Under the urging of Rapidash, Pete decided to take Growlithe with him. At least for the night, he didn't want to ask the pokemon to join him after she had just lost her family.
The three Farfetch'd followed Pete silently at the heel in an orderly row without any prompting. It was kind of endearing to see, though Pete wondered where their military-esque mindset came from.
Nidorino followed along too, which came as a surprise. It didn't want to get into a pokeball, so their return trip took a little longer with the wounded poisonous rabbit following along.
Pete wasn't yet sure if he wanted to keep him, or if maybe the pokemon only wanted to stay until its recovered a little. But Solosis assured him that Nidorino didn't follow with bad intentions and would not attack them.
Back at the site of the fight, Pete had cut a piece of Arcanine's tail fur to keep as a memento for Growlithe and buried the corpses of the fight with Golett's help including the Team Rocket grunts.
Once they all returned, Pete once more tended to the wounds of the new addition to their camp and then walked inside the quiet mansion of Herbert's family.
Isabelle, who was in the living room reading, looked at Pete with a raised eyebrow as he came inside only to 'steal' a bowl of spring onions. But she decided to ask tomorrow.
The three Farfetch'd looked at Pete with worshipping gazes as he placed the bowl down so they could choose their 'weapon'. Each of them picked one and they started a three-way-sword fight with their new spring onion. They looked weirdly agile and professional, but it was still a very derpy sight.
He then brought the remaining vegetables inside and went to the bathroom to get ready for the night. Sleep came easy to most this night, except for Growlithe and Rapidash, who had forced the pup into her warm embrace for comfort.
When Pete woke up, Rapidash, for the first time in a long time, was not awake before him. He looked at the fiery unicorn, and his heart broke at the sight of Growlithe curled up with wet fur near her eyes next to Rapidash's head.
Golett was still up and greeted Pete with a silent, robotic wave to which Pete responded with a warm smile and a nod. Nidorino was up, too.
The pokemon was covered in bandages on its purple fur and had a determined look in his eyes. It looked like he wanted to talk to Pete, so he guided him toward the mansion a little away from all his still sleeping pokemon.
Since unlocking his psychic affinity and concentrating on the changes, Pete noticed he could more accurately tell a pokemon's mood and meaning. That would come in handy for the upcoming discussion.
"Alright, tell me then. What can I do for you?"
"Nido!"
"You want to become strong?"
"Nidoo!"
"Okay, yeah, I guess I could probably help with that, but strength for my pokemon and I isn't my goal. It's to be safe and live comfortably."
"Nidorino~"
"Really? The fire in your eyes tells me you want to gain strength for strength's sake."
"Nii!"
"You sure? You don't want strength to take revenge on the group those people came from?"
"Nidoo~"
"Yeah, I thought as much. Well, I could help you get stronger, but there are better trainers out there to help with that. And while I could potentially help you evolve, I don't see any benefit to me if you're just going to leave to fight Team Rocket."
"Nido!"
"Yeah, sure, I could use a fighter in the short term..."
"Nidori!"
"I... I guess. Let me be clear, though. I can help, but it's at my pace, not yours. Don't start fighting wild pokemon to train your moves and drag the others and me into it when you bit off more than you can chew."
"Ni!"
"Haaa. Okay, I'll browse some common training guides for your species on my tablet once we're done with breakfast. Welcome to the team, Nidorino," Pete said with a sigh.
His plan was not to catch any more pokemon in the short term, yet he already had four new pokemon since the three Farfetch'd already looked like they wanted to worship the ground Pete walked on. Especially when he said he would open a farm where plants like leeks and green onion would grow.
And there was still Growlithe, who Pete was sure would stay one way or another by the way Rapidash was behaving.
When Pete was done cooking breakfast, the twins joined him at the table at his camp site with incredibly tired eyes. They only really lost their sleepiness when they saw the pitiful Growlithe all wounded and curled up next to Rapidash eying everyone warily.
"Aw, poor puppy! Who hurt you like this? Did Pete bully you?" Sophie asked as she squatted down next to Growlithe to try and comfort her.
"The wounds look properly cared for," Jasmine analyzed as she squatted down next to Sophie. The Corsola on her arms looked distressed at the pitiful state of Growlithe as well.
The Corsola even went as far as using rock type energy to break off one of its horns on the back and gift it to Growlithe. It was one of the bigger ones and even taller than her head, but thin enough that Growlith could carry it in her maw of she so chooses.
Under the urging of so many pokemon and people who wanted her to get better, Growlithe eventually ate a big portion of Pete's food. For a short moment, she even growled in pleasure because the food was so delicious. But when she heard it herself, she grew disheartened and stopped with a sad look. She did, however, accept the horn and gnawed on it slowly and with care. Kind of like with a chew-toy or bone.
Pete looked up a few guides on how to train the Nidoran lines and didn't find anything too crazy outside of having them eat the corpses of other poison type pokemon to increase the power of their poison.
Which could be accomplished if he sicked the Nidorino on the Ariadnos at Evergreen Meadow later on, but he couldn't do it right at this moment.
Nidorino needed to get healed first anyway. So when the twins were ready to go into Violet City, Pete took Solosis and Zorua with him while keeping Nidorino balled.
He planned to get Nidorino healed at a pokemon center because it took much more physical damage than Growlithe, who would recover shortly with just the berries and the potion spray Pete used.
Zorua didn't want to leave Pete's side this morning and Solosis was asked to come along so she could potentially get a glimpse of the move Heal Pulse from the Chansey or Blissey likely working at the pokemon center.
Pete asked the rest of his pokemon to keep a look out for his belongings and to enjoy some time off, but he knew the Minccino, Ponyta, and Blitzle were up to some shenanigans. Sunkern was once again hanging out with Isabelle's three Sunflora.
The three Sunflora were asked to mend quite a few more grafted berry trees now that they learned of the great success of the first try and Pete hoped Sunkern would learn a thing or two from them on this sunny day.
"Where'd you wanna go first, Pete?" Sophie asked as the three made their way down from the mansion into the city.
Both girls were wearing fluttering sundresses and large, white hats. The dresses were the same cut, but Jasmine's was a warm earthen beige, while Sophie's dress was skyblue.
"Hmm, I think the pokecenter to get Nidorino checked if you don't mind," Pete responded as he palmed the ball the pokemon was in.
"Sure, we can do that," Sophie agreed with a cheerful smile.
"Maybe we should have insisted Growlithe come too," Jasmine muttered as she looked at the pokeball with the wounded pokemon inside.
"She looked fine to me. The wound on her hindleg was almost closed this morning. Just exhausted, tired, and very, very sad. I don't think the pokecenter would help more than Rapidash mothering her all day as best she can," Pete interjected.
Showing up to the pokecenter with an ID that said "assistant professor to Professor Elm" turned out to be a VIP card that meant the Nurse Joy of the pokemon center would more or less agree to his every reasonable demand.
The check-up for Nidorino would take some time, so Pete left him there together with Solosis. Pete had asked if he could let the pokemon stay so that it might learn Heal Pulse. He had asked Professor Elm before if that would be considered impolite, but the professor assured him that the Nurse Joys would welcome pokemon trying to learn the noble art of healing.
With Zorua on his shoulder and the twins at his side, Pete started taking in the sights of Violet City now that his biggest worry was taken care of.
They browsed a few shops here and there, and Pete was dragged into a few clothing stores, too. Sophie seemed to have a knack for fashion as she decided how the twins would dress for the day Pete learned today. Jasmine was more focused on pokemon and gladly trusted her sister's fashion sense.
Pete, in turn, was made to buy a bunch of outfits that matched his overall look. He didn't say anything to shirts and hoodies, but he did ask for the pants and jackets to also be functional and not just a fashion statement. Sophie already knew Pete was going to say something like that, so she chose the stores well in advance.
At a large convenience store Pete stocked up on pokemon treats he couldn't make just yet, bought a bunch of spices and cooking utensils like whisks he didn't get in New Bark Town and found a few gardening tools.
Lunch was getting closer, so Pete wanted to get Solosis and Nidorino from the pokemon center and get back to the mansion. The day had already cost him P$8.520 - that was enough for Pete.
"A day or two of rest and Nidorino should be fit as a fiddle once more. Your first aid and generous use of miracle berries have made sure Nidorino will make a full recovery shortly," Nurse Joy said as she handed over the empty luxury ball back to Pete.
Nidorino was freshly bandaged and looked a lot better than before. After getting his okay, Pete balled the pokemon and looked around for Solosis.
"Where's my girl Solosis then? I hope she didn't trouble you," Pete asked when he couldn't find her in the room. He knew she was close thanks to his psychic affinity and bond, but it didn't work yet to pinpoint a location.
"Ah, not at all. She is very polite and very hardworking. There's a Blissey from the family currently in town teaching the move Heal Pulse to a Chansey that the family has recently acquired. I asked Blissey to explain it to your Solosis, too and they immediately took a liking to each other. This Blissey likes hard working pokemon especially well," Nurse Joy happily explained with a wide smile.
"I see, uh... can I leave her here then? She should feel me through our bond but stayed with Blissey anyway. Maybe she's on the verge of grasping the move?"
"Oooh, that would make a terribly talented pokemon indeed. But yes, you may leave her here. I already said Blissey has taken a liking to your Solosis," Joy agreed with a warm smile.
"Thank you very much!"
"Yes, do you think Solosis can make it back to you on her own or do you want me to call you once she indicates she's ready to go back? The day is slow enough that I wouldn't mind either way."
"Oh, I haven't thought of that. I'd like to think she is smart enough to get back. But here is my number just in case she is unsure. Tell her if she wants to go back on her own, she should come to camp. She should know what that means," Pete answered with a kind smile of his own. This Nurse Joy was very pleasant to talk to.
"Ah, before I go. You know I'm a researcher, right? Have you ever heard of the Alolan fairy pokemon Comfey?"
"Oh hmm, no, I don't think I'm familiar. Why do you ask?" Joy asked with a tilted head and her hand covering her mouth in a pondering expression.
"You know fairy pokemon are much more likely to allow kind people like yourself to see or even catch them, right? Well Comfey is a pokemon that knows the move Floral Healing, which is Heal Pulse but with Fairy typing. Both moves have their pros and cons, but you'd have to figure it out by yourself. I've only heard rumors of the pokemon. They appear in Lush Jungle by route 5 in Alola," Pete explained as a thank you to Nurse Joy for being so accomodating.
He knew it was an inevitability for the Joy clan to move to Alola, but if they had an incentive to do it earlier because of knowledge about a very elusive pokemon that should flock to most of the Joys, they would do it much sooner. That would help the region become a safer place and have a few more subtle benefits.
Joys eyes were shining as Pete finished his explanation.
"Are you sure? They sound like lovely pokemon, I'd love to meet one!"
"Yeah, I'm not from Alola but I was once close enough to hear the rumors plenty of times. You should know that fairy pokemon are often considered rumors in more rural regions, so the rumor apparently didn't travel very far," Pete doubled down with a shrug.
"Ah! Thank you so much," Joy said as she jumped to hug Pete.
"I always wanted to apply for the Alola expedition of the family next year, but competition is fierce. If I bring back this information I should be rewarded with the opportunity! Thank you so so much," Joy happily exclaimed as she swayed back and forth, left and right with Pete still in her arms.
"Uh, no worries, Nurse Joy," Pete spoke up with a wry smile.
"Call me Betty," Joy, no Betty Joy or just Betty, said as she released Pete with pink cheeks. She didn't realise how forward she was just now.
"Well, uh. You have my number, so if you need anything else you can call me. And uh... let me know if I need to pick up Solosis," Pete spoke to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"Un!"
The twins, Pete and Zorua left the pokecenter.
"What was that all about?" Sophie asked with narrowed eyes and a mischievous grin.
"What do you mean?" Pete asked because he didn't know what else to say to deflect.
"The long hug? The rosy cheeks on both of you?" Sophie teased.
"We're just both very excited about kind pokemon and their ability to heal."
"Uh-huh~"
"She is a very kind person."
"Uh-huuuh~"
"Did you want a hug as well?"
Instead of continuing to tease Pete, Sophie suddenly stopped at a store to stare through the window at a few dresses on the mannequins.
"Hehe, nice job shutting her up," Jasmine giggled from the side when Pete stopped to see where Sophie had run off to.
The three took in a few more sights like the Sprout Tower that housed monks and Bellsprouts and its evolutions mostly. The monks' decision to celebrate Bellsprout was just as weird in reality as it was in the game, so Pete didn't engage much with them.
When they got back to the mansion, they were a little bit late for lunch but Isabelle had already started cooking. It wouldn't do after all to keep having the guest making food for your entire family.
Isabelle didn't get the portion right, but it didn't matter. Some of his pokemon were okay with treats or simply a some nutritous water.
After lunch, Pete joined Jasmine for training and saw Onix for the very first time. The giant rock snake lived in a cave on the far side of the garden and had a very gentle temperament. Just to be sure, Pete looked at the cave while Onix was using his rock and ground energy to throw around heavy rocks and changing the terrain.
And like Pete thought, there were metal deposits in the cave. The evolution from Onix to Steelix in this world didn't happen with a poketrade and a held item but when an Onix ate a certain amount of metal.
Since Jasmine's Onix would eventually become a Steelix which resulted in Jasmine even changing the typing of her entire team and gym, Pete was sure there had to be something in this cave.
Done inspecting the cave, Pete watched the training and gave his opinion from time to time. He didn't overdo it because Jasmine didn't ask for tips, but she also didn't ask him to stop.
Once Pete saw Corsola training her water moves, Pete noticed he had an obvious lack of water pokemon in his team so far - especially for a farmer. A pokemon's water typing energy would create water and most of it would stay as real drinkable water. Something he would probably appreciate for a large farm.
But since it was water pokemon he needed, Pete also didn't stress the point. What this entire world had more than anything was water pokemon. Though, unless he found a spot next to a river in the Meadow to settle down, Pete's choices were also cut short.
Unless he managed to find a fish with such good accuracy and long range that he could train a pokemon to water his berry orchards and fields from the coast line.
A few Mudkip or Quagsire were still on the top of his list, but he wouldn't be picky. Slowpoke or Lotad would also be greatly appreciated and he would need to see what was available to begin with. Exeggutor's Teleport would greatly help him expand his search radius, but he'd also need to convince a wild pokemon to live on a farm.
Unless his luck would keep up with finding young and impressionable or injured pokemon, Pete had his work cut out for him.
"Are you okay?"
A sweet and quiet voice roused Pete from his musing.
"Jasmine, sorry. I got lost in my own musing on what water pokemon I'd likely want to raise on my farm," Pete excused while scratching the back of his head.
"You'd want to look for something docile in a land dweller or fierce in a sea dweller, right? On land you have others for protection, but for sea pokemon you need something that can defend itself," Jasmine said while pondering.
"If only you could find one of the mythical Milotic. They are strong, gracious, and pretty. I hear they are also fine to live on land if its close to water and they apparently have a weak dragon heritage which scares away pokemon who only bully the weak," Jasmine continued, absorbed in her musing just like Pete was before. She did look very cute doing that, Pete thought.
"Well, did you know Milotic aren't as mythical as believed? They are a rare evolution of the fish pokemon Feebas. The ugly little fish only needs to believe itself beautiful enough once it gathered enough strength for an evolution," Pete explained with a warm smile.
"Is that really true? Oh, how I wish every Feebas would evolve then. They have their own charm about them. Everyone does," Jasmine said with glittering eyes.
"Yep, they are pretty unique in that sense. At least, I don't think there are many other evolutions that are dependent on a state of mind. Primeape's evolution to Annihilape maybe. But they first need to know ghost type energy and then get angry enough... which to be fair is probably way easier a condition than getting a Feebas to think itself pretty," Pete narrated.
Pete continued listing a few unique evolution methods he is aspiring to 'prove real' through his research to a Jasmine who was listening very intently. Especially when Pete revealed the condition for Onix to evolve did Jasmine hang on every word of his.
Dinner later was once again prepared by Isabelle with Sophie helping while Jasmine and Pete lost their sense of time as they talked about unique evolutions and moves. They had a surprise guest during dinner though. Solosis, who had returned from her training session from the pokecenter. The surprise? Solosis teleported herself to the mansion.
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