Katarina and I released our Pokémon at the same time. Numsy came out on my side of the field and on her side a scruffy doglike Pokémon materialized in a flash of light. Naturally I took this opportunity to again make use of my brand new Pokédex. Lillipup, the puppy Pokémon. The long hair covering lillpup's face is an excellent radar which senses conditions in the surrounding area. This Pokémon is far brighter than the average child, and lillpup won't forget the love it receives or any abuse it suffers. "Victory goes to those who make the first move. Numsy use bulldoze!" "Lillipup hold on and use leer!" The battlefield shook with the force of our first move. The power behind it wasn't earthquake level yet, but Numsy was getting more proficient in manipulating his typed energy. Using a move such as this indoors would usually get you in deep trouble with the local authorities. However, state of the art battlefields like the ones in a gym featured shock dampers, grates for water overflow and other nifty features. Lillipup fell to the floor having lost it's footing but not before giving Numsy an intimidating stare its eyes glowed with a menacing red hue startling Numsy and lowering his defensive ability in the progress. "Incinerate!" Numsy started producing a series of fireballs with a bright center and black highlights holding them in the air before finally after the third fireball was produced, launching them all together towards the still staggered Lillipup. The Lillipup in question tried to scamper behind a rocky outcropping, but as Lillipup was making its way towards safety the terrain which has drastically shifted due to Numsy's bulldoze hindered it and its paw got stuck in a crevice. Katarina knowing that dodging was out of the question encouraged her Pokémon. "Stay strong!" Lillipup hearing the encouragement from its trainer and bravely faced the incoming attack. The move hit the Lillipup followed by the sounds of three small explosions and a small whimper. The smoke cleared and revealed the Lillipup clearly fatigued but holding on. We worked very hard on this move back at the Lavaridge gym. Numsy still didn't have the power required to shoot the incinerate out as a beam, but this variation is probably even better not many first stage Pokémon had the control necessary to hold up their move in the air like this. "Num num!" Numsy shared a particular look at me. I instinctively know what message he tries to convey. Respect for our opponent. This Lillipup was tough unlike the trainer owned Pokémon we met on the route this one wasn't calling it quits after the first setback. Numsy wanted to finish things with a head on confrontation. "Tackle!" "Tackle!" Mildly surprised that Katarina's and mine thought process aligned we watched our Pokémon duke it out in one final showdown. Two small bodies crashed into each other Numsy let out a small grunt still being weakened by the previous leer attack. However, that was nothing in comparison to the Lillipup who was already standing on its last legs. The outcome of this head on clash left lillipup gasping on the ground and Numsy mildly out of breath. My Numsy wasn't some starter I got a few months ago. We've been together for three years already I wouldn't be surprised if it was on equal footing with any three-star badge Pokémon from this gym. "Lillipup is unable to battle victory goes to Numel" "Lillipup return! Go Panpour!" A simian figure materializes on her side of the battlefield not dissimilar to Chili's Pansear. Water droplets poured out of the crest on its head and its closed eyelids and derpy smile gave me the impression that Panpour was having a pleasant dream. Panpour, the Spray Pokémon. Panpour lived in forests long ago, but developed a body that makes it easy to live near water. It can store water in the tufts on its head. The water stored inside the tuft on its head is full of nutrients. It waters plants with it using its tail. 'As expected, her final Pokémon is one who is especially strong against my starter. Numsy might be able to take one water type move but not two.' I tested this myself in Lavaridge with tap water from our sink. Anything that cools down Numsy's molten core enough will sap his strength, and he is forced to go into a lethargic daze. "Water gun!" "Numsy use strategy 3!" Numsy used his smokescreen to completely cover our side of the field. Smokescreen is normally used on your opponent's Pokémon to hinder their field of view, but Numsy is not limited in just directing the smoke with his mouth he can also use the hump on his back to completely cover himself. Tension is high while we both wait for the smoke to eventually clear itself from the field. The smoke did clear, and the gym leader was surprised to find a hole where my Numel should have been. Our strategy revolved around using smokescreen in conjunction with dig to surprise our opponent and keep them on the backfoot. Naturally this could backfire if the opponents Pokémon had access to moves like earthquake or magnitude. "Now Numsy!" Hearing my command, the ground exploded underneath Panpour's feet. Flinging Panpour in the air before gravity did its work pulling the Pokémon back down dealing a good chunk of damage. Panpour wasn't out of this fight by a long shot though it got up quickly ready to retaliate. "Water gun!" "Hold on Numsy!" Panpour expelled a copious amount of water in the form of a jet stream launched from its mouth. The jet of water hit Numsy head on dousing my fire type Pokémon and pushing it a ways backward. Immediately the water has a visible effect on my Numel exhausting him and slowing him down. I know with his limited stamina only one more hit was needed to floor Numsy. If I wanted any chance of finishing this battle now, we had to go for the all or nothing move. "Lava plume!""Water gun again!" An inferno of scarlet flames washes over the entire battlefield hitting Panpour in the process. However not before Panpour launches a move of its own scoring another direct hit on Numsy.The flames cleared up from the battlefield which revealed a knocked out Numsy and a slightly singed Panpour. 'As expected Numsy totally can't deal with water types having quadruple weakness against them.' "Numel is unable to battle the winner is Panpour!" I recalled my friend inside his poké ball. "You did your best, in our next gym battle you will shine even more brightly." I released the final member of my team. She gave me an enthusiastic yip ready to finish this battle for our fallen comrade. "Let's win this match Rena!" "Vuuuuul!" "The challenger has chosen Vulpix as his last Pokémon. Both the trainer and gym leader have one Pokémon remaining let the match begin." "Disable!" "Water gun!" A familiar blue wave streaked across the battlefield and washed over an unprepared Panpour. The spray Pokémon tried firing off its water gun but couldn't and had a confused expression. 'Thank lord Arceus, my Vulpix is quicker than her Panpour!' Disable immediately took effect. Temporarily making Panpour forget how to use the move. Now normally this wouldn't be an issue for opponent's Pokémon since most water types learned multiple water type moves but since this is a 1st badge match their Pokémon should be younger and have a more limited move pool. My assumptions proved correct when I heard Katarina's next command. "Panpour get in close and use pound!" Panpour dashed forward arm poised ready to strike. "Sweep the leg. Follow up with fire spin." Rena bowed low and turtle spinned. Her six tails hooking on to Panpour's dominant leg bowling him over in the process. We trained many a day to master this variation of tail whip. Most trainers would advise against training up a move that would turn useless against Pokémon in a heavier weight class. Unlike the sheeple trainers I saw the potential. Especially since Rena had six tails not just a singular one. While Panpour has lost control of his motor functions Rena fired off a sizzling fire spin. Water type or no at this range it would be sure to deal some good damage. Panpour got trapped inside the fire vortex and Rena didn't let up keeping the fire spin going until she couldn't hold on any longer. The flames dissipated revealing a slightly crispy Panpour. Its fur singed off in most places unconscious due to the lack of oxygen, but otherwise fine. "Panpour is unable to battle! The victory goes to Vulpix! winning the match for Egon the challenger!" "Pix pix!" "I know as soon as I am done here, we'll go get you that thing you've wanted." I recalled Rena back to her ball and walked up to Katarina in order to receive my first badge. It is customary for gym leaders to give a small speech and some training tips while awarding their badges. So, I wasn't surprised when Katarina did the same thing. "Coming into this match I was sure no fire type starter would be able to beat my Panpour. For exceeding my expectations, I reward you the trio badge congratulations." "Thanks leader Katarina." "Furthermore, I am so impressed by your Vulpix' tail whip attack that I've decided to reward you with one of our gym's technical machines. You can follow me to our storage room so we can pick one out." Receiving a technical machine as a reward is extraordinarily lucky. Gym leaders rarely rate a challenger's performance good enough to reward one. The gym would actually lose money were that the case. Chili also got down from the stands and followed his mother and I to storage room. Firing all sorts of questions about the moves my Pokémon displayed. "Numel and I learned dig from a wise old quagsire back in my hometown. I figured since Numsy is also part ground type we could learn a thing or two from him." And that's where Katarina decided to chip into the conversation. "I was really hoping your Numel would not be proficient in ground type moves. Now Chili will have to repair the battlefield flooring and fill up that tunnel." "Mom!?" "If you want to become a gym leader in the future it is best that you become proficient in maintenance work sweetie. Now here we are this catalogue has a list of all technical machines we have on hand pick one and I'll go get it for you." Unlike specialist gyms the Striaton gym has a wide variety of technical machines to choose from. I go down the entire list before narrowing down my choice. There are three TM's that garnered my interest. Protect, Hidden Power and Sunny Day. Protect is a must have for higher level trainers. They all use it to disrupt their opponent's strategy and scout out for dangerous moves. However, since protect was such a popular move Silph Co. produced too many of them making them relatively cheaper to get compared to other technical machines. Hidden power is the rarest move on this list. Picking hidden power would be a gamble for me. You never know what type of hidden power each Pokémon possesses, and it is relatively low in power. If I taught my Numsy the move and it is revealed his hidden power is fire type I will have wasted my pick. Sunny Day is the safest choice none of my Pokémon have learned it yet.Relatively early during my internship I inquired about having the gym staff teach the move to my Pokémon, but that didn't pan out. Since all the gym matches were held inside the volcano none of the gym trainers were proficient in teaching the move. Because the natural environment of the battlefield was already most suited to their fire type Pokémon. Asking Mr. Moore to use his free time teaching me was too daunting a prospect. I know the man loves spending every minute of his free time pampering and doting on Flannery. This TM was also the most expensive of the three going for 50,000 poké dollars in the open market. I would probably have to save for months to afford the TM. "Could I get Sunny Day?" "Excellent choice for a fire type specialist like you. Just wait a second and I'll go get it." After finishing up at the gym I made a beeline towards the Pokémon center to get Numsy fixed up. The nurse manning the reception told me that it would take a few hours to adequately warm up his core temperature. Hanging around until then seemed like a waste of time so me and Rena decided to visit the local market for an accessory. "Rena stop fidgeting, the nice lady is only trying to help you find a prop that would look stunning on you." "Pix!" I made it my team policy to reward any Pokémon that helped me win a major battle. Be it in the form of snacks they usually couldn't have or extra comfy bedding. Rena decided she wanted a new accessory to stand out of the crowd even more than she already does. So far, we haven't seen any other vulpix in the region, but I wasn't one to argue against my team's little diva. "She certainly would make a big splash in the musical scene, if you ever decide to participate young sir." 'Musicals? Yeah, they had something like that here instead of your regular contests.' I certainly wasn't one to deny my Pokémon their ambitions. If Rena wanted to go into show business, I would support her all the way it might even lighten our monetary burdens while she is enjoying herself. "What do you think Rena? Do you want to dance on the big stage?" "Vuuul Pix." "You are not that sure? We could make a day of it when we arrive in Nimbasa." The store clerk decided to add her two cents to the conversation. "That would be a wonderful idea young man. Trainers that are actively participating in this year's circuit get in for free if it is their first time at the theater." The clerk continued trying on different props until finally Rena decided on a tiara. "Pix!" "She wants this one." "An excellent choice dear customer that will be 1000 pokédollars." 'My poor wallet That's half my gym winnings! No wait. This is an investment if Rena ever does decide to go into show business, we can reuse the tiara.' I am just lucky those aren't real gemstones in that ornament. "If I get you this tiara you promise to work hard on mastering Sunny Day?" "Pix!" She gave me a begrudging yes. 'This girl wants to wear the tiara. She really is a spoiled princess. Zinnia might have put some weird ideas in her head while I was away working at the gym.' It would all be worth it though if she mastered the move. With training I figured I can start developing her drought ability. Pokémon weren't born with their abilities fully developed you needed to put in some elbow grease to get them working. The limitations of only having the one ability still applied but you could sort of zero in on the ability you wanted your Pokémon to have by making them do the appropriate training. That's why I never had Rena battle against other fire types I didn't want her to get stuck with the flash fire ability. Humans haven't developed anything resembling ability capsules yet. So, planning to receive the proper ability is crucial. People know all the common abilities Pokémon species can develop. However, the hidden abilities are aptly named. I am sure that there are some trainers out there who have accidentally developed their Pokémon's hidden abilities. "We'll take it." Before leaving the market, I looked around for second hand Xtransceivers the average price ranging between 5000 to 10000 poké dollars. It might have been a stupid idea indulging Rena with the tiara while I am still saving for one of them cool wrist phones but in my opinion my Pokémon have equal say in what our budget is going to be spent on. They are the ones doing all the battling I am just a sideline coach. The following day me and my team headed out for Nacrene City. Route 3 unlike other routes has a bunch of towns and villages populating its length. Since it was densely populated by humans you had to go far out to spot any of the more dangerous Pokémon populating the route. The nurse Joy from Striaton did warn me not to travel when there's a thunderstorm out and about, that is usually the time when the local zebstrika herd get rowdy. Zebstrika are just like real zebra's they have a nasty attitude but mostly keep to themselves. To make some extra money I picked up a side gig at the Pokémon center's bulletin board. There is an open invitation for trainers to come visit route 3's Pokémon Daycare and Kindergarten. They didn't expect much. Just sharing some stories about your travels and letting the children play with your Pokémon team.The job paid a 1000 pokédollars that amounts to half my prize winnings for beating the Striaton gym.Naturally I had to do it and it was only two hours walk away from the city which was a huge boon. The daycare is run by an elderly woman named Karena. The daughter Daniella spends her time teaching preschoolers at the kindergarten. Their organization was heavily funded by the Unovan government. Alder is known for being fond of children and most of the league's leftover funds are donated to education facilities and orphanages. This is probably why they can afford to pay so handsomely for an afternoon's work. When we finally made it to the school I was unceremoniously shooed inside the classroom. Guessing by the weathered look on Daniella's face I can accurately guess the level of excitement the children have for surprise visitors. "Good morning children! Today we have a special guest who has come all the way from the Hoenn region to share some of his experiences working as a gym trainer. Let's all welcome Egon from Lavaridge Town." "Show us your Pokémon!" "I am Hungry!" "Miss Daniella Timmy is pulling on my hair again!" Any newbie trainer would probably be overwhelmed dealing with a classroom like this. Suddenly the exorbitant amount trainers get paid to do this makes sense. Regular people have no way of dealing with this level of excitement. However, I have experience dealing with overly energetic children. The trick is instantly changing their level of comfort, and I had just the tool in hand to make that happen. "Numsy come out and use growl!" Numsy materialized and as instructed promptly started to use his ear drum shattering growl attack. Immediately it got deathly quiet inside the classroom. The children kept their ears covered until they were sure that the screeching sound was over. "And that's what it sounds like when a Pokémon uses their growl attack in an enclosed classroom." The nonchalance with which I made that remark helped bring back the levity in the classroom. Before the children had the chance to descend into anarchy again, I started my background story detailing my daily life at the Lavaridge gym working with fire type Pokémon. Only acknowledging questions when asked with a raised hand. For the most part kids like these are riveted by any stories that are Pokémon related. "That is why it's important to stick to a planned dietary budget. Especially when you have a little glutton on your team like this guy." "Num Num!" "Oh really? Flannery's Torkoal had to subsist on only the basic foodstuffs after you went through his entire bag of coal mixed berries. Numels like you don't even need to eat minerals like his species does." "Excuse me, mister trainer sir?" "Yes Wendy, was it?" "Can I also learn how to talk to Pokémon like you do?" "Hmmm… a good question but it is almost impossible for humans to learn pokéspeak. Even senior trainers cannot communicate with perfect clarity to a Pokémon they don't know well enough. When you see me talking to Numsy here it is not because I can understand the words, he is saying. The intent behind the words themselves are clear to me, and that's only because I've been with this little guy for almost 4 years now. The more time you spend with your Pokémon the clearer their intentions are until words are almost unnecessary." However, there are many exceptions to this rule. Psychic-type Pokémon are smart enough to communicate telepathically with their trainers. Even if their bodies cannot make the full range of sounds necessary to vocally speak in our language. When you catch a Pokémon in the wild it is usually standard procedure to hire the services of translator at the nearest Pokémon center. This is to make sure your goals don't misalign. Say you catch a Pokémon that hates battling but wants to star in contests or participate in Pokéathelon competitions instead. Just like us humans a Pokémon's ambitions can vary wildly. I can already see the children ruminating about what they want to do when they grow up. Struggling to figure out what they might be successful at. "Don't worry too much if you have a hard time figuring out what to do. Most trainers on their first circuit run have no idea what they're doing. Your journey is as much about figuring what you don't want to do as it is about forming strong bonds with your Pokémon. Now who here wants to feed Numsy the Numel some berries?" During free period the kids were allowed outside to play with my Pokémon. There are clear rules about playing with Pokémon. The preschoolers are experienced enough to know where their boundaries are. Numsy already having gotten used to the kids during the berry feeding session didn't mind going on small adventures with them through the playground. Rena immediately caught the eye of every girl in class and was busy getting amateur makeovers with brushes and Pokémon friendly water-soluble hair gel. Daniella took me aside to have a little conversation while were both watching the children play with my Pokémon. "You are good with kids you know? When you get older and tired of the circuit life. You can start working here we will welcome you with open arms." "Thanks for the offer miss. I might take you up on it if my career as a trainer doesn't pan out." Getting curious I decide to ask a few more pointed questions. "So, these kids all want to be trainers when they get older?" "You know how it is. Everyone wants to try and test out their limits see if they have what it takes to make it in the league circuit. I have gotten as far as winning four badges before deciding I wanted to work with children." "How do children like these get their starters in Unova? And how can they afford to participate in their journey if their families are not affluent?" "Well children that get the best grades qualify for one of three royal starters given by Professor Juniper. Or as you said their family makes sure they get a dependable first Pokémon. For orphans or children whose families struggle financially there is a third option. My grandmother runs a Pokémon daycare and has a breeding facility. For students struggling to get their first Pokémon she donates any eggs that get left behind by trainer owned Pokémon she cares for. The league makes sure all the eggs get distributed to certified responsible trainers. They won't be able to pick any specific Pokémon but at least they have the guarantee that it won't be a pidove or patrat. Breeders rarely take the effort breeding such widely available species." "As for funding their journeys… most trainers get washed out around the second gym. Those that win their third gym badge usually come up for sponsorship by that point. They do have it hard getting enough money for feed and supplies during the initial stages of the circuit." I ruminate on my own difficulties with finances. 'Would I be able to come to Unova without being sponsored by Mr. Moore?' Probably not. Pokémon feed gets expensive especially if you buy the good stuff. Supermarket pellets tasted well enough, but it has nowhere near the nutritional value serious competitors need to gain that edge during battles. I promised myself that when I become financially independent that I would pay Mr. Moore's goodwill forward by sponsoring fledgling trainers of my own. The school is nearing closing time. Numsy and Rena have both their heads resting on my lap. Completely tuckered out by the rambunctious kids. As we enjoy the warm breeze Daniella approaches us having sent the children off with their legal guardians. "A job well done Egon here is your payment and a little something extra for a job well done." She hands over the promised 1000 pokédollars and surprisingly a pair of safety goggles. "I figured you would make your way over to the desert resort and attempt to catch a wild darumaka. With this on you will be able to see even during a surprise sandstorm." "Thanks a lot miss. If I am ever come back around these parts, I will be sure to visit your classroom and tell the kids about all my new experiences traveling the Unova region." I recalled my Pokémon and started my track towards Nacrene City. It is a journey of several days. But if I am lucky enough, I might be able to crash at one of the nearby settlements with a Pokémon center.
Chapter 10 – Familial Trouble
We decided to spend around a week training on route 3. Sunny day is not a move you can use inside city confines without special permission. Rena was pumped, still riding the high of her first major victory. Numsy on the other hand carried this forlorn look his loss against the Panpour still bothering him.
"Numsy it's okay bud you did well in in the gym match. You know water type moves are one of your few weaknesses."
"Our next gym battle is against Lenora, and she specializes in normal types like that Lillipup. I am confident you can sweep her entire team alone with some extra practice."
"Of course, I am not saying that just to cheer you up. Everyone has a weak spot you know I don't particularly enjoy being around ghost types, right? Your innate weakness would be water types. There are ways to mitigate that problem, but for now I want you to focus on what you do best."
Numsy still had to work on getting Lava plume down pat. The power wasn't quite there yet, and neither was its accuracy. Which is to be expected though shooting from his hump completely changed the aerodynamics of the move.
In the meantime, Rena was to practice Sunny Day. Now I had no idea how to train her to activate her hidden ability. I reckon mastering sunny day would help her know what to shoot for. Using a technical machine is simple. Each machine could only be used once, and their creation was a trade secret. Something involving leaving a psychic imprint or something. In any case a Pokémon learning the technicalities of the move did not translate into them gaining instant mastery. Rena knows how to use Sunny day, but her body doesn't. It could take a while for her body to catch up to her mind.
[ img ] https://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/5/59/TM_in_EToP.png [ /img]
The move involved using some form of fire-typed energy in a lens like matter increasing the intensity of the sun's ray in a smallish area. The lens could also be used to disperse rain clouds. A Pokémon that has truly mastered the move can also use it during nighttime by shooting up a miniature sun that briefly stays around for a while. Pokémon that can use the latter method are truly powerful though with a capital P. However, since night battling wasn't a thing, I wasn't too concerned getting her to that level. Maybe once she evolved, we could take our time training for that.
The trick is finding an empty spot to practice. Wild Pokémon do not appreciate getting flash banged on the regular. Eventually we found a quaint little place called Luxuria town on the outskirts of route 3. A local Pokémon battling club manager named Don George let us use their empty facilities when they weren't in use. In return we helped clean up during closing hours. The battling club was a novel idea cooked up by George's family. It helped locals find people outside of their social circles that are up for some battling. According to George their club has a facility in almost every major city or town in Unova.
I wasn't interested in signing up, the club specialized in catering to amateur trainers. No serious battlers participated in these battles because wagered battles aren't allowed in club confines. If I wasn't padding my meagre savings with wager battles, I was out training. Which left little time for recreational battling.
The days passed like that until both me and Rena were satisfied with the progress she made. She still isn't able to increase the intensity of the sun by just coming out of her poké ball but not making headway into our journey for over a week seemed wasteful to us. We packed up and left Luxuria town for Nacrene city.
Nacrene City isn't really city big like Striaton or Slateport. There are no skyscrapers sticking out every building has this quaint old-timey feeling to it. The houses are all refurbished warehouses my guess is this place used to be an industrial complex. Whatever filled these buildings before was replaced with coffee shops and art galleries.
Our first order of business was visiting the gym to make an appointment. By asking the locals a few pointed questions we were able to figure out where the gym/museum is located. Arriving there I was surprised at the sight of a disclaimer notice pasted on the the front entrance.
Please be advised that the Nacrene city Gym and subsequently The Nacrene Museum will be closed until further notice. This is due to the discovery of an important archeological digsite which will require the museum's staff full attention for the coming month(s). Trainers wishing to earn themselves a Basic Badge will be allowed to do so by acing the examination provided inside the Nacrene Pokémon center. This badge's validity will only last until the end of the year's circuit. After which the recipients of this badge are requested to schedule another match. P.S. the replacement badge is not valid for trainers attempting their 8th badge challenge this season.
'Arceus damn it! All this training for nothing? Screw taking a written test!' Normal trainers would see this as boon. You study some take a test and walk away with a free badge afterwards but I wasn't in it for the badges. A gym challenge payout is what is going to get me a new Xtransceiver letting me call home and be accessible to all my friends and family.
"It's okay bud Lenora thinks skipping out of town will let her skimp her duties as a gym leader, but I have a pretty good idea where she went. We'll just go where the gym leader is and challenge her on the spot. You'll have your time to show your flames of passion no sweat."
Now making it to Nacrene there was one other thing on my list of things to do before I went chasing after that wayward gym leader, and that was calling my little sister. She must be missing me a lot fortunately this time Horsea was there to keep her company. When accounting for the Hoenn time zone she should be about to get out of bed and since it was the weekend school shouldn't be open.
The Pokémon center was strangely empty which was good for me since there wasn't any line to use the video phone booths. Dialing the Lavaridge Pokémon center's number I quickly got on the phone with Mary Joy who told me to wait while she notified my sister next door.
'I look forwards to seeing how Zinnia has been doing this last week. Now that she has her own Pokémon there is no way she will be tempted to leave grandpa and grandma's home to live with our no show parents.'
Mary appeared on the screen again this time with a strange look in her eyes.
"Egon, Zinnia will be here in a minute. She says she has a surprise for you."
"Has her Horsea already learned a new move? She must have studied diligently under master Quagsire's tutelage."
Contrary to my expectations it was not a pleasant surprise. Staring me down was the only man in this world I could only hold contempt for. Yahto, Zinnia's bum dad. Next to him was my airhead mother I still gave her the obligatory I love you during the rare times she called us to make sure we were doing okay at her parents' house, but my heart wasn't really in it.
Having already lived a previous life with a mother who did stick around might have blocked some of that familial bonding. Her continued absence didn't give me much of an opportunity to build a loving relationship. Zinnia still loved her and that deadbeat fiercely though, so I made sure to never badmouth them while in her presence.
"Hi sweetie! It's been so long! How have you been enjoying your journey so far? Zinnia tells us that you are all the way over in the Unova region."
'Ugh… this is going to be dreadful.' "Hello mother, I've been doing fine, and even won my first badge last week."
"I knew you would! Didn't I tell you Yahto dear? My little boy is quite the trainer just like his mother. I earned seven badges my first journey. Ah But don't feel pressured to do the same sweetie I am happy with any number of badges you are able to win."
"Uhmm… yeah that's nice of you to say mother. May I ask why you and stepfather have decided to visit Zinnia?"
Zinnia took this opportunity to come forward and take a seat on her father's lap. Promptly addressing me afterwards.
"It's about what I told you about a while ago Egon. Dad says I am ready to join him and the tribe in the hidden village."
Lightning, fast I tried thinking of counter arguments and why she shouldn't go into the wilds with her absentee dad and his tribe of antediluvian primitives.
"What about schooling? You still have two years of primary education left to go."
"I'll be homeschooled by mom! The teacher says it's allowed as long as I occasionally show up to take their proficiency tests."
"What about horsea? He is still learning under master Quagsire correct? How do you expect him to grow stronger without expert tutelage?"
She was about to answer my question when her father suddenly butted into the conversation.
"That horsea while still not a full dragon is an appropriate partner for my daughter. Under the auspices of the tribe, it will grow stronger than it could learning under outsider caught Pokémon."
'This fucking guy… giving me even more reasons to dislike him. Don't dismiss other people's Pokémon just because they are not born inside your fancy village!'
This was it, I only had one final card to play. Usually, I would have compunctions about emotionally blackmailing my sister like this, but this was for the best. Her having anything to do with future dangerous events would leave my mind ill at ease.
"What about me? The tribe doesn't have any landlines. How can I make sure you're okay when I can't get in contact with you?"
The jerk face as usual didn't let Zinnia answer the question.
"Any outside influence is forbidden while she undergoes our trials! You will be able to talk to Zinnia again after she has reached majority."
My mother finally decided to intervene at this moment.
"Now Dear, Can't the lorekeeper make an exception for our little Zinnia? If Aster says it's allowed than there would be no reason my child can't keep a pokegear on her in times my sweet boy wants to talk to his sister."
"The answer is no Willow! Any form of modern technology has a chance to be tracked. We will not risk the secrets of our village." He started addressing Zinnia "Now say goodbye to your half-brother I will wait for you outside."
The man left the room giving me a chance to talk with mother and Zinnia by themselves.
Zinnia had tears in her eyes. While mother was sporting a troubled expression. It is obvious that she wants to go to the tribe and learn more about rasing dragontype pokemon. I also know that it will be painful for her not being able to talk with me for the following two years.
'If this is what she wants than I as her brother can only support her decision. Even if I think it will be dangerous. Maaan… being a good role model is such a pain sometimes.'
"Zinnia whatever you decide to do I'll have your back 100%. Besides I sort of know roughly where that village is located. The first thing I'll do when I get back to Hoenn is go looking for you."
The pressure on her visibly alleviated the tears in her eyes drying up. Mother however had a puzzled look on her face.
"Sweetie I never remembered telling you where to find the village...?"
"Process of elimination mother, in preparation for something like this happening I conducted my own research."
"Than you know how dangerous it can be venturing inside there on your own. One badge trainers like yourself are not ready for the dangerous species of wild Pokémon that make 'that place' their home."
"It's okay mother than we'll just have to grow strong enough. We were already planning to become the best, isn't that right?"
My Pokémon which were resting inside their poké balls simultaneously materialized on both sides of the booth showing their support for my resolve.
"My my, with such loyal friends looking after you my mind can be at ease. I'll let you have a moment alone with your sister. Egon I might not have been around as much as you would like but you do know I still love you right?"
She left to join her husband outside now it is just me and Zinnia. I still have a lot I need to tell her.
"Little sis' remember everything I told you about legendary Pokémon and ancient history? It would be best if you don't share that information with the rest of the family."
"Technically I should have no way of knowing those things. The villagers might not react well to a stranger like me walking around with some of their secrets, and mother might get accused of leaking information to outsiders."
"Okay Egon I'll keep your secrets."
"When I get back, I'll show you all the new friends we caught traveling through Unova."
"Now be good and brush your teeth two times a day. There should be a waterfall near the village. Climbing it will be an excellent way for Horsea to train his muscles. Also try to get a dragon scale off one of the villagers they should have plenty of those, I'll get you something else as a souvenir. I'll be back in Hoenn within 3 maybe 4 months if there is any kind of delay."
Exchanging our final goodbyes, the call ended. I was left feeling like there is a simmering fire in my gut. It filled me with the resolve to prove our strength. Looking at my team's faces I know they feel the same way. Just like me they viewed Zinnia as family and are not content by just leaving her to languish inside that village.
"We have to speed up our plans, it might be a little risky but if it works, we can shave off at least a month from our journey here."
They both give me a nod of acknowledgement. Over the years I have been sharing all my plans with these two. Even the fact that I was reborn in this world. I figured if you can't even trust your Pokémon with all your secrets who else is there? Being able to talk openly with them has relieved some of the pressure I was feeling about my familial situation.
"Okay guys let's get out of here Castelia City is waiting for us!"
To get to Castelia city from Nacrene we have to pass the Pinwheel Forest. A place famous for trainers getting lost. Rumors hold that the forest bears a grudge against humans for starting a fire that threatened the Pokémon in the Unova region. Basically, it is a place trainers should be careful not to spend too much time in. 'Virizion should still be living inside the forest.'
I didn't know how much influence a legendary grass type held over a forest as large as this but knowing the shared history the musekteers have with humans it would probably be better to have my stay be as short as possible.
Near the entrance of the forest a crowd was gathering. Confused I asked a random passerby what all the commotion is for.
"You don't know!? Elite Marshal is letting a newly caught member of his team take on the Challenger's rock."
"It's a place which naturally attracts fighting types. In the middle of the clearing up ahead there's this giant boulder. It is tradition in Unova for people with freshly caught fighting types to come here and have their Pokémon use its strongest move on the rock once. The piece that falls of is then kept as a memento."
I thanked the passerby and followed the crowds lead which eventually saw me staring down at this massive boulder. People respectfully kept at a distance to not disturb Marshall and his new Pokémon. Which revealed itself to be a Riolu. I immediately pulled out my Pokédex. 'Can't let a chance slip by to record the data of Sinnoh native Pokémon.'
Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. A Fighting type. Riolu can understand how people and Pokémon feel by observing a kind of wave called aura. It has a flexible body with enough power to cross three mountains and two canyons in one night. The pure of heart are met with Riolu's approval, while those of ill nature earn only its loathing.
Marshal reminded me of a character in a fighting game. The man was built like a brick wearing his black belt proudly around his waist. He is famously known as one of the few people who can safely spar man to Pokémon against fighting types, and not risk injury.
His Riolu was getting itself ready to leave a mark on the challenge rock. I recognized the stance it was using. 'Focus energy it must be getting pumped.' Numsy can also use focus energy, but I decided not to put as much effort into training the move it didn't mesh well with his fighting style.
Riolu gave an affirming battlecry to let Marshal know he was ready. Marshal turned around and addressed the gathering crowd and T.V. reporters.
"My name is Marshal. I am the No. 1 pupil of my mentor, Alder. In order to master the art of fighting, I've kept training. Today Riolu will take his first step on the long path that is the martial way."
Riolu punched the Challenge rock with its glowing aura infused paw. The sound created by its paw drowned out the spectating crowd for a brief moment. The Challenger Rock now had a new paw shaped hole in it not the largest to be sure, but it still spoke of the potential this Riolu has.
Riolu pulled it's paw back, and a clattering sound is made by the object that falls out of that cavity. The crowd upon seeing what the object is got back to being noisy. At first I was confused not seeing the value of the shiny piece of star shaped quartz until the T.V. reporter gave her viewers the skinny on this new development.
"There you have it folks! our Elite Marshal's newest team member is lucky enough to have found a star piece inside the Challenge rock. Now as not all the viewers might know the significance of this let me remind you folks that a single star piece can be worth up to a 100.000 pokédollars! The Challenge rock rarely yields such a lavish bounty but when it does happen it is seen as a sign of good luck."
'I am now sorely tempted to catch myself a fighting type. Maybe I can coerce Professor Juniper into giving me a tepig for a job well done documenting fire types on the way out of Unova?'
The crowd knowing that the show is over disperses. The local residents back into Nacrene city and the trainers on the circuit venture into Pinwheel Forest. I was about to do the same when I heard the voice of Marshal calling out for someone. I ignored it seeing as I wasn't the only trainer there until I received a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and see Elite Marshal giving me a scrutinizing look.
"Trainer, might I have a moment of your time?"
'Okay calm down Egon he doesn't know anything just keep it cool.'
"Elite Marshal? How can I help you sir?"
"You young man bear an uncanny resemblance to a person I greatly respect. Can you tell me the name of your father?"
"I've never met my father, Sorry sir, but my mother did tell me he is a great trainer."
'Good now to keep telling sort of truths.' I don't know if riolu are able to discern truths from lies based on a person's aura signature, but I figure its best not to risk it. The little bugger is staring me down while I am speaking to Marshal.
"Hmm… I see that's too bad what's your name youngster?"
"Egon from Lavaridge town."
"Lavaridge? I see… you are from Hoenn. Did you travel all the way to Unova to participate in our Vertress conference?"
"I was planning to, but Professor Juniper informed me there are age restrictions I didn't know about. Since I am not yet twelve years of age I can't legally participate. Me and my team are still having fun traveling the region though. Lots of Pokémon here that you can't see anywhere else."
"That's the spirit Egon! By meeting and battling many different trainers and Pokémon you broaden your horizons and find true inner strength. You never know one day you might even face me on the battlefield."
'This little guy is getting all excited by Marshal's passionate speech. This is perfect now it's time to slowly back out.'
"This is getting me all pumped up for my Castelia gym battle! It's been nice talking to you Elite Marshal sir, but we really want to make it out of Pinwheel before sundown."
Before he had any chance to react, I make a beeline towards the forest entrance.
Now if I had to make one observation regarding Pinwheel Forest it would be the amount of bug types that make this place their home. They are literally everywhere face any direction in the forest and its guaranteed that you see at least one bug type. I stuck to the path since there aren't any fire types that would make for good team members inside the forest. I did however record every bug type I came across on my Pokédex.
Yanma the Clear Wing Pokémon Its two big eyes can turn 360 degrees, observing the surroundings, in search of food. If it flaps its wings really fast, it can generate shock waves that will shatter windows in the area.
Surprisingly enough I could even spot a wild Yanma perched atop a tree. I wasn't expecting to come across a Johto native Pokémon like that. 'Maybe some irresponsible tourist released a couple inside the forest, and they've propagated since then?' In any case it is a nice change of pace being in a forest as wild as this. Lavaridge is surrounded by Mountains and rock deserts. The constant odour of sunbaked sediment is nostalgic, but it can't beat the scent of decaying wood and wild herbs.
Since trainers constantly got lost inside the forest the rangers and city council of Castelia city saw fit to pave a straight road for travelers to follow that led directly to Skyarrow Bridge. I kept Rena out as a deterrent for any wild Pokémon, but we haven't been bothered so far. Maybe the Pokémon recognized that travelers sticking to the path are just trying to get through? Whatever the case we made it out in good time it is approaching evening when we are finally met with the sight of the biggest bridge in all of Unova. The lower part of the bridge is built for vehicle traffic while suspended above the roadway is a pedestrian walkway. The night lights in the city just turned on, while the sun turned orange in the horizon it made for a stunning sight.
It was about 20 minutes walking from the beginning of the bridge to the end. The railings were used by flocks of ducklings and swanna to build their nests upon. The warning sign made it clear not to antagonize them unless you wanted to get doused in boiling water, courtesy of their scald attacks.
Numsy got out to accompany me for the final stretch while Rena languished inside her ball. The small camel Pokémon was as mesmerized as me watching the setting sun as we walked.
"This is it Castelia City. You ready to get our second badge Numsy?"
"Burgh uses bug types so it should be an easy match for you. Let's not get overconfident though. He might still have a trick up his designer sleeves."
Castelia city is one of the most unique places I've ever seen. The night life of the city was bustling. Streets filled with rows of people and their Pokémon. There are no stand-alone buildings as far as I can see it's all just massive apartment complexes. The city brochure was very informative as to why the Unovans decided to build Castelia this way. To preserve as many Pokémon habitats as possible the people in this part of the region decided to build upwards to create vertical living spaces. Getting a permit to build any other type of residential housing is impossible unless you can somehow convince the city council that your buildings are a net positive for nature.
I am tired but, because we are under time constraints, I fast tracked it to the Castelia gym to make an appointment. The gym was nestled between two high rise buildings. I walked inside past the automatic sliding doors. The inside was very tastefully decorated showing the gym leader's artistic background. The gym employee behind the counter was wearing some sort of new age style dress coat which I suspect has been spun making use of bug type silk string.
"Excuse me sir I'd like to schedule a gym battle."
"Fill out your personal details on this application form and leave it at the counter. We don't have any openings for the next two weeks. Does Tuesday work for you?"
"Two weeks!? Are there that many trainers challenging the gym this late in the circuit?"
"Gym leader Burgh went on one of his inspirational outings last week, and we kind of have to play catch up if you catch my drift. I can slot you in before lunchtime, and just between you and me our gym leader is not a morning person."
"No thank you! I'd like to schedule for the afternoon please."
After I left the gym, I realized I could use these next two weeks to catch a new member for my team. The closest target being more of a gamble than anything, but I figured he who dares wins. So, I made my way to the Pokémon center to see if I could buy a certain elusive item.
This late in the evening only a handful of trainers lounged in the Pokémon center lobby. Most trainer's ages ranged from 12-16 so it is long past their usual bedtime. That meant the computers are all available. I procured myself a machine and opened the site of a certain Unovan travel agency. The ticket will cost me an arm and a leg completely emptying out my gym winnings, but I figure it is worth it for a chance at meeting this vanishingly rare Pokémon. I clicked on buy and since I was inside a center the computer gave me the option to print my ticket on the spot. The printer in the corner came to life and made all too familiar whirring sound.
"Yes, this is it. A Liberty Pass."
Chapter 11 – Liberating a Friend
The following morning, I was woken up by an overly excited little camel. Numsy kept jumping on the bed excited at the prospect of meeting a new friend.
"Calm down Numsy. I am happy too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves breakfast first and some shower time for me."
The mention of food always tempered his excitement enough to get him to focus on what needed to be done at the moment. I prepared our breakfast for this morning, for Numsy the same berry blend the gym Pokémon got with added vitamin supplements. Mr. Moore's Camerupt eats the same thing scaled down of course because of the size difference.
Rena as well got the same as the Ninetales on Mr. Moore's team from what I could glean of his recipe his Ninetales receives a blend of dry tasting berries, calcium and carbos as added supplements and some type of mystery meat. I don't know what's it made of, but the package doesn't come labeled. Trainers probably didn't want to know where the meat they order comes from and I share that inclination be it slowpoke tails, veluza fillet or some other culinary horror. These Pokémon can shed their body parts and they regrow after a while, but I don't believe for a second that it didn't cause them some amount of discomfort.
Me copying the dietary plan for Mr. Moore's team was purely because Pokémon nutritional needs are still a mystery to me. I figured since Mr. Moore's elite level Pokémon perform well enough it would probably be the better option to just copy the man instead of making my own recipes. So far, I haven't gotten any complaints from my team yet.
The liberty pass resting on my desk caught my attention. I picked it up and read the lettering in order to confirm my departure time.
The holder of this liberty pass is expected to arrive at the liberty pier in the Castelia harbor at 8:00 in the morning. Beverages and snacks not included. Expected arrival date at the island 8:30 AM. Captain reserves the right to refuse entry aboard ship.
Still about an hour before I need to be there plenty of time to get our morning nuptials done. Living on the road didn't afford one many chances to take showers so whenever I arrive at a Pokémon center, I take the opportunity to get my personal hygiene in check. My Pokémon had no such problems, every time one of them felt dirty they could just give themselves a napalm bath the grime and bacteria burning up in the process.
I stepped inside the shower cabin and gave myself a good rinsing. I like to sing while I am at it usually some variation of a Pokémon theme song.
A new adventure another day. One more challenge that comes our way ♫.
"No this is me time Rena I am allowed to sing whatever I want! "
"That's because your taste in music is still underdeveloped! Numsy doesn't mind my singing at all."
"Fudge Fudge Fudge! We are so late!"
"What do you mean I shouldn't have taken that shower? Do you really want to spend the rest of the day outside your poké ball with me smelling like a hobo?"
Thanks to extenuating circumstances outside of my control we are at risk of missing the departure time.' I blame Rena's slow eating habits, put out a food bowl for Numsy and like a vacuum wave in mere seconds he is finished eating.' Numsy is still inside his ball unlike Rena his stubby legs make him slower than my own running speed. I weaved through the morning city crowds on the way to our destination.
Luckily, I had the foresight to stay at the Pokémon center nearest to the docks. Liberty pier already in sight, me and Rena take our speed up a notch. We make it to the docks and see a man presumably the captain preparing to cast off loosening the ropes that tether the ship to the dock.
"Wait wait! Please let us on Captain!"
The man looked up and gave us an annoyed expression. Clearly not amused by our punctuality.
"Young whippersnapper you were this close to losing your spot on the boat. Now quickly show me your ticket all the other passengers that made it on time are waiting for you."
Showing my liberty pass to the captain he gave me a begrudging nod before tearing out the bottom half of the ticket and returning the remains to me.
"This ticket makes you eligible for a one day stay at Liberty Garden when asked you need to be able to produce said ticket to confirm your identity. At sundown we'll sail back towards Castelia so make sure to be on time or we'll be sailing without you. Once on the island there are few rules that must be followed."
He gave me a small brochure detailing the rules that must be followed during our stay on the island.
No littering.No Pokémon battles on the island.Guests are not allowed near or inside the central light house.Always keep your liberty pass on you while on the island.
Breaking the aforementioned rules is grounds for permanent expulsion from the island and a fine upwards of 20.000 poké dollars.
'Sheesh maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.' I hoped guests would be allowed inside the tower, but I guess we have to do things the hard way. If someone did discover the Victini living on the island by accident rule 2 made sure people couldn't take it away forcefully. In any case I wasn't planning on doing that. Just the prospect of meeting a mythical fire type Pokémon was already enough to make this trip worth it.
Finding a seat was pretty easy the only other passengers today were an old couple and a particularly haggard looking treasure seeker who is convinced that there must be some sort of treasure buried on the island's coastline. He came equipped with a dowsing rod and a metal detector.
"We are casting off people!"
The ship's engine started revving up. We left Castelia's docks and headed for Liberty Garden. The captain now also doubling as a tour guide started a riveting story about the island's history.
The island's owners are one of the few noble families around with still living members. The monarchy and nobles used to hold all the power in the region until about a 100 years ago. A civil war broke out and the nobles lost. The remaining members had to sign away most of their privileges and power. This island being one of their last hold overs from the previous era. This is to change in about 7-8 years, the island is set to become communal property when the concession from the old agreement expires. The family was only to hold the rights to the island for one hundred years after the war.
Its weird considering the possibility for wars to happen in this world. Modern weaponry is a thing, but not widely in use. Bringing the right Pokémon with you will end a gunfight real quick, and people don't really have the reflexes to deal with Pokémon even with modern weapons. Not to mention some species are straight up immune to most form of artillery. Ghost types can phase through, and steel types can take hits from shelling all day long.
From my history lessons I know Hoenn hasn't been involved in wars for ages. Our island nation is too isolated from the rest of the world for it to matter in global politicking. Kanto and Jhoto have a long and bloody history with each other until they finally decided to unite and form a shared government.
Caught up in my own thoughts and the stories shared by the captain I didn't notice the passing of time overly much until finally the island came into view.
The island is beautiful to be sure, well-kept gardens framed an imposing light house. Small wharfs with paddleboats for people who wanted to enjoy the ocean. The perfect place for a family picknick. I wasn't here for any of that though. The ship docked on the island's port the passengers now free to roam the island for about eight hours until we were expected back.
The old couple left carrying with them a basket probably filled with goodies for a romantic luncheon. The guy with the with the metal detector left for the west coast shore. And the captain left to attend his other job as the island's sole custodian.
Me and my team left for the light house, but instead of walking towards the locked-up front entrance we circled around until I got the confirmation from Numsy notifying me that this place was a prime digging spot. Ground types have this feel for the earth other types don't have, Numsy can feel if the ground beneath him was laden with wiring or pipes. The spot he picked for us devoid of those obstacles. After all we are here to meet Victini not to demolish the noble's light house.
We got to work Numsy is responsible for digging the tunnel that leads to the basement of this place while Rena is on lookout duty. Using hypnosis in case we got caught by a passerby and had to high tail it out. My job is to make sure the tunnel is structurally sound testing it for weak spots. We hole had to be filled back in eventually, but it would suck if the tunnel collapsed while we were still inside.
'Thank you master Quagsire for teaching Numsy how to expertly use dig.' The master's lessons really came through for us. The basement should only be one story deep. That's nothing for a ground type like Numsy, and my theory came true as after only 10 minutes Numsy struck a stone tile with his head.
"Numsy move over I'll get that stone tile out of the way, and by the way great job digging this tunnel buddy. Can you camouflage the back entrance a bit and call Rena over?"
What I often forget while trying to do physical labor is that my body is only ten years old. This stone tile is approximately thirty kilograms (66 pounds) while that's hardly anything for a grown adult I had to exert much pressure to lift it overhead. The people of this world are way hardier than my old one, but they weren't any stronger.
"It's okay you guys don't have hands I'll take care of this. Ooof!" I managed to move the tile out of the way at the cost of a possible muscle tear.
'That's going to hurt in the morning.' "We made it! Now to start looking."
The Basement was decorated and furnished with a small sized bed in the corner. Toys and boardgames littered the ground and the bookcases are filled with children's books. After a quick inspection we come to the conclusion that Victini is currently not here.
"Well going upstairs is out. Let's just enjoy ourselves until it's time to go back. Some of these games are super old school and nostalgic."
There's this game that I used to play with my sister called Who is that Pokémon? It's basically Guess who? But instead of using people the game revolves around guessing which mystery Pokémon your opponent has picked. It even came with a helpful booklet with common characteristics so when playing against Pokémon your opponent only has to tap a paw to make clear which question they would have asked. Me and Zinnia played the Hoenn edition of course this game is the Unova edition.
"Your Pokémon is a fire type?"
Rena gave me a headshake.
When it was her turn to ask a question, she tapped on the booklet.
"The same type of question? Yes, mine is a water type."
Rena got to pawing down all the pictures on her board that aren't water types. Leaving only 16 possible Pokémon left.
Rena is the smartest in my admittedly small team of two. Asking for the water type is a clever strategy since they are the most numerous of all the types in each region.
Our exchange went on for a while until she finally hit the nail on the head.
She pawed a certain picture.
"You are asking me if my Pokémon is ducklett?"
"You got me Rena let's play another game I am not very good at this one."
Zinnia always wins against me when we are playing this game. 'Something about my facial expressions being very obvious?' Anyway, I am an expert at Jenga or Timburr's tower as they call it here. The pieces resembling the logs their species are inclined to carry around. Naturally I hold the distinct advantage of being born with opposable thumbs. So, to make it fair Rena and Numsy teamed up against me and for every one turn of theirs I had to take out two hardwood blocks.
"Aaand… that's two. It's your turn now my wayward compatriots there is no chance of you defeating me I am an expert at this game!"
They huddled up together and eventually decided on pulling one of two last bottom blocks holding the tower together. 'Foolish you've sealed your own demise.' Their paws and hooves being inadequate for the job Numsy was picked to remove this block with his mouth the extra molars of my herbivore Pokémon providing a more secure grip.
"Draw your last pathetic block so I can end this Numsy. it's over Numsy you were never a match for me!"
Numsy succeeded in pulling out the loadbearing block in the middle which should theoretically collapse the tower. However, miraculously the tower was still standing up on only a single corner piece.
'Exodia!? No wait.' "This goes against the natural laws of physics. Rena, are you using some sort of psychic type move?"
Baffled Rena also gives me a confused yip. "Pix…?"
Right there sitting on top of a bookshelf in the corner was the mythical Pokémon Victini laughing it up. Clearly it was messing with our game using confusion to hold the tower up. Impressed but similarly miffed for being cheated out of a win I didn't know how to react.
My team however was ecstatic. Victini helping them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat is just icing on the cake.
My Pokémon crowded the bookshelf Victini was sitting on trying to get closer to the rabbit-like Pokémon. It was at that moment Victini showed a side of itself I wasn't expecting. The tiny Pokémon disappeared, but this time I wasn't fooled. My theory is that Victini was capable of refracting light becoming invisible in the process. My Pokémon must have scared Victini with their enthusiasm.
"Now calm down you two. Sure, it's not every day you meet such a cool and amazing Pokémon, it must be feeling very shy so mind your manners. Now say sorry."
Whatever I said must have done the trick because Victini reappeared on top of the bookshelf. This time sporting a curious look.
"Of course, you are the mythical Pokémon Victini said to bring victory to those that have you by their side."
"Yep, the name's Egon from Lavaridge town Nice to meet you Victini. These are my partners Rena the vulpix and Numsy the numel."
'This is my once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about mythical Pokémon.' Not many could boast of such an opportunity. I decided to proceed with caution and eloquence.
"I really came down here to learn more about you. As a trainer that specializes in fire types I figured I could learn a lot from a Pokémon that's been around as long as you have. Don't worry I'll keep your existence a secret if you want me to."
My last sentence calmed Victini down her facial expression relaxing for a spell. The rabbit-like Pokémon floated up and proceeded to open up a toy chest pulling out one of the boardgames.
"I never have enough beings to play with could you…?"
We were playing some sort of variation of Operation the game when Victini finally decided to open up and answer some of my long-standing questions. Yes, she is a girl. 'Mythological Pokémon have genders too who knew?' The owner of the island's grandfather first hatched her out of an egg around 97 years ago because the civil war was raging on at the time the grandfather decided that the existence of Victini was best kept a secret. At the time they were looking for any trainers with powerful Pokémon to be drafted for the noble faction and her old partner didn't want that for her. Of course, that didn't prevent him from getting drafted he was a noble after all, so he had a duty to his contemporaries. The grandfather decided that this island being of minimal strategic importance to both factions was the ideal place for hiding her. Sadly, he didn't survive the war, but he acted with such valor on the battlefield that he garnered much respect from both factions which allowed his family to hold onto the island even after the noble's defeat. Since then, his son and grandson routinely visited her to keep Victini company in her hideout.
'The loss of her first trainer must have traumatized her into developing some form of agoraphobia (fear of the outside).' No regular human or Pokémon could stand hiding away for so long without regular company.
"So, Where's your trainer's grandson now? Does he still come by to visit you from time to time?"
"Not anymore, the last time he came to visit he told me to go out into the world and look for new friends. That this will be the last time he comes to visit me."
Tears started forming in Victini's eyes. Pulling on all our heartstrings. Making a fire type Pokémon cry is extremely hard only a profound sense of loss is able to draw tears out of Pokémon that are fundamentally incapable of producing water.
My team and I instantly moved over to Victini's side showering her with affection and well wishes. While at the same time decrying the actions of the human that did this to her.
I didn't feel any type of animosity towards the grandson. 'He must be getting too old to keep seeing Victini and didn't want to burden her spirit with his oncoming passing.' That man must be at least 90 years old by now since he was around during events after the unfolding of the war. Observing Victini's countenance she must have realized this as well. Legendary psychic-types are not known for their dim-wittedness after all.
"But it's okay now you can be my friends and come visit me. We'll play games, stay up past our bedtime and eat unhealthy snacks."
"Hmmm that sounds great Victini, but we still have our ambition. I also need to save my sister and her tribe from government overreach."
"It's kind of a long story…"
So, I spent the next thirty minutes regaling her with the story of my life. Attempting to lie or obfuscate the truth seemed foolhardy in the face of this mythical psychic type Pokémon.
"After my passing I woke up inside a hospital being patted down by a chansey who I am still friends with…"
"So, my new mother eloped again and got preg… ehm sorry made an egg together with this guy obsessed with dragon type Pokémon…"
"My new sister is the cutest her name is Zinnia here do you want to look at some of her baby pictures?"
"Since our parents left us to stay with the tribe, I decided to take care of all her needs…"
"So, now our mother and her wayward father finally decide to show up and take her to the tribe which is set to be raided by Devon corporation goons and league associates in a foolish bid to gain control of the Legendary dragon-type Pokémon. If what I remember from my previous life is correct."
"I see… so you have to leave."
Her ears droop down and those big blue eyes that radiated hope started to dim again. Looking at those droopy rabbit-like ears I can't help but start to feel sorry for it. Having to endure loneliness all this time just because she was afraid to leave the island. Numsy and Rena are giving me this chastising look as if it's my fault that she has no one to keep her company.
"How about you come with us for a while? The world outside has mellowed out a lot since then it's not as dangerous as it used to be. We'll have a blast every day, and you can cheer us on from the sidelines while we earn our gym badges."
Victini seemed conflicted she desperately wanted to keep our company, but at the same time her fear of the outside world crippled her resolve.
"Numsy Rena hold her down and give her the tickle treatment don't stop until she agrees!"
Before she could fly away my Pokémon were already on her giving those sensitive looking ears a tongue bath. Her bewilderment and surprise breaking our shared mental connection.
"Yes, good… my minions don't let up until she takes her place by our side."
Victini raises her front paws to signal her submission. Conveying to me that it was time to hash over the details of our joint venture. Before all that though I still needed to reward my subordinates for a job well done. I ruffle inside my bag until I find what I am looking for my grandma's special edition Lava cookies baked in the shape of the heat badge from our very own Lavaridge gym. I only pull these out during special occasions but this they have more than earned them. Giving them each a Lava cookie, and one extra for Victini because I don't play favorites.
"This is my hometown's special edition Lava cookie Victini go ahead and try some."
While the rest of my Pokémon are enjoying their bounty in a rapid pace. Victini nibbled on the edges of her cookie while we were having a conversation.
"Now obviously its going to be a hassle to have you out in the open with us. People can and will try to capture or use you for their own purposes. Can you stay invisible during our trip back towards Castelia? These is someone I trust that is more knowledgeable about what we should do to keep you out of the public eye."
I could tell she was only paying half attention Lava cookies tended to have this effect on Pokémon that are trying them for the first time. Seeing her cutely nibbling away I had a strong urge to pat Victini on her head. Which I promptly followed up on.
"Sorry you looked adorable like that. Those ears are warmer than I thought you really are a fire-type Pokémon."
"All aboard! We are going back to Castelia City."
After finishing things up with Victini we left back the way we came. It took a while to fill the hole back up with all the dirt we displaced while tunneling. Victini helped us out with her confusion putting the stone tile back into its proper place. I also left a note inside the basement in case the elderly grandson came back to check up on her. Informing him that Victini is doing well and is going on her own adventure.
Victini explained to me that refracting light does tire her out if she keeps it up long enough. So, I made some extra space in my backpack in case she needs to rest up. The unknown megastone, Rena's tiara, my stash of Lava cookies, the safety goggles I got as a gift, cleanse tag and ragecandybars couldn't be replaced. So, I had to do away with the suntan lotion and flashlight. It was one of those older models that couldn't keep a charge for long anyways.
"Now if you look to our left you can spot Virbank City streetlamps lighting up in the distance. The industrial heart of the Unova region. If you are looking to catch poison type for your team there is no better place to do so than in Virbank complex. That is where they separate crude oil into its various useful components. Making it a home for poison types you can't find anywhere else in the region."
That last part of his speech is meant for me. Since I was the only trainer on board. I appreciated the captain's sage advice even though I probably wouldn't ever use it.
The boat sped along the dark waters until we could see Castelia City in the distance. Also alight with neon signs and streetlamps it made for a wonderous sight. "See the outside world can be beautiful." The other passengers looked at me like I was a weirdo talking to myself they didn't see the invisible Victini holding on to the railing also taking in the sight of the luminous city.
After the ship made port at Liberty Pier, we made off towards the Pokémon center. Before anything else I still had to make an important phone call towards a certain professor. As my official sponsor he has a confidentially agreement with me regarding any and all new discoveries I make in the field. Technically Victini could be considered as such and if it was just the written agreement, I wouldn't have trusted him keeping the secret. However, he seemed like a stand-up guy whom you could trust with secrets especially since I haven't been outed yet in regard to being Alder's grandson.
The Pokémon center was still bustling so I requested a private booth. Victini snuck inside my backpack and closed the zipper up from the inside. She was anxious being around all these unfamiliar people and Pokémon. 'I should ask the professor if he can hire a professional to help her deal with all the mental traumas.' After ten minutes of waiting the private videophone booth opened up and I made my way inside with Victini Numsy and Rena being out their balls for additional emotional support.
I dialed up the professor's number and waited for the call to come through. Eventually the Professor's face appeared on screen.
"Egon, what has you calling so late? My office hours are almost over."
"Good evening professor, if it wasn't for an important reason, I would be sure to call at a more opportune time. I recently came across someone special whom I would like to introduce you to."
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