章節 5: Journey Preparations
The next day, Max was being awakened by Scarlet shaking him.
[Max. Master Max, wake up.]
Max finally opened his eyes to see Scarlet lying on the bed beside him with a bit of an annoyed face.
"Al-Alright, alright. I'm awake." Max responded, still half asleep.
[About time. I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes.] She said with a not-so-pleased tone.
"…What's the rush?" Max asked while rubbing his eyes.
[Nothing. It's just that it's almost noon.] She said while pointing at the window.
"…What?! Already?... Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"
[Well, you look really cute when you're asleep and I didn't want to disturb you. I'm sure you wanted to sleep as much as possible, right?]
"…True."
[But I'm starting to get hungry. And I bet that Bonny is hungry too.] Scarlet commented while sitting up on the edge of the bed.
"Sorry about that. Speaking of which, I haven't let her out of the pokeball since she joined us." Max pointed out while sitting up as well on the edge of the bed.
Max didn't know why but he felt a bit sore, but it probably was nothing to worry about. Scarlet's eyes started to glow and with a wave of her hand, Max's pants floated out of the bathroom and onto his lap. He wanted to stand up to put them on, but as soon as he was on his feet...
"Whoa!" He exclaimed, his legs going limp and almost falling to the floor.
[Hihi. I think I might have overdone it yesterday.] She said, giggling.
"You tell me. The last thing I remember is that I was trapped under you." Max chuckled a bit while trying again to put his pants on.
[Well, I think next time I'll lower the power to 10%.]
"10%? How much were you using last night?"
[20%.]
"Damn! I wonder what 100% would feel like."
[I suggest to never try it.] She said with a worried voice.
"Why?"
[Your body won't be able to support that much intensity and it will probably result in a total system failure, which will lead to...]
"…Ooooh. Okay, I get it, 100% is off-limits, then." He remarked while taking the pokeball inside his pants pocket and sat back on the bed.
[Yeah, no 100%.] Scarlet agreed profusely as she moved next to him.
"Alright, Bonny, come out," Max said while pointing the pokeball in front of him.
The pokeball opened with a flash and let out his buneary that materialized back to the real world.
"Bun?" She asked.
"Are you hungry, Bonny?"
"Bunea, bunea!" She happily said.
"I think it's a yes."
[You already speak Buneary now?] Scarlet mockingly questioned.
"Yup. Didn't I tell you? I took a class last night. That's probably why I awoke a bit sore this morning." He responded sarcastically while Bonny jumped onto his lap and snuggled.
[Makes sense.] Scarlet responded, playing along.
"Hehe. But seriously, I have to do something about the fact that I can't understand what she is saying. And it looks like she can now understand me. Weird." He said while petting Bonny's head.
Scarlet thought for a bit before speaking again.
[I think I have an idea.] She announced with a smile.
"Really? What is it?"
[I'll show you in time.] She said before kissing him.
*sigh* "Well, let's go eat, then. Bonny, return."
"Bunea!" She exclaimed in denial while hugging him tightly.
Max then looked at Scarlet with a perplexed face.
[I guess she doesn't want to go back in the pokeball for now.]
Max then looked back at Bonny who was nuzzling him.
"Heh, you sure are affectionate, too. Very well. No pokeball, then." Max conceded as he got up with Bonny in his arms, followed by Scarlet.
They then left the room and made their way to the receptionist to return the key.
"Here's the key for our room." He said while handing her the key.
"Thanks. Hope you enjoyed your stay." She replied with a smile.
"Yeah, we did." He said, turning to look at Scarlet.
[We enjoyed it a lot.] Scarlet told him with a grin.
"Oooh, what a cute little buneary you have there!" The receptionist squealed when she laid eyes on the rabbit pokemon.
"Haha, she sure is adorable, wouldn't you agree?" Max chuckled while petting Bonny's head, leaning into his soft rubs with a smile.
"Mhmm. Makes me wish to have one of my own. But, oh well... Oh, and before you leave; I've been informed by the people next to your room that they heard loud noises. Was everything okay?"
"...Y-Yeah, don't worry. This gardevoir over here is quite, umm… she has quite the personality, you know, and she sometimes starts getting mad for no reason." Max lied, trying to not sound nervous.
"Oh. Okay. Sorry, that happens to you. But please next time, try to calm her down." She politely requested.
[Sure, go ahead. Make me the bad one.] Scarlet pouted.
"Will do. Don't worry, it won't happen again." He replied, looking at Scarlet again, who had an unamused face.
"Glad to hear. Have a nice day, sir." She said with a smile.
"Thanks," Max said as both of them left the hotel. (Phew. Damn. It's a good thing they didn't specify to hear the loud sounds.)
Once outside, they took a direction to walk and Max noticed that Scarlet was sulking.
"What's wrong?"
[Oh, nothing. After all, I'm just the one with quite the 'personality'.] Scarlet again pouted.
"Naah, really?"
She didn't respond as she crossed her arms and looked away.
*sigh* "Tell me, Scarlet, would you have preferred that I told her that I was being raped last night?"
"Bunea?" Bonny asked.
"Gardevoir," Scarlet responded to the buneary.
[It's not rape if you consent.]
"I barely had a chance to," Max said, half-serious.
[Yeah, sure. You enjoyed it as much as me.] She retorted while sticking to him.
"Meh, there's no need for me to hide stuff from a psychic pokemon," Max admitted in defeat.
[I don't need my psychic powers to know that.]
"So you're not mad anymore?"
[…Oh yeah.] She let go of his arm and went back to sulk at him.
Max sighed while facepalming.
"You're lucky that I love you."
[You love me?!] She looked at him with a happy face.
"Of course I do. Wasn't it obvious by now?" Max inquired a bit confused.
[Well, yeah. But I think it's the first time I've heard you say it. It's kind of... very pleasant.] She said with a warm smile. [But I'm still mad at you.] She remarked before going back to her previous sulking face, arms crossed and eyes closed.
Max then saw she was peeking at him with one eye and that she was also about to grin. He then finally understands that she was just teasing him and wanted to make him feel guilty.
"Fine, I'm sorry." He conceded while rolling his eyes. "I'll be the bad guy next time." He added, defeated.
She then stopped sulking and grabbed his arm again, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Happy now?"
[I always am when I make you do what I want.] She admitted with a mischievous grin.
Max sighed and shook his head in discouragement.
"Anyway, the fact is that I don't want people to know that we… do stuff."
[Very naughty and fun stuff.] She corrected with a lustful voice.
"Hehe, yeah. Pokephilia it's not technically illegal here but it's something very taboo, so it's not something that happens often and it's even less heard of. Most people still see you as dumb and feral creatures. So engaging in pokephilia acts tends to disgust even the most open-minded person."
[Gha! I still don't understand why humans are so judgmental. Who cares as long as everyone is happy!] Scarlet commented angrily.
"I don't know, either. I guess they have nothing better to do with their lives so they belittle others that aren't like them. Humans are mostly egocentric and often believe that the world revolves around them." Max explained sadly.
[That's so stupid.] Scarlet whined.
"It really is. And it's bad enough that some are convinced that their way of thinking is the only one that is right, so trying to make them understand that they may be wrong is nearly impossible. After all, most people only care for themselves."
[I'm very, very happy that you're not like them.] Scarlet expressed while nuzzling Max's shoulder.
"Well, I can't say that I care much about others."
[You have your reasons so I don't see the problem there.]
"But I sound a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"
[You don't care about those who don't care about you. So, not really.]
"Hmm, fair enough. But I do care about those who deserve it, like you."
[Awww! How sweet of you.] Scarlet replied half-jokingly while giggling.
"Well, you're a nice little gardevoir, and I didn't see any reason to not help you."
(…For you, at least I'm trying my best for it.)
After thinking that, Scarlet's happy face seems to have melted into a frown.
"You alright?" Max asked, concerned.
[Y-Yeah, don't worry. Let's just find that place to eat, shall we?] She answered before forcing back a smile.
Max was a bit worried for his friend but thought that she probably just remembered something unpleasant, so he decided not to push it.
"I don't really know this place, so I guess we will have to do a little bit of scouting." He pointed out, changing the subject.
They then walked a bit through the city. For a while, Scarlet was quite silent, still hugging his arm while floating until they finally found what they were looking for. It was a small restaurant but it looked to be pokemon-friendly. Max saw through the front windows some pokemon eating with their trainers.
"How about here? It looks nice."
[Yeah. This place looks good enough.] Scarlet replied with her radiant face back again.
"If even pokemon can eat here, that must mean they have a food menu for pokemon."
[You sure about that, Captain Obvious?]
"Yeah. I can bet you my underwear on that."
[Tsk, how I wish that you were wrong.] She said with a perverted face.
Rolling his eyes, Max then opens the door with his only available hand to let Scarlet pass in first. When the three were inside, Max was glad to see that there weren't many customers, but a couple of them went silent when they took notice of the red gardevoir. Again, it made her uncomfortable, and got closer to Max.
"They will eventually get used to you. People lose interest in new things pretty fast." Max reassured.
[As long as I'm with you, I don't mind anything else. I just can't wait to get back on track, out of a human-filled place.]
"Well, maybe we should start thinking about what we should do while eating, then."
[Whatever you decide, I will always follow and help you.] She sincerely said.
"Thanks, Scarlet. I really appreciate it."
"Bun!" Bonny said, wanting attention too.
"You too will be there to help me, Bonny?"
"Buneary!"
"Glad you're here too, girl." Max encouraged her while petting her head, which made her smile in glee.
Max then eyed around for an empty place, preferably the most isolated one for Scarlet. Max then found one, which had comfortable seats, which was nice.
"Over there," Max announced to Scarlet, pointing at it.
They then proceed to the empty table. Scarlet takes a seat first to be the closest one to the wall. Max didn't have a chance to choose where to sit because Scarlet just pulled him right next to her. Max then put his buneary on the table, the chair not high enough for her. A few moments later, a waitress came to their table.
"Good morning, sir. Here's the menu. You can find the food listings for your pokemon in the second half of it." She politely greeted them while handing him a menu book.
"Alright. Thanks." He responded in kind.
He then opens it and goes right to the pokemon section.
"Wow... that's quite a lot," Max exclaimed, surprised that the pages were more filled than expected.
There were dishes for all types of pokemon; from fire to ground types, to poison and ice.
"Okay, let's see..." Max muttered while eyeing the menu.
He then goes to the psychic type category.
"Uhh…" Max said, a bit perplexed.
A minute or two later, Scarlet began to get impatient.
[You don't know what's on the menu, do you?] She suspected with an annoyed face.
"I do know. It's just that…"
Scarlet then stared at him with skeptical eyes.
"Alright, fine, I don't know what a Berry Fairy is nor a Nirn Concassé. Happy?" Max replied, feeling a bit frustrated.
[Why can't I have human food? I'll take what you take.]
"I don't know. I'm not really sure what your system can tolerate. I have limited knowledge about pokemon but what I do know is that some food components can be toxic for pokemon."
"Bunea! Bunea!" Bonny growled, getting impatient as well.
"Don't worry, Bonny. You'll get to eat soon. Just wait a bit, okay?" Max reassured while petting the buneary's head.
"Buun." Bonny agreed while sighing a bit.
The waitress heard their little discussion, immediately walking to them.
"Is everything ok?" She asked.
"Not really. I don't know what to order for my little fellows here."
"I'm guessing that you're beginning your journey as a pokemon trainer and it's your first time in a human/pokemon restaurant, isn't it?"
"I'm not a trainer, but yes, it's my first time in a place like this. I have no idea what kind of food is on the menu and what their diets are."
"Let me assist you, then." The waitress offered kindly.
"Thank you."
"First, a buneary's diet mainly consists of fruits and vegetables. But being quite a muscular pokemon alongside their evolution, the lopunny, they also include in it proteins that they get from nuts and special kinds of fruits. I recommend you the Nuts Forest, a walnut salad. They really love it."
"Okay, let's go for that." Max chose, petting Bonny's head again, which made her smile happily.
"Noted. For a psychic type such as a gardevoir, they have a diet a bit different than any other type. They poorly digest high caloric and iron-based food. They normally go with fruits and other food sources very rich in Omega-9, which is essential for them. They also add low protein-based food in their diet."
"Wow. So I guess it's two times complicated for you with being a girl and a psychic." Max teased while looking at Scarlet.
[Happy to be an even bigger burden for you.] She retorted with an innocent grin.
"So for her, I would recommend the Ocha Berry Soufflé. Since she is also a fairy type, she will love the low-sugar syrup topping."
"Sounds delicious. What do you say, Scarlet?"
Scarlet then nodded without looking at the waitress.
"She'll take that, please."
"Alright..." She replied while writing on her notepad. "And what about you, dear?"
Max didn't know why but he felt again that small feeling of jealousy, and also frustration, inside him when the word 'dear' was mentioned.
"Oh right. I forgot about myself. Hehe." He said a bit embarrassed after he decided to ignore the feeling.
"We have pizzas if you want. The oldest young boy's lover."
"Sure, why not?" Max agreed.
"Very well. What kind would you like?"
"Let's go simple. An all-dressed, please."
"Good. Your orders shouldn't take long. Be back soon." She commented with a smile before leaving.
"Heard that, little one? Your dish will be here soon." Max assured while scratching Bonny's furry cheeks.
"Buneary!" She happily said.
Max then turned his head to Scarlet.
"Hope it will be delicious."
Scarlet didn't respond but gave out a grumble.
*sigh* "What is it now, Scarlet?"
[Oh nothing, dear.] She remarked in a very annoyed manner.
"Really now? You're gonna get mad just because she said 'dear' to me?"
[Yeah. You're not her dear. You're my dear.]
"She is just doing her job. Customers won't come back if the employees, whether they're male or female, are not being nice or borderline rude to them."
[But she could just have called you mister or sir as she did earlier. Or just don't call you by anything at all.] She crossed her arms in anger, having made her point.
"Come on now, my love." Max softly assured her while pulling Scarlet close to him, to which she didn't resist. "It's just a formality in human society. There's nothing personal in those words, especially in this kind of place."
Max then put his free hand on Scarlet's thigh and rubbed it softly.
"I know I'm yours and will always be. So can you ignore that and let it pass, please?" Max asked with a semi-seductive voice while moving his hand higher and slowly, getting close to her waist.
[…A-Alright. But it better not happen too often.] She complied, calming down a bit.
"Thanks, my little angel," Max said before strongly hugging her.
[And you better make my patience worth it.] She added while putting her hand on his inner thigh, dangerously close to his manhood.
"W-Will do. Don't you worry," He nervously said while looking around, making sure no one was observing them.
After withdrawing her hand with a warm smile, she, Bonny, and Max patiently waited for their meals. Meanwhile, the three decided to play a little speed and reflexes hand game. After several rounds, all won by Scarlet, their dishes finally showed up.
"Thank you for your patience." The waitress said, transporting three plates. "The walnut salad for you..." She started while handing a plate with various fruits and vegetables topped with walnuts to Bonny. "...the soufflé for you..." She continued with a bread-looking meal with syrup across it and handing it to Scarlet. "...and last but not least, the pizza for you." She concluded with a medium-sized pizza for Max.
"Thanks." Max gave his gratitude.
"You're welcome. Have a good meal." She wished with a smile before leaving them again. And at the same time, an impatient Bonny started to devour her food like a maniac.
"Hahaha, she sure was feeling hungry," Max commented with a smile.
[She sure seems to be enjoying it.] Scarlet giggled.
"Slow down, Bonny. You'll end up getting a tummy-ache." He warned, getting her to slow down and then gives a light scratch under her chin with his finger, making Bonny giggle. "Well, let's see if the food is really that good."
With the gardevoir nodding, they both started eating.
[...It is really good.] Scarlet expressed after taking the first bite.
"Agreed. Mmm, it's been a while since I ate something this delicious."
For the next few minutes, all three of them finished their plates in silence.
"Ouff. I'm stuffed. Maybe I should have asked for a smaller portion. I can almost feel my stomach stretching my belly."
[I don't know how you stored all of that within you. I can't imagine myself eating that amount.]
"For the limits of a gardevoir, it sure looked like an overwhelming amount of food. I envy you right now since your portion was quite small."
[Hihi, true. But even if it was otherwise, have you ever seen my waist?]
"Yup. And what's below it, too."
[Pervert.] Scarlet accused with a seductive look.
"Bunea!"
"I think Bonny's portion was the perfect amount. Did you eat well?" Max asked while scratching Bonny's head.
"Buneary." She nodded happily.
A moment later, the waitress came back.
"Was everything enjoyable?" She asked while grabbing everyone's plates.
"Yes, thank you," Max responded politely.
"Glad you liked it. I'll be back with the bill."
"Alright."
A moment after she left, Max noticed that Scarlet had her head down. He wanted to ask what was the matter but the waitress was already back with the bill.
"There you go. You can pay at the counter whenever you want. Hope to see you again." She said with a smile before leaving again.
"Okay. Thanks."
Max then returned his attention to Scarlet.
"Is something wrong, Scarlet?" Max asked, worried.
[It's nothing.] She replied a little bit angrily.
"You sure?"
[Yes, I'm fine!] She replied again but a bit louder this time, which confused him.
Max then decided to look around. At first, he didn't take notice because they were busy eating, but the number of people in the restaurant had increased since they came in. Max immediately guessed that the overcrowded place was making her uncomfortable. Max was about to reassure her when he saw a flash. Turning around, Max saw some teens that he failed to notice earlier taking pictures of Scarlet with their cellphones. He was about to stand up and protest, but before he had the chance of even speaking up, the cellphones of the teens were inexplicably crushed instantly into very small pieces of scrap junk. Surprised and trying to understand what happened, he turned back to Scarlet while the teens were gasping and starting to freak out and left the place. Scarlet had her eyes closed and arms crossed, her fingers strongly grasping and scratching her own arms; not enough to hurt herself but enough to leave marks.
"…Alright, I think it's time to leave." Max proposed, a bit worried about what could happen.
"Bonny, return." He exclaimed while returning the pokemon to her pokeball.
"Let's go, Scarlet."
Max then stood up and walked towards the counter, quickly followed by the gardevoir.
A few seconds after they got there, another waitress came for the payment.
"That will be $34.90, please."
Max then reached into his pocket and withdrew $40 before giving it to her.
"Thanks. Here's your change. Have a good day, sir." She said, handing him his due.
After leaving tips and sensing Scarlet's patience fading with every passing second, they quickly left the building. Once outside and after walking some distance, Scarlet seemed to instantly calm down. When Max felt like she was calm enough, he spoke first.
"Was it you who broke those cellphones?"
She looked away instead of responding.
*sigh* "Well, I guess they shouldn't have been taking pictures without asking me for permission first, but don't you think you overreacted a bit?"
[No.] She responded without any traces of regret, still looking away.
"Look, I'm not mad at you, Scarlet, and it's not really the way that you reacted that bothers me. It's just that if more people noticed that and found out that you did it, you could've been accused of human aggression or violent behavior."
[So?] Scarlet inquired very bluntly, not caring about consequences.
"I'm not sure the authorities will appreciate that."
[Hah, don't make me laugh. If you think that mere humans and their weak pokemon can scare me, you have another thing coming. You don't know me that well, master, so it means that we need to strengthen our bond by any means necessary.] She stated with a cold and commanding tone, now looking directly at Max's eyes.
Looking back at her eyes, Max could see that there was something in them, like determination... But also something else: a strong emotion that he's never seen or felt before, sending small shivers up his spine. After a moment, Scarlet seems to notice her action as she felt Max's emotional distress.
[S-Sorry. I didn't mean to lash out against you.] She apologized after she was back to her normal passionate and love-filled eyes.
A little ashamed of herself, she turned away from the human.
"...Don't be. It really must not be easy for you to be in a place like this. But like I told you, we're in this together and you have nothing to fear." Max comforted while hugging Scarlet from behind.
(...If only you knew how easy it is for you to say. I'm a lost cause, but I guess the less you know…) The gardevoir thought, melancholy.
[…I… I know, master. And I appreciate your help.] She calmly said after turning around to face him.
"That's my girl." Max softly cheered with a kiss on her cheek. "Now, I think it's time to move on."
[Okay.]
Max and Scarlet began to walk through the city, with her pushing her bad thoughts away.
[So what do you want to do now?] Scarlet asked, regaining her smile.
Max takes a deep breath with a thoughtful face.
"Still don't know."
[Why don't you try to be a trainer again like I suggested? I mean, it's something you always wanted to be. And you already have your first pokemon.]
"Yeah, I wanted to. When I was a kid. Today, I'm not sure anymore. And don't you mean two pokemon? I have you and Bonny."
[Not really since you didn't 'capture' me, but why not? I'm not particularly into that trainer thing, but I know you'll treat them with kindness and love, and I'm sure they will be happy to be with you.] Scarlet encouraged.
"You really think so?" Max said, a bit skeptical.
[I know so. You won't capture and take away any pokemon if they don't want to, which is something I really like about you. I told you before that I knew pokemon that had trainers and they mostly just made them stronger.]
"Maybe, but it's still fighting. I don't want my companions to get hurt for entertainment."
[Well, not necessarily. I don't know if I already told you this, but the pokemon during trainer battles don't really get hurt. Well, not physically, that is.]
"Really?" Max asked, perplexed.
[Well, I don't remember a lot from that period, but I do remember one of them saying that his 'pride' was hurt, but nothing else.]
"But, how come the battles don't physically harm them?"
[I don't know. I think I never asked them that before. At that time, I didn't really care about human stuff. Not that I care more about it to this day, of course.]
"…Well… I guess if being a pokemon trainer is still going on, it can't be that bad, right?" Max questioned, getting a bit interested.
[Maybe. Anyway, if anything happens, you can always count on me to be there for you.] Scarlet affirmed with a warm smile while sticking herself to Max.
"I know I can always count on you, Scarlet." He responded while petting her red hair.
[Hihi. So? What do you think about it now?] She inquired, now hugging his arm.
"…I'm still not sure. But I guess if we go to a poke-mart where all pokemon trainers start a part of their journey, I'll make my decision there."
[Wonderful. Not wanting to influence your decision, but thinking about you and me traveling and seeing new places sounds quite exciting.] She said while hugging Max's arm a bit stronger.
"Heh, yeah. I must admit that it's an appealing idea and sounds fun. But, now that I think about it, those 40 dollars I spent on that restaurant was everything that I had left, so it's kind of useless to go there now."
[Oh, you mean the 'money' thing I asked you about?]
"Yeah. Without that, we won't be able to go very far or be able to afford food."
[Hmm… I think I have a solution for that.] She said with the most mischievous and evil grin she ever made.
A second later and in a flash, a huge pile of dollars appeared in the hands of Scarlet.
"What the…?! How did you do that?" Max exclaimed, astonished.
[Well, let's just say that I took a discrete little dive in the mind of that 'dear' slut that served us and happened to see that she had quite a lot of it. I didn't think it was any useful information, but I guess I was wrong.] She proudly stated.
"...Scarlet!" Max reprimanded.
[What?]
"You can't do that! That's stealing!"
[So? It's not like she wouldn't be able to make that amount again. Besides, I think we need this more than her.]
"Well… maybe now, but what if she can't pay her bills because of us?"
[Why should I care about it?] Scarlet retorted a bit angrily.
"Scarlet, now you're just being utterly mean." He remarked disapprovingly.
[…Are you actually saying that you care more about that female human than us? You care more for her than me?] She said with a bit of sadness in her voice.
"No, of course not! It's just…"
[It's just what?]
"It's just that if you keep doing that kind of behavior, you might attract more unwanted attention."
[How's that possible if no one can ever see me doing it?]
"Think about it for a moment, Scarlet, if these kinds of events happen regularly in a place with no witnesses and you're the only psychic around, who do you think they will suspect first?"
[...Well…] Scarlet replied lowly, not knowing what to retort anymore.
"Look, honestly, it's not like I care that much about 'borrowing', either. I agree that we needed that but, I don't want to use that kind of method unless it's an emergency. And if possible, to those who won't miss it that much. This world may be full of idiots, but it's not a reason to starve some of them."
[…]
"So from now on, can I ask you to not do that unless we have no other option?"
[…Like now?]
"…Yeah, like now."
[ *sigh* What I won't do for you.] Scarlet complied.
"Thanks. I'm so proud of you." Max said, giving his pokemon a big hug.
After separating from each other, Scarlet gave the money to Max and they then walked off in search of a poke-mart. Luckily for them, they located it easily when they discovered a map of the city. A couple of minutes of walking later, they arrived at the blue-roofed building and entered it. Max was quite impressed with the place as it was more filled than anticipated.
"Whoa! They sure have a lot of stuff here."
Even Scarlet was a bit impressed by how much stuff they had for pokemon care.
"As you can see, some people really do care about a pokemon's health," Max said, looking at Scarlet.
After huffing, Scarlet decided to go for a tour of the place, with Max close behind. The more he was walking around, the more he was impressed by the variety of products.
"Wow. Potions, pokemon repellent, pokeballs, and even nutrients. But everything is quite expensive. I must admit, it's a good thing Scarlet got that money after all." Max commented to himself while looking through the racks.
After a moment, Scarlet came back to Max.
[Found anything interesting?]
"Well, it sure does have a huge selection and you can get pretty much anything essential for a pokemon journey. And with a poke-mart in almost every city, we sure won't lack anything."
[So... do you now feel confident enough to be a trainer?]
"Well…"
As Max was about to answer, they were interrupted by a stranger.
"Excuse me? Are you the trainer of that gardevoir?"
"Well, not exactly, but yeah, she's with me," Max replied to the stranger, a man who looked to be older than him.
"Wow! Such a beautiful specimen. I never saw one of that color. Hi, miss, my name is Brook. Nice to meet you."
While saying that last part, the man extended his hand to her for a greeting, but Scarlet violently pushed it away with her hand and backed off behind Max.
"Ouch!" The man, now known as Brook, let out while rubbing his hand.
"Scarlet! Sorry, mister Brook, but she doesn't like humans, apart from me." Max semi-apologized since he should've known to not approach a pokemon that lightly. "By the way, the name's Max." Max greeted, extending his hand.
"It's no problem at all, Max. I love pokemon and they always have a reason to act as they do. Normally, they have no malice." He responded while shaking Max's hand with a smile. "But I must say, she sure is physically strong for a gardevoir."
"She's also very nice once you get to know her and, well, have her on your side." He said while looking at her behind him, to which she responded with a discrete and quick ass grab.
"No doubt about it," Brook said, still smiling
"Oh, and just to clarify, I'm not a trainer."
"You're not? My mistake, I thought you were one since you are in a poke-mart with your pokemon."
"Well, truth be told, I haven't really started my journey yet."
"Oh! So you are here to do so, then?" Brook asked expectantly, excited.
Max looked at Scarlet one more time.
"Well… I guess so."
[You're gonna do it?! Wonderful!] She happily said while hugging him from behind.
"Fantastic! I can never grow tired of seeing young ones starting on their pokemon trainer journey. It's such a wonderful experience."
"That much?"
"Well, of course." Brook said with a discrete 'well duh face.
"Oh. Okay. But to be honest, I don't know much about pokemon and trainer stuff."
"That's no problem. Can I suggest you visit my lab? I will gladly teach you about everything you need to know." He enthusiastically said.
"Umm, your lab?" Max said with a very puzzled face.
"...Oh, right. Haha, that would have made more sense if I had formally presented myself first. Allow me to do so now: I'm Professor Brook, the pokemon researcher of this city and the one in charge of giving trainers their starter pokemon."
"Oh."
"Our meeting is quite convenient, don't you think?"
"Well, I can't say I disagree on that."
"Splendid. Please, follow me." Brook said energetically before heading towards the exit, followed by Max and Scarlet.
"What about the stuff I should get here?"
"Don't worry, I'll give you everything you need at my lab."
"...Okay." Max conceded, shrugging his shoulders while following him through the city.
[I don't really want to follow that creepy guy to his home, but it will allow us to learn more about what we're about to undertake.] Scarlet commented.
"I guess so. I'm still not sure if I'm up to this, but I don't really have many alternatives for now."
[Relax, I'm sure you'll be cut out for this. I believe in you.] She encouraged with her usual arm-hugging.
"…Thanks a lot, Scarlet. You really are of great help." He responded with a bright smile, rubbing her hair.
[I'll always do my best for you, master.] She said while resting her head on his shoulder.
"I'm guessing she's telepathically talking to you, isn't she?" Brook said, still walking in front of them.
"Oh, y-yeah, that's right. Psychic-type pokemon are amazing." Max replied with some embarrassment, now realizing that it must be weird if people around see him talking to a voice that only he can hear.
"I agree. They are one of my favorite types because the bonds with their trainer are the most visible and apparent."
While walking, they chit-chatted along the way. Max talked about how he met Scarlet and after that, the professor told them his story about how and why he became a pokemon researcher. A bit far off and isolated from the city, they finally arrived at a quite big building constructed atop a plain zone with a forest behind it and a lot of pokemon were running and playing near the place.
"Wow. That's quite a lot of pokemon. Are they all wild?" Max asked while passing in front of the building.
"Some are but most are tamed. Pokemon are quite affectionate creatures, even the wild ones sometimes. Since I provide them with food, they don't mind me doing some research on them. Most people don't know it but pokemon are more intelligent than normal creatures and can be very cooperative. Trainer's pokemon and your gardevoir are good examples."
"Thanks."
They then entered the building. The inside was very impressive and contained many machines that Max couldn't even begin to guess their function. A few people were walking by working with a pokemon and others were typing away on computers.
"Those are my assistants. They're as passionate as I am for pokemon."
They continued walking, Scarlet trying her best to ignore some stares until they reached a door a bit further ahead.
"And here is my personal lab." He announced while holding the door for them.
Both Max and Scarlet passed the door, followed by the professor. His local had a few types of machines too, but the most noticeable thing was the giant computer screen on a wall.
"You sure are well-equipped, Professor," Max commented with an amazed whistle.
"We need to, with all the research we do and the complexity of pokemon. The most mysterious thing from our extended research about them being mega-evolution."
"Mega-evolution?" Max asked, curious about the subject.
"Never heard of it?" The professor wondered.
"Yeah, but I never thought it was actually a thing."
"Well, it is, young man. And your gardevoir is a pokemon who is capable of mega-evolving."
"Really?!" He shouted in surprise, turning to look at Scarlet.
[What is that… mega-evolution he's talking about?] Scarlet questioned, a bit curious as well.
"From what I've heard, it's an additional evolution for pokemon on their final-stage evolution, boosting combat ability significantly."
[That sounds awesome!] She exclaimed, wondering how the appearance of her mega-evolution could be.
"It is awesome. But if I recall correctly, mega-evolution is temporary, isn't it, Professor?"
"Unfortunately, yes. A lot of pokemon researchers are working on the matter to understand it better, and maybe one day, discover how to make the mega-evolution form permanent. But we don't even understand it very well yet, so we're far from it. What we know for sure is that a mega-evolution can only occur with a trainer that has a very strong bond with their pokemon and having mega stones."
"What are those mega stones?"
"It's a necessary tool for the mega evolution. You have the keystone, which the trainer has and are all the same; and the mega stone, which the pokemon wears. The hearts of both need to be in sync, then the trainer touches the keystone and poof, mega-evolution."
"That's cool. Where can I get those?"
"You can get it in a store specialized in that. They all have keystones for sale, but it's not guaranteed to have the mega stone for your pokemon and are pretty expensive."
"What do you mean?"
"Unlike the trainer's keystone, the mega stones are specific for one pokemon only. For example, the only mega stone that works on a gardevoir is a gardevoirite. If you decide to use it with a pokemon other than gardevoir, it won't work."
"Oh, I see. So the one for her is a gardevoirite, huh?"
"Yes. Since those mega stones only activate to a corresponding pokemon, it's more difficult to get one in particular. If you're lucky, another trainer may have the one you're looking for. Then you can buy it from them or trade it with ones you already have."
"Wow, getting a mega stone is rather tricky."
"I won't lie to you, it can take some time for someone to find even just one mega stone."
"Damn… Well, I hope I can find the one for you, Scarlet." Max said, looking back to his gardevoir.
[Me too. I won't say no to a chance for more power.]
"If you want, I can show you on the computer what they look like to make the search a bit easier."
"That will be helpful, indeed, Professor."
"Alright."
With that, the professor switched on his computer. A few seconds later, he was already tapping away on his keyboard and after a moment, the image of a multi-colored round stone with a DNA-like symbol inside of it appeared.
"That's a keystone. Pretty easy to find and are all the same with the rainbow color."
Next, another round, translucent white stone appeared and had another strange symbol inside; it was looking a bit like a vertical toothpaste with green on each side and red in the middle.
"And this... is a gardevoirite."
"It's pretty."
"Agreed. Do you want to see a mega-evolved gardevoir?"
"Yes, please." Max eagerly agreed.
Max then felt Scarlet paying more attention to the screen. The next image was of a gardevoir with bigger ears, a big dress in the style of a wedding gown, bigger forearms with gloves ending with an upward spike right at the elbow, and now sported two crests on her chest instead of one.
"Wooow! Mega-evolved gardevoirs are very beautiful and graceful."
Max turned to Scarlet to see she had stars in her eyes, subjugated by this.
[Master, I really want to mega-evolve now!] She said, trying her best to contain her excitement.
"Haha, I'll do my best for that to happen," Max assured while petting her head, which she pressed a bit harder on it.
"Seeing the two of you like this, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problem with the strong bond part," Brook commented with a smile.
"I think so, too. Say, can a buneary also mega-evolve?"
"Their final evolution, the lopunny, yes. Here, let me show you."
The professor then switched to an image of a lopunny but more muscular with longer and thinner ears, eyebrows that form an X shape, and black fur covering its neck, upper chest, and thighs; which had "holes" all over it, kind of like if it was wearing ripped leggings.
"Whoa. They look strong." Max commented.
"Normally, lopunnies aren't exceptionally strong, but when mega-evolved, they gain a big boost in speed and attack.
"Sweet! I already have two pokemon that can mega-evolve."
"Interesting. No doubt you'll be a strong opponent in the future."
[Told you. Even this creepy human thinks you will be a great trainer.]
"Haha, alright, alright. I'm heavily considering it."
"And this is the lopunnite." Brook now said while showing an image of a beige mega stone with a brown and pink toothpaste symbol inside.
[Hmm, they won't be hard to identify since the stone has the same color as the pokemon it belongs to.]
"...Oh. I didn't make the link the first time but you're right. They do have the same color as the pokemon."
"Yes. Identifying them isn't very difficult. Finding them is the hard part."
"Then I'll try my best to get my hands on them," Max said, determined.
"That's the spirit."
"So, Professor, what do I need to know for a pokemon trainer journey?"
"Actually, just a few things. The rest is more fun to discover on your own. But the most important thing is to always take care of your pokemon and always be prepared for any eventuality."
"Like having potions?"
"Yes. Potions to restore their energy or heal their wounds. Also, a variety of foods for all of your team with their right diet. Love them and they will love you in return. When they taste it, pokemon can become quite love-dependant creatures."
"I assume those are the basics."
"Mhm. But there is another detail you must know..." Brook suddenly started with a stern tone. "And I want you to listen very carefully: always be careful out there. There's a reason that the legal age to be a pokemon trainer went up from 12 to 18 years old."
"It was 12 before?"
"Yeah. It was a long time ago. Most kids of that age ended up badly injured... or worse, they ended up dead because of their immaturity and inexperience."
"Shit… Those poor kids. But it's really stupid in hindsight. I mean, what kind of irresponsible parents would even let their 12-year-old kid go out on a risky trip like this?"
"I too think that it wasn't the best idea. But what's done is done. The least we can do now is to learn from our mistakes and go on with life." Brook stated a bit sadly.
"Maybe, but…"
"Now, now. Don't let this discourage you. Because of their superiority, pokemon don't see the point in attacking humans. They know they're stronger than anything on this planet and the only aggressive thing most of them do is warning humans to leave their territory. In some cases, they even help lost humans find their way back. But if you try to confront a pokemon on your own, they are more likely to attack. The most aggressive of them don't care if it kills the human in the process. They're like: 'don't bother me and I won't bother you'."
"I guess I can understand that. It's like any other normal animal."
"Yes. Because of their limited intelligence and inferiority to pokemon, normal aggressive animals tend to attack or flee at the sight of any human. That's why you need a starter pokemon for your trainer journey. Pokemon can outmatch or scare off the most dangerous animals, like packs of wolves or bears. But what they lack in power, they compensate by number."
"So with a pokemon, I only need to be careful against other pokemon?"
"Well, yes and no. If you were to be attacked by a bear or a tiger before you let out your pokemon, you have very little chance of surviving. That's why I recommend always keeping a pokemon out, just in case. Like your gardevoir."
"Oh, I never captured her. She's a wild pokemon that is with me."
[Hmpff. I'll show you how 'wild' I can be.] She remarked with a mix of lust and arrogance.
"Oh. Interesting. Since the rule states that a trainer is only permitted to have 6 active pokeballs, you will technically have seven pokemon with you."
"Huh. Never thought of that, but I guess you're right."
[Sorry, master, but I'm not really interested in battling.]
"Oh. Well, don't worry."
"What did she say?" The professor asked.
"She's not really interested in participating in trainer fights."
"Oh. How unfortunate, then."
"It puts me down to six again, but I don't mind. I won't force my pokemon to do something they don't want to."
"That's exactly how a trainer should act. When you always go with the pokemon's desire and wishes, they're more likely to do anything they can do to make you happy in return."
[I can confirm that. Isn't that right?] Scarlet commented with a sultry tone, making Max chuckle nervously.
"Now, young man, you now know the basics to start your journey. Can you confirm to me that this is what you want to do?"
Max looked at Scarlet, with her taking his hands and giving a reassuring smile. Max takes a long steady breath, exhaled, and gave his own smile.
"…I want to become a pokemon trainer." He announced, looking back to the professor with a determined expression.
"Fantastic! Follow me, please."
The professor then walked to a machine that was looking like a cabinet, followed by Max and his gardevoir. Pressing a button, the machine automatically opened a drawer filled with some strange devices. The professor took one before closing the drawer.
"Allow me to give you this." He said while handing Max the device.
"What is this?"
"This is a Pokedex. It's a complete and very sophisticated pokemon encyclopedia. You can search for information about any pokemon in it. And with the lens on the back, you can use them to scan and get direct and personal information of a pokemon. You also have a map and other useful tools."
"Cool," Max exclaimed.
"You can give it a try."
"Alright..." Max said while pointing it towards Scarlet.
"…And what now?" Max added, seeing that it's not doing anything.
"You just press this button here to analyze the pokemon," Brook replied, pointing at the button.
As soon as Max pressed the button, thin layers of light came off the device and roamed all over her body, analyzing her. A moment later, the pokedex stopped emitting the light and a picture of a normal gardevoir appeared on the screen.
"Whoa," Max muttered in awe.
Max then ran through the pokedex's different options.
"Okay, let's see... Global information, personal information, weaknesses, shiny, move set… Let's see global information first."
Max pressed the global information button and a bunch of text appeared, replacing the picture.
"Gardevoir, the embrace pokemon. Gardevoir is the female version of gallade and can only evolve to this form from a female kirlia. Their psychic powers are very strong and are one of the best pokemon that can have the strongest bond with their trainer. Due to their tendency to always levitate and use their psychic ability for almost everything, they have underdeveloped body muscles and are physically weak. The mix with their bond and their psychic powers can be so powerful that they can create a small black hole to protect their trainer. Since it can be risky for their own trainer, they only use that as a last resort." Max read. "Interesting. I didn't know you could do that." He commented, looking at Scarlet.
[Me neither.]
"I also didn't know that gardevoirs were a female-only pokemon. That explains how you knew that she was a girl the first time you saw her." Max told Brook.
"Yeah. Almost all pokemon have variations depending on their gender. Take the gardevoir family for example the male ralts are slightly bigger but have shorter crests on their head. The same goes for the male kirlia alongside a shorter skirt and hair. Male kirlia evolve into a gallade and the female into a gardevoir. Everything is explained in this pokedex."
"Neat. Now, let's take a look at personal information." Max said, pressing the button.
Oddly, after a moment, the only thing that appeared was parasites, like something was causing interference.
"Huh? That's strange, it usually works." Brook said. "I'll bring another one." He added, going to the cabinet and came back with another pokedex.
He scans the gardevoir with the new device and immediately goes to personal information. And strangely enough, the same thing happened.
"That's very strange." Brook wondered while scratching his head. "Well, I guess since she's probably the first red gardevoir to ever exist and not listed in the database, it probably caused a bug in the pokedex. Anyhow, the rest should work." Brook assured, putting back the spare pokedex in the cabinet.
"Hope so," Max muttered.
Then Max's eyes stopped on the shiny option in the pokedex.
"What's a 'shiny'?"
"Oh. A shiny is a very rare coloration of a pokemon. We don't know exactly how it happens but we hypothesized that it's a skin pigmentation mutation. The only side effect of that is a slight boost of their power but with a short decrease in life expectancy."
"I see. So being a shiny pokemon it's a double-edged blade thing."
"It can be. But some pokemon have a very high life expectancy, so it really doesn't make much of a difference for them."
"Hmm, I wonder what a shiny gardevoir looks like."
Max then presses the indicated button and an image of a blue-haired gardevoir with orange eyes and crest appears.
"Whoa. Shiny gardevoir are very beautiful. I like it more than the original color, but I still prefer red. It's my second favorite color, after all." Max remarked, looking at the red gardevoir.
Scarlet remained silent and Max could feel a feeling of discomfort from her. Max wanted to ask if she was okay but the professor interrupted him.
"Wait. Can I see that for a second?"
"…Sure," Max said while handing his pokedex, a bit confused.
"Hmm, orange crest and eyes with blue hair... Blue crest and eyes with red hair. It's as if the color…" Brook trailed off, his face and expression turning blank.
"Uhh, Professor? Are you alright?" Max asked a bit worried.
Max turned to look at Scarlet in confusion. For a moment, Max could have sworn that he saw her eyes glowing blue for a fraction of a second, but thought that he probably was just imagining things. Max turns back to the professor, who seemed to be back to normal.
"Are you okay, Professor?"
"Humm... yeah. I-I think so. What happened?" The professor inquired, confused.
"You spaced out for a moment."
"Really? Man, I must be more exhausted than expected. I haven't had a lot of sleep recently."
"Work, I suppose?"
"It never stops. Each night I'm like, 'just one more hour'. But in the end, I end up sleeping on top of my desk or computer."
"I can only guess what it's like. But you should slow down a bit. At this rate, you'll be growing white hairs sooner than you should." Max pointed out, chuckling a bit.
"I could but you know what they say: you can't stop the train of passion," Brook stated, giving his own hearty chuckle.
"Hehe. So, you were mentioning something about the coloration of shiny pokemon?"
"Really? I don't remember talking about that."
At that, Max looked at him a bit puzzled.
"Anyway, I think you should be all set for your departure."
"...Yeah, I think I'm ready," Max said, not insisting on his strange behavior.
"Good. But first, I know you already have two pokemon, but it's kind of my policy to hand out a starter pokemon to a new trainer. Can I interest you to have one, nonetheless?"
"Of course! I won't say no to a new friend."
"Perfect. This way." Brook motioned both to follow him.
Max and Scarlet did as told and followed him to a door at the bottom of the room that was leading outside.
"Normally, I suggest either of the three starter pokemon, but ultimately, the choice is yours."
"Great, I can't wait to see the three starters. This will be like the real beginning of my pokemon journey!"
"Haha, I like your enthusiasm," Brook replied with a smile, opening the door and letting them through first.
After closing it, Brook whistled loudly with two fingers in his mouth. After a moment, two pokemon approached the two humans and gardevoir.
"Allow me to introduce them: this one is Treecko, a grass type." Brook started, presenting the grass-type pokemon.
"Treec!" The gecko pokemon barked.
"This one is Totodile, a water type." He continued, pointing with his hand at the water type.
"Totodile!" The crocodile pokemon exclaimed, too energetic.
"And this-… Huh? Where is she?... Oh. Come on, girl. Don't be scared, he's a very nice trainer."
Max watched to see who he was speaking to. After a moment, a fox pokemon slowly came out of hiding from behind a nearby big tree trunk.
"Come on, girl, a trainer is here to choose a pokemon. Maybe you'll be lucky this time." Brook softly said.
The pokemon then shyly walked towards the professor and hid behind his legs.
"And this is Fennekin, a fire-type pokemon. As you can see, she's very shy."
[You don't say.] Scarlet said sarcastically.
"I can see that. But why did you say 'this time'? Shouldn't a cute pokemon like this one be the first one to be chosen?" Max inquired, gazing upon the cute fox pokemon.
"Well, unfortunately, her shyness tends to make male trainers reluctant to choose her, mostly preferring a strong and confident-looking pokemon."
"Male trainers?"
"Yes. Some female trainers do find her shyness quite cute and want to choose her. But oddly, she always refused to go with one. It's like she doesn't want to go with a female human."
"Well, life sure isn't easy on her."
"But it's not like she's not happy here. She'll understand if you don't pick her. Both treecko and totodile are strong starters that will do their best for you."
Max then looked at the two other pokemon.
"Hmm… they sure do look strong and determined," Max observed while kneeling before them. "...I know you two want to have a trainer and travel. But, I'm sorry, guys, I'll choose fennekin. Hope it doesn't disappoint you," Max informed the water and grass pokemon.
Their reaction to his decision wasn't what he expected. The treecko crossed his arms with a smile while the totodile jumped in joy around the fennekin, who didn't know how to react.
"Huhn. Am I really that uninteresting?"
"Hahaha, no, don't get them wrong. Since they know that she was never picked to travel with and has been here with me for a very long time, they are happy for her for finally having a male trainer choose her."
"Toto, totodile, dile." He told the fennekin.
"Treck, treecko." He added.
"Fenn." The fire vixen shyly responded.
"What are they saying?" Max asked Scarlet.
[They're happy for her and are wishing her good luck.]
"Cool. What about you, Scarlet? Do you agree with my choice?"
[I'll always go along with whatever you choose. And, she's indeed cute. I think she deserves a trainer like you.]
"I'll do my best to keep her happy."
"Hehe. Don't know why but I knew you would choose her." The professor remarked.
"Hi there, little fennekin, my name is Max. What do you say, do you want to come with me?" Max asked, still on one knee, presenting his hand.
The fennekin was a bit scared and looked at the professor.
"Come on, girl. This is your chance." Brook softly encouraged.
After a moment of hesitation, the fennekin walked towards Max at an unsure pace. The other two pokemon also encouraged her, wanting her to keep walking to the human. A moment later, she was at hand's reach. After a final hesitation, she pushed her head into Max's hand, which made the other pokemon applaud in joy.
"Congratulations, girl! You finally got a trainer!" Brook praised, joining the applause with a big smile.
"F-Fenne." She shyly said with a discrete smile.
"Good. You now have your official starter." Brook said while withdrawing something from his pocket. "Here's her pokeball." He added, showing a tiny pokeball in his hand, making it bigger by pressing the middle button.
"Do you know how to change the owner of a pokeball?"
"Umm… no idea."
"It's simple. Pokeballs are digitally secured with fingerprints. First, you need to do this..." Brook explained while pressing and holding the middle button.
A few seconds later, the button was emitting blue light.
"It's now ready to have a new owner. Here, now do the same as I did."
Max took the pokeball, pressing and holding the button himself. After another few seconds, the blue light flickered five times before stopping.
"Great. You're now the new owner of her pokeball."
"Damn. That's quite good security."
"It prevents thieves from using it. Unless the owner decides to let the pokemon free, they can't even open it."
"Neat. I was wondering, how is the inside of a pokeball?"
"It's a bit complex to explain. You probably have already seen a pokeball envelope the pokemon in red light, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's the dematerialization of the pokemon into a subatomic level, the process being the red light, and then the pokemon is rematerialized into a compact environment. The environment is virtually recreated and adapted for said pokemon, which is supposed to be the most fitting and relaxing of their respective habitats. When you capture one, all knowledge about the human language and their move names are directly transferred to it."
"Wow. That's pretty high-tech stuff and it sure sounds comfy for them." Max commented, a certain detail almost going through his head. "Ohh! That would explain how my buneary could now understand me today."
"Haha, really convenient, don't you think? And we try our best for that. Everything is illusory but it feels like everything is real to them; a soft breeze, warm currents for water pokemon, sunny days, etc. Everything is made to maximize the enjoyment and relaxation of the pokemon. It's also a good alternative for them on long travels."
"Heh, they could probably live forever in there."
"Well, not really. The ultra-realistic illusion of the pokeball can't provide them a source for basic needs. Fortunately, a security measure was made so that if they start to lack nutrients, the pokeball releases them automatically but only if the environment outside the pokeball is safe."
"What happens if it's not?"
"Then the pokemon enters in stasis until the outside world is viable. Normally, they float on a water surface, but if it happens to be stuck at the bottom of the ocean and unable to get back to the surface, or if the pokeball is in a place with very high or low temperatures for the pokemon, it will remain alive for as long as necessary until the pokeball is retrieved."
"Whoa. That's kind of awesome but at the same time, frightening. Stuck in limbo inside a pokeball for an indefinite time. Uuugh." Max expressed, shivering.
"Good point, but we believe it's better than immediate death. But we do our best for our pokemon to prevent them from any life-threatening danger. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, a pokemon can grow tired of being inside of it."
"Why?"
"The inside may be comfortable and relaxing, but they are still completely alone and isolated. The subatomic space allows them to move freely but it has a limit. After spending a while inside of it, they feel lonely in this empty safe haven. This comparison may not sound very appealing but it's like a quite spacious and very luxurious prison cell: just like us humans and after a while, they want to get out."
"I see. So I should minimize the amount of time I keep them inside?
"As much as possible, yes."
"Good to know. I was planning on passing as much time as possible with my team, anyway."
"Good. The more time you spend with them, the stronger your bond will be."
"Alright. Now, I should think of a name for our friend."
[I swear if you call her something unoriginal like Foxy…] Scarlet warned, almost threateningly.
"…Not that name, then."
Max thought a bit for a cool name. It was somewhat difficult since he wasn't very good at coming up with creative names. Then, after a moment, he finally got one.
"How about Dusk? Do you like it?" Max asked the fennekin while petting her head, which made her flinch a bit.
"Fennekin." She shyly replied.
[She said she liked it.]
"Dusk it is, then. Welcome to the family, Miss Dusk."
"Fenn." She softly said with a small blush under her fur.
"Are you ready to leave with us?"
"Fenne." She said with a slow nod.
"Great. Dusk, return." Max said before pointing the pokeball towards her, returning her inside it.
Max then pressed the middle button to shrink the pokeball and put it in a free pocket.
"It would be a good idea to have a trainer belt, those have six small individual spaces and makes taking out a pokeball more efficiently compared to a pocket," Brook advised.
"That's a good idea, indeed."
"Lucky for you, I have a few spares here."
Brook then went back inside his lab and searched around a bit before coming back with the belt; it was looking like a normal belt but with six slots on the front. Taking it, Max put it around himself and fastened it. He withdraws his two pokeballs and puts them in one slot each, ready for quick access.
"Wonderful. You are now set for your adventure."
"Thanks for everything, Professor."
"Don't mention it. Like I said, seeing young people starting their journey is a wonderful sight. They have so much to live and discover. And I couldn't be more proud when one of them becomes a league champion."
"A league champion, huh? Those appear on T.V. sometimes. They look incredibly strong."
"They are. But they trained a lot and fought many battles before achieving that."
"That could be interesting. I just need to train my team properly and who knows, maybe I'll be able to become a league champion myself."
"Yes. That and ten badges."
"Badges?" Max wondered.
"Oh. So you don't know about collecting badges?"
"Hmm… don't remember hearing about that."
"Well, it's simple. In some cities or towns, you have a pokemon gym that you can go to and challenge their leader. If you win, you get a badge. Don't worry about losing, though, you can retry as many times as you want."
"Good to know."
"I advise you to not underestimate them. They may usually focus on a type specialty, but they're quite strong. You'll have to train your team quite a bit before even thinking about challenging one."
"Understood. In any case, I still have Scarlet." Max said, looking at his gardevoir.
[I already told you, I'm not into that battling stuff.]
"Ah, true. I already forgot."
"Oh, that reminds me. I almost forgot something myself, which is the most important thing for a trainer."
"The most important thing?"
Without any more words, Brook left again inside the building. Max and Scarlet waited for him just for a moment when he was back again. He was holding in his hand a strange wristwatch device before handing it to Max.
"What is this?"
"That, my young man, is an Energoshieldome device called the Ergowatch. What that does is when two trainers with that device want to battle, they both need to activate their ergowatch to create a protective invisible dome of energy around the battlefield. Instead of getting real injuries, the pokemon inside the dome will now have their vital energy drop from each subsequent damage. In short, instead of death by fatal injuries, when one of them is unable to fight, it will drop on the ground in exhaustion. However, they can still suffer from status conditions like burning or poisoning, which can be temporarily stopped inside the pokeball. You'll have to bring them to a pokemon center or use a status remover potion."
"That's amazing," Max exclaimed, impressed.
"Sure is. It's the most complex technology we ever created. It was also the longest to research."
[So the trainer's pokemon don't risk anything when battling each other and get stronger in the end? Well, no wonder the pokemon that talked to me about this said it was nice. But what about wild pokemon? Can they still be seriously injured?]
"Good question. What if I use the ergowatch against a wild pokemon, Professor?"
"Hehe. That's the question I get the most when I explain the device to a new trainer. You see, in the eventuality that instead of a trainer you encounter a wild pokemon, the ergowatch can create an invisible shielding cloak of energy, only protecting your pokemon. With that in mind, you must always remember that the wild pokemon is not protected, so try to lower your firepower a bit."
"Yeah, I don't really want to hurt them."
"But be careful, though: if your pokemon faints during the battle, the shield will disappear, which leaves it to the mercy of the wild pokemon, so it'd be wise to call back your pokemon before it can get hit with a possibly fatal strike. If you aren't sure you can defeat it in the first place, stop confronting it and flee. Most wild pokemon rarely give chase to humans."
"Okay. I'll keep that in mind."
Max found that being a trainer had more details and precautions than expected. But with just that device that protects his team, he was a lot more confident about it and was even getting a little impatient to start, reigniting the passion he felt for being a pokemon trainer when he was younger.
[Hihi, I can sense that you're getting a bit excited about this. You also seem more confident.]
"I can't deny it. Just knowing that Bonny and Dusk won't get hurt but get stronger in pokemon battles is a big plus. Now I understand why pokemon like to go and stick with a trainer."
"Pokemon that want to go with a trainer see that as an opportunity to get stronger without risking their lives. As time passes, they also learn the value of friendship and love and grow attached to their trainer. But unfortunately, approximately 60% of pokemon think like this. The rest still think of this as enslavement and believe that they don't need a trainer to become stronger. In a few cases, some pokemon just want a peaceful life." The professor explained.
"Huh, didn't know that opinion was very divided with pokemon."
"Then again, pokemon are more intelligent than most people assume."
"Alright. Is there anything else I should know?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
The professor mused for a bit, lowly muttering 'I didn't forget that' and 'I already talked about this'.
"Ah, yes. For you to be an official trainer and recognized as such, you're gonna need a trainer license. Also, some extra pokeballs in case you encounter any pokemon that catches your eyes."
"Makes sense."
[What's a trainer license?]
"Think of it as a permit a trainer must have to even have the right to own a pokemon with a pokeball."
[Why specifically a pokeball?]
"I think it's because you don't need a trainer license to have a pokemon at a house if I'm correct." Max guessed.
"That's right. As long as no one complains about an abusive owner or pokemon, they can do whatever they want."
(And to think that no one in my town had a pokemon at home. But I guess it's expected when you're with a bunch of people that don't appreciate their company…) Max thought to himself.
[They are the worst.] Scarlet agreed with his sentiment.
"Oh, and normally, I would have needed you to pass a couple of tests alongside receiving your starter pokemon, but something about you tells me that you're not the kind of person to abuse pokemon for your own gain, so I'll make an exception. I'm sure you'll be an excellent trainer."
"I'll try my best."
"Very well. Say 'cheese'." The professor instructed before pulling out a cell phone and took a surprise picture of Max.
"Why the picture?"
"For your trainer license, young man. Just wait here a moment. I'll go make you one in no time." He said, dashing away.
While waiting, both Scarlet and Max were silent. Ever so gently, as if she didn't want to be noticed, Scarlet floated towards Max. As soon as she made contact, she grabbed one arm and hugged it.
"What are you doing?" Max lowly asked.
[I'm hugging you, silly.] She adorably replied, now nuzzling her cheek with his arm.
"I know but, let's try not to make our relationship… too obvious."
[But I like hugging you.] Scarlet pouted.
"I know, I like it too. But you'll be able to hug me as long as you want when out in the wild where no one can see us." Max assured, patting her head.
[Okay.] She conceded with crossed arms, a bit deceived.
Shortly after, the professor came back.
"There we go. A fresh new license for a fresh new trainer." The professor said before handing Max his new trainer license.
"Thanks."
The license didn't have a lot of information on it; just his face, ID, and seal of approval from the professor.
"Forgive me but I just noticed during the middle of creating your license that I don't have any pokeballs left. So, you should go buy some pokeballs before departing. Sorry for that." Brook laughed a bit in embarrassment, scratching his head.
"Heheh, don't fret, Professor. I was planning on buying some stuff at the poke-mart before you found us."
"Well, I believe that will be all. The world itself will teach you the rest of your experience as a trainer."
"Thank you for everything, Professor. I'll be sure to make my team as strong and happy as possible." Max extended his hand to the professor in gratitude.
"I expect great things from you, young Max," Brook replied, shaking his hand. "Don't forget to check the detailed map and city guide in your pokedex, maybe find where the nearest pokemon gym is."
"Okay, I'll check it out. See ya, Professor."
"I wish you the best of luck."
After that, Max nodded to Brook before leaving the lab.
[Well, where shall be our first destination, master Max?] Scarlet pronounced seductively.
"Stop that, please. You don't have to call me master."
[But I want to. And I already told you that I know that deep inside you, you really like it.] She remarked while rubbing her head on his neck.
"Whatever, do what you want," Max told her, embarrassed.
[Hehe. I love it when you turn red.]
Ignoring her comments, Max opened his pokedex and pressed the 'map' option. On the screen, there was an aerial view of the continent and Max searched where he currently was.
"We should be… right... here." He pointed on the device's screen a place near his hometown.
Moving the map with the touch screen, Max looked around his current position a moment before setting their destination.
"Alright, the closest city will be… Coaltown."
[Coaltown? Hah, I wonder why they call it that?] Scarlet mockingly said.
"I don't know. Sometimes the city's name isn't literal and can be misleading."
[Well, we'll have to ask when we arrive, then.]
"I suppose. It looks to be just two or three days away. But before we leave this place, let's go get more pokeballs. Four more should be enough."
A few seconds later, four shrunken pokeballs appeared in Scarlet's hands.
"...Really, Scarlet?!" Max scowled.
[What? It will be the last time, I swear.] She promised with obviously fake pleading eyes.
*sigh* "You, sometimes. You're really lucky that I love you." Max replied, deciding to let it go.
[I am indeed.] She retorted, handing him the pokeballs and then embracing him.
"Okay, this way, then." Max led while pointing in the opposite direction of the path they took to arrive at the lab. "Adventure, here we come!"
[Oh no, you did not just say that.] Scarletcomplained.
"What?"
[That's so generic and cliché when you start something important as this.]
"What should I say, then?"
[Hmm… Maybe something like, 'alright, world, prepare your anus!'.]
At that, Max let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.
"Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into? I have the feeling that this will be a loooong journey."
[That's even better.] Scarlet said with a happy smile.
With Max sighing some more in misery and with Scarlet proposing more dirty and vulgar things to say or shout when you start a trip, they both have officially started their journey. And Max now had a goal in mind: to be the best and most caring trainer ever in history.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票