Chapter Twenty:
Odds and Ends

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. The only "ownership" I can claim are the personalities and my interpretation of how Pokémon look in a more realistic light, but other than that...yeah, I don't own anything on them. XD I do, however, own my original characters and writings, unless otherwise stated. In an exceptional case, a few special OCs belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them for the story that's to unfold. I'll point them out when their time to show up comes. :3

Note: Whooo! A milestone! Out of the teens! And we're out of Violet City. I have also found a name for Bullet's old trainer.

I also appreciate those who have favorited, liked, and generally just read this story. I love that you enjoy this story, especially when someone sends in a nice review about it. :) Thank you so much!

OoOoOoOoOoO

"What do you think happens now?"
"Everything that happens next."
-Booth and Bones, "Bones"

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So, wait, there's a bunch of ruins on the way to Ecruteak that civilians can just traipse right through? Don't the…the diggers—the archaeologists. Don't they get a little…offended if someone ruined something from, well, from the ruins?"

Riptide sighed heavily, wishing once again that his limbs were long enough to pinch his snout. And that his snout could crinkle like a mammal's just for the "I'm annoyed. See that I'm annoyed? I'm annoyed now. You made me annoyed," look.

"They section off parts of the ruins for tours to go through. Or so I've heard. The professor's made mention of it before, and has even been asked to come down to consult on some…strange pokémon discovered there."

"Strange…pokémon?"

"Well, hieroglyphs of strange-looking pokémon and suspected species living there. Or so the head of the dig has repeatedly stated in his calls to the professor. Strangely enough, they take after the glyph shapes of your language, the more common tongue your people seem fond of speaking."

"I wouldn't say my people, but I get your point."

"So are we going to this dig place or are we going to Azalea Town," Bullet called from below, glancing up at the two as he whined. "And how come the blue lizard gets to ride your shoulders? How come I can't do that?"

"Because you're too big and wriggly to sit still long enough to enjoy the ride, even if you were small enough," Lupin simply replied, earning a whine from the Growlithe, who continued trotting along, but with lowered ears and a sagging tail.

"Oh, you know you'd rather be down there, running around. You'd get too restless up here, sagging about my shoulders like this lazy gator."

Riptide gave a disgruntled hiss and indignant, "That was uncalled for. Rude," while Bullet perked up a little more.

"I guess you're right. I wouldn't be able to go sniff where I'd like if I was stuck up there!"

The Pokémon Center lobby was bustling as they checked out. Lupin eyed the patrons with mild interest while Bullet sat beside her, busying himself with a particularly nasty itch behind his ear. Riptide muttered under his breath the several varying species he could pinpoint visually without effort. He paused, however, at the sight of another Totodile. The other caught Riptide's eye and they stared at one another as Lupin finished logging in the service and time she'd utilized and returned the room key.

She noticed the distant stare Riptide was conducting from the corner of her eye and turned to look as well. The spell broke, and the Totodile gave a nod to Riptide, then turned excitedly toward its trainer, hopping on its hind limbs for attention. The trainer, a young boy of perhaps twelve or thirteen, turned to the mewling pokémon and busied himself with it.

When they were outside, Lupin stopped long enough to ask what that had been about.

"That was my one of my nest-mates. One of my many brothers and sisters. It looks like he's finally gathered himself a trainer."

"Do you…do you want to go say hi?" The question had been an automatic reflex and she was surprised at herself for asking. Riptide bumped his jaw against her cheek.

"No. We have our own plans. A family reunion is not one of them. Those of the Feraligatr line do not coddle one another like other breeds. He'll be fine. We've already established our contact."

"And…that little nod is enough?"

He snorted. "Mammals. You wouldn't understand. My kind socialize when we need to. This is not one of those times." He bumped her cheek again. "We have another city to get to. We should get going, since Falkner was a dead end. Hopefully Bugsy won't have as big an inflated ego as that birdbrained human."

Lupin hesitated only for a moment before she started walking again.

"So, how far is Azalea Town? I've never been outside of Violet City," Bullet said as he trotted alongside Lupin. Riptide tilted his head to look down at the Growlithe.

"Roughly a week, if even that. We have to pass through Route Thirty-Two and Union Cave before we're close to Azalea."

"Union…Cave? We have to go through a cave?"

The Totodile eyed the puppy pokémon a little longer. "You'll be fine. You have fire in your belly. You can use that to light the way through."

"A-and if I don't? Have any in my belly, I mean?"

"Then you'll stumble about aimlessly, get lost, and starve to death in the dark."

"Riptide, stop being mean on purpose. Bullet, you'll be fine. I promise you, I won't let anything bad happen to you." Lupin stressed through clenched teeth, flicking the Totodile upside the head. Riptide responded with a well-placed nip and a hiss in return.

Before either of them could retort, however, the Pokégear in her pocket began bleating away. The werewolf jumped in surprise as she hurriedly fished it out.

"Uh…I…hello?"

"Lupin! It's Professor Elm! Oh, thank goodness, I almost forgot I had this number, I was going to call the Pokemon Center first before realizing you must've left and then I found this number hanging on my monitor—"

Nervous laughter sounded off on the other end. Lupin exchanged looks between Riptide and Bullet as she stepped to the side to allow a woman and her Persian pass by. Bullet growled, distracted by the large cat as it sauntered past with twitching whiskers and a graceful stride.

"Er…Professor?"

"Hm? Oh, yes! I was calling to congratulate you!"

"Congratulate—you mean my class? I graduated from that about four days ago, Professor Elm. You're a little late on the uptake…"

"Well, I was calling to belatedly congratulate you on that—top of your class, I knew you were a smart young lady! But I was also calling to congratulate you on your first gym battle! Falkner called me and told me all about it—and with a Growlithe in the rain, that was a very risky maneuver, considering it's a fire-type and the rain probably didn't help it very much—,"

"Prof-professor, you're rambling. And I never took the gym badge."

A small pause passed over the phone that delved into the realm of awkward after nearly ten whole seconds went by.

"You…you didn't—that can't be right. Falkner said he made sure you took the badge."

"I didn't. He tried to give it to me, but I…"

She frowned, thinking back, before she jumped, like she'd been shocked.

"Oh, sonuva—don't tell me…"

She dug around in her pockets furiously before producing a tin from one of her pockets she'd never seen before. Lo and behold, she popped it open and the Violet City gym badge sat snuggly inside it. The silver finish gleamed in the light as it caught on the wing-like designs.

"Ho-how did he even get this in my coat?!"

Sneaky bastard!

"…I take it you didn't accept it and he forced it on you anyway."

She shoved the tin into her pocket, pinching the bridge of her nose as she adjusted her hold on the pokégear.

"Very. Astute. I'm taking this back, I didn't want it in the first place."

"Falkner was right…you really are stubborn. Most trainers generally don't reject the honour of winning a gym badge."

"Don't—say that, Professor Elm! You can't say that, you barely know me!"

"And you barely know yourself, so that makes two of us."

She scowled, ignoring the concerned whine from Bullet and rattle laugh of Riptide in her other ear. She couldn't argue that, even if she wanted. He was right.

"There was…another reason I was calling," he sighed, his tone changing and it immediately set Lupin on the alert.

"Is…is everything all right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I remember you called me about Shirubā the other day and how he had been seen in Violet City, and it reminded me of…well, I think you should head over to the Pokémart before you leave town. You're headed for Azalea Town, correct?"

"Professor, what's wrong?"

"Just—please. Phillip is waiting for you at the Pokémart. He'll explain everything."

Before she knew it, the professor had hung up with a hurried goodbye, and Lupin stared at the pokégear in her hand, stunned and silent. A pawing at her leg reminded her she was still in public and she stirred, stuffing the device back into another coat pocket.

"I…guess we're going to the Pokémart before we skip town."

Bemused and curious, she shouldered her pack more securely before heading down the street. At least it was closer toward the edge of town and on the way out. She listened to Bullet as he reminisced in the city he'd grown up in, while keeping an eye on him as he scuttled to and fro.

"So, why does your professor want us to go to the Pokémart? I thought we got all the supplies we needed last night," the Growlithe finally pressed. Lupin frowned, unsure of how to answer that at first before she sighed and threw up her hands.

"Who knows? He's got a lot on his mind and sometimes he gets…kinda scatterbrained. I'm not saying he's like that all the time, but sometimes…it kinda makes ya wonder."

"If I remember his schedule, he's possibly preparing for a dissertation to get a new grant from his collective research. He's the head of the scientific community here in Johto, and that affords a lot of resources and research opportunities. But in order to maintain that lofty title, he has to show continual progress in his studies."

"You sure know a lot," Bullet chipped in. Riptide regarded the Growlithe once more, and puffed his chest a little more in pride.

"I was in his lab for a long while, and while the other two focused on playing, I wanted to learn more about everything the professor studied. And humans talk so much aloud to us, they forget that we can understand them, even if we can't really communicate with them that well."

"Lupin can understand us."

"That's…different." Lupin interjected. They paused at a crosswalk beside a young man toting around a Pineco in his arms.

"How?"

Lupin opened her mouth to answer, but slowly realized she didn't really have one that she could easily explain. She didn't really even understand how it all worked. She glanced at Riptide from the corner of her eye. "Help?"

He hissed out a sigh.

"Some people can understand pokémon thoroughly like Lupin. It's a rare gift, and only a small percentage of the population are known to shown signs of it. Some researchers insist that it's genetic, as some generations have consecutively shown predispositions to understanding and communicating in full with pokémon. Others, however, have made the ill-conceived argument that it's along the lines of spiritual connections with pokémon. They try to push the dispute that those who are closer to their pokémon than others are able to speak with us." Riptide huffed a little and muttered under his breath before continuing.

"Some wish to conduct tests on young children, however. There's a theory going around that the younger a child is and the more exposed they are to pokémon in their early developmental years, the more likely they are to naturally develop this gift. The less interaction and the older they get, the more likely they are to lose it completely. It's been theorized that the gift is there, always there, even in adult humans, but it's poorly developed, atrophied and weak, and only needs a spark to reawaken it so as to be put to use again."

"Oh, wow. So…if everyone is capable, then…everyone could understand us? If they knew how to use that skill again?" Bullet pressed further. His eyes were wide with a look of quiet astonishment.

"It's only a hypothesis at this point in time," Riptide nodded. "Some are certain that if they exposed children more often than usual, the skill would remain into adulthood, but it still needs stronger evidence to gain any ground. At least, that's what Professor Elm was saying when it came across his desk. It was around the time I first got to the lab, actually."

"Then what about me? I'm an adult."

"You need an adult," the Totodile snorted, ignoring the side-eyed glare Lupin sent him. He rattle-laughed at her and patted her cheek with a paw. "You're more sensitive, I'm guessing, due to your…inhuman nature. You're closer to wild things than humans are. Ergo, you can communicate with us more easily than the average person. It's quite possible that it's merely a naturally biological thing for you."

Her glower lessened slightly after he finished, although she wasn't entirely appeased. A blur of movement alerted her, and she looked up to see Bullet sniffing out something ahead of them. He paused by a tree and sniffed it before relieving himself beside it. Riptide rumbled in discontent.

"Must you piss in front of us? Couldn't you have done that in the alley?"

"I'm just marking my territory for the last time, lizard, calm down. I'm probably not going to see Violet City again for a long time."

"Crocodilian. I don't do that tongue thing, fur ball—"

Lupin pinched the Totodile's mouth shut with a mild grin thrown Bullet's way. "Aaaaand that's enough out of the peanut gallery for today. We're here. C'mon, let's go see Phillip."

Riptide hissed low in his throat, promising once more to nip at Lupin's ears later on for this.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Needle, use double kick!"

"Riptide, counter with a water gun attack!"

A stream of water jettisoned forward in a powerful gush, slamming into the charging Nidoran . The attack left the poison pin pokémon down for the count, and its trainer staring in disbelief across the road. Several seconds ticked by before the young boy jumped into action, skittering across the road toward his unconscious pokémon.

"Oh, man, that was intense. You did a good job, Needle, we'll get you healed up at camp later." To Lupin, he turned with a wide grin after recalling the Nidoran . "You were incredible. Your Totodile's really strong!"

Riptide lifted his snout into the air smugly, puffing his chest out as he balanced on his hind legs. Lupin eyed him for a moment with a faint smile before turning to the other trainer. "Yeah, he's something, all right. Is your Nidoran gonna be okay?"

"Aw, Needle will be fine. He's got tough skin," the kid grinned again, and it was more evident that he was missing one of his teeth. "Oh, right. Sorry, I never introduced myself. Name's Roland. I'm out here with my troop camping for a few weeks."

"I ran into a few of them further down the road, I think," Lupin answered, remembering the young girls and boys that were smattered here and there through Route Thirty-Two. They were all in scout uniforms, just like Roland, perfect for outdoor activities.

"A couple miles toward Violet City, right?"

"Yeah, just about," Lupin said with a frown. "Isn't your…I dunno, troop leader, I guess, supposed to keep you guys together or…?"

Roland grinned a third time and laughed. "We're a little more prepared than the average camper, lady! We got our pokémon! Most we encounter in this area are Mareep herds, and there are plenty of Wooper, Hoppip and Rattata too. There's a lot of Ekans around here as well, so be careful. You got plenty of antidotes, right?"

"Sure, yeah. You be careful and just…try to not get hurt, yeah?"

"Oh, we are, don't you worry. Take care, lady, and thanks for the battle," Roland said, waving to her as he started down the way Lupin had just come.

She stared after the young boy until he disappeared around a curve in the road before turning back to face south again. The land seemed to slope further down the farther they went, and now that they were above the break in trees on the road, Lupin could see that they were entering a small valley. In the far distance, a train suddenly snaked into view, winking silver in the sunlight as it sped along. It quickly disappeared behind hills and trees, but its horn was loud and resonant as it sounded off, even from miles away.

"The Magnet Train," Riptide breathed. "It's supposed to connect between Goldenrod here in Johto to Saffron over in Kanto."

"Is there any other stations in between?"

"No. Not that I know of. I think it moves too fast to be able to slow down for interim stops."

"How fast can it move? It was there and gone before we could blink," Bullet yipped, staring between where it had first appeared, to where it had disappeared.

"I don't know. Very fast," Riptide sighed heavily, nodding toward the valley below. He noticed the shimmer of a river and lake, and if he strained, he could make out docks and cottages alongside the shore. Fishermen, most likely, he quietly concluded. "We're wasting daylight. We should try to get down there before it gets too dark."

The road took them straight to the valley floor with little fanfare or surprises, and just as they were pitching camp, the sun was slowly beginning to disappear behind the trees. The balmy weather seemed to remain, even as the sun soon disappeared beyond the horizon and a fire was sparked for the night. She allowed dinner to slowly cook as she finished setting the tent up and stowing her things away inside. Riptide found a nearby small pond to swim in, leaving Bullet by the campfire with Lupin.

He noticed when it had grown too quiet and looked to find Lupin playing with a bracelet over her wrist again. It glimmered faintly in the firelight, the orange and yellow glow playing on the metal band. It looked as though separate pieces had been tightly coiled and braided together and woven into a bangle, yet it was mellow and appeasing to the eye, nothing gaudy or overtly overcompensating. There weren't any jewels, it was all white gold. He whined at her and she stopped twirling the bangle for a moment, looking at him, then at his empty dish.

"You still hungry?"

"No. Well, yes, I am, but…are you okay? You…you haven't really been yourself. Not since we left Violet City…"

She stared at him, looking torn, as though she wanted to say one thing, but had thought better of it. She looked away and back into the crackling flames. Her other hand began twirling the bangle once again, picking along the grooves and knots of the metal design.

"I…I dunno. Maybe? Or no. I'm not sure anymore. It's just…" She glanced up suddenly, looking to and fro, as though searching the forest around them for unwelcome eavesdroppers. The wolfish ears propped upon her ear twitched and swiveled, and Bullet's did the same, although he was unsure of what he was listening for. Her focus returned to the fire pit again.

"I thought I could trust the professor, is all. I mean, I do. But…he took something from me. He took…this. I didn't even know it existed until he had Phillip bring it back, and…I can understand he was trying to act altruistically with helping me. He's helped me plenty and I'm grateful. But he…took this from me." She rattled the bangle on her wrist. "He was trying to…see if any known jewelers had made it for me, or someone put in a similar order perhaps track me down that way, and I get it. I do. I just…wish he'd asked first instead of just doing it."

"Maybe he meant to and he forgot?" Bullet inputted, inching closer toward her. She didn't look at him, but her lips pursed tightly together and her brow pinched close together. The eye visible to him was flashing clear yellow, reflecting the fire's light in it. It reminded him of fire itself and he thought how pretty it looked on her.

"I…I dunno anymore. I didn't want to say anything in front of Riptide. He really looks up to the professor. I'm not saying he's a bad man. Maybe he did forget. I just…kind of wish he didn't just take this from me without asking, though. I'm surprised he didn't take everything else and do the same thing. Like my knives or my dog tags."

"Dog tags?" Bullet echoed.

Lupin moved at last, her eye flicking to glance at him while her hand stopped worrying the bangle on her wrist. She slowly reached for a beaded chain around her neck. He's noticed it before, but had never seen what was on the end of it until now. Flat metal dangled at the end, rimmed by black rubber and he could see there were indents in them, like scratches.

"This is the only reason why I know my name. Or at least I hope is my name. For now, it's all I've got on identity for myself. Name, birthday, and a rank for some reason." She shrugged and slid the pendant back under her shirt with an annoyed sigh. "All useless unless it turns into a map or an address telling me where to go. I had nothing in my wallet, and my Book isn't worth a damn either. It spouts off about…creatures and-and things I've never even heard of, except for what I am and it sure as hell isn't human or pokémon, or anything in-between. That's why I look like this."

She waved her hand in the vague direction of herself, and he knew what she meant: her tail and ears, both plain as day—or night, in this case—but always hidden from immediate sight. All it took was a long coat and a simple hat.

He stared at her, unsure of how to respond or maybe he wasn't supposed to. He settled closer to her, resting his head on her thigh and she dug her fingers through his fur. It didn't hurt when she combed through anymore. His fur was no longer matted and tangled like it used to be. He had her to thank for that. He had a lot to thank her for, like registering him as her pokémon instead of leaving him alone. Or she could have left him at the mercy of pokémon catchers like the ones that had come for him before. He missed his old trainer. Benjamin had been good to him, even if they didn't live in a home. But he didn't live in a home now either, but this was a different freedom. He was grateful for it.

The least he could do was comfort his new trainer, the same way he'd try to comfort his old one.

She said nothing more and neither did he, but the silence stretched on somewhat comfortably between them. Occasionally she'd worry at the bangle, twirling it over scarred wrists, and he briefly wondered what had happened to her. He was afraid of asking, though. They looked like burn scars.

Riptide returned not long after they had both lapsed into silence, still dribbling water as he lay close to the fire to dry off. Fire gleamed off his scales dully, yellow against blue, orange against red, while his eyes seemed to glimmer even brighter than ever. The sky was dark, leaving the fire the only light source around them. Not too far off, they could hear the soft gurgle of brook somewhere close by, perhaps the very same that fed into the pond Riptide had been lazing about in.

Shortly after his return, they tucked in for the night, resting up for the next leg in their journey to Azalea.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"What's wrong with a Magikarp? I thought it evolved into that powerhouse, Gyarados."

"Yes, true. Magikarp does evolve into Gyarados. But it's also a weakling pokémon. It's difficult to train because it's so weak. It gets swept downstream by even the lightest of currents all the time. The best you can do is throw it at a daycare provider and have them raise it, or else you'll be burying a useless fish corpse before we even make it out of Union Cave. It's not even worth eating, they barely have any meat on them."

Riptide hissed and croaked in disgust while Lupin only frowned as she sat on the bank of river. A fishing pole sat in her hands, a gift given by a rather generous fisherman near the river docks they'd passed. "You're so picky with teammates. You wouldn't accept Slate on the team—"

"Murderous rock snake."

"You barely got along with Syd—"

"Birdbrain."

"And you still pick on Bullet!"

"Dunderheaded thief."

"Hey!" The Growlithe barked resentfully.

"Riptide, enough. I don't know how many times I've told you to stop being such a smarmy little jerk to everyone. Just because you're smarter than most people, doesn't mean you get to treat them like crap. Seriously. Do you want me to keep you in your pokéball all the time and hardly ever let you out? Because that can be arranged real quick, real easy."

She glowered at the Totodile at her side, ears pinned tightly against her head. Riptide stared at her in return, taken aback.

"I think you should," Bullet muttered on the other side of Lupin.

There was a tense moment that passed between them all, one that practically electrified the air.

"Either you start putting a filter on that mouth of yours, or its travel time in the pokéball. Your choice."

"Fish."

"That…that's not an option. And I'm not going to back down from this, I mean it—,"

"No, I meant you have a fish nibbling on your line. You're going to lose it if you don't reel it in."

"What the—oh, oh! No, no, no, fishy, don't go, I just want to catch you, c'mon little Magikarp—there you are—and don't you think I've forgotten about this, Riptide, I swear to whatever passes as holy in this place, I haven't!"

"Says the amnesiac, with a lost look on her face."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Hey, there, pretty lady! How ya doing today?"

Lupin eyed the skinny blond man blocking her path on the road, a loiterer no doubt. He was wrapped in a form-fitting trench coat and grubby, dark travel clothes, a pack slung carelessly by a strap on one shoulder. A rough-looking Meowth slunk around his legs, purring incessantly. Riptide glowered at the scratch pokémon and Bullet bristled, growling quietly. The Meowth paid neither of them any mind, its yellow eyes narrowed and focused on Lupin instead.

"I see you've been on the road for a little while, probably hungry, right? Well, little lady, I got me some really good food for sale, and at a pretty low price. "

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to pass that up."

"Oh, you haven't even seen the product yet! It'll stave away hunger for some time and it's quite delicious, if I can say so myself. What do ya say? Care to cash in on some of this Slowpoke Tail I got? It's only nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand yen. What a deal, right? I mean, of course it is! Usually, they run for a couple hundred thousand each!"

He grinned wider at the werewolf, unfazed by the glower she sent him, although he flinched at the deep-throated bark Bullet sent him. The Meowth yowled in surprise and hissed back, scruffy fur standing on end and tail puffing up in annoyance. Riptide hissed back, finally startling the man from his greedy stupor.

"Step. Aside. I'm not interested."

"Sheesh. Broke, much? Fine. Move along. C'mon, Shiner. Let's go."

His demeanor changed entirely, but Lupin was already stepping past him, unperturbed. When they were well out earshot, Lupin glanced at the Totodile on her shoulder.

"Slowpoke tails?"

"Black market foods. It was considered a delicacy a long time ago, before it was outlawed here in Johto and Kanto years ago. I'm not sure if it was in the other regions, though."

"…there's a black market on food here?" Lupin found that a little hard to believe. Riptide huffed.

"There is when it involves chopping off the tails of living pokémon, then throwing the mutilated creatures back to the wilds to bleed to death."

"What?! That's horrible! Who would do that to pokémon?" Bullet yelped, ears pressing to his head in dismay.

"Poachers," Lupin provided. Riptide nodded glumly.

"There are some who still hunt down wild Feraligatr to skin them for their scales and crests. Our hides used to fetch a high price several hundred years ago. They still do, although more people are spiriting away wild pokémon to sell in an underground battling black market nowadays. They sell strong pokémon to the highest bidder, completely ignoring whether that person will care for their newly won prize, or if they even have the right stuff to handle a potentially dangerous pokémon or not. All they care about is the money. And that doesn't mean there aren't people out there who still indulge in eating pokémon…or parts of them, anyway. Shellder harvesting, for example, was outlawed almost thirty years ago because they were becoming an endangered species, yet rich froufrou humans still enjoy sucking the meat out of their shells these days..."

"…just how much about this stuff do you know about?"

"The professor, of course. He's an avid protestor against pokémon cruelty and doesn't hesitate in swinging his weight around when it involves shutting down poacher and black marker sales operations. I'm sure he'd be interested in knowing that someone is taking it upon themselves to act as a sales vendor out here for Slowpoke tails."

He enunciated his last words, tilting his head to peer at Lupin critically, his crooked grin seemingly twisted upwards even more. His yellow-red eyes gleamed knowingly and she took that as a cue to pull out her pokégear and dial the professor's number. Bullet cast a glance over his shoulder where the skinny man had been lurking on the road and growled.

Riptide rattle-laughed.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Welcome to Route Thirty-Two's Pokemon Center, ma'am! How're you and your team feeling today?"

Another Nurse Joy? Are they clones or something?

Despite her reserved thoughts, Lupin smiled nonetheless back at the pink-haired woman, offering the tray to her. Two pokéballs were nestled in it.

"We just need a quick boost before hitting Union Cave."

"Not at all! We see a lot of traffic coming through here, especially at this time of the year. In fact, quite a number went through just the other day. It's a great training ground for trainers," Nurse Joy exclaimed with a smile, taking the tray. After pausing to scan Lupin's trainer card, she turned to the machine behind the lobby desk and slid the tray into a compartment with a Plexiglas cover. Sliding it shut, she pressed a few buttons on a keypad. The machine hummed and a screen facing outboard from the wall showed Riptide and Bullet's information under a picture of each of them.

"Hey, Nurse Joy, I had a question. Why is it that registered trainers get free healings like this, but everyone else has to pay?"

"Each trainer is registered under the Pokémon League, young or old. This machine shouldn't cost anything to heal your pokémon if they're already in good condition while you're registered under a league. Any further service, such as severe mutilation, mauling, stitches, or prolonged sicknesses requires a payment. And your records show you previously had a lab tech assistant license. You had to pay for things like this when you still had it, correct?"

"Well, yes…"

Nurse Joy smiled at her. "If you had a breeder's license, instead of a training license, you'd also be subjected to a payment, although you'd probably have to pay less than what you did when you were a lab assistant, for example. It all depends on what you're licensed for." She paused when the machine behind her dinged and she turned back to fetch the tray. "However, all pokémon centers also accept donations. Every little bit helps, especially when it goes to the upkeep, maintenance, medicine, and other supplies used to help heal pokémon."

Lupin considered her words, briefly, before pulling out her wallet and producing a few bills to the other woman. Nurse Joy accepted it and gave a small bow with her head.

"Thank you for your donation! And your pokémon are at full health. Please be careful as you head through the cave. There are some Onix and Zubat present and they can be a little tricky sometimes."

The werewolf left the center with those words ringing in her ears, blinking into the harsh afternoon sun. Releasing Riptide and Bullet, she stooped to pick up the Totodile, but he slid from her grip and waved her off with a paw.

"No, no. I need to start walking on my own. I'll be too big for your shoulders soon, in case you haven't noticed. I've crested."

She gave him a boggled stare, and he sighed before motioning to his head with a stubby paw.

"My skull. Noticed anything different?"

It took her a moment, but it became apparent after she stared for several long seconds.

"Oh! You—that red horn, it wasn't there before!"

"Crest," Riptide corrected sharply. "I'll evolve soon and I need to build more strength in my legs. I can't afford to be carried around anymore or I won't have as easy a time running around as a Croconaw." He turned, his tail dragging while he wobbled further down the road. It was longer now than several weeks ago, Lupin noted. And his front arms weren't as stubby anymore, either. Bullet trotted alongside the Totodile, looking smugly at the gator.

"Not so easy down here, now, is it?"

"Shut it, fuzzball, or I'll soak you to the bone with a water gun." Riptide grumbled back with a hiss.

"Shutting up now," Bullet quickly replied, scurrying ahead with a wag to his tail. "C'mon, we're losing daylight; we don't wanna be stuck in this cave overnight!"

Lupin watched the Growlithe shortly, then turned to Riptide.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine. But he's right, you know. We don't want to be stuck in a cave all night, especially when the Zubat start stirring up and causing all sorts of confusion tactics to trip us up. Nasty little flying rats…"

With that said, he jerked his head forward and waddled forward, his steps less wobbly the longer he went. Lupin paced beside him, her hand slowly drifting up to worry at the bangle on her wrist. Riptide watched on occasion from the corner of his eye. A part of him wanted to speak up about it. Another worried what she'd say if he did.

He knew about the bangle, and the professor's attempts to help. He also remembered the professor trying to identify her once they were certain she was breathing the night they pulled her out of the water. So much had happened in such a little time frame that it all seemed like a distant, fuzzy memory. And yet at the same time, he could recall it with such clarity, it hurt more now than it did back then. Especially since he knew and cared about her.

So he continued to say nothing, unsure of how to proceed. Perhaps he'd talk to her later that night when they had less traveling to focus on, especially once they were through Union Cave.

That seemed like a solid plan.

OoOoOoOoOoO