was massive, too. Bigger than Joe's torso. He considered what he gained from bothering to look. No doubt it was just full of clothes. Still, he was curious. Maybe he'd find some historical artifact that belonged in a museum. He grabbed the lock. Pulled it. It'd lasted hundreds of years for a reason. It didn't appear to be weakened.

"Absol, do you mind?" Joe asked. Moved out of the way. Watched Absol cut the lock.

Joe put his hands on the edges of the chest. Anticipation was getting to him. He looked up at Sonia who was eagerly watching. He retracted his arms. Stood. Turned to walk off.

"Are ya serious?!" Sonia shouted. Joe met her gaze with a big grin on his face. She sheepishly smiled back. "Can't leave me hangin' like that. C'mon, open it." She nudged him with an elbow.

All part of the plan to help Sonia. He crouched by the chest. Hefted the lid up until it fell back on creaky hinges. Dust scattered. Joe and Sonia waved their arms and coughed. Inside was, as expected, a pile of clothes. But atop the clothes were some coins. Joe counted six. He picked one up. Sonia copied him. To Joe, it was just a regular old coin. He'd seen them in museums before. But Sonia lit up.

"Oh my gosh, do ya know what this is?!" She didn't wait for an answer. Gestured at the other four coins. "These are Gimmighoul coins! It's, like, a really old story." She thought about it before speaking, making sure she had the facts right. "They're from a country called Paldea. Their King died with no heir, or somethin'. Because they had no leader, the country devolved into chaos. Bandits raided the King's vault and became pirates, so these coins are all over the world. I can't believe we found some here."

There were a couple of options, like they were used for simple payment as the pirates visited, but Joe liked another idea better. "Sounds like someone wasn't who they seemed to be." A tale as old as time. A stranger appeared in an unknown town to escape their past. They're secretive. Keep to themselves. Didn't want any trouble.

Sonia's eyes sparkled as she leaned in to swipe the other coins. Used a thumb to flip two towards Joe, one at a time. He caught them. "They're fair game so we'll split 'em."

Joe gave a mischievous smile. "How do I know you're not going to stab me in the back and take my treasure for yourself?"

Sonia returned the grin as the coins went into a jeans pocket. "Yeah, ya better watch ya back, buddy. Who knows when I'll strike!" She cackled again as they left the area. Kept stroking Ralts for comfort as they returned to chasing after Sandshrew. At this point they were moving West. Closer and closer to the Sterling mountain range.

Evening approached so the group stopped. They were closing the gap, but they weren't close enough to justify rushing through a forest at night. Joe estimated that, at the current pace, they'd reach Sandshrew tomorrow afternoon. The return trip should be shorter, too. A couple more days with Sonia. He was enjoying her company. Wanted to spend more time with her. Wanted to help her as best he could.

They sat around a campfire eating. Sonia was quiet for a while. She ate normally and stared at the flames as they crackled. Joe kept an eye on her. He figured she was being contemplative. That was good, but it also helped to talk, so he spoke.

"Something on your mind?"

She didn't take her eyes off the campfire. "…It's sinkin' in, ya know? I didn't think being in the field would be dangerous or scary." She finished her meal. Put the plate down. Wrapped her arms around her legs. "I think I'm still kinda scared."

"It might hurt to hear this, but that's good. Remember that feeling. It'll keep you in check in the future. That doesn't mean you can't overcome your trauma. You'll learn to use your past to your advantage. Then you have the best of both worlds. You've overcome your bad experience but you don't let it control you."

Sonia looked at Joe. "Ya calm about all this."

He shrugged. "It's not my first time."

Sonia rubbed her nose. Sat up a little. If she'd been in peak condition, she would've made a joke about what Joe said, but instead she was curious. Wanted to know more about Joe. "Any cool stories?"

Joe thought about it. Finished his meal. Set his plate down. Pulled up the corner of his shirt. Sonia let out a squeal. She rushed to put hands in front of her eyes. Joe found that amusing. An adult that was still embarrassed by this sort of thing. Apparently, she wasn't embarrassed enough though as he caught her looking through fingers. She could only see Joe's side. She expected more.

Paying closer attention, Sonia saw three gouges in Joe's side and lowered her hands. Absol had already seen the scar, but hadn't been told the story. She listened as she lay by the fire.

"That looks like it hurt."

Joe laughed. Looked down at his side. "That's an understatement." This was not his only scar, but it was his worst. He briefly thought about how every scar told a story. He remembered every single one.

Joe recounted the story of his worst. He'd been out in Johto's wilderness a few years ago. He found what he perceived to be a crying baby Pokemon. It was close to the bottom of a cliff. He approached to soothe the baby Pokemon. He'd never forget the species for as long as he lived. It was an Aron. A little quadruped with big blue eyes and a body of shiny metal. As he soothed Aron, the mother appeared. An Aggron. Mean, angular face. Big black body made of metal. Horns atop its head. The visage of a devil. The strongest and scariest parent. A mama bear.

Aggron attacked Joe. Joe put up a fight. He gave as good as he got. Punching metal wasn't smart, but at the time he didn't know what the Pokemon was made of. They locked hands. Joe had been tempted to headbutt Aggron, but he could at least tell the head was well armoured. He lashed out at a leg in an attempt to topple Aggron. Failed. Tried to take a step back. Aggron took a swipe at Joe before he could get out of range. He didn't even see it coming. He'd been focused on Aggron's face. Locked eyes with his foe. His vision had narrowed. The claws came up from the side. Dug through his clothes and into his side. Three wound channels an inch deep and across. Joe stumbled back and fell. Rested against a boulder while gripping his side, blood gushing through fingers. Aggron approached, still furious, but Aron's incessant barking finally got through to its mother. Aron clambered onto Joe's legs and faced off against its parent. Aron relayed that Joe wasn't a problem. Aggron finally stopped. It backed off, realising it'd seriously harmed someone else's child.

Joe's shadow quivered at the retelling. It had failed to protect Joe from harm. Joe had been out of trouble for half a year, so the shadow had fallen into a deep sleep. Both Joe and the shadow could see an illusion of Joe's mother destroying the area to find the culprit. It was still a miracle that Joe managed to calm his mother after he'd been injured like that.

Caterpie was hanging around the area since it wanted to be with Joe. This story showed that Joe constantly got himself into trouble. Jumping down the cliff wasn't a one-time deal. He needed all the help he could get. Caterpie would do what it could for the team. It had some confidence in its capabilities.

Sonia's mouth opened a while ago. "…What happened next? How'd ya survive?"

"I was prepared for injury, but not on that scale. I had to stuff the wound with shirts and tie bandages around them. Luckily, I wasn't too far from a town. Aggron gave me a piggyback."

Joe remembered slumping and falling off Aggron's back as they reached town. Some strangers were going about their day when a giant covered in blood arrived. They fought through their fear of the unknown to rush to Joe and call an ambulance. Turned out he'd also fractured a couple of fingers. Obviously. He punched metal.

"So ya one of those people that can't help themselves."

Joe chuckled. He'd heard that before. "The point is, you'll work through it. Everyone does eventually. Don't worry if it takes you more time compared to others. Some people can accept tragedy within a week, but for others it lasts years. Just know that one day you'll work past it."

"Mm." Sonia gave a short sound and faint nod and went back to looking at the flames. She was doing it right now. Trying to come to terms with what happened. If Joe could move past such a wound, then Sonia could, too. She yawned. "I think I'm gonna go to bed." She rose and went to bed, Ralts cradled in her arms.

"Goodnight." Joe said. He knew this would be the hard part. Sonia would no doubt experience nightmares. He could be there for her now. He'd stay awake all night if he had to. But eventually Sonia would have to handle it herself.

Joe started reading his book. Paid attention in case Sonia made noise. She stopped rustling. He couldn't hear anything from her tent. She was asleep. A good start. An hour passed. Joe closed his book. Maybe Sonia would be okay. He started packing everything away. And then he heard whining. He swiftly approached Sonia's tent. He opened the flap in time to see Sonia sit up fast, eyes wide. She gasped and almost screamed but seemed to understand the situation quickly. She was sweating heavily, hair sticking to her.

Joe put an arm on her shoulder and squeezed. "It's okay. You're all right."

Sonia looked at Joe. Started to control her breathing with his support. She eventually nodded. "…Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He wrapped an arm around her and laid her back down. "Just try and get some more sleep." He pulled away once she was down. Joe didn't get far.

Sonia grabbed his sleeve. Looked at him with pleading eyes. "...Can ya stay where I can see ya?"

Joe nodded. That was the plan. He sat cross-legged by the entrance to Sonia's tent, back facing her to give her some amount of privacy. Sonia stared at his back. It gave her comfort. Joe soon heard light snoring. Maybe he'd tease her about it in the morning. Tell her she snored so loudly she woke up the forest.

Eventually, Joe fell asleep sitting up, his head leaning forward. Sonia awoke early in the morning, not from a nightmare. Her throat was dry. She gave herself ten minutes to come to her senses. There was the faintest amount of light. She saw Joe still in front of her tent. She smiled. Went over to him. Peered around to see that he was sleeping. Her smile deepened. She leaned in. Kissed his cheek.

"Thank you…" Sonia whispered. She hadn't expected him to stay there until he fell asleep. He made her feel important. Like he'd do anything for her. Well, he jumped off a cliff for her. He would actually do anything.

Sonia walked to Joe's bag and got a drink. Saw Absol near Joe. The Pokemon perked up from the sound Sonia made. Sonia went back to her tent, watched by Absol the entire time.

The sun crept over the horizon. Sonia sat beside Joe. Pulled him down. Had his head rest on her lap. Started instinctively stroking his hair. He awoke half an hour later when the sun was more obvious. Looked up to see Sonia smiling down at him. At least, he thought she was smiling. He could only see her eyes due to her chest. But he was sure he could see a smile in her eyes. He felt at peace. Stayed like that for a while. Breakfast could wait.

 

[Orderneri]

20: The Man in the Suit​

When Joe was done being pampered, he made breakfast. Sonia ate calmly, Ralts on her lap and wielding a spoon that was too big for her. Joe cleaned off his plate fast. He had something he wanted to do before they went after Sandshrew again. He eyed Caterpie. It sat on a log. The bug had stayed. Joe approached. The bug finished its own meal and looked up.

"I think it's about time we battled. How about it? Think you can win?"

Caterpie's eyes moved into something of a glare. A determined look. It nodded. Joe went to one end of the clearing, and Caterpie moved to the other. Joe sent out Cyndaquil. An obvious choice. Chances are, he'd win.

With both sides ready, Joe gave a nod. Let Caterpie go first. A handicap for the type disadvantage. Caterpie led by using String Shot. Shot white threads from its mouth. It missed, hitting a tree behind Joe. For a moment Joe was confused, until Caterpie started reeling itself in. This was a much faster way to move for Caterpie. Its tail started glowing a pale green to signify Bug-type energy as it sailed through the air.

Cyndaquil met the attack with Tackle. Caterpie cut the thread, spun, and struck with its tail. Considering the size of Caterpie, the size of the explosion was massive. Joe could feel a strong wind even from his position. It was just a small bug, but it packed quite a punch.

Rotom highlighted the move. "Bug Bomb. A powerful move that is a double-edged sword. If the move is countered properly, then it hurts the user instead."

Both Pokemon backed out of the smoke. Cyndaquil shot Ember multiple times. Caterpie spat thread into the ground and pulled itself down, dodging all of the fireballs. Reeled in on thread and came rushing in. Cyndaquil stood his ground. Fired Ember some more.

Caterpie severed the thread and weaved between fireballs using its momentum. Its slender, narrow body that was heavily segmented made it easy to avoid attacks. Caterpie could either become a straight line or curl around incoming attacks. Caterpie was a master dodger. It needed to be. It was a weak bug.

Caterpie raced in at high speed, getting close to Cyndaquil. Caterpie's tail lit up again. Another incoming Bug Bomb. Cyndaquil rolled to the side. Bug Bomb hit the ground and caused another massive explosion. Cyndaquil barged into the smoke and struck the bug, sending the Pokemon skidding along the ground.

The sound of battle had grabbed the attention of a Pokemon nearby. No one noticed big red eyes in a tree, watching. It was out in search of something, anything, that could be used to heal. It watched to see if the humans had what it wanted.

Caterpie managed to right itself midair. Reeled itself onto a tree using String Shot. Shot thread right in front of Cyndaquil. Charged the Fire-type. Unfortunately, this was all Caterpie could do. Be agile and rush into close range.

Cyndaquil unleashed as much fire as he could. Struck the thread and forced Caterpie to abandon String Shot. The thread severed, but only from where Cyndaquil struck it. Caterpie itself didn't cut the line. Fire crept along the thread until it struck Caterpie. A pale green dust burst from under the segments of the bug's body. With a sizzle, the fire was put out on Caterpie's body, but the thread remained ablaze. Caterpie swung around and hit Cyndaquil with the fire whip. There was a crack as the whip broke the sound barrier and knocked Cyndaquil off his feet. The fire part of the attack didn't do much because it hit a Fire-type, but the whip hurt.

Cyndaquil rushed to his feet. Shook his head, dazed. Caterpie was already close, its tail glowing with Bug Bomb again. Caterpie swung its tail as Cyndaquil unleashed multiple Ember attacks. One hit the tail, and another hit Caterpie's body. It kept descending. Cyndaquil rushed to meet the attack with Tackle. They clashed. Another massive explosion boomed through the forest.

This explosion had been much closer to Joe. The pressure was strong. He had to raise his hand to cover his eyes. When the wind passed, he lowered his arm. Cyndaquil stumbled out of the smoke, but was still standing. The dust cleared and Caterpie was knocked out. Caterpie had been knocked out by Ember, and was simply falling due to gravity, unable to cancel the move.

Joe let out a breath. Approached the bug and picked it up. It whined but it was otherwise okay.

"That Caterpie's crazy." Sonia perked up. She'd finished her meal as she watched the battle. It was more entertaining than she expected. Most people's impression of bug Pokemon was that they were weak. Surely a battle against the lowest of the low wouldn't be that interesting.

Goosebumps ran up Joe's arms and across his body. He looked at the bug. Was he sensing power from it? An aspect of Aura being on the same wavelength of Pokemon types? He had no clue. Maybe he'd ask Rotom in a minute. "Oh? Are you actually really strong?"

Caterpie whined. It liked to think of itself as strong, at least for the species. It had developed its fighting style and learned Bug Bomb after slinking in the shadows and observing other Pokemon for months. For many species of Pokemon, they became strong within weeks of training. But Caterpie had to work so much harder to achieve the same level of strength. It'd spent a long time honing its fighting style, and even still, it lost.

Joe brought out a Pokeball and held it above Caterpie. "Just to make sure, are you joining us?" Caterpie nodded. Joe tapped the ball's button against the bug. Caterpie was turned into blue energy. It came back out. "Welcome to the team." Joe said as he stroked the bug.

"Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon. Its suction cup feet allow it to effortlessly climb any and all surfaces. It has a voracious appetite and uses the red feeler atop its head to find food." Rotom said.

#0010 Caterpie



Gender: Female

Height: 1' 01" (Average)

Weight: 3.2kg (Above Average)



Moves: String Shot / Tackle / Bug Bomb /

Ability: Shield Dust

Releases a pale green dust when struck by certain moves.​

Joe was happy to receive an explanation of the dust that had countered Ember. To be specific, it countered extra effects like being burned. Shield Dust could adapt to whatever it was needed for. In this instance, it drained oxygen to choke the flames. It could also warm the body so Caterpie couldn't be frozen, or create a charge that redirects electricity so it couldn't be paralysed.

Joe moved over to his bag resting against a log. Set Caterpie down gently. Stroked her head. Cyndaquil had joined his Trainer, so Joe gave him some affection and praise. Cyndaquil fought well and came out victorious. He was happy, and he deserved that feeling. He earned it.

Joe reached into his bag. Pulled out a grey and purple spray bottle. A Potion. It was something of a stabiliser. It couldn't restore energy, but it could stop a Pokemon's condition getting worse, which allowed the Pokemon to have an easier time naturally regenerating their own energy. The label also stated it had painkillers that were absorbed by the skin, just in case.

He aimed the nozzle at Caterpie and squeezed the trigger. He moved to cover all angles. Set the bottle down and stroked Caterpie again. She grabbed onto Joe's hand and began climbing up his arm. She was startled when something swooped down from a tree. She felt natural fear. A predator was nearby. The bird was a blur. It grabbed the unattended Potion with a claw and flew off into the trees.

Sonia rose and pointed. "Ah, cheeky bugger!"

Honestly, Joe was going to let it go. It was a simple Potion. He could easily buy another. But a thought popped into his mind. If the bird had watched Joe use the Potion, then it had a rough idea that it was used to treat others. Which meant the bird needed it to treat someone.

Joe rushed to his feet, urgency in his voice as he spoke fast. "Absol, can you track it?"

Absol nodded and ran into the trees.

"Yeah, let's go huntin'!" Sonia cheered as she met Joe.

Joe and Sonia ran after Absol. They could come back to the campsite later. Caterpie reached Joe's shoulder as the man ducked to swipe Cyndaquil. In Sonia's arms was Ralts.

They ran for a few minutes and reached a cliff. Joe saw Sonia shiver as she looked up. He grabbed her hand. "Don't look. Focus on what's in front of you."

Sonia looked at Joe. Gave him a nod. They looked forward. Before them was a cave. Absol was sniffing around. She barked and turned to her Trainer. Gestured with her head to follow her inside. Joe did so, still holding Sonia's hand. Rotom lit the place up using the phone's flashlight. It was a steep descent. Joe hopped down into the cave. Reached up to Sonia as she crouched and jumped. He caught her from stumbling and they moved forward.

They walked around a corner and found the bird. It was perfectly spherical from puffed up feathers. Black appendages like horns. In its claw was the Potion. It twisted the object around and looked at it from many angles using its big red eyes. Adjusted its grip to mimic Joe. One talon on the trigger, the rest at the back of the bottle.

Rotom identified the bird as a Hoothoot. The bird didn't seem to notice the light, but it did notice the voice. It was startled at Rotom speaking and jumped around to see where the voice had come from. Hoothoot saw the human it'd stolen from. Its eyes became mean and it hopped back.

Joe raised his arms. "Hey, I come in peace. You want that Potion for a reason, right? Why? Maybe I can help."

Hoothoot tilted its head. There was no clear separation between head and body, so Hoothoot's entire body tilted to the side. A noise came from behind Hoothoot that only the bird heard. It twisted around to see its friend. Nodded and turned back to Joe. Nodded to the humans, put the bottle down, and hopped aside. This revealed a pink bunny with a horn atop its head. It should have two big ears, but one was cut down significantly. Across the left side of its body were three big claw marks that lined up with the missing chunk of an ear.

Joe jumped into action immediately and Sonia yelped. He rushed forward and crouched in front of the Pokemon as he heard Rotom claim it to be a male Nidoran. Joe's hands hovered over the animal for a moment as he debated moving it around to get a better look at it, but Rotom stepped in and scanned the bunny. Sonia came in to get a look at Nidoran, too. She'd dealt with scarred Pokemon before, but she still didn't like seeing it. It'd taken a moment to steel herself.

"His energy levels are low. Nidoran is struggling to regain energy as his body focuses on sealing his wounds."

Hearing that, Joe grabbed the Potion and started spraying it all over Nidoran. Covered it in a thin mist. "This won't heal you, but it'll do for now." Joe said as he put the bottle down. "You need to go to a PokeCenter. I can take you, if you're okay with that?" He looked at Sonia. They still had a task to complete. Joe was worried about whether Nidoran needed help right now.

Sonia nodded along. "Ya need proper support. We can give ya plenty a water an' food, an' ya don't gotta worry anymore so ya can rest well. It'll help with ya energy generation. Then the PokeCenter'll finish the job and get ya right as rain."

Joe sighed deeply with relief. This wasn't time sensitive. Getting a better look at Nidoran, he could see the scar was almost entirely sealed. Nidoran had braved the worst of it already. "What happened? How did you end up with a scar like that? Is there a problem in the area we need to be aware of?"

Joe asking these questions got Sonia to start panicking a little for the little Sandshrew she was supposed to be looking after.

Nidoran began talking and Rotom began translating. It happened about a week ago. Nidoran was living a happy life with his parents, a Nidoking and Nidoqueen. He was playing with his good friend, Hoothoot. Everything was normal. But then a group of humans showed up. The one that gave orders was a man wearing a black suit. He had short hair and a nasty grin.

Nidoran's parents told him to flee as they fought. The humans won and put strange metal contraptions around the necks of his parents. Nidoran was hiding in the bushes, but seeing his parents be forcefully captured angered him. He charged at the humans. The man in the suit used a big cat, a Persian, to fight. The Persian slashed at Nidoran, cutting off his ear and leaving a massive wound across his side. Just one attack was enough to take Nidoran out of the fight. He collapsed as the humans left, taking Nidoran's parents with them. Hoothoot had hidden in the trees and watched. When the humans were gone, Hoothoot approached. It managed to carry its friend to safety in this cave. Hoothoot forced its friend to eat and drink, despite not wanting to. Nidoran was too injured to care for himself, but he had a good friend by his side that helped him pull through.

As they listened to the tale, Sonia began to bawl her eyes out, flooding the cave with big tears.

Nidoran had suffered for the past week. It boiled Joe's blood. Parents taken, child left for dead. Whoever this man in a suit was, Joe wanted to teach him a lesson. And it was an odd detail. He'd have to ask about it when Nidoran was okay. He had now encountered multiple criminals in suits attempting, or in this case succeeding, to forcefully capture Pokemon. Maybe it was connected. He remembered the man from Ho-oh's dream wore a white suit, while Nidoran described the man that took his parents as wearing a black suit. If they were linked, then maybe it was a rank thing. Joe thought about martial arts. A black belt was the best rank. So, was the man that took Nidoran's parents a leader of some sort? And assuming this was all linked to Rocket Syndicate, then Nidoran's parents were in a position for Joe to find them because he planned to wage war against the criminal organisation.

Joe turned to Hoothoot. "You did good." He watched Hoothoot puff out its chest, satisfied. Joe looked down. Considered what to do. Looked Nidoran in the eyes. "I'll take you to a PokeCenter and get you healed up. After that… It might be a long shot, but if you stick with me, I'll try to help you track down your family. I can't promise anything, but we have to try, right?"

Sonia's emotions immediately switched to that of glee. She glomped Joe, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. She stroked his hair. "Gosh, ya such a softie. Good boy."

"I like the attention. More please." Joe was happy to be pampered by a beautiful woman.

"Good job bein' honest."

Nidoran took this time to consider Joe's words. He could reason that it was a long shot. What were the chances that this random human managed to assist Nidoran to the point of finding the man that took his parents? But even if the chances of it happening were slim, it could happen. Nidoran would bet on that chance. Nidoran did his best to stand. It was a struggle. His entire body shook from the strain. Hoothoot came in and supported the bunny from the side. Nidoran looked Joe in the eyes. His eyes were sharp. He nodded as best he could. Nidoran was strong-willed, that much was for certain.

Joe smiled as Sonia let him go. He reached back to a Pokeball. The last on his holster. "It's best if you go in here for now. I think it's like a stasis. It'll put you to sleep so you can get some serious rest. Oh, and we have a reason we're out here. We're looking for a Sandshrew. It might take a couple of days until we reach a PokeCenter, but I promise I'll get you there."

There was something about this human that was trustworthy. Maybe because he hadn't stormed into the area and forcefully took Pokemon. He asked for permission. He had respect for animals. Nidoran nodded and got caught.

"Nidoran male, the Poison Pin Pokemon. The larger the horn, the stronger the venom it produces. Well-developed muscles in the ears allows them to be adjusted to catch sounds from different directions."

#0032 Nidoran



Gender: Male

Height: 1' 10" (Above Average)

Weight: 9.4kg (Above Average)



Moves: Poison Sting / Take Down /

Ability: Poison Point

Upon contact, there's a chance that poison rubs off onto whatever touched it.​

Joe figured it was a temporary alliance. Once the family was reunited, Nidoran would go with his parents. He turned to Hoothoot. "Are you coming, too? Your friend is going to need you."

Hoothoot jumped repeatedly and chirped as Rotom translated. "Yes, but only to support Nidoran."

"Okay. I don't have any spare Pokeballs right now, so you'll have to stay out for a bit. If a fight doesn't involve Nidoran, I won't use you. Does that sound fair?"

Hoothoot gave an affirmative and hopped along as the group left the cave. Ralts floated up effortlessly. Joe helped push Sonia up as she grabbed hold of a ledge and pulled. Cyndaquil was jumping onto the edges of smaller ledges and spinning his legs as he attempted to climb up. Caterpie used some of her now restored strength to wrap Cyndaquil in thread. She spat the other end at the cave's roof, near the entrance. Joe climbed and pulled the thread up while Cyndaquil stretched his stubby arms out to catch the wind. Joe could've just carried the hedgehog out, but he enjoyed the little flight.

They moved back to camp and packed up. Set out to find Sandshrew.

Ralts pointed the way. "I think Sandshrew backtracked. He's closer than last night."

"Perfect! Let's go get him and get home!" Sonia shouted as she led the way, a spring in her step.

 

[Orderneri]

21: Full Power​

When Ralts said Sandshrew was closer, she wasn't kidding. The group walked maybe ten minutes, Hoothoot hopping along branches. They heard the echo of energies clashing. The sound of battle. Joe and Sonia briefly eyed each other. They had the same thought. Sandshrew was involved. They ran through ankle-high grass and over thick tree roots piercing the surface until they reached a clearing. They arrived to see a small panda strike Sandshrew with hands wrapped in purple energy. Sandshrew was blasted away.

The panda was bipedal, like Sandshrew. It flicked its hands and the energy vanished. It had a black body and white head, with black eyes. It wore a mischievous grin and had a leaf in its mouth.

Sandshrew rolled and landed on his rough, sand-coloured back that almost looked like a wall of brick. An ear twitched. He turned his head and saw Sonia running at him. He didn't have the energy to fight against her affection.

Sonia reached Sandshrew. Crouched by him. She had a lot to say. She swallowed whatever was going to come out of her mouth. Recalled Joe mentioning how she may be too much for the young boy. She instead gave a tired smile and rested on her legs. She picked up Sandshrew. Placed his head on her lap. Forced herself not to stroke his head.

Joe walked. He watched the panda, and it watched the humans in return. The grin never left its mouth. It had missing tufts of fur across its body, revealing small scars. They were barely noticeable. The only injury that really stood out was a cut by an eye. Given enough time and growth, the scars on the panda would become invisible. Fur would grow over them.

Joe wondered why the panda was hanging around, but that wasn't important right now. He reached Sonia and Sandshrew. "Is he okay?"

Sonia gave Sandshrew a little checkup, lifting his arms to see his sides. Felt around his back. "Yeah, he's okay. Just normal fightin' stuff."

Joe dropped his bag. Brought out the Potion. Sprayed Sandshrew. He squirmed at the mist but calmed a moment later when he realised it wasn't water.

It seemed like Sonia wasn't going to say anything, so Joe would. He knelt before Sandshrew. "It's all well and good to do what you want, but you can't run off like that, Sandshrew. If you want to battle, then go for it. But make sure you don't cause problems for other people in the process, okay?"

Sandshrew expected the lecture, but not from the stranger. He looked up at Sonia and his eyes dipped. The stranger was right. Sonia had other Pokemon to worry about, and yet she had to spend time tracking Sandshrew to get him back. They'd both been a nuisance to each other, although Sandshrew believed he'd been the worst of the two.

"He's right, Sandshrew." Sonia said. Still forced herself not to coddle the Pokemon. "You gave me a real scare. Ya gotta come back to the lab. But don't worry, I learned my lesson, okay? I'll stop treatin' ya like a kid, and in return ya don't run away again."

Sandshrew nodded. Sat up. Locked eyes with the panda. Sonia forced him back down. "I know I said I wouldn't coddle ya, but I still gotta treat ya properly. Ya outta energy. No more fightin' until ya've been treated. Got it?"

Sandshrew let out a little squeak and stopped resisting. Let himself sit and rest, leaning against Sonia. He'd fought all day, every day since running away. He was tired. Being by Sonia had the benefit of calming him. Sandshrew was still young, after all. While he may complain about receiving affection, children still needed a parent's love to grow properly.

Joe turned to the panda. It watched with hungry eyes. So that was it. It still wanted a fight, but Sandshrew wasn't going to provide. Joe stepped forward. "If you want a fight, I'll be your opponent."

The panda looked Joe up and down. Nodded. Rotom heard this and flew out of Joe's pocket. Hovered in a corner of his view. Revealed the panda was a Pancham.

Joe was going to summon Ralts from Sonia's side, but Cyndaquil made a noise. Got Joe's attention. He looked down at the hedgehog. Joe didn't want to use him. He'd just fought Caterpie. But for some reason, Joe couldn't say no. If Cyndaquil's eyes were open, Joe felt like he'd see a powerful fire raging within the hedgehog. He had something to prove.

"All right. Cyndaquil, you're up."

Before Joe had finished speaking, the fire on Cyndaquil's back ignited and he rushed to stand a few feet in front of Joe. Stomped the ground and let out a mighty (cute) roar. The battle commenced.

Pancham rushed in, its hands glowing with purple energy. Rotom identified the move as Dual Chop. The hand was as flat as possible with straight fingers, like a karate chop. Pancham swiped at Cyndaquil. The hedgehog ducked and bounced up to smash Pancham in the face using Tackle before Pancham could take a second swing.

Cyndaquil got more air than expected. He spun upside down and unleashed fireballs that were swatted away with Dual Chop. Cyndaquil landed on his back. Rolled over fast. Met Pancham's Arm Thrust with his head. Cyndaquil was repelled backwards, skidding along grass. As he fell back, he fired Ember as much as he could. Forced Pancham to parry them. One fireball hit the panda in the face.

Pancham shook its head. The flames dissipated. Cyndaquil shoulder-barged Pancham and the two Pokemon tumbled to the ground. They righted themselves just a foot apart. Stared at each other. Waited for the other to act. Pancham moved first, stretching a bright brown energy, Arm Thrust, as far as it could. Cyndaquil opened his mouth and fired Ember. This countered the attack but caused a small explosion from energies clashing. They were both in smoke briefly.

They backed out. Pancham only had melee attacks, while Cyndaquil had Ember. It was scared of a stray ranged attack. It was right to be. The smoke turned red as a fireball burst through. Since it had been on Pancham's mind, it managed to use Dual Chop to parry Ember just in time.

The smoke gave Cyndaquil an idea. He was weaker than he expected. He was still recovering from his bout with Caterpie. But Cyndaquil wasn't going to back down. He was going to push himself to win. He trusted Joe to be his eyes.

Cyndaquil messed with energy as quickly as he could. The fluctuations reached Rotom. A new move appeared on the phone's screen. Smokescreen. A moment later, pure black smoke was released from Cyndaquil's pads, from under the blazing fire on his back. It engulfed the area with a thick fog. Pancham had no choice but to be within Smokescreen if it wanted to attack its opponent so it didn't try to run.

By constantly spreading energy through the cloud, Cyndaquil could keep the smoke under control. It wouldn't naturally rise to cover Pancham's ears, so Joe knew where Pancham was.

Joe understood. He started ordering Cyndaquil, telling him where his foe was because even Cyndaquil couldn't see in his own smoke.

Cyndaquil ran around the smoke, sometimes unleashing Ember, sometimes charging in to use Tackle. No matter what he did, Pancham couldn't react fast enough. By the time Pancham saw Ember coming from its South, Cyndaquil had run around and charged from the East. Cyndaquil got some good hits in, flame lighting up the smoke until it hit Pancham. A couple of precise and strong tackles knocked Pancham about, Cyndaquil disappearing into the smoke as his foe took time to stand up.

Pancham tried its best to counter, but it could never predict where Cyndaquil would be. Joe had learned from Absol that he needed to be unpredictable, so he constantly changed and altered his plan last second, and Pancham couldn't understand the compass navigation Joe was using.

Pancham was annoyed, but there was only one way out of this. It needed to focus. It listened carefully. It heard footsteps behind it. It spun and used Dual Chop. Struck Cyndaquil across the face. Knocked Cyndaquil off balance and away from itself. It used the point of its fingers to jab with its other hand, thrusting Cyndaquil into the air and out of the smoke. Now unable to send energy through Smokescreen, the fog began to waft away on the wind.

Cyndaquil landed on his rear and rolled onto his back. Released more fire from his back to blast himself against the ground, forcing himself to roll over onto his feet. He had one last idea, inspired by the mighty bug he fought earlier today. Cyndaquil was tired. He didn't have much energy left. He needed to end this now or he'd lose, and he absolutely refused to lose.

Pancham came running in. Used Arm Thrust. Cyndaquil stepped aside and began building his fire up. Pancham kept up the assault while Cyndaquil just dodged. He got hit a couple of times as he ducked and rolled and sidestepped out of the way. He continued to build up the fire within his body. It was causing the flames on his back to spike in size and temperature.

Rotom added another entry to Cyndaquil's list of moves, but this one was like Absol's Ability. A line of question marks. On top of that, Cyndaquil's Ability had triggered. Blaze. It forced the body to generate more energy when defence was low. It was a last-ditch attempt to keep the wielder alive and well and to force them to win the fight.

Cyndaquil kept dodging until he was sure this would work. When he was left alone at Elm's laboratory, he had begun developing a powerful move. A display of strength to show off how awesome he was in a final attempt to get a Trainer to pick him. Joe had picked Cyndaquil before he had fully developed the move, but he had a missing piece anyway. He lacked an activator. That was until today. Cyndaquil simply lacked real combat experience and understanding. The battle with Caterpie this morning showed Cyndaquil how to release this new move.

Pancham came in using Dual Chop. Cyndaquil looked at Joe and nodded. Pancham got closer. Joe had no idea what this move was, but he could feel the intense heat radiating off Cyndaquil. A heat haze filled the area, like the doors to a boiling room had been opened. It washed over Joe's Aura and gave him an indicator as to Cyndaquil's plan. He gave his command.

"Use your full power!"

Pancham was mere inches away. It couldn't back out as Dual Chop raced through the air. Cyndaquil spun in place, pointing his back flames at Pancham. Pancham was half an inch from striking. Cyndaquil roared and a great explosion released from his back. It had to have a diameter of at least six feet. It entirely covered Pancham, and then some.

The final piece. A grand explosion like Bug Bomb. Fighting Caterpie had clued Cyndaquil into how to store and release vasts amounts of energy for one attack. He had tried multiple ways to release this move, from using it like Ember, to biting like Fire Fang, to swiping like Scratch. But none of those options worked with what Cyndaquil wanted. A move strong enough to end a fight.

Pancham was blasted away at high speeds, smoke trailing around its body. Joe saw this coming. He didn't want Pancham to be any more scarred than it currently was. He was already on the move. Pancham was going to strike a tree hard. Joe sprinted as his eyes followed Pancham. He caught up just in time, slamming his back into a tree and catching Pancham with his body.

Joe crouched to rest Pancham against a tree. It looked up at him, its grin unwavering. Joe grinned back. Turned and rushed to Cyndaquil. The hedgehog was panting and barely standing. Joe ducked and caught Cyndaquil before he collapsed. The two smiled at each other as Joe tossed his Pokemon into the sky and caught it.

"I couldn't ask for better. That was a perfect fight. You did good." Joe said. Cyndaquil let out a happy but tired squeak, a smile on his face. The hedgehog had made its Trainer proud and, in return, felt pride in himself.

Sandshrew watched Joe walk over to himself and Sonia. He'd watched the entire fight. It seemed like having a Trainer was a way to unlock a Pokemon's full potential. Joe being the eyes of his team would allow Sandshrew to fight better. He'd also be able to fight more. He looked up with sparkling eyes.

"Nope. Ya gotta wait 'til we get back and ya all healed up." Sonia chided when she saw the look on Sandshrew's face. This had no effect on his attitude towards the big man. It got Sonia thinking.

Joe put Cyndaquil away to let him rest. Turned to Pancham. Saw it walking off into the treeline. A shame. He would've liked to catch it. That Pancham seemed strong. But if it didn't want to stick around and be caught, Joe wasn't going to force it.

He turned to Sonia. "Shall we hit the road, then?"

She nodded. They set off, this time aimed straight for Pallet. She carried the little escapee in her arms.

That evening, they found another clearing. Joe had kept a close eye on Sonia. For the most part she seemed to be returning to normal. She'd once again talked his ear off for the entire day. He wasn't going to complain. He liked her company.

Joe set everything up. Watched Hoothoot sit in a tree, big, glowing, red eyes visible as the sun fell. He gave Ralts her food and asked her a quick question. Kept his voice low just in case. Sonia didn't need to overhear him. Maybe he was being overbearing. "How's Sonia doing?"

Ralts held a pellet of food with both hands and gently nibbled on it. "She's okay."

Joe nodded. Went to eat with Sonia. Reached for a topic to talk about. He grinned. Decided to tease her. "I've never heard an adult squeal seeing a bit of skin." He patted his side to get the point across.

Sonia turned a little red. "I thought ya were gonna take ya shirt off or somethin'."

"Oh? Wanted to see more?" Joe reached for his side and Sonia reacted the same way, squirming and covering her eyes with a hand. Joe's grin deepened.

Sonia eventually calmed herself and retaliated. "Yeah, well, it turns out ya can go in the wild wearin' a suit. No need to be all slovenly like yaself."

They continued to banter and have fun until Sonia let out a mighty yawn and went to bed. Joe kept an eye on her again, just in case she experienced a nightmare.

This gave Joe time to think. He considered how Cyndaquil had learned a new move today. He'd learned multiple, but according to Rotom, one was unknown. Pokemon could manipulate energy wavelengths in ways unseen before. In the grand scheme of things, recorded history was only a portion of actual history, so whatever Cyndaquil did had almost certianly happened before. Anyway, Joe's thought lingered on how he now had two things to keep an eye on. Absol's Ability and Cyndaquil's move. Joe was still a new Trainer. He was too busy using all his brain power to think of a winning strategy. He couldn't spare a thought to small oddities.

Rotom could pinpoint what Cyndaquil had used as a Fire-type move. Beyond that, it got complicated. A mess of wavelengths Rotom couldn't sift through.

Joe's next thought was more serious. He had seen scarred Pokemon on TV before, but seeing one in person made him realise Absol walked away from her battle with Raikou unscathed. A point he hadn't considered before. It bolstered the idea that Raikou was still young. It hadn't unlocked its full potential. But then again, Pokemon often showed mercy to their opponents. Pokemon didn't go out of their way to maim other animals. Maybe the Pokemon behind the mind control was holding back. Joe was beginning to hate having multiple possibilities and no answers. He wanted to know what was going on.

Joe heard noises from Sonia's tent. He walked over. She was tossing and turning, but was otherwise asleep. He sat next to her. Sonia rolled into Joe's crossed legs. Flung an arm over him. She calmed down. It looked like Joe was in for another night of comforting Sonia.

Joe awoke the next morning. He couldn't see much. Might still be dark out. He figured he'd rest a little longer. As his senses woke up, Joe realised he heard light snoring. It was Sonia. He could feel something around his body. Arms wrapped around him. He looked up. Saw Sonia's face. At some point he'd fallen asleep and lay next to Sonia. She embraced him, his head held tight to her chest. He could feel her heartbeat. Slow and steady.

Joe remained this way as long as he could. Out of all possible ways to wake up, being in the embrace of a beautiful woman was at the top of the list. Although considering Sonia's strange strength, Joe couldn't escape even if he wanted to. He closed his eyes and must've dozed off for a short period of time. The next thing he knew, Sonia was stroking his hair because she was awake.

Sonia had woken up at some point in the night, only to see Joe sitting by her side, sleeping sitting up. Again. She pulled him down and grabbed a blanket from his backpack. Tossed it over herself and Joe. Smiled to herself as she watched his sleeping face. It didn't take Sonia long to fall asleep.

All good things must come to an end. Joe had to force himself out of the Heaven he was currently experiencing. It was time to head back to Pallet and finish this job.



* * * * *



Pancham had lost, fair and square. Both in ideals and in combat. It had listened to Joe's little lecture. It was meant for Sandshrew, but Pancham applied the man's words to itself. Pancham was a rowdy animal that had been let go because of its attitude. It had belonged to a young boy in a nearby town. It had destroyed some items in the house. The boy's parents forced their child to let Pancham go.

Pancham's abandonment happened a couple of weeks ago. Since then, Pancham had been nothing but a nuisance to others. It had gone around the forest, lashing out at many other Pokemon even though they had done nothing to Pancham. It was how Pancham ended up with a couple of small scars. It had pushed itself to the limit constantly and hadn't properly regenerated its energy. Pancham had been angry and felt like it had something to prove. Thinking about it, Pancham couldn't remember what point it was trying to prove anymore. A feeling or thought lost in the sea of anger.

As Pancham walked away from Joe, it raised its head and stood up straight. A new day, a new Pancham. It'd been a menace of the forest for too long. Pancham wore a renewed grin as its stride lengthened.

The next day, Pancham was mindlessly walking through the forest when it spotted a bug being bullied by a bird. Pancham considered Joe. He seemed like a morally righteous man. His Aura was good. He'd rushed in to stop Pancham from getting hurt. So, what would Joe do? He'd save the bug.

Pancham jumped in to help, scaring the Spearow away. The Sewaddle thanked Pancham and shared food with it. Pancham was handed a berry it had eaten many times before, but for some reason this one tasted better. Pancham rubbed the back of its head and its usually cheeky grin turned into one of awkwardness. It continued walking, a strange feeling in its chest. Maybe being a better Pokemon wasn't such a bad idea.

 

[Orderneri]

22: Evolution​

The group had done something of a round trip, so they were less than a day from Pallet. All being well, they'd get back to the laboratory around late afternoon. Sonia held Sandshrew in her arms for a time, but eventually the young Pokemon was ready to support himself. He needed to jog to keep up, but he stuck to Sonia's side well.

Sonia kept an eye on Sandshrew, a thought coming into her mind. He seemed to like Joe, if only because Joe was a fighter. She had an idea and figured Professor Oak would be fine with it. "So, what are ya doin' after ya leave Pallet?" She asked Joe.

Joe assisted Sonia over a tree growing at a forty-five-degree angle. "I'm exploring Kanto some more." He watched Sandshrew clamber up wood. "Probably a lot of fighting involved because I want to keep using Nomads and train at Gyms."

Once over the log, Sandshrew's eyes sparkled as he looked up at Joe. Sonia smiled and nodded. "Ya have a lot in common with this li'l fella, huh? Maybe I should ask Oaksy if Sandshrew can go with ya."

Sandshrew suddenly had a burst of energy and ran ahead of the group, looking back to make sure they were keeping up.

"Are you sure about that?" Joe asked.

"Yep! Oaksy says Pokemon should do what they wanna do. If Sandshrew wants to battle, then he should chase that dream."

As expected, they made it back to Pallet a bit before dinner time, Sandshrew leading the way the entire time because he was excited. Sonia picked Sandshrew up on the outskirts of town. Held him close to her chest. "I'll see ya in a little bit, Joey!" She rushed off in the direction of Oak's laboratory.

Joe walked a different direction. They'd discussed it on the way. Oak's laboratory had a healing Pokemon, but Nidoran needed to see a specialist. Joe had a few other things he wanted to do anyway. He'd meet Sonia and Sandshrew back at the lab in an hour.

Joe walked to the nearest PokeCenter using directions from Rotom. Brought Nidoran out and held him in his arms. Walked inside, Hoothoot hopping along next to him. Before he reached the counter, the nurse had seen the scarred Pokemon and shot a glare towards Joe. Assumed Joe was responsible for a Pokemon in such poor condition. Joe reached the counter as a little bed on wheels was brought out. He placed Nidoran down.

"I found him in the wild and didn't know what else to do. I used a Potion on him, if that's relevant. Oh, and Rotom translated the situation. Apparently Nidoran was scarred about a week ago, so I think he's mostly healed." Joe said, feeling a need to explain himself. Hoothoot hopped up onto the bed and sat next to its friend. "And that bird is Nidoran's friend. I hope you don't mind them sticking together."

The nurse considered the situation. Eased up her expression. Nodded. "I'll perform a check-up. If what you say is true, then come back in a few hours. Nidoran should already be past the worst of it. There shouldn't be much for me to do."

Joe quickly reached back and brought his Pokeballs out of his holster. "Also, could you heal my Pokemon, please?"

She nodded again. "Give me a moment."

Joe watched the bed until it was wheeled around a corner. He heard talking. Another nurse came to the counter with a Chansey by her side. Took Joe's Pokemon and restored their energy.

Joe left. He scratched his chin. Decided he'd like to stay in Pallet for the night. He loved the great outdoors, but he also liked a good bed. He booked into a hotel. Bought necessities along the way. Mainly food. Dropped his bag off in the tidy but bare room. Shaved.

He visited the nearest PokeMart. Grabbed some Pokeballs. He two, one for Hoothoot and one for, hopefully, Sandshrew, but he bought a dozen. Fit them in his pocket. A team for sports battles consisted of six Pokemon, but what about when Joe's criminal foes didn't abide by rules? Joe decided he would be better off with enough Pokemon to fill multiple teams. Pokemon had a limited amount of energy. If Joe engaged in a prolonged series of battles over the course of a few hours, then he would absolutely need more than six Pokemon. Joe decided to welcome any Pokemon that wanted to be with him. Money wasn't a problem thanks to Nomads. He could afford the food, and he wanted the extra power. On top of that, some Pokemon were like Sprigatito. They were pets. Not made for fighting.

Joe took a moment to sit on a bench and think. He had been thinking of a strategy for his battle against Sandshrew. He pulled up the PokeDex entry for Bug Bomb. Read into the move. He was reluctant to use it since it harmed the user if it was countered, and Caterpie was a weak bug. One or two counters and Caterpie would knock herself out. If Joe wasn't careful about his opponent's capabilities, then Caterpie would only hurt herself. He sat back. Thought. Maybe that's how he should use it. Draw out everything his foe was capable of. When he was sure Bug Bomb couldn't be countered, he could strike hard, weaving Bug Bomb into his strategy.

He looked up what exactly counted as a counter. Moves like Protect and Barrier stopped the energy, resulting in a backfire as the energy had to go somewhere. Some moves like Detect redirected energy, which sent Bug Bomb back at the user.

The way Joe had used Tackle to clash with Bug Bomb was not a counter. Moves clashing lessened the impact and therefore lessened the damage to the energy shield, but it still resulted in both sides walking away with damage dealt.

Joe walked until he found a fashion store. He wanted to get Sonia a gift, and she seemed trendy and fashionable. He went inside. Immediately felt out of place as women turned their heads to look at him. The place smelled like perfume and somehow looked like glitter was constantly pumped through the air. Some of the woman wore smug grins, assuming Joe was a fish out of water trying to get his girlfriend a gift. Others looked him up and with hungry eyes.

Joe walked the aisles. He'd taken note of aspects to Sonia. She cared for every part of herself, so he was free to choose. Joe picked out a set of nails that were dark blue to hint at nighttime. A yellow streak for a shooting star. Plenty of little white dots for far off suns. To him, these nails signified their time together in the wild. He hoped they were a good gift. He put them in a jacket pocket until they were needed.

He made his way to the laboratory. Sonia was standing at the stop of the small hill, waiting for him. She waved when she spotted him. Joe ascended.

"Welcome back!" Sonia shouted. She continued when Joe was close enough. "I spoke to the Prof, an' he said ya can take Sandshrew if he wants to be with ya." She directed Joe around the building. They reached a simple fence. She watched Joe hop over. "But ya gotta beat him in a battle first." She stretched up and leaned over the fence to pat Joe's upper back. "Good luck!"

Joe eyed Sandshrew some meters away. His big black eyes hungered for battle. He hunched over a little, ready to attack. Joe tossed out a ball. "Let's see what you can do, Sandshrew."

Blue energy burst to reveal Caterpie. She let out a squeak and dipped down, understanding she was going to fight. Sandshrew's little claws glinted with white energy and he ran at Caterpie.

Caterpie used String Shot to wrap around Sandshrew's arm. She pulled herself in. Having a bug missile coming for him made Sandshrew stop and hesitate. He cut the thread, but that didn't solve the problem of momentum. Caterpie continued sailing through the air. Tackle met Scratch and Caterpie bounced over her opponent.

Sandshrew spun to meet the foe now at his back. Dug his tail through the ground to reveal he knew Mud-Slap. His tail tossed globs of dirt into the air that were imbued with energy. They shot forward at unnatural speeds. Caterpie dodged one by reeling herself to the ground, but one struck her tail and spun her. Her side hit the ground with force.

Sandshrew was already standing over Caterpie, claws coming down to scratch the bug. Caterpie's red horn turned white as she used Tackle again. Claws locked against horn, both sides putting all their strength into their attack and shaking from the effort. Caterpie tossed her head aside to redirect Scratch. Twisted her head from the lowered position and used String Shot. Thread hit Sandshrew's throat. Caterpie reeled herself in and brought her tail around, hitting Sandshrew in the side of the head with Bug Bomb.

Joe was fairly confident Sandshrew had shown most of his moves. Maybe all of them. In Joe's experience so far, younger Pokemon had two or three moves. He judged it safe to use Bug Bomb.

Sandshrew toppled, rushing to put a hand out to keep himself standing. As he moved, smoke stuck to his body. Caterpie purposely jumped back to create distance, but was still caught by Sandshrew as he swished his tail along dirt. Sand was kicked into Caterpie's face. Sand Attack.

Caterpie landed a few feet away and squirmed from being blinded. She wasn't resolute enough to respond to Joe informing her that Sandshrew was approaching. She took a Scratch right hand uppercut to her body, which winded her. She barely managed to run energy through her horn to avoid direct damage from a left hook. The size and strength difference caused Caterpie to fall back a few feet.

Caterpie righted herself, still unable to see properly. She could at least make out that Sandshrew was running her way. She saw no other way out. Her entire body glowed with a soothing white light. She expelled thread, also glowing white, from beneath the segments of her body, wrapping every millimetre of her body in a thick cocoon.

When the light dissipated, Caterpie was revealed to have evolved into Metapod. She was a bright green that would fit in well with tree leaves. Her body was shaped like the top of an archway. She rocked about on the arc, strong eyes looking at Sandshrew.

#0011 Metapod



Gender: Female

Height: 2' 04" (Average)

Weight: 10.3kg (Above Average)



Moves: Tackle / String Shot / Bug Bomb / Harden /

Ability: Shield Dust

Releases a pale green dust when struck by certain moves.​

Rotom listed off facts and briefly showed a different screen to highlight the changes. It would save the description for after the battle. Joe took note of the new move. Harden. Having evolved, instincts had awakened and shown Metapod how to channel energy to strengthen her body. A defence mechanism for the growing Pokemon.

Sandshrew reached Metapod. Aimed Scratch at the cocoon's side. Metapod's entire body glinted and shone with a faint light as Harden activated. Sandshrew's claws, despite being enhanced with energy, bounced off Metapod's body.

Metapod immediately knew what her new body could do. Instinct again. Most bugs changed fast, so they needed to be ready for things like evolution.

Metapod rolled on what was essentially her belly. Hopped. Used Tackle to headbutt Sandshrew before he had fully recovered from Scratch failing a moment earlier. Struck him in the stomach. They separated. Metapod rolled and hopped. Opened a small compartment between her eyes. The bug inside the cocoon still needed to eat, so she could manipulate small parts of her shell. She used String Shot. The thread hit the ground at Sandshrew's feet. Metapod reeled herself in as her head lit up with Bug-type energy.

Sandshrew jumped aside as Metapod struck the ground where he had been. He felt the blast wave as an explosion rang out. Shrouded Metapod in dust. Thread pierced the smoke. Struck Sandshrew in the shoulder. He was almost pulled off his feet, but after a stumble he stayed standing. Metapod came flying in.

Sandshrew's claws glinted white. Sparked green, like crackling fire. He'd paid attention to the Bug-type energy Metapod was using. Figured he could use it somehow. Such raw energy didn't require much deciphering. He'd gotten into enough battles throughout the forest that he'd gained a decent understanding of energy manipulation. As Metapod rushed through the air, Sandshrew grew pale green claws an inch long. He let out a squeak. Metapod wasn't the only one that could learn and change mid-fight. Sandshrew learned Fury Cutter.

Bug-type energy collided as Sandshrew swung a claw and Metapod headbutt with Bug Bomb. Sandshrew jumped back, Fury Cutter claws still active. Metapod followed by hopping forward. She switched between Tackle and Harden to try and land a hit while also trying to decrease the damage she took. She whipped the side of her body around to strike with her tail, and she headbutt.

Each time they clashed, Sandshrew's claws grew in size and strength. An aspect of Fury Cutter. It got stronger with every successful strike. Sandshrew's energy claws reached a foot long, energy crawling up to his shoulders, but he was the one being pushed back.

Sandshrew wanted some breathing room. He gave one last powerful swipe, stunning Metapod. He jumped back as far as he could. Dug his tail through dirt and flung balls of mud. Took a breather. Watched Metapod twirl on her tail to dodge. He expected String Shot and he was right. He stepped aside so it didn't latch onto his body. String Shot hit dirt. Before Metapod could reel herself in, Sandshrew swiped. Cut the thread. There was a brief pause as Joe expected to use Bug Bomb next, but his brain was stuck computing that Metapod wasn't rushing at her foe. Sandshrew used that time to use Mud-Slap again, this time running after his own attack.

Metapod hopped onto a point and spun. Avoided the three globs of mud headed her way. She brought her body down to meet Sandshrew's Fury Cutter with Bug Bomb. Another massive explosion rang through the air. Metapod hopped out of the smoke. Sandshrew went sliding on his back. Bug Bomb had pushed through because Fury Cutter's increasing power faded before the clash.

Metapod won.

Joe ran to Metapod and picked her up. She was noticeably heavier than Caterpie. He stroked her side, curious if she could even feel anything in that cocoon. Decided it didn't matter. Just the act of showing affection was enough. "You fought well, buddy. Get some rest." He tapped Metapod with her ball. Realised he didn't feel goosebumps when interacting with the bug anymore. Was it because she evolved? So, that feeling was an indicator that a Pokemon was ready to evolve?

Joe would check later. He approached Sandshrew. Knelt by him. "You okay?" Sandshrew squeaked and found the strength to sit up. Joe brought out a Pokeball from his pocket. "That was a good fight. So, how about it? I'm sure we'll get into plenty of fights."

Sandshrew nodded. Used a fist to bump the button on the ball. He wanted to rest, but he came out to say goodbye to Sonia.

"Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokemon. Its body is dry, except for cold nights where it burrows into the ground, its back exposed. It wakes the next morning with a layer of dew atop it." Rotom said.

#0027 Sandshrew (Kantonian)



Gender: Male

Height: 2' 03" (Above Average)

Weight: 13.1kg (Above Average)



Moves: Scratch / Mud-Slap / Sand Attack / Fury Cutter /

Ability: Sand Veil

Disperses its energy throughout a sandstorm, making it harder to locate.​

"Good job!" Sonia approached. Smacked Joe on the arm a few times. Crouched down with a bit of a forced smile and stroked Sandshrew's head.

Sandshrew allowed Sonia this much since it might be the last time he saw her. But in return, when she was done, Sandshrew stuck a hand out for a handshake.

Sonia couldn't stop herself from chuckling while obliging and giving Sandshrew's hand a little shake. "Where'd ya learn that?"

It was evidence that Sandshrew was too old for Sonia's overbearing affection. He was more mature than people gave him credit for.

Joe stood up straight. He considered himself to be kind of an idiot, but he understood his own feelings. He was certain he liked Sonia. It was why he'd bought her a farewell gift. He watched Sonia stand up and look him in the eyes. She wore a sad smile, understanding it was time to part.

The idea of watching Joe walk away upset Sonia. A twinge in her heart. They'd only spent a few days together, but she wanted to spend more time with him. She'd found all aspects of him to be attractive. They operated in different fields, but it didn't stop them being together.

Joe scratched his cheek with all his fingers. "I'm thinking of staying in Pallet tonight. Want to go out for a meal?"

Sonia lit up. Jumped and hugged him. There was that crazy strength again. It was a good job Joe was sturdy and could withstand whatever it was. She eventually backed away. "I do!" Her cheeks turned a faint red as she felt like she'd just agreed to marriage.

They decided to go now. Sonia had been in Pallet for long enough to learn what restaurants were good. Considering an earlier comment about how she liked fast food, Joe was surprised when she dragged him into a normal restaurant.

As they ate, Joe finally brought out his little gift. A see-through plastic case with expertly painted nails. Sonia squealed and jumped out of her chair. She rushed around the table and hugged Joe. Given the fact that Joe was sitting down, Sonia's arms wrapped around his head and his face was buried in her chest. It was definitely worth getting that gift.

Once she let Joe go, she pranced about while looking at her gift until staff approached and politely asked her to calm down. She obliged, embarrassed, and they ate together happily.

After the meal, it really was time to part. They did their best to prolong the encounter, with Joe walking Sonia back to the laboratory. Sonia gave Joe her number so they could stay in contact. They'd both like to see where their friendship led, but neither of them said anything. Instead, Sonia focused on Sandshrew.

"Ya look after the li'l fella, ya hear? If ya don't, ya gotta answer to me!" Sonia rolled her coat's sleeves up like she was preparing for a fight.

Joe grinned. "Of course. He's royalty. And stay in touch. We'll have to go somewhere together."

Sonia nodded, satisfied. She liked the sound of that. Joe grabbed his possessions from the laboratory. Sonia hugged Joe. He hugged her back. Joe turned and left down the hill as Sonia watched him, the sun mostly below the horizon on the other side of Mt. Silver. If neither were going to confess, then clearly they needed more time. They both looked forward to another date.

Joe dropped his bundle of clothes off at the hotel and headed to the PokeCenter. He got Metapod and Sandshrew reinvigorated by a nurse. She walked around a corner and the nurse that accepted Nidoran earlier came out. Apparently the nurses were on the lookout for a giant coming to retrieve a scarred Pokemon. She had Nidoran in her arms, and Hoothoot hopped along next to her. She handed the poison bunny to Joe.

"As you said, he had mostly recovered naturally. There wasn't much for us to do."

She said that, but Nidoran had his eyes wide open. He was sniffing to learn scents, and his ears twitched at new sounds. He was a lot more active than when Joe had met him. The nurse had helped plenty. Nidoran was still missing most of an ear and three claws ran across his side, but they weren't as rough. The wound had been sealed and tended to fully, but the scar would be there forever. Maybe? It made Joe question how evolution affected scars. Did it erase the scar? Did the scar grow with the Pokemon? Only time would tell.

Joe thanked the nurse and left for his hotel. He sat on the edge of the bed, Nidoran and Hoothoot sitting together and talking in a corner. He finally got a read out of Metapod's PokeDex entry.

"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokemon. The shell covering this Pokemon is as hard as iron, but it struggles to move now due to the new shape of its body."

For having no arms or legs, she got around well enough. Her leaps were strong, covering a few feet at a time.

"Just to confirm, Rotom. I was feeling goosebumps around Caterpie, but I don't feel it around Metapod. Is that because she evolved?"

"Yes. Pokemon evolve when they want, which can result in a Pokemon evolving long after they're ready. What you felt was excess energy hitting your Aura."

It was nice to have confirmation. He asked about evolution because the idea that 'Pokemon evolve when they want' was way too broad. Apparently, it was exactly how it sounded. The requirement for evolution was unique for each member of each species. To be as simple as possible, Rotom said it was centered around personal goals. For example, Cyndaquil was a fighter. When he feels he's strong enough, he'll evolve. But only Cyndaquil knows when he reaches this requirement of being strong enough.

Rotom could only speculate, but Caterpie was likely waiting for some large change in her life, like a Trainer taking her in.

Even Pokemon with special requirements for evolution could evolve through other methods. This also tied into why some Pokemon had evolutions in different countries' PokeDex's. Rotom used Munchlax as an example. A bear Pokemon. It is heavily suspected to originate in Sinnoh, but due to being further North, Sinnoh was cold all year around. Some members of the species braved the Sterling mountain range to come South to Kanto. They found a mild country with an abundance of food. The species ate so much that they evolved into Snorlax. That was the first sighting of Snorlax, although as people befriended Pokemon more, the species could be found in Sinnoh too. It is proven now that certain species, like Munchlax, can also evolve through receiving energy from a Trainer. This transfer only happened when both Munchlax and the Trainer care for each other deeply.

Rotom went away once it was done speaking. Joe considered handling Hoothoot tonight, but he didn't want to interrupt the friends. There was still time left in the day. Joe left Absol in charge of security for the little ones as he found a fitness center. He pulled a card out of his wallet. A pass that worked with all locations this company owned. He got a proper work out done.

Joe went back to the hotel and saw that Nidoran and Hoothoot were asleep, bundled up together. Joe went to bed. It was still earlier than normal, but he had a lot of ground to cover starting tomorrow. His goal was to head North to Viridian. His first Gym.

 

[Orderneri]

23: Living off the Land​

Joe set out early the next morning. Just before he left town, he checked a notification from Nomads. Payment for a job well done. Much less pay compared to his job with the police. That was to be expected, and Joe wanted it that way. He'd take nothing from civilians and everything from the Government if he could, but Joe understood the payment was there for him as much as it was for the employer. If people could get Joe to help with anything at any time, then they'd take advantage of the situation. Paying showed someone was serious about hiring on Nomads.

Joe saw there was a tip. Sonia didn't have to. He tapped to see it was a comment. He chuckled. The tip was Sonia's Eternal Love. He hoped it was literal.

Lunchtime snuck up on Joe. All his Pokemon were eating, with Sprigatito finishing first and rushing to climb up Joe. She sat on his shoulder and rubbed against his face. He scratched her chin in return. Sprigatito saw Nidoran. Saw the giant scar running along his side. A shiver ran through the cat. That was the exact reason why she didn't want to fight. She feared the potential consequences.

When Nidoran and Hoothoot finished, Joe called them over. They stood before him and looked up. "Just to make sure. Nidoran, are you going to be fighting?"

Nidoran instantly nodded as his eyes sharpened. He believed in using his own strength to get his family back, but he was weak right now. He needed someone like Joe to train him.

Joe scratched his chin. "Okay. I'd like to see what you can do, but for now you'll continue to rest. When I think you're up for it, we'll have a friendly battle." The nurse hadn't said anything extra so Nidoran should be okay, but Joe still wanted to be careful. He turned to Hoothoot. Brought a Pokeball out. "And let me catch you so it's easier to get around."

Hoothoot jumped as Joe tossed the ball. Caught itself.

"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokemon. It has a perfect sense of time and can often be seen keeping rhythm with seconds passing by tilting its head back and forth like a metronome."

#0163 Hoothoot



Gender: Male

Height: 2' 00" (Below Average)

Weight: 18.7kg (Below Average)



Moves: Peck /

Ability: Insomnia

Briefly feels drowsy before snapping awake.​

Joe let Hoothoot out. He hopped in front of Joe to center himself. "And what are you going to do? I know I said I'd only use you when Nidoran is involved, but it's up to you. If you fight more, you'll get stronger. You'll be able to help your friend more."

There was a reason why Hoothoot was below average in terms of size and knew but one move. He was lazy. His best friend's parents were a Nidoking and Nidoqueen. He was able to take it easy for most of his life, leading to Hoothoot having little motivation beyond assisting Nidoran.

Hoothoot glared at Joe and turned away, annoyed at the suggestion that he should fight more. Beyond being lazy, Hoothoot was also stubborn. He lacked foresight. He didn't want to entertain the idea that, if he put more effort in now, it would benefit himself and his friend in the future.

"All right, I was just checking."

Unlike his friend, Nidoran had not let the capabilities of his parents stop him from growing. Nidoran had begun training under his father and was on the right track by the time his parents were taken.

Joe packed away what little items he had out. Set off North again. The Pokeball holster only held six Pokeballs, so two of his Pokemon went into his jeans pocket. For now it wasn't a problem, but if Joe caught too many Pokemon, then he was going to need to find a home for them. Given her role as a Gym Leader, Joe considered his mother. The family home was bigger than it needed to be, and it was situated on a sizeable plot of land that Ariana's Pokemon used to roam free. Joe's own would fit right in.

As he walked, a strange feeling ran down Joe's spine. He turned back. Saw nothing and shrugged. Kept walking. Absol watched as the Pokemon in Joe's shadow darted into the forest, using the shade from a thick canopy to stay hidden. Absol was confused why it would suddenly abandon Joe. There were no threats. With the question still on her mind, Absol turned and jogged to catch up with her Trainer.



* * * * *



Pancham had been wandering around the forest, helping fellow Pokemon here and there, when it felt a familiar Aura. The man from before. Pancham decided to go and check on him. Maybe team up with him. But before it got close, a hostile shadow snaked across the ground and rose before Pancham.

Pancham immediately activated Dual Chop. Swung and clashed with Shadow Claw from the shadow. Pancham's vision was filled by a rotund body, ears shaped like horns atop its head. Big red eyes. A toothy grin that equalled Pancham's own.

They had a brief back and forth before Pancham was thrown into a tree. It fell and ducked a move. Struck the shadow's belly with the palm of its hand. The shadow shrugged it off and raised a hand. Created an orb of energy, Shadow Ball, and thrust it down point blank. Pancham was hit into the ground. Pancham tried to rise, but a foot landed on its back.

Pancham thought its life was over. The panda's last thoughts were trying to figure out why the shadow had attacked. But instead of being ended, the shadow spoke. Asked why Pancham was following Joe. So, the shadow was overprotective of Joe. Pancham spat and pushed against the ground on all fours, trying to stand. The shadow's grin deepened. It took its foot off Pancham.

With no resistance, Pancham shot up. It didn't expect to rise so easily, so it was briefly unsteady. It looked up at the shadow. Should Pancham attack? No, the panda felt no hostility from the shadow now.

The shadow began talking. It'd been in charge of keeping Joe safe for almost fifteen years. But now? Now Joe had Absol. The shadow would remain close, but honestly, in an all-out fight, the shadow believed it would lose to Absol. Absol was a better protector. It may seem odd for a weak shadow to be tasked with protecting someone, but it was the only one that wanted the job.

The shadow smiled wistfully as it sat on its large rear. It liked playing with Joe back when he was a kid. They pretended to be Trainer and Pokemon at one point, and now Joe was actually a Trainer. It made the shadow think, "What if I were a Trainer?"

Pancham eyed the shadow, not sure what to make of the story. Pancham was a fighter, not a thinker. But it eventually clicked. The shadow wanted to take after the boy it cared for. It wanted to help raise Pokemon to fight. Pancham was a Pokemon. Pancham pointed at itself, questioning if it was right.

The shadow nodded. If it could help train others, then Joe would have more firepower. The shadow knew Joe's personality. The boy got himself into trouble too many times to count. Joe would continue doing so by tracking down criminals. What better way for the shadow to help than to create a team for Joe?

Pancham finally relaxed. Sat down. Considered the proposition. The shadow spoke about how it already liked Pancham. Pancham was strong and stubborn, and seemed to be on the right path. The shadow believed Pancham had potential. Pancham came to a decision. If it was going to try and be a do-gooder, it might as well use this situation as an opportunity. It grinned. Nodded. Called the shadow Boss.

Boss grinned back. It liked the sound of that.



* * * * *



Joe had spent the past two days walking, and the sun was setting once more. He was getting close to a town, but he'd spend another night in the wild. Joe pulled out a booklet he kept tucked into the back of his jeans. It was a thick spiral-bound map. Over four hundred pages. Every page was a picture of a different section of Kanto. This allowed each page to be heavily detailed, from trails and rivers, to tourist attractions and shops within towns. He also kept a compass clipped to his belt to help orient himself. He liked being able to pull these two items out at any moment.

While Joe went over the map, Absol sensed a presence. She looked back and saw a silhouette. It looked human and was approaching with unnatural silence. Absol looked up at Joe and, for the first time, she let slip a smug smile. She hoped this played out how she thought it might.

Joe spotted a river half a mile from a clearing. That would have to do. He turned slightly North-East and took a step forward.

"Are you lost?" A feminine voice called out to the big man.

Joe practically jumped out of his skin as he spun around and stumbled a little. Exactly how Absol thought it'd go. She held back a condescending chuckle. Letting Joe get startled was payback for all the times he'd annoyed her.

There was enough light for Joe to see a beautiful, elegant young woman. She had short and expertly cut black hair coming down to her shoulders. She wore a long green dress that Joe assumed to be a yukata. They could be found all across Johto and were perfect for summer temperatures. The woman brought a hand up, engulfed by a long sleeve, and covered her mouth as a laugh escaped.

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

Joe's heart calmed and he realised this woman was familiar with walking in a forest. It was something people didn't often think about, but there were twigs and leaves covering the forest floor. Yet this woman had not broken a single branch or crunched a single leaf on her approach.

"No, it's fine." He held the book up. "I was just looking for the nearest river. And, er, what are you doing out here?" He couldn't help but think this woman was a dainty little thing. She looked just a little bigger than Jasmine.

Now that he was getting a good look at her, the woman seemed familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her. And there was something to her. Joe couldn't pinpoint it. At first glance, she was an elegant woman. But there was something about her curious eyes and smile that gave away a hidden aspect of herself.

"I was just out on a stroll before it got too dark. But what a coincidence. You likely would've stumbled upon the river running by my cabin." She pointed. "It's North-East of here." She wasn't carrying anything like a map, so she had good instincts in nature.

"That was the direction I was headed. So, you live out here?"

"I'm just on holiday."

"Right, well, I wouldn't want to get in the way. I'll head further up stream."

"Oh, on the contrary, it's become a little boring. I love nature, but being alone has its limits. I've not spoken to anyone for a couple of weeks. I have a spare room. Would you like to stay with me for tonight?"

"My mum taught me not to follow strangers to their house. Especially at night."

The woman chuckled. "You're right. Who knows what I'm capable of…" She said, a certain allure to her voice.

Joe raised his hands in surrender. "Just don't eat me, okay?"

"No promises." She reached a sleeve out, her hand finally getting some fresh air. "I'm Erika."

"Joe."

Erika led the way to her cabin. They reached a clearing, a stream running through it. If Joe followed the stream either way then it turned into a river with some depth. Enough to bathe in. They walked through shallow water and reached the wooden steps of a cabin. There was a large porch that wrapped around the side and a rocking chair by the front door. Erika opened the door and invited Joe in. He was immediately greeted by a large room stretching mostly to the left. He observed how there were no electronics. No television. Candles stood atop iron fixtures along the walls, and what amounted to a large, powerful candle-lit lantern dangled from the ceiling. There was a fireplace along one wall with a big pot dangling over burning logs.

Erika pointed down the hall. Her bedroom was the one at the end, so Joe needed to ignore that door. The spare bedroom was on the right, the bathroom on the left.

"Well, not so much a bathroom as just a restroom. If you want to clean up, use the river."

"So the entire place is self-sufficient?"

"Of course. It's not a true cabin in the woods if I must rely on modern conveniences. If you want entertainment, read a physical book. If you want a meal, cook it over the fireplace. There's a field around the back that I use to grow vegetables."

Joe was impressed. Some people talked the talk, but couldn't walk the walk. Erika had put the effort into making a legitimate, off-the-grid home. Some parts of the cabin seemed rough, like an amateur had made mistakes. Wooden planks not cut quite right. Holes drilled in the wrong places and then filled and sealed. If Joe didn't know any better, he'd say Erika built this cabin.

He went and put his bag in the spare room as Erika indicated. He'd save cleaning up for the morning. He went and sat on a couch as Erika made a meal. Once the meal was ready, she sat opposite, in a single chair. They ate in companionable silence.

Once they were finished, Joe looked around. This part of the cabin was open plan so he could see a simple kitchen from his position. He took Erika's plate and walked off.

"Ah, a man with manners. Thank you."

Joe reached a poorly made metal sink. This was definitely handmade. It had dents like someone had hammered the wrong parts as it cooled. The tap was a massive lever that reminded Joe of old water pumps from hundreds of years ago. He looked out the window right in front of him. He could see the top of what seemed like a water tank. Considering one person didn't use much water, and there was a river nearby, Erika probably manually filled it with buckets when she needed to.

The lever tap was clunky to use, a testament to old technology. Joe cleaned items with a rough scrubber. Called out to Erika. "Where are the glasses?"

"I have good eyesight." Erika chuckled. Gave a proper answer. "The cupboard on your right."

This was what Joe had suspected earlier. Behind Erika's elegance was a comedian. He could tell her gracefulness wasn't forced. It wasn't a mask. It was more like there were two sides to Erika, but one only came out as she got comfortable. That was the impression Joe got, anyway.

Joe opened the cupboard. Grabbed two glasses. They were uneven shapes, not matching factory-made objects. Joe had to struggle to recall what these would've been made in. A kiln. Erika was not only living without electricity, but she had made everything here herself. A woman after Joe's own heart. If he had the ability to, Joe would love to just vanish into the wilderness and live a quiet life away from the city.

He filled the glasses with water and drank from his own as he walked into the living room and handed Erika hers. It might just be the freshest water he'd ever drunk. He sat down. It finally clicked.

"I thought I knew you. You're the Gym Leader Erika, right?"

She chuckled. Rested her drink on her lap. "No escaping being a celebrity, is there?"

It all came together considering how Erika lived. "Well, you were introduced as a nature lover. If anything, I'm annoyed it took me so long to realise. I remember a match from… Was it last year? You battled some fancy guy in a suit."

Erika put the tip of a slender finger to her chin. "Ah, my exhibition match against Steven Stone, I believe." Before each Regional League was an exhibition match. A friendly battle between two powerful Trainers. Last year, Kanto invited Hoenn's Champion into their arena, and Erika had offered to battle. Erika's smile dulled. "There's quite a difference in power between a Gym Leader and a Champion."

Seemed like she was still sour about her loss. "If I remember right, you did well. You almost beat five of his Pokemon, right? I'd say you pushed a strong Trainer into a corner."

Erika looked into the fire. Her smile returned to normal. "You're right. My Pokemon fought with everything they had. They did well."

If Joe remembered correctly, Erika was at a disadvantage because all of her personal Pokemon were Grass-type. They shared weaknesses, making them easy to counter. And yet she still put up quite a fight against a Champion.

Having a full team made up of the same type was very rare. Being a Gym Leader was simply a job. Gym Leaders were Trainers before taking the job. They fought through the Gym Challenge and the League using their own roster. Gym Pokemon were simple employees, coworkers of the Trainer that commanded them in battle.

Trainers almost never refused an animal that wanted to be with them. It was through sheer luck that Erika happened to have a full Grass-type personal team, and it was further lucky that she ended up in charge of the Grass-type Gym in Kanto, as many Gym Leaders move to wherever they're needed. Nature was full of more than just grass Pokemon, so in theory Erika should've ended up with a bug or bird at least.

Melony had a mostly Ice-type personal team because of where she lived, but even she ended up with other types of Pokemon. Jasmine was the opposite of Erika. Jasmine was put in charge of the Steel-type Gym but had never caught a Steel-type before. Joe had visited Jasmine's home, so he knew all of her Pokemon.

"I suppose you're on your Pokemon Journey?" Erika asked, thinking about her own time travelling a few years ago.

Joe nodded. "I'm going to Viridian for my first Gym battle."

Erika was stunned into silence for a moment. "...With that Absol? You best be careful, then. Gary doesn't like low tier battles. He's going to be annoyed when you show up with that Absol and then claim you have no Badges."

Joe knew all about how Gyms functioned. Gym Leaders was limited based on how many Badges a challenger had. Regardless of how powerful Absol seemed, Gary would be forced to use weaker Pokemon to better match Joe's theoretical strength.

It was useful to know that Viridian's Gym Leader wanted a good fight. Maybe Joe would offer a battle using Absol after the official Gym match. Hopefully that would appease Gary. And it would benefit Joe, too. He could use the battle to get used to controlling Absol some more.

"There has to be a reason you ended up with a strong Absol despite being a fresh Trainer." Erika leaned forward a little, seemingly excited at the prospect of a story. "Since Absol can sense disasters, let me guess. You have a tendency to jump into trouble?"

Joe recounted the story, going as far as to include mention of Rocket Syndicate from the warehouse. Since he was in Kanto, and Erika was a Gym Leader, she would know of the threat.

"Like Trainer, like Pokemon." Erika was proud of herself for knowing. It was somewhat common, a Trainer gaining the favour of a Pokemon with a similar personality to themselves. Erika sighed. Sat back into her chair. "Rocket Syndicate, huh? Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with them yet, but I suspect it's only a matter of time. They're getting bolder by the day. That's why I'm here. I wanted to enjoy a holiday while I still could. It's only a matter of time until I'm dragged into the conflict."

Joe nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. "You Gym Leaders have it rough."

Erika felt bad complaining, all things considered. "I suppose it's not so bad. I know what I signed up for, and my pay is excellent because of it." She paused. She had responded automatically without thinking about who she was talking to. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Joe nodded. It was public knowledge, but a little obscure. Joe only knew because there was a time where he ended up in serious trouble and Jasmine had been the one to bail him out. She said she was contractually obligated to help and received updates and news about potential threats in and around her city. Keeping the peace was part of her duties, and in return she was rewarded handsomely. It was considered a risky job, so Gym Leaders were paid for the danger.

Macro Cosmos, the company behind the Gym Challenge and Regional Leagues, was run by a morally righteous man. Chairman Rose. Outside of the Gym Challenge, he ensured his employees, capable Trainers, were ready and willing to assist the police with fighting crime. This applied to Elites and Champions too, but Gym Leaders were a majority of Trainers within the company, and they were spread across entire countries so one tended to be close enough to a problem.

Thinking about it, Joe assumed Lance, the Champion of Kanto and Johto, was on the scene. He had to be. And even with his power, Rocket Syndicate were still operational. It showed just how annoying a compartmentalised organisation could be. Power meant nothing if someone couldn't find the source of the problem.

"I heard about it from Jasmine, over in Olivine."

Erika lit up. "Oh, you know Jasmine? We were in the League in the same year. A skittish girl, but a strong Trainer. She beat me in the quarter-finals."

"She placed second, right?" Joe knew this due to researching Jasmine. Jasmine rarely spoke of her own past and accomplishments, mainly because she thought there wasn't much to talk about.

Erika nodded. "Quite the achievement. There have been thirty-seven Joint Leagues… That's the Kanto and Johto League, if you didn't know. And in those thirty-seven, only one person reached first place in their first attempt. Second place is similar. Only three or four people have gotten that far in one try."

Erika was referring to how each Regional League had a title. Due to teaming up and being a League between two countries, the Kanto and Johto League was dubbed the Joint League. Hoenn, where Steven Stone hailed from, was the Vacation League. Kalos was the Beauty League.

A lot of Trainers that entered the League were repeat entrants. They already had eight Badges so they could enter all future years, and a Trainer's first attempt was not usually their best. Jasmine was an outlier to place so high on her first try. It highlighted how powerful she was.

Joe had never really thought about it, but now that he was on his own Pokemon Journey, he questioned how Jasmine had handled hers. He couldn't imagine her wandering about like most Trainers did. Joe could only imagine one option. Jasmine stayed in Olivine to train, and then her parents took her directly to the Gyms in other towns. There was no way Jasmine used public transport like a train. No, she battled, won or lost, then she went straight back home.

It would be to Joe's amusement in the future, but his assumption about how Jasmine handled her journey was accurate.

"I vaguely remember that not every country has a League." Joe stated. The thought of the Regional Leagues made him run through all the titles for the Leagues, but they didn't match his knowledge of countries.

Erika nodded. "Alola is the big one people always remember. Bad blood between Macro Cosmos and a company called Aether Foundation."

"It's crazy that Alola doesn't get a League because of a disagreement between companies."

Erika hummed and thought about it. When Joe raised an eyebrow to get her to talk, she did. "I'm trying to recall if it was public knowledge or not. I don't want to disclose personal or confidential information. But I'm certain I saw it in the news when I was growing up." She cleared her throat. "Chairman Rose believes Lusamine, she's the head of the Aether Foundation, is a criminal. He thinks the Government of Alola is covering for Lusamine as they haven't even attempted to arrest her, so Rose doesn't want to do business with Alola."

If that were true, then Joe felt like Rose was justified. Joe wouldn't want to work with people he thought were criminals either. "How long ago did this happen then? I don't remember hearing about it."

Erika hummed again. Looked down at the glass of water in her hands as it rested atop her lap. "I suppose about fifteen years ago. I'm quite certain it happened as I was growing up. It's one of those events that you remember, you know? As a child, I enjoyed watching the rising sport of Pokemon battling, so when I heard that Alola wouldn't receive a League, it stuck out." Erika expected a response from Joe, so when she heard nothing, she looked up. Saw a complicated expression on his face. Like he was thinking really hard. "Is everything okay?"

"Hm?" Joe focused on Erika. It took a moment for her last comment to sink in. "Oh, yeah. Just thinking."

Joe returned to his usual self, believing he was overthinking it. Joe and Erika entertained themselves with conversation long into the night. They went to bed at the same time. In front of their doors, Erika turned to Joe, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.

"I know I'm irresistible, but do try to contain yourself."

"You're the homeowner. For all I know, you've got hidden compartments in the walls so you can spy on people all night."

Erika chuckled as she closed her door. Joe went into his own room. He immediately made a note on his phone. It would never run out battery thanks to Rotom, but he had no connection to the Internet out here so he couldn't research it.

Erika's mention of fifteen years ago had tickled the back of Joe's mind. Joe was twenty-four and had no memories of his single digit years. So around fifteen years ago and before. It lined up, but it had to be a coincidence. Because really, what were the chances that Joe was linked to this criminal Lusamine in some way?

 

[Orderneri]

24: Sickly Sweet​

While eating breakfast the next morning, Erika spoke up. "Are you going to Amethyst?"

Joe hadn't planned on it. He could last long enough to reach Viridian without topping up his supplies. But Erika was asking for a reason, so he nodded. He wasn't against seeing another town.

"Good. I feel like getting out of the house. It's a coastal town just a couple of miles away. We'll reach it in no time."

Joe liked the sound of that. Olivine had no beaches to enjoy. Olivine was all-in on being a port city, not a tourist attraction. If Joe's Johto vacations took him to the middle or North of the country, then Joe wouldn't see a beach. Thankfully, Gloriosa was a coastal city and had a massive beach. When Joe visited his mother, he sometimes spent an afternoon watching the sea. But still, it was the same beach every time. Some claimed that any beach was a good beach, but Joe liked variety. Even if it was the same idea, he thought being at a new beach made it feel fresh and new again.

"What? Are you too scared to go alone?"

Erika's eyes narrowed. "You know, I do actually have secret compartments throughout this cabin. I saw you sucking your thumb like a baby while you slept."

Joe could only grin in response.

Joe was ready first, so he stood outside and stretched while he waited for Erika. Joe took note of Absol's position on his left. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but Absol had claimed Joe's left side constantly before anyone else could. Her preferred position, for some reason. If anything, Joe would've suspected Absol's horn as the part of her that senses disasters, so she should be on his right. Allow the horn to sense the area without Joe's bulk getting in the way.

Joe opened his map book. Flipped a few pages. Saw Amethyst. A population of a few thousand, with tourists occasionally doubling it. There were a lot of hotels. In the top right corner was a little description. Apparently, an ageing man from Old Pallet wandered East until he found a cave by a beach. It was filled with gemstones, with his favourite being purple. So he founded a village, now a town, and named it Amethyst. Now, hundreds of years later, gems are something of a local speciality and are sold as souvenirs.

Erika finally came out. They walked through the thinning forest. Reached open fields and rolling hills. In the distance they could see Amethyst. The town stretched from atop a hill to down by the sea.

Joe's phone pinged. He'd spent days away from cellular towers. He wasted no time checking his phone. Might be important. He saw a message from Sonia and Melony, asking how he was doing. He responded immediately. Went to put his phone away when it dinged again. He expected a reply from one of the women, but when he looked, he saw a job notification instead.

"Young people and their smartphones." Erika chided.

"Yeah, sorry grandma."

Joe didn't catch Erika's response as he read the request, but he had no doubt it was another cheeky comment. That was what he noticed about Erika. She wasn't so much a comedian as she was just cheeky.

The request immediately gripped Joe's heart. He put his name on the list. Someone wanted fresh photographs of a Pokemon species called Fomantis. It was a request that anyone around the world could fulfil, so competition was fierce.

Joe opened the PokeDex. Found Fomantis. The species was quite small, barely a foot tall. It had a big green head and leaf arms. Pale pink skin on its face and body, with deep, pink beady eyes. There was a tab on each Pokemon's Dex entry about their habitat. He tapped it and saw that Fomantis liked forests and plains. They had been sighted in the area Joe currently found himself in.

"Fomantis?" Erika could barely see the screen due to the size difference, but she caught sight of an image. While she hadn't caught one herself, her Gym had a Fomantis for lower tier challengers.

Joe scratched his cheek. "Do you know about Nomads?" Erika gave an affirmative. Gym Leaders were made aware of it. "Well, I just got a job request. There's a girl in hospital and her favourite Pokemon is Fomantis." Joe switched back to Nomads. "Her dad asked for pictures of the Pokemon."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's find us a Fomantis." Erika became serious at the mention of a sickly child.

Joe was going to offer to part here, not wanting to drag Erika along for a job. But despite being a Gym Leader, Erika was different from Melony. Erika still wanted an excuse to keep classing her journey as active. Completing a job for someone in need was a good excuse.

Joe received this notification for a reason. The request was in Amethyst, in range of Joe's automatic alert settings. Joe was thinking he could personally show the girl a Fomantis. He sent a message to David, the father. Informed the parent that he was close and would try to catch one. Joe's suggestion, paired with his good reference from a detective, made David accept Joe for the request.

Joe and Erika moved to the top of the nearest hill. Looked around. As per the PokeDex entry and Erika's own knowledge, the Fomantis species mostly slept during the day, in wide open areas where they could absorb energy from the sun. Chances were, they'd find one in these plains.

They searched for a time, dipping between hills and walking near the treeline. When they had no luck, Joe called out to his trusty assistant.

"Hey Rotom, think you can find a Fomantis for us?"

Rotom shot into the air about ten feet off the ground. Swung the back camera around a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degrees. It sunk down into Joe's hands. He saw that Rotom had created one large landscape image and had placed circles of different sizes throughout the image. There had to be a couple dozen circles, showing there were plenty of Fomantis around, yet Joe and Erika had somehow missed them all.

"Are these circles showing the distance to the target or the strength of the Pokemon?" Joe asked as he kept swiping one way, realising the image was wrapped around so he could scroll infinitely.

"Distance." Rotom replied.

With that, Joe spun the image until he saw the biggest circle. It was at the top of a flat hill. Joe and Erika were at the base of said hill already. They ascended. Through squinted eyes, they scanned the hilltop until they saw a Fomantis. It was sleeping on its back. This one in particular seemed to be in a deep sleep as it had a large snot bubble growing and shrinking as it breathed.

Joe felt a need to be quiet. He whispered to his phone. "Hey Rotom, can you take some pictures of Fomantis please?"

The phone did so. It zipped around, snapping pictures at different angles. There wasn't a good way to approach and wake a wild Pokemon, but Joe had to do something or it was already a stalemate. Joe crept along with Erika by his side until they were just a few feet away. Despite trying their best to be quiet, Fomantis stirred. It was sleeping in broad daylight, so part of its brain was on high alert and dedicated to small changes. Things like a new scent, blocked wind, and shade.

Fomantis' eyes opened a little. It saw two shadowy figures looming over it. It shot to its feet and raised its arms straight forward. It fired pure energy shaped like oblong seeds from between its leaf arms.

Bullet Seed brushed Joe's face as he stepped aside to cover Erika. He wrapped his right arm around the woman and brought her in close, an automatic response to protect her. Absol started growling. Without thinking, Joe grabbed Cyndaquil's ball from the holster at his back left hip and underhand tossed it. Cyndaquil came out and ignited the fire on his back. Fomantis shot Bullet Seed again at Joe, to which Cyndaquil used Ember to protect Joe. The two moves clashed.

It'd happened so fast that only now did Joe's brain catch up. He tried to speak. "Wait, we come in pea-"

Fomantis didn't care to listen to Joe. It believed it was in immediate danger so continued to fight. It used Bullet Seed, this time aimed at Cyndaquil. There was only one way to calm the wild Pokemon now. Through battle.

Cyndaquil rolled aside, Bullet Seed tearing through dirt. He ran to close the distance with Tackle. Fomantis put the tip of a leaf arm on the ground. Before Cyndaquil could reach his opponent, he tripped. Roots had rapidly grown on either side of Cyndaquil and formed a knot in front of one foot.

Grass Knot. The move did more damage the heavier the Pokemon was as its own weight was used against it, but for Fomantis, it was utility. It gave Fomantis the moment it needed to rush in, its arms glowing a bright white. It raised both arms, aiming to bring them down and slash Cyndaquil.

Joe's grip on Erika loosened, but she remained close and watched carefully. If Joe was entering the Gym Challenge, then one day he would arrive at her Gym. She wanted to understand how he fought so she could become a great hurdle for Joe to overcome.

Cyndaquil was on all fours. He got one Ember off, striking Fomantis' left arm and knocking said arm back. Sometimes slow and steady precision suited even Cyndaquil. Fomantis' right arm came down and struck Cyndaquil in the side of the face. Cyndaquil rolled with the force and stood a few feet away. He was ready as Bullet Seed came his way. He fired Ember twice. This delayed the attack long enough for Cyndaquil to roll to the side. Bullet Seed passed through the air where he was standing just a moment ago.

Fomantis was already in front of Cyndaquil with Slash ready. Cyndaquil coughed, the fire on his back sputtering as he unleashed a black fog into the area. This stunned Fomantis just long enough for Cyndaquil to tackle his opponent. He lowered his head and dug into Fomantis' belly, throwing the Grass-type up and out of the smoke. Cyndaquil followed up with Ember, which Fomantis managed to counter with Slash. Fomantis landed just outside of Smokescreen and Cyndaquil barged into it with Tackle, sending it skidding along the ground.

Fomantis dug its arms into the ground to bring itself to a stop sooner. It used Grass Knot to grab Cyndaquil's feet and trip him again. It jumped in with Slash. Aimed to bring the attack down on Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil used its mystery move, a massive explosion spawning from his back and engulfing Fomantis.

The Grass-type had no escape. It was blasted into the air and eventually fell. Joe caught Fomantis. It was tiny in his combined palms. Steam was coming off parts of its body. That steam briefly burst into flames before calming, becoming grey wisps of smoke again.

Rotom flashed a message saying Fomantis was burned. A status condition where fire energy became trapped on the defence energy and would periodically damage it.

"How do I get rid of it?"

"It goes away on its own after a while."

A while was too long for Joe. He reached for his ball to return Cyndaquil. Froze when he saw his hedgehog panting heavily, barely able to stand. Compared to the combo of Caterpie and Pancham, Joe felt like his Pokemon hadn't fought that long or hard against Fomantis. Why was Cyndaquil so worn out?

A question for later. He returned Cyndaquil and had Rotom highlight the nearest PokeCenter. Erika hopped onto the back of her larger than average Shiftry. It stood on two feet, had a bulky wooden body, a pointy nose and long white hair. With its leaf hands it whipped up a wind and boosted its running speed, easily matching Joe's sprint as he ran into Amethyst.

At some point, Fomantis tried to keep the fight going. But it didn't want to be too harsh against a human. They weren't built the same as Pokemon. Fomantis launched Bullet Seed, with pulled punches, and caught Joe in the chin. It felt like being hit by a thrown baseball. There was some power behind the attack. "Hey, calm down. I'm trying to fix my own problem. I'll get that burn removed, okay?"

Fomantis took this in and calmed a little, occasional bursts of fire lighting it up. A few streets into town, they reached a PokeCenter. Joe handed Fomantis and Cyndaquil to a nurse.

As he waited, Joe asked Rotom a question. "Hey Rotom, why was Cyndaquil so tired?" Joe had a theory, but he figured the assistant would know more.

"It was the move he seems to have developed himself. He does not have full control over it, so it's using all of his power regardless of how much energy he has left."

As Joe thought. "But the power doesn't seem to change depending on how much energy he uses." The strength and effects of the move seemed the same between its use against Pancham and Fomantis, even though Cyndaquil should've had more energy in his Fomantis fight.

"Correct." Rotom confirmed. "The amount of energy he is using isn't changing the strength of the move."

That was good to know. This mystery move, whatever it was, should only be used when Cyndaquil was close to losing. The power didn't change, but it instantly tired Cyndaquil out, so it was worthless at the beginning of a fight.

The nurse brought Joe's Pokemon out. He put Cyndaquil's ball in his holster and held Fomantis in his hands. Walked outside with it. Placed it on the ground, his knee resting on stone.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I didn't mean to scare you or hurt you."

Fomantis looked up at Joe and tilted its head. Accepted his apology. It turned and looked down the street to where the fields were, but its attention was drawn to Joe raising a hand in the corner of its vision.

"Ah, one second. I wanted to ask you a favour." Fomantis turned its attention back to Joe. "If you don't mind, there's a girl in a hospital that really likes Fomantis. Fomanti? Whatever, she likes your species. Could you visit her for a bit? I think it'd make her really happy."

Fomantis didn't fully understand what a hospital was. Had it just been treated at a hospital? If so, then the girl was sick. Fomantis looked at the ground. Looked back down the street. Nodded and let out a little squeak, hopping onto Absol's back.

Joe rose and smiled. "Thanks." He turned to Erika. He suddenly realised what he'd done earlier. "Er, sorry if I overstepped." Joe had acted automatically, honed from years of danger. They joked back and forth, but it didn't change the fact that Joe and Erika didn't know each other too well.

Erika brought a sleeved hand to her mouth and chuckled. "It's fine, Prince Charming." She said in a teasing voice, drawing out some syllables.

As long as Erika was fine with it. Considering she was a Gym Leader, she absolutely could've handled herself just fine. She's much stronger than Joe. But she let herself go along with Joe being the protector.

Joe sent a text to David saying he was on his way. He followed directions on the app. Arrived at a hospital. Walked through automatic glass doors. It was a clean, mainly white, open space. To the left were rows of plastic seats. A man rose from one. He had a hunch and black bags under his eyes. He did his best to smile when he saw the Fomantis on Absol's back.

Joe approached the man. Put a hand out. "David, I assume?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you, Joe." He put his other hand atop their clasped hands and squeezed. Despite his apparent tiredness, David had some strength to him. "You didn't have to go the extra mile like this. You don't know how much it means."

Joe simply nodded. He didn't know what else to say.

David took in the woman standing beside Joe. His eyes widened. He raised a hand like he was going to point, but stopped himself last second because it would've been rude. "E- Erika?"

Erika smiled.

David scratched the back of his head and forced a little laugh. "My daughter loves Fomantis and, by extension, she loves Grass-types. She watches all your Gym battles."

"I'm honoured." Erika said, giving a handshake. It seemed as though this would turn into a meet and greet with a celebrity.

They walked up some stairs and along a large hallway until they arrived at a door with pink flowers on it. David rocked from his toes to his soles and took a deep breath. He put on a big smile and opened the door.

"Hi, sweetie." David said, eyes on the bed. It was a proper bed, not a typical hospital bed, because his daughter lived here. "Daddy has a surprise for you."

His daughter was sitting up and watching a show on TV about a boy raised in the wild by Pokemon. She turned and her face lit up with the most brilliant smile, like nothing was wrong. She looked younger than ten years old, but that was just because she was sick, not growing properly due to her body prioritising fighting her illness. She was twelve years old. Her long blonde hair didn't match David's brown hair. A trait she'd received from her mother.

Joe felt a lump in the back of his throat. He tapped Absol. She walked to the bed, giving Fomantis easy access. Before Fomantis could even hop onto the bed, the daughter squealed and rushed to grab the Grass-type. She hugged it and kissed it. She held it in front of her to really absorb the details of Fomantis and the fact that she was holding one.

With Absol out of the way, Joe had more space, so he stepped aside to let Erika into the room. The girl was too interested in Fomantis to realise her favourite celebrity was here. David cleared his throat to get his daughter's attention. She looked over. Did a double take when she paid attention to the woman.

"Erika!" She screamed, tucking Fomantis under one arm and throwing her blanket aside.

Joe didn't know the girl's problem, so he was surprised to see her run up to Erika and wrapped the woman's torso in a big hug. Joe heard sniffing and eyed David. He was doing his best, but he was struggling. Joe put a hand on the father's shoulder and squeezed.

The daughter talked a mile a minute to Erika as she cuddled Fomantis. Erika slowly helped the girl sit back down and Erika herself crouched in front of the girl.

David backed out, having seen his daughter happy. His mission as a father was a success. Joe followed and quietly closed the door. He went to a vending machine and grabbed a few drinks. David sat on a chair outside his daughter's room, leaning back and closing his eyes for a moment. He needed all the rest he could get. Joe poked David's arm with a bottle of water. David slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, thanks." He grabbed the bottle and took a little sip. "It's, er… Caroline is the only family I have left. Her mother passed some years ago, so it's just me and her."

Joe sat down and took a massive swig of water. "Family is everything. You do what you can for them."

David leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs. "...Yeah."

They sat in companionable silence for a time. As far as Joe was concerned, David was a damn good father, doing what he could. Like most men, David silently sucked up his complaints about being overworked and stressed out. Like most parents, he did everything for his child.

"Is there any way I can help further?" Joe eventually asked.

David shook his head. His daughter had been fighting her illness for years, and she might still have years of fighting left. "No… No. It's something she has to fight herself. No one can do anything. But she's friends with the nurses and a few other children. And the Pokemon that work at the hospital love her. But thank you for offering."

Joe nodded even though David couldn't see. "Good people and animals can help get people through tough times."

Joe expected to hear that Caroline was better one day, and he had no doubt that she would end up with a few Pokemon. If she loved Erika as much as it seemed at first glance, then Caroline might enter the Gym Challenge. Many animals would love the attention and love that Caroline showered Fomantis with, so she wouldn't struggle for a team.

Erika soon came out of Caroline's room, a dour expression on her face. She had put on a brave face the entire time, only now letting the mask slip. By her side was Absol, Fomantis on the wolf's back. Absol walked over to Joe and sat down, quiet and contemplative.

David peeked into the room and saw Caroline was tucked into bed, sleeping. He thanked Joe and Erika once again and sent them on their way as he sat outside his daughter's room, almost like he was on guard against approaching threats. He would do anything for her. Sacrifice everything for her. He was the perfect guardian.