~David~
Being an Orphan isn't easy. Being an Orphan in a Pokémon world is worse. Having been reincarnated with memories made it a bit better, but not by much.
What saved me quite a bit of a headache was the fact, that I did have a cheat. It just wasn't active yet. So to prepare myself for what seemed to be the best choice, I learned.
To become a trainer, you need to a: have connections or b: pass a league sanctioned test. As an Orphan, born in a small village close to Blackthorn City, who wasn't adopted but stayed in the orphanage, my chance for the former option was practically nill.
Which meant, that I'd have to pass the test, and taking the test was not at all cheap after the first time. The first try was a freebie for anyone below age 15 to encourage young people to at least try and become a trainer.
So I learned. And remembered. I dabbled a bit with competitive pokémon in my past life, and since I liked to use only selfbred mons, I had a fair bit of knowledge on egg groups and stuff like that in addition to movesets, natures and teambuilding.
That knowledge was mostly on the more useless side, except for teambuilding, but it will help a bit with strategizing.
It took a while to confirm, but by now I knew, that a lot of my knowledge besides that was legit, some was outdated and some may not be known yet or simply did not exist.
What did not really surprise me is, that the world was way bigger, than what was shown in anime, games and mangas.
There were also systems, that you could not find in those, like potential, move mastery and genetic aberrations, that may have positive or negative effects. Sometimes even both or none.
At the start, I thought, that maybe, potential was a way to classify IV/DV. Those were a largely hidden system in the games, that gave inherent Bonus stats to pokemon, up to 31 points per stat at level 100.
As a casual player, having a pokemon with good IV was nice, but not necessary. In competitive play, it was very much mandatory to perfect your IV, as even a single point less in speed, for example, could cost you the entire match.
Turns out, I was kinda correct in that assumption. It was more than that, though. Having good potential profited not only their 'stats' but also training speed, comprehension, move mastery and the ease with which they broke through the 'bottlenecks' that happened at the limit of every stage, another thing that didn't happen in any of my last life's media. The stages, at least the ones, that were public knowledge, were:
Baby
Rookie
Regular
Advanced
Elite
Raising a pokémon's potential was hard, but possible. Potential followed the colours of the rainbow, with red being the lowest.
Red (1)
Orange (2)
Yellow (3)
Green (4)
Blue (5)
Purple (6)
Iridescent (7)
The last one was said to only be reachable if the pokémon had at least trace amounts of the blood of a legendary.
Colours and numbers were interchangable, but numbers were less accurate, since every colour was split into light, normal and deep.
That's what was common knowledge, easily acquirable for everyone.
High potential had an additional bonus, though. One, that I learned of by chance, when I eavesdropped on a drunk ace trainer, who loudly complained, that even though he raised his Poliwag's potential to deep blue, it didn't gain an affinity to an additional typing.
Yeah, that was a thing. I confirmed the information with a targeted search through the fairly well stocked public library. Sponsored by the league of course.
So here I am. 10 years old and out of Dragontooth Village for the first time since birth. Standing in front of the League Base of Blackthorn City with three other Orphans, to take a once-a-year-test, that would mold our future, one way or another. Ashley, Darock and Mike were their names if my memory did not fail me.
I didn't interact much with the other orphans as my more mature mind and work ethic didn't agree with their childlike minds. I wasn't bullied or anything, they just avoided me and it suited me well, since I had better things to do than playing around.
Ashley caught my attention at this moment, though, since she looked as if she was moments away from a panic attack. Her breath was coming in rapid pants, bordering on hyperventilation and her cerulean blue eyes were wide with panic and self doubt.
I stepped up to her and put my hand on her shoulder, grabbing it firmly to anchor her in reality instead of her own thoughts.
She jumped like a startled Kangashkan and looked at me with wide eyes, slightly wet around the corners. I caught her gaze and told her. "Imitate me."
Then I started to take deep breaths and after a moment, she tried to do the same. It did help settle her a bit as she stopped shaking like a Burmy in the wind.
She closed her eyes, took one last deep breath, opened them and looked at me with a somewhat timid smile. "Thanks..." Was all she said and I simply nodded in acknowledgement and released her shoulder.
After that little episode, Darock and Mike either didn't notice or ignored it, our caretaker came out of the building in front of us.
He was a short and stout middle-aged man with a friendly face, impressive moustache, nearly permanently closed eyes and a bald head. A strange combination, that somehow worked well for him. The name Rodney Croppet was a bit ridiculous, though.
He closed in on us and gave us the information, that he went in to get. "The test starts in about an hour, so you have a bit of time to center yourself. Please don't stress yourself out. Even if you don't manage to pass the rookie trainer test, there won't be any big consequences."
Well, in the immediate future, there won't be, but having to safe up 10k Poké to retake it, should your interest persist, was kind of a big deal for an Orphan.
That was one of the reasons, why only 3 others were taking the test with me. No one else felt ready enough to pass.
His little 'advice' did help the three of them to calm down, though, so that's that. He looked at me for a moment with a wry smile and continued.
"Since we have an hour to spend, how about getting something to eat to keep your energy levels up?" That suggestion was well received by all, including me.
After getting some food from a nearby stall, we readied ourselves mentally and entered the building.
This year, the amount of testtakers was especially low with only around 30 showing up.
For a major city in the region, this was a low number, but if you look at the terrain in which the city was situated, you'll find it fairly difficult to traverse.
Teleporting services were a thing, but they were expensive and psychic types with enough raw power for mid to long distance teleports were rare.
This meant, that those taking the test at Blackthorn City were mostly from the city and it's immediate vicinity as those who lived in between Mahogany City and Blackthorn City mostly chose to take the test in the former one.
Those living on what the gamers knew as Route 45 and Route 46, which were way more expansive than was shown on media, usually chose to take the test in Newbark Town as the testings there were supervised by none other than Professor Elm.
The man might look unimpressive, but he did learn from Professor Oak, and he learned well. In the games, his research into pre-evolutions might not seem all that important. But here, in the real world, it was a major breakthrough, that helped some species to reach unknown heights.
The reason for that is rather simple. More evolutionary stages meant more possibilities to boost your Pokémon's potential. The evolution process needed a high amount of energy, but if you managed to provide your Pokémon with an excessive amount of high grade energy, specific items that fit it's affinities or species specific triggers, then you had a decent chance to raise it's potential and rarely even unlock aberrations.
Of course, raising potential wasn't impossible outside of evolution, but it was harder to do and took more ressources, which made single evolution pokémon less sought after and those without evolutionary line even less so.
Snapping out of my thoughts as we arrived at the designated room, where we'll be collected by the instructor who will oversee the testing. I looked around curiously, taking in the combination of confidence, nervousity and outright panic in the other testtakers.
Soon, a new person entered the room. He was a plain man with brown hair, generic face but a rather well built body, that might hint at him being a fighting-, ground- or rock-type specialist. He observed us for a moment before a practiced but genuine smile appeared on his face. "My name is Will Coulson. I will supervise today's theoretical testing. Please follow me to the test site."
The instructor led us to a fairly big room with pre-prepared tests and writing utensils already waiting for us.
Our names were called with a predetermined number, that decided the seat we had to take. Soon the theoretical test was underway.
Some questions were common sense type, some factual and some were scenarios in which we had to describe, what we'd do in this specific situation.
Some extra points could be earned through providing additional relevant information to ease the pressure from the practical exam.
After checking my answers thrice, I folded the answer sheet and silently stepped up to the instructor to hand it in.
He silently asked with an inquisitive gaze. "Are you sure that you want to hand in already? You have nearly half your time left, don't you want to check your answers?"
I sighed. "Already did, thrice." He laughed an awkward little laugh and asked. "Do you want to take your practical immediately or do you want to rest for the left over time?"
Around 50 minutes left, huh? "Might as well adjust my mental state... May I start the practical in half an hour?"
He nodded and I returned to my seat and closed my eyes for a moment. I watched a lot of Pokémon battles on Pokénet, with and without professional commentary.
Every good trainer had a unique style, strategies to fall back upon, trumpcards for every team member and a rythm, that may pull you in if you aren't careful. The one thing they all said however was, that even a moment of hesitation might cost you the battle.
It was better to execute a subpar strategy than staying idle in most situations. Of course, as a Trainer, you were not alone on the battlefield. Your pokémon usually was right there with you.
A good trainer directed their pokémon. An exceptional Trainer sharpened their instincts and drilled strategies and maneuvers for as many situations as possible into their bones. They trusted their partners since usually, they had more acute senses.
This practical however, it paired you with a random Pokémon. All you got were five minutes to familiarise yourself with the pokémon and their movepool.
Then you participated in what was usually your first trainer battle against an experienced trainer, who also got a random pokémon.
The difference was: as long as neither is a newly hired/caught member of the staff, they'll already be familiar with each other, which usually was an advantage for them.
Of course you didn't have to beat your opponent.
What they wanted to test is your reactions under pressure and your decision making in stressful situations.
Since I couldn't change the circumstances, I would have to improvise. A little less than 20 minutes later, I opened my eyes and stepped up to the instructor again. "I'm ready."
He nodded and pulled out a communication device, silently talking into it. After getting an answer, he directed his gaze back onto me. "Everything's clear. I gave them a heads-up, that you'll come along a little bit earlier. Will you be able to make your way over there yourself or should I send an assistant with you?"
I thought for a moment and decided, that having someone with me, that knew the way would be very helpful. "The latter, please."
He smiled lightly, stood and went to the open door in the back of the room, likely leading to an office, and called for someone named Joan who turned out to be an attractive woman in her mid-twenties.
She had shoulder-length, wavy hair, that was of a very dark red in colour and an attractive face with captivating emerald green eyes. She was wearing a league trainer uniform, that fit her sporty body type well.
After giving her a once-over, I introduced myself. "Hello, my name is David. No surname since I'm an orphan. I'll be in your care."
An amused smile danced on her lips as she answered. "No need to be so polite, kiddo. Let's get going, shall we?"
She didn't dawdle and I had to nearly jog to keep up with her. Curse my short legs, I did hope I'd reach my past life's height again. 185cm would be fairly respectable.
She noticed my struggle and slowed down a bit while giving me a mischievous smirk, that clued me in that it was entirely intentional. After grumbling a bit, I looked at her curiously. "What's your trainer rank, if it isn't too much to ask?"
She was at least an advanced trainer, since she had 4 Pokéballs hanging on her belt. Amused by my curiosity, if I interpreted the slight smile and raised eyebrow correctly, she decided to answer nevertheless.
"Just raised my rank a couple of days ago, actually. Freshly advanced to Elite rank, Joan Rosco, at your service."
An elite. That's huge.
If I remembered correctly, and I was pretty sure I did, then the ranks were as follows.
Civilian - Limited to a single pokémon, valid from age 15. Forbidden from owning one before reaching that age.
Rookie - Limited to 3 active pokémon at any time.
Regular - Limited to 3 active pokémon at any time and a slight discount on all things needed for pokémon from league sponsored shops.
Advanced - Limited to 4 active pokémon at any time and a slight discount on all things needed for pokémon from league sponsored shops.
Elite - The watershed so to speak. Allowed to keep a full team of 6 active Pokémon at all time. Authority over all active trainers below elite rank in the vicinity in case of an emergency. Fairly big discount on all things needed for Pokémon from league sponsored shops.
That was the official information among non-trainers, later ranks were not accessible information as a civilian with no trainer background.
I was curious, why lower ranks were limited in the amount of Pokémon they were allowed to keep on them, and honestly, the reasons made sense.
Lower rank trainers usually had low income, which made feeding a full team rather hard, especially if it should be nutritious food. There were also itemcosts, grooming supplies and so much more you'd need to effectively care for your Pokémon.
So to counter that, you'd have to prove yourself to be capable. Capable enough to care for a full team. Additionally, if you wanted to raise your rank, you'd have to let a local Nurse Joy check up on your Pokémon's health.
If they prove to have been abused or neglected by you, then your license would be revoked, you'd have to pay an extremely costly fine and your league profile would have a big red flag as pokémon abuser, which made being hired for anything extremely hard and may even lead to harassment by the public.
Safe to say, after those regulations and laws were introduced, Pokémon abuse very nearly vanished, at least on the brighter side of the law.
After showing the appropriate amount of awe, that I genuinely felt, I asked her a couple more questions. "Do you specialise in a specific typing or are you a generalist? What Pokémon do you have? Did you enter the gym circuit? Why are you even working at a league center if you are an Elite?"
She chuckled and looked at me with a slightly incredulous expression. "That's a pretty big change. From a somewhat taciturn and polite boy into an excitable and curious brat who's actually somewhat acting his age."
I blushed a bit but stayed silent and just looked at her with pleading eyes, which led to another laugh.
"Alright, alright! I'll answer some of your questions kiddo. I do specialise in a typing, the dark type, to be exact. Part of my main team is a Houndoom named Zeus and he's the cutest. As for the gym circuit, I plan to enter next year as I'll hopefully have my full team by then, which would allow me to compete for 2-Star badges.
Your last question is a tad rude, but I'll let it slide this time." She winked at me, showing that there were no hard feelings and told me. "Short answer: It pays well and I'll have enough free time to train up my team."
It only just dawned on me that the last question may have actually been quite out of line. I didn't know her circumstances, and the way I asked may be seen as judgmental.
"I apologise. I was pretty excited to actually meet an elite rank trainer, so I kinda failed to engage my brain-to-mouth filter."
That was one of the reasons I didn't usually talk all that much. The other one was, that actions spoke louder than words most of the time.
She answered lightheartedly. "Don't sweat it, we all made an ass out of ourselves at some point in our childhoods. Most just repress those memories. Some learn from them and manage to not constantly put their feet into their mouths. Make sure you'll be one of those." She winked again. She likes doing that, huh.
"Aaand we are there." She suddenly informed me after stopping in front of a rather big door, battle terrain was what the sign on it's left side was telling me.
"In there, you'll find a table, from which you'll be able to remove a single pokéball. Below the ball, you'll find an envelope, that contains the pokémon's species, gender, ability and movepool. Your 10 minutes to familiarise yourself with the pokémon start as soon as you take the ball. Once the timer hits zero, you'll have to enter the battlefield through the door on the other side of the room. Any questions?" she rattled off.
I looked at her seriously and answered. "Only one. How long did you spend in front of a mirror to practise that speech?" A snort escaped her as she muttered. "Cheeky little bugger..."
I turned fully to her and smiled. "Thank you for directing me here and answering my questions. I enjoyed our talk and really hope I'll be able to meet Zeus and his teammates sometime in the future!"
She shook her head and sighed with a slight smile. "Now you're back to being polite. Think nothing of it, I was just doing my job. As for meeting my team, maybe if you manage to visit the city in the upcoming year. Good luck with your practical."
After another thanks and a goodbye, I pushed the door open, which was a bit harder than expected. The inside was a fairly large, nearly empty room, that had exactly one thing in it: A table if you wanted to call this hightech contraption that. And it was filled with Pokéballs.
After a quick count, I was slightly surprised. There were exactly 50 pokémon to select from. Since I didn't know what I'd get, I decided to go with the first one that caught my attention.
I grabbed the envelop, opened it and read the file.
Pokémon: Zubat
Sex: Female
Ability: Inner Focus
Movepool:
Supersonic, Astonish, Mean Look, Poison Fang and Venom Drench.
Well, wasn't that something. Venom Drench should be an egg move. All the others were moves, that were probably learned naturally by instinct. Absorb wasn't there, which was something it should have learned pretty early on. There was no information on how far along it's move masteries were.
10 minutes to familiarise myself with the chosen pokémon. I released the Zubat, and she instantly started to fly around, releasing probing sounds all the while.
She then landed in front of me, with an expectant posture. Pokémon were fairly intelligent by default. There were some species, that were less or more so, but by general rule of thumb, most trained pokémon understood human language.
"May I pet you?" I asked the bat. Establishing a slight trust and maybe even some goodwill should be a priority. I'll only have to battle once with this pokémon, but it was an important one.
After getting an affirmative in the form of an excited screech, I scratched her carefully behind her ears, that worked as her eyes too. She seemed to enjoy the ministrations since she pressed her head further into my hand.
I couldn't help the little smile, that appeared on my face, since interactions with pokémon were rare in the orphanage.
After pampering the Zubat for a while, I asked her if she was fed recently, to which she shook her head.
I hesitated for a moment before rolling up the sleeve of my dark green sweater.
Trainers of the Zubat line oftentimes used their own blood for nourishment if they spent some time in a city, since pokémon blood could be pretty expensive in the long run.
It also helped with bonding, since freely giving blood is a sign of trust among this species. Which is why the Zubat in front of me was stunned for a moment, only to screech at me as if to ask if I was sure.
"Even if we are only partnering up a single time, I can't let you battle while you're hungry. Not only would it influence your performance negatively, it also wouldn't sit right with me."
And so I was treated to the peculiar sensation of what being the victim of a vampire might have felt like.
It didn't take long for the relatively young specimen to drink it's fill and she even screeched thankfully at me.
I just nodded and sat down. "Now, let's talk strategies..."
A little less than ten minutes later, we were called in. I returned Zubat and stepped up to the smaller door in the other side of the room.
After taking a deep breath to calm myself, I pushed the door open and stepped into the battle terrain. Which was a fancy name for the fairly large room, that was left plain with only some markings drawn of the floor in the middle.
The person I had to battle was a middle-aged man with dark skin, a single tuft of thick brown hair in the middle of his otherwise bald head and lazy eyes, that followed my approach. He kinda looked like a badly made chocolate whipped cream cake.
He had a smoke in his mouth, but it wasn't lit. When I stepped into the markings, that most likely were the limits of our battlefield, he started to talk.
"So you are either an overachiever or an idiot." I didn't like him.
"I'd like to think, that coming prepared isn't a bad thing. This is a dangerous world after all."
He inclined his head. "Overachiever it is, then." I really didn't like him. "Well, let's get this over with. Our battle will be a one-on-one. The battle is over if a pokemon is unable to battle or if one of us surrenders. Items are not allowed."
After giving out the rules, he threw his ball and released a geodude. That was not a good matchup, but we'll manage. Still lamented the confirmed lack of Absorb, though.
I released Zubat and the battle started. Without me saying anything, Zubat hurried along the field and released an Astonish in geodude's direction.
My opponent, whose name I didn't know, as well as his pokémon were surprised at the sudden move and didn't react quickly enough, which allowed the move to land cleanly.
Startled by the sudden infusion of ghost type energy, that invaded his body, geodude failed to react to the point blank Supersonic, that followed.
A basic combo, but very much unexpected from an inexperienced little boy in his first pokémon battle ever. Especially since it was premeditated, meaning no commands were spoken.
"Snap out of it Geodude, and nail it with Rock Throw!" Well, that just won't do. "Keep releasing soundwaves to disorient it and avoid those rocks. When you see a chance, try for another Astonish."
With Geodude being confused, his aim was off, which, in combination with the constantly released soundwaves, made dodging the rocks fairly easy for Zubat, since the sound doubled as radar.
After dodging two more rocks, Geodude overextended and Zubat used the window of opportunity to close in and use Astonish.
Luck was on our side, since Geodude stopped again for a moment, which allowed us to get another hit in.
"Poison Fang, now." Zubat didn't hesitate at all and bit down on the armed rock. It didn't do much damage, but every bit counts against a defensively strong opponent. Sadly, the rock/ground-type wasn't poisoned.
I kept my eyes on Geodude and saw his eyes sharpen. "Disengage, he snapped out of it." Zubat followed my command perfectly and even while disengaging, she released another Supersonic. She did not manage to confuse her opponent this time, but it did help distracting Geodude enough to safely get away.
"Try Smack Down and follow up if you hit. If you don't, use Defense Curl." That command was a bit better than his previous one. Smack Down usually had better accuracy than Rock throw, and grounding Zubat would take away all her mobility.
Defense Curl allowed for raised defense since it was a boost move, but the more dangerous thing about this move was, that it could be used to set up Rollout.
"Continue releasing your soundwaves." And that's just what she did. One good hit and Zubat will be down. Her defensive prowess was... Let's just say it's not the best.
Frail as she was, she also had advantages, those being her nimbleness and maneuverability.
And constantly using soundwaves to detect what's going on around her allowed for some pretty neat dodging.
The reason for Zubat being able to keep this up consistently was her ability: Inner Focus. Abilities did not really work like in the games. The effect was usually pretty close, but they could also be used in creative ways if you knew how.
In this case, Zubat was innately better able to focus, especially in battle or immediate danger. This allowed for some minor multitasting, which was what we were using.
One look at the frustrated face of my opponent showed me what he thought of our hit and run tactics.
The problem was Geodude's extremely high defense, that was buffed up by a numerous amount of Harden and Defense Curl, and our nonexistent range. Endurance isn't a strong point of Zubat either.
After several tries, we finally managed to poison our opponent, which caused the opposing trainer to panic.
Waiting for just the right moment, I gave a command. "Now, use Venom Drench."
A large wave of venomous liquid, well, drenched Geodude, which caused it to cry out in pain. In the games, this was a status move, that lowered both offensive stats and speed as long as the opponent was poisoned.
In this world, it's effect was better. It deepened the poisoning effect, which caused those stats to go down and it synergised with the poison within the body, to spread it faster. This increased the overall damage the poisoned pokémon took.
Move libraries for the win was all I could say. I looked over to the trainer and saw his visage set in a determined frown. Having a bad feeling, I instantly called out. "Distance!"
The call was the correct one, since the bastard uttered only one move.
"Self-Destruct." Geodude's minuscule hesitation before executing the move saved us much of the damage, but Zubat didn't quite manage to leave the blast radius completely.
Releasing a painfilled screech, she crashed into the ground a couple of metres in front of me. She did pick herself up quickly, though with some difficulty.
After confirming, that the Geodude stayed down, I ran up to my temporary partner to check her over. "Are you ok? Anything broken?" With Zubat shaking her head, I allowed myself to relax a bit.
A grin appeared on my face, that morphed into a fullblown smile and a laugh as I embraced Zubat somewhat carefully to not aggravate possible injuries.
"We did it. We actually beat that Geodude! Type disadvantage and only physical damage moves and yet you beat that rockhead. You were fabulous out there, you know?"
Zubat, after slightly startling from the sudden embrace, screeched in elation as it took part in my joy.
~Joan~
"I knew it!" I really did. The kiddo's battle was spectacular, even on screen. Well, as spectacular as a battle on that level could be.
Beside me, Tom nodded. This was Thomas Ferron, my mentor. An Ace.
That's two ranks above mine, and an experienced one at that.
His Team of Steel was said to be one of the toughest out there, with his ace Skarmory being a true monster, that sported an ancient aberration, bringing it's offensive power up to the likes of a Garchomp and other pseudo-legendaries.
Only gym leaders, elite four members and, of course, the Champion of Hoenn, Steven Stone could confidently say to be clearly stronger steel specialists than him. At age 31, that was an impressive achievement indeed.
"You were correct. This one has potential. Are we sure, that this was his first battle? The way he commanded a Zubat, that he met only minutes earlier... Even veterans wouldn't necessarily be able to do that."
I thought it over and slowly nodded. "I think it was his first battle, but he's the type to overprepare for everything. To make sure, we could just ask his orphanage's caretaker. I think his name was Frederick or something."
That caught his attention. "Orphan?" I smiled mischievously at him. "Oh, didn't I tell you? He's an orphan, no surname, no bonds to anyone. A free agent if you will."
He grumbled, but then looked at me sharply. "His situation is very close to my own childhood. Do not imply anything like this again. If, and I say if, we take him under our wings, there will be no obligations on his part. We won't force him to be part of anything."
Not expecting an outburst like that but kind of understanding where he was coming from, I raised my hands in surrender with an awkward smile.
"Whoa, sorry Tom. I didn't think before opening my mouth. I'd never imply something like that about you. My worries are other people using the things I've listed to their advantage. You know how easy it can be to manipulate children, and even though he's a smart cookie, it may still happen. I kinda like the little dude, so I'd hate to see that happen."
Appeased by my words, he fell into a thoughtful silence, reading through the answers on David's theoretical test.
After finishing, he nodded. "I'm going to offer him a place here. As soon as he has his Rookie Trainer Certificate, he's permissible to be hired."
I very nearly squealed in joy, but kept it in to try and preserve my professional image. A futile effort, if the amused glance he threw me was anything to go by.
I couldn't help it. I Always wanted a little brother or sister to spoil. And the little dude was just young, smart and precocious enough to fill the role.
We also kinda klicked. At least that was what I felt. Zoning back in, I saw Tom's expression. A sardonically raised eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes and, Arceus forbid, a slight smirk on his lips. Truly, a rare treat.
"What? I already told you, that I like him, he's a cool little dude." That came off a bit defensive but I think he can understand why. He nodded. "Indeed. Let's meet him, shall we?"
~David~
After coming down from my high, I looked around, searching for my opponent. I found him, stomping in my direction with a scowl on his face.
Wounded pride, I'd guess. I shouldn't have to worry, though. As far as I knew, there were several cameras in the room, to record the battles, review them and check for cheating.
I stood up, keeping Zubat in my arms, waiting for him to approach. "Now listen here you little..." He suddenly stopped talking and stared at something behind me.
His complexion went from tan, borderline olive to white in a second and fear was written all over his face.
I slowly turned around and saw two people standing at the edge of the battlefield, one of which I recognised instantly, while the other one took a second but caused massive amounts of excitement.
"Aww, look at that smile! That's the most emotional response I've seen from you as of yet." Joan instantly took the opportunity to tease me.
I shrugged, as it was kinda true, and asked. "Is that your boss? He has that kind of severe vibe around him."
She made a so-so hand gesture. "He kinda is, but it's more than that. Let me introduce you to Thomas Ferron, one of the...-"
"Most prominent Steel type trainers in the world." I interrupted her with excitement in my voice. "An experienced and talented man, who won two consecutive Indigo Conferences and turned down an elite four position, since it's too much of a hassle. I loved the moment of shock, that was etched into Lance's face when you told him that in front of a running camera. I actually made that moment into a poster."
I pulled out my phone, searched up the image and showed him.
Of course I recognised him, he's one of my idols. A trainer, that was never shown in any of my past life's media. An orphan without backing, who fought tooth and nail to reach this unfathomable level of strength.
No Stone family to fall back on, no shiny beldum starter. Just grip and gumption. His Skarmory is one of the most famous Aberrants. Self-caught, as the temperament of a Skarmory doesn't allow anything else.
Even if you raised it straight from hatching, it will challenge your authority as soon as it matured. A monster, that is said to be even stronger than some of the elite four's aces.
Thomas had finished inspecting the poster, that I had saved as an image, turned to Joan and stated. "I like him."
Nothing could wipe that smile off my face. Not even the insufferably teasing smirk, that appeared on Joan's lips. Then he addressed me directly. "I want that poster. Twice. XXL-Size. I'll pay you."
I shook my head, still smiling. "I couldn't take any money for a moment, that you yourself created with you own hard work." He smirked and nodded at that.
His face changed to an impassive one just a moment later though, and his eyes sharpened. "Now, let's discuss the reason why I am here. This in my hand is your theoretical test. Usually it would go through the grading and correction process and arrive at your orphanage in around a week and a half."
I nodded, since that was what I'd heard too. "Instead, Joan here stormed into my office at top speed, started nattering about a 'cute, little dude' that she found and believed to be a talented one. She had your theoretical in her hands and immediately stole my remote."
He threw the woman, who was wearing a sheepish smile, a dirty look and continued. "We then watched your fight from start to finish. Quite a treat if I may say so."
He looked into my eyes and my heartrate picked up from his intense scrutiny. "Was this really your first pokémon battle?" I thought for a moment and answered with the truth.
"With a living, breathing and real pokémon? Yes. I did play some simulations, though and I like to watch league battles with professional commentary, since they analyse the strategies, that were used."
He nodded. "Well, I'll be honest. Your theoretical score is beyond perfect, since you answered everything correctly and added enough additional information to qualify for quite some bonus points.
Your practical is, well, it is beyond expectations as well. It's been years since the last testtaker actually trounced an examiner and I might be wrong, but I don't think anyone did so with a type- and strength disadvantage."
So my thoughts were correct, Geodude had to be at least a bit stronger, otherwise it wouldn't have made any sense just how many clean hits it survived.
He continued. "I don't think you are an idiot. You won't grow conceited because you aced an entry level test. You won't grow arrogant because you defeated a weak, little, nearly sessile rock, will you?"
That sounded as if he wanted to threaten any entitlement I may have developed out of me, not that this was necessary. I shook my head and told him.
"There are monsters out there, that are able to reshape continents. Pokémon that are able to raze a city in seconds. If I develop a sense of entitlement because I defeated a subpar trainer, wielding a pokémon, that wasn't even trained seriously, then I may as well commit suicide. It would spare us all a headache. Not to diminish your accomplishment, you were awesome out there."
The last part was directed to Zubat, who stayed silently in my arms, enjoying the embrace instead of returning to her ball. She let out a relaxed screech, as if telling me not to worry about it.
Thomas nodded as if he'd expected the answer or at least something close to it. "I want to make you an offer. It's pretty clear, that you passed, I think." Joan couldn't suppress a snort and rolled her eyes at Thomas's glare. Cheeky.
"I want to hire you." Say what? "Say what?" Yeah, that didn't stay inside. Seriously, though. I didn't even have my RTL (Rookie Trainer License) yet and he wants to hire me already?
"I'm just the first of many. Once your results get out, there'll be a lot of people trying to get their hands on an upcoming talent."
I thought for a moment. The person in front of me was someone worth emulating. While he had a relatively small build, being barely above 1.7 metres in height and on the lighter side weightwise, his presence was the real deal.
Grey, sharp eyes, that conveyed a steel-like resolve. Dark grey hair, that was somewhat unruly, spiking in several directions. A severe face, that wouldn't be out of place on a military instructor. He was wearing standard league trainer uniform with only his boots being somewhat individualised.
This was someone, who didn't have a golden spoon from birth. Heck, he didn't even own a spoon for most of his childhood. And yet, he still reached the level he was at today.
But, did I want to work for him?
My gut told me: Yes, it would be worth it. I'd learn a lot, earn some money to further my future team and get much needed experience with different kinds of pokémon and people.
Sure, I'd be affiliated with the league, but most trainers were, either directly or indirectly. From my admittedly rather narrow point of few, there weren't a lot of negatives.
Advantages, not counting the already mentioned ones?
More freedom to move than in an orphanage. Readily available training grounds and human ressources to further my knowledge on training my future team.
Several true powerhouses close by, namely: Clair from the Blackthorn clan, who's prowess in battle is well known.
The upper echelon of the Blackthorn clan, namely their elders and guardians.
Lance himself, who, even though his official affiliation is with the league, still has close ties with his clan. And last but certainly not least the man in front of me. A veritable wall, that can not easily be overcome.
This very nearly guaranteed safety within the city, and that wasnt even counting possible hidden monsters. The last gym for most challengers of the Johto gym circle was located here, after all.
As all of this went through my head, Thomas waited patiently for my answer. He seemed to appreciate me putting some real thought into a decision, that would change my life completely.
I took a deep breath and started asking my questions. "Where would I live? Would I be affiliated with you or with this league center? What would my job even be? Are there any conditions, that I should know before accepting? Will it be possible to receive a starter or do I have to catch one myself? Would it be possible to get an estimate of my salary?... Will I even be paid? And lastly, once I bring over my poster of Lance, will you sign it?"
Thomas blinked and turned to Joan. "That was a single breath, right?" She nodded silently with widened eyes. "Impressive... To answer your questions. Joan would be willing to take you in, she has a decently sized house in the city. Officially you'd be affiliated with the league, but they'll know not to mess with you too much.
I'm not able to promise you a starter, and only after you are in possession of your first pokémon am I allowed to offer you a pokémon from the league roster." Here, he looks meaningfully at the Zubat in my arms, that I've subconsciously allowed to feed from my arm again. Oops.
"I am, however, allowed to send a recommendation to Professor Elm, which is what I'll do tomorrow morning, should you accept my offer. Since we are acquainted, this might be enough to get you a starter. Probably not a royal one, though."
Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. The royal Johto starters, at least blue potential and a strong third stage evolution nearly guaranteed a future powerhouse for the team.
He stayed silent for a moment, probably trying to remember the next question on my list, before he continued. "As for salary, you'll have a baseline and will get missionbased boni. This leads directly into two of the yet unanswered questions.
Your first job is also the only stipulation for keeping the job: Reach the advanced rank within 6 months. If you need money or ressources, there'll be league- and private missions posted on the mission board. I'll show you all the stuff you'll need, or rather, I'll let Joan take care of that.
She'll also give you a list of books that might interest you. They are only available for you if you are an official Rookie, which should happen within the day."
Turning to Joan, I saw her smiling at me with a hand on her jutting hip. I returned the smile with a small one of my own, I bowed my head lightly to her. "I don't know why you'd go that far for someone you've just met today, but if you would truly welcome me in your home, I'd like to accept your offer of housing me."
I heared her stepping closer to me and looked up to get a look at her expression. Her smile had grown a tad dimmer, but it also gained on depth, which confused me a bit.
She pulled me into a soft hug, that jostled Zubat, who relocated to my shoulder.
The hug felt different than any I'd received in the past, former life included, and for some reason that escaped my comprehension, actually brought tears to my eyes.
Sniffing slightly, I composed myself after a minute in her embrace. I felt a bit lighter after this episode and all it cost me was some future teasing from Joan.
Totally not worth it, but what's done is done. Right! My license. "I'll get my license today? Doesn't it take something like a week at the fastest? We are talking about bureaucracy after all."
That earned me an amused little smirk from Thomas. "Being an ace has it's perks. Speeding up the process for gaining a minion is one of them."
Rude... Though not entirely incorrect. "Don't call the little dude a minion, he's at least a henchman!" That wasn't any better. Thoman nodded along, though.
"Right you are, but until he has his first pokémon he's a minion." My patience was running out here. "There is nothing better, than hearing two adults, though that's a debatable term for the two of you, discuss the employment of a child with expressions like 'minion' and 'henchman'. Makes you feel right at home.
I had a long day, however, and as much as I like to think, that I am more mature than most, I am still a child. A child, who could really use some peace of mind right about now.
Also: Do you guys have a potion or something? I think my blood helped a bit, but she was at least partially hit by Self-Destruct, I should have gotten her some medical attention right away, to be honest."
I turned my worried gaze to Zubat, who was resting on my shoulder. She screeched reassuringly and nuzzled against my cheek, which made me smile.
Thomas looked her over scrutinisingly and answered me. "She just needs to have a small rest, she's a tough little bugger. She also managed to mitigate some of the damage by catching the airflow, that preceded the shockwave, with her wings. Pretty impressive instincts for such a young pokémon, I have to say."
Feeling her shift on my shoulder, I turned my attention to her and saw her puffing up a bit under the praise, which made me laugh.
"I already told you, but I'll happily do it again. You were exceptional out there, little one. This victory was built on your back and you supported it marvellously."
This was said in a low and affectionate tone of voice, that was very much unintentional.
Joan was watching us interact with a warm gaze, but I simply ignored her and continued to pamper the little girl with scratches behind her ears, until Joan addressed me.
"Come on, let's go. I need to show you your new home and several other things on the way." As Joan watched me reluctantly putting my hand on Zubat's pokéball, she looked over to Thomas.
He caught the gaze, thought for a moment and then made my day a whole lot better than it already was. "You know, I may not be able to register her to your name, but I think you'll need a bit of protection. Zubat, from now on until I tell you otherwise, you'll protect David here from everything, that may be a threat to his life."
His order was a token one, that much everyone understood. It was just a way to keep Zubat with me, and honestly, I was grateful for everything else, including the job offer. But this? This earned him some serious points with me.
I never would have thought, that I'd bond so well with a pokémon I've only met today, but that win against a nearly unbeatable foe really brought us together.
Zubat's excited screech did hurt in the ears, though. Especially if she's around 5 cm away from the left one.
After issuing Zubat's order, Thomas left, saying that he had to do some... *Shudder* paperwork. Yup, the shudder was included in his statement, not that I couldn't understand him.
"Right!" Joan's excited exclamation caught my attention. She seemed to vibrate on the spot, itching to get this underway. Well, who was I to stop her when she was in such a mood.
"Where will we go first?" I asked her to initiate the tour she promised me. And a tour she did give me.
She led me through different departments of the league center, including the bureaucratic ones. I learned, that even most bureaucrats dislike the system.
"It sucks the soul out of you until you're nothing more than a husk. A zombie, that works the job you were hired to do. Worse than any ghost type, I tell ya!"
That was an... illuminating conversation. I got my license there, though, so it wasn't all bad. Especially since the moment I held it in my hands, my 'cheat' finally could be activated.
But more on that topic later. Having been pulled along with Joan for the better part of two hours and having been introduced as her 'cute little dude David' all the while was starting to grate on my nerves.
Now we were standing in front of my orphanage's caretaker. The older kids called him the 'Thick Rod' and to my shame I had to confess: I had a bit of a laugh when I heard that for the first time.
Joan was explaining the situation to him and his face seemed to progressively attain the ability to express more incredulity until he, at the end of the explanation, even opened his eyes widely with his moustache quivering.
He looked so utterly befuddled, that any possibility of keeping the laugh down, that wanted to escape me, was shot into the Distortion World.
After finally calming down, I was a bit confused at the gentle smile I could see on his lips. "This was the first time I've heard you laugh."
He explained softly, which made the situation more than just a little awkward for me.
Luckily, he snapped out of it in just a moment and nodded with gravity. "David is by far the most mature child we ever took care of in our Dragontooth Orphanage. We won't make any problems where there are none. If anything, I think he will be considerably more happy here than at the orphanage. I will collect all the necessary paperwork and forward it to the matron."
He said this with finality in his tone. Right, they had the right to veto my decisions as long as I hadn't reached the age of 15. The matron, Alicia Soilwright, was a severe but fair elderly woman, who genuinely wanted what's best for the children in her care.
I heard, that she used part of her own wealth to keep the orphanage running when the league decided to cut part of it's funding. I held deep respect for her and knew, that I lucked out with the orphanage I'd landed in.
In a slightly subdued tone of voice, I asked Mr. Crop, as he told all the orphans to call him, if he would give my regards to the matron.
He nodded with a slight smile and put his massive hand on my unoccupied shoulder, which made Zubat screech threateningly... Well, it sounded cute in my ears, and judging by the full belly laugh from Mr. Crop, he found it amusing too.
"I won't hurt him, little bat." He mollified the pokémon and opened his eyes for the second time in less than an hour to catch my gaze.
"Listen, son. I am not the brightest, nor the strongest. So all I can give you on your way is some advice, that I myself lived by all my life.
You are your own person. Don't let the expectations of others mold you into something you are not. Live your life the way you want, not the way others dictate."
That was... solid advice, really. I smiled at him and bowed my head slightly. "Thank you for the advice, I'll try to always keep it in my mind."
Another laugh. "Don't be so serious. I like it better when you laugh like earlier. It takes away the illusion, that you are really just a small adult. Act your age from time to time, will you?"
I turned to Joan and asked Mr. Crop with a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Does this advice go in the opposite direction too? Because I just got to know Joan today and I already think of her as just a big child."
Joan, who kept herself in the background until now, lunged at me, pulled me into a headlock and performed a textbook noogie.
"You little rascal. I thought you are a cool little dude, but in reality you are just a cheeky little bugger, aren't you?!"
The laughter in her voice and the fact, that I could have escaped her hold at any time proved, that she was just playing.
After she released me, I said a last goodbye to Mr. Crop and the other orphans, who had arrived with us. With a heart, that felt heavy and light at the same time, I turned to Joan. "The only stop left is your home, right?"
She nodded, though she corrected me. "From today onwards, it's our home." I didn't choke up at that, not at all. "Anyways..." I said after clearing my throat. Am I coming down with something?
I ignored her knowing smile and soldiered on. "I'm getting pretty tired to be honest. It was a long day..."
"And here I thought you may want to meet my team. But if you are too tired..." Never before have I ever felt as much of an energy boost as at this moment.
With wide eyes, and a near-manic smile on my face, I grabbed her hand and started pulling her in a random direction. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Your pokémon were in their balls the whole day, they need some freedom!"
With a laugh, she pulled me back and pointed behind herself. "That's the direction we live in."
I ignored the hot flush on my face as well as the way my heart skipped a beat when she said 'we', and followed her lead to the outskirts of the city.
We travelled by foot in companionable silence. Neither of us commented on the fact that she didn't let go of my hand the entire time.
"That's our home." She suddenly broke the silence while stopping in front of a pretty sizable house, that bordered on being called mansion. I eyed her suspiciously. "Are you secretly rich?"
She laughed. "You brat. You couldn't even know if I'm wealthy. You also didn't ask, so if I am and you don't know it, it's on you.
But, while I have a decent amount in my account, I can't be called rich. I got the house for cheap, since a pretty strong Ghost type troubled the previous owner.
Instead of paying a huge sum of money to get rid of it, he opted for selling instead. Getting rid of the Ghost type, an impressive Banette by the way, wasn't really a bother since I'm a dark type specialist."
Oh, so it was something like that. Well, that just meant, that we'd have enough space to not constantly annoy each other. Oh, who am I kidding. We were probably going to annoy the other intentionally.
She grinned down on me. "Part of the woods behind the house is ours too. That's where I usually keep my team, since they like to play there at night. Let's go."
I nodded, barely containing the excitement I felt at that moment. I knew I had a passion for pokémon, but until this day I didn't know just how deep it went.
The thought of meeting new pokémon and interacting with them, learning their quirks and personalities... Oh, I couldn't wait!
~Joan~
David was a curiosity. He wasn't quite as emotionally stunted as I had believed at the start. Once you got him out of his shell, he was just as excitable as other children.
His intellect would make it hard to connect to children his age, though, which would explain, why he felt as lonely as he did at the first meeting.
He had problems with understanding emotional responses, or at least he liked to ignore them. It wasn't hard to understand why he was like that.
Children most likely avoided him at best and outright shunned or bullied him at worst. The latter was unlikely in his orphanage, though, so it was probably the first.
Now, standing in the backyard that bordered on the woods, I asked him. "Ready?"
His head seemed to transform into a bobble head. I interpreted this as a yes. So I released Zeus, hoping he was in a good mood. He wouldn't maul David, but he may warn him off with a bite or two if he was pissed off at something.
When he appeared, his heavy dark aura spread through the backyard with a hint of heat, that signified his secondary typing. He was a minor type aberrant. In his case, this meant, that he was born with a more heavy emphasis dark typing, nearly completely overwhelming his secondary fire typing.
Even his fire type attacks carried more than just a bit of dark type energy with them. At this moment, I knew he was at least irritated, but not pissed off.
Before I could warn him, David closed in on the canine without any hesitation, and offered his hand to either bite or sniff.
Once offered, it would be interpreted as an offense if I pulled the reckless boy back, so all I could hope for was, that Zeus was in a merciful mood today.
My partner eyed the offered appendage as if deciding if it was a meal or not, but decided to take a tentative sniff. Taking this as an invitation, David's other hand practically leaped forward.
Just as I wanted to lunge to somehow safe the idiotically suicidal boy, Zeus did something rather unexpected. He started to wag his tail. ... What?
"Yeah, who's a good boy. Who's a good boy. You are! That's right, you are a good boy." That... What? I couldn't help but mistrust my eyes and doubt my sanity at the scene that played in front of me.
My starter, my ace, my most ornery teammember, the sole reason for my failing love life. Lying on his back, wagging his tail as if he wanted to develop a flying type affinity. The boy whom I wanted to safe from himself just moments ago was scratching, stroking and patting the usually at best standoffish canine who was behaving like an excitable puppy.
Throwing his arms around the intimidating dark type, the definitely not quite sane boy looked back to me and agreed with a statement, that I personally found to be quite true, but was never agreed upon by anyone else.
"You were right, Zeus IS the cutest." That earned him a warning growl, only for him to turn to my starter and say. "Oh, don't be like that. Being cute is a good thing! Acting cute can net you treats and get you out of trouble. It can even help with swaying a potential mate!"
Just... What?! Did my ears deceive me? And why was there an intrigued glint in my partner's eyes?! I needed to put a stop to this before it was too late. I couldn't let this devil corrupt my starter into behaving like a Growlithe.
~Zeus~
She called me first, as she should. I'm the leader of the team. If that... Human, who she attached herself to this time didn't meet my standards... Well, her command was not to maul anyone who she introduced to me. Taking off a hand wasn't considered mauling, was it?
And even if it was, it clearly was an honest mistake, no one explained that to me. I spread my dark aura to put pressure on the one she brought this time and sniffed the air to gauge his reaction.
There was excitement, respect and joy. And a distinct lack of fear or even discomfort. Hoh, did the one she brought this time actually have a backbone?
Suddenly he stepped forward, even before my trainer, who suddenly looked worried. He offered me his hand and looked into my eyes.
Interesting. From others, I would have interpreted this as an act of disrespect, but I could literally smell the respect, that this little human held for me.
There was also the fact, that not even now, under my close scrutiny and with the full weight of my aura on him, did he express any fear or discomfort at all.
Instead, the joy he felt from simply being in my presence radiated off him. Flattering, really. So I tentatively sniffed his hand.
Suddenly, his other hand appeared from nowhere and sneak attacked me before I could blast him into oblivion.
But no, he wasn't attacking... The pleasurable feeling of being scratched in just the right spot suddenly assaulted me. It was a sneak attack of a different kind...
Soon, I was at his mercy, oh the indignity. But... His scratches, his pats, his endless caresses, that somehow always found the most pleasurable spot, even the slightly sore one just behind my left horn!
I decided then and there, I would... Tolerate this human in my trainer's life. Then suddenly, he hugged me, and addressed my trainer with unforgivable words, that elicited a growl from me.
"Oh, don't be like that. Being cute is a good thing!" It most definitely was not!
"Acting cute can net you treats and get you out of trouble." Hmm? Being cute could do that? Why did no one ever tell me?
"It can even help with swaying a potential mate!" Tell me more, human!
~David~
After Joan's sudden Interruption, that earned her a slight glare from Zeus, she told her starter, as I've just learned, that she promised to let me meet her complete team.
He relented after that with a slightly sad whine, that earned him some scratches and pats. He was a good boy after all. With Zeus situated at Joan's side, dozing off while occassionally flicking his tail, she got ready to call for her second teammember.
She had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, so she probably wanted to prank me. She released the pokémon and I confess, it confused me for a couple of moments, since the scene mirrored Zeus's release down to the smallest detail, including the heavy feeling from the dark type aura.
In front of me stood the exact twin of Zeus. I thought for a moment, before it clicked. No way... I turned to Joan with incredulity in my eyes and asked. "Where the heck did you find a Zoroark in Johto?!"
Now she was looking at me as if I was a monster. "How? How did you guess that?" "Huh? It wasn't that hard, honestly." I meant that, there were only a couple of possibilities.
It could have been Zeus's twin, but that was highly unlikely as having two pokémon with the same aberration and potential in the same litter was as unlikely as meeting several legendaries in the same week.
It could have been a very well trained Ditto, but since she's a dark type specialist, that was equally unlikely.
It could have been some mindfuckery by a psychic-type, but There weren't many of those, who shared the dark typing with the Malamar line being the only feasible one.
And the heavy blanket of dark type energy, that Zeus was generating would have negated any subtle psychic probes.
That pretty much left Zorua and Zoroark. As I explained my reasoning, she sighed for unknown reasons and muttered about me going to be a headache to deal with. I would have been offended, but she was probably right in that assumption.
Zoroark, who turned out to be a she and was named Maya, pouted at how quickly she was found out this time. She did accept the apology and the hug I offered her, though, so that's that.
Her last two teammembers were a male Shiftry called Pan and a male Morpeko called Zibbles, because he zapped her after she got him and he liked to nibble...
She at least had the decency to blush while explaining the name. Her team was fairly diverse for a dark type team, but she could really use a psychic type or a fairy type to somewhat offset that glaring fighting type weakness.
Anyways, her team and I, we got along just fine. I really couldn't understand why there were so many warnings in the books about the dangers of interacting with dark types. They were darlings, each and everyone of them.
When I told Joan so, she facepalmed. She then went on to explain, that it seemed, that I had a good affinity for the dark typing, which made interacting with them easier, but that they were nevertheless dangerous.
"Well, yes. I get that, but that's the same for every pokémon. I mean, even a caterpie could kill you by waiting until you sleep and using String Shot on your face."
She paled a bit at that. "But that doesn't mean we should fear them. Respect them? Sure. Pamper the heck out of them? Absolutely. Loving your teammembers like they are family? Well, of course, since they obviously are family. But fear them? No."
She was deep in thought the whole way back to her... Our house. Zubat, who stayed silent throughout meeting the teammembers, suddenly let out an inquisitive screech.
If I had to guess... "You want to stay in the forest instead of the ball?"
An affirmative screech. I shrugged. "This part of the forest is owned by Joan as far as I know, that means, that Zeus has full authority over it as long as what he does there lines up with what Joan would want. You'll have to ask him."
She nodded against my shoulder and took off in the direction I saw Zeus disappear in. Would she be safe? I'd guess so, since not only was she present earlier, but my scent should also be very noticable on her as she was with me nearly the whole day.
"Will she be safe?" I asked Joan, since safety first and all that. "Hmm? Oh, your Zubat? Yeah, she'll be safe. You were acknowledged by Zeus and he's the biggest fish in that forest, so whatever he howls counts."
Satisfied with that answer, I put my attention to another question, that bugged me. "So, will I get a room? Or a couch? Or something else?"
The question was awkward to ask and I had a hard time doing so. She looked at me curiously and seemed to pick up on my trepidation, because she didn't tease me. Instead she answered with a soft voice.
"There are numerous free rooms and some of them are fully furnished. Choose one of them and tell me which one it is." I smiled at her and nodded. "Ok... Thank you." I answered just as softly.
"Now, let's talk clothes, you don't have any with you." I blanked out at that. I had nothing with me. No clothes, no toiletries, nothing.
This was very much an impulsive decision. ... Dragontooth Village was within the range of a short range teleporting service. Those were pretty affordable.
"Can you lend me some money and point me to the next certified teleporter?" She giggled and shook her head in amusement.
"I've already sent someone to collect your personal effects and send them to my home. They should already be here. I just wanted to see your reaction."
A strange mix of relief and indignation shot through me. "You know I'll get you back for that one, right?" She nodded sedately.
"Wouldn't want it any other way~." She answered in a singsong voice.
Unwillingly, my lips twitched into a slight smile. Joan's teasing felt friendly and mischievous and not in the least bit mean.
Didn't mean I couldn't get even, though.
Arriving at the front porch, we found a container, that most likely contained my stuff. Joan looked at her poképhone for the code, that was sent to her and typed it in to deactivate the alarm.
I looked into the container to check if everything was there. "Did they get everything or do I have to write a bad review?" Joan asked only half-joking.
I shook my head. "No need, they even got my analysis reports on the last league season and those were hidden. They got everything and even sent my saved up cash. If anything, you have to send a positive review, they are really professional."
She nodded. "Will do." She told me while unlocking the door. "Is the front door the only one?" I asked her curiously while entering and she nodded. "I think it's a good thing, honestly. It's safer this way. Also: the forest is just a short jog away, no reason to put a door in the back."
That made sense. The interior of the very-nearly-a-mansion matched the outside. It had a kinda old style, that reminded me of those victorian mansions I'd seen from time to time on TV.
It had a thrice pitched roof and it's colours were on the muted side of brown and grey with the roofs being black. The inside was more interesting. All walls had wood paneling consisting of mahogany wood.
The furnishing had the same colouring but had a more modern touch. Alltogether, it had a homely feel. Not too open or restrictive. Just right.
After inspecting the visible part of my new home, I turned around with a bright smile on my face. "Feels like home." I told her, which elicited a smile from her too.
Suddenly, she yawned. Which set me off too. I couldn't help myself and turned the whole thing into a half-yawn half-laugh. "It's been a really long day, I guess." She just nodded.
"Let's choose your room now and pack your stuff away tomorrow. I don't have any energy left today." While telling me that, she pulled me into a lazy half hug and pulled me along up the stairs.
"There are two bedrooms fully furnished on the first floor, one on the second and the attic is furnished too. The last one is a bedroom slash study."
She told me that while opening the second door on the left. The room had small window and nearly no space left as it was filled with furniture. A wardrobe, a cabinet, several cupboards and a relatively big bed.
"Nope, way too cramped." She nodded. "Thought so too, the other one on this floor is nearly the same, so let's skip that one."
The one on the second floor was better, but still not quite what I wanted. I decided, that it would be this one if the attic was a bust.
Turns out: The attic was fantastic. A single wardrobe in the corner, a comfortable looking bed, an honest to Arceus escritoire sitting right there and a mirrored cabinet to round it off.
"It's perfect..." I whispered and then looked at her. She looked slightly worried. I frowned. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"
She sighed. "To be honest, it's nothing tangible. It's just... It's always a couple of degrees colder in this room if compared to any other room in the house and sometimes, there is this feeling of ghost type energy wafting through the room. It might just be some remnants from the Banette, but I don't know if I'd want to risk..."
I interrupted her, since this room is everything I ever wanted from my home. "I don't care if there's some remnant of a ghost pokémon left. I like the room and I like pokémon. If anything, that's a plus for me."
She stared at me incredulously while I gave her my brightest grin. She looked away first, as she rubbed her temple. "First day and the headache is already there..."
Another sigh. "Fine, if you want it, you'll get it. That's your room now. Go to sleep, we'll talk tomorrow." Before she left, I quickly get up close and personal to give her a tight hug.
"Thank you for giving me a home..."
I whispered, but she heard me anyways.
"Don't mention it, kiddo." She closed her arms around me, gave me a little squeeze and let go, with me doing the same.
I was alone in the room. And I had something to do. Activating my cheat. I should wait for tomorrow. But, my curiosity got the better of me.
[Congratulations!
You activated the Pokémon Trainer System. Funktions unlocked:
-Shop-
-Potential Judge-... Failed... Investigation... Active aura necessary, forced unlock... Success!
- Roll your Starter-]
Ouch... Forcibly unlocking aura was uncomfortable to say the least. The first function was a shop. Looking into it, I only found utility.
Seriously, the only items in the shop were things you'd find in a well sorted pokémarket plus berries, personalised food and nutricapsules.
The latter were specialised for my own pokémon and provided the ideal amount of vitamins, micronutrients, minerals etc.
Everything but calories. They should be added to the personalised food, since not only will it be the best tasting food my pokémon would ever try, but they were also the flip side of the coin.
The food provided the calories and taste and the capsules provided everything else. Why was this even split up. Wouldn't it be better to simply combine those products and be done with it?
Oh well. At the moment, there really wasn't a reason to buy anything except for some pokéballs and potions maybe.
They were reasonably priced too, if not slightly cheaper than in the market. The real benefit in my opinion was, that as long as I had money on me, I'd never run out of healing items and other stuff I'd usually only get in a city.
There were, however, no evolution items or TMs. Which was a bit of a bummer, but what I've got is already enough for me.
As for Potential Judge? That one was a bit of a misnomer. Yes, it did what it's name told me but it also did so much more.
Potential Judge:
This ability allows you to evaluate the potential of every pokémon you lie your eyes on. If the pokémon has at least a minor bond with the user, then it will be possible to access the complete status. Additionally, dormant aberrations and their method of unlocking as well as a possible path to increase it's potential will be unearthed.
Absolutely broken. Knowing the dormant aberrations of a pokémon was going to be such a cheat. Without extensive and expensive testing of a pokémon's genetic material, possibly dormant aberrations were impossible to know.
Most trainers only went through with that for an exceptionally talented pokémon, which meant, that a lot of potentially powerful pokémon never had a chance to grow.
An excited smile had appeared on my face. This would allow me to help my future family in the best way possible.
By increasing their strength, by helping them go beyond their limits to reach heights never seen before within their species. Now, roll your starter was also an interesting one.
Roll your Starter: Obtain a random first stage- or baby-pokémon. Excludes the following categories: Legendary, mythical.
The obtained pokémon will have at least green potential. The obtained pokémon will be delivered within a Luxury Ball perfectly camouflaged as a pokéball.
Please note, that this is the one and only pokémon, that will be obtainable from the system. No exceptions.
That honestly wasn't a lot of limits. This could be very nearly anything. Should I do it? I didn't see any reason not to, to be honest.
I did it, I activated the function! A pokéball appeared in front of me. With an excited gleam in my eyes, I grab the ball and press the button and heard a rather unexpected cry. "Weedle!..."
*So... This happened. I played Pokémon Legends: Arceus and it inspired me to do this. I told myself, that I won't stop writing the first chapter until the system will be introduced... May have been a mistake.
Nevertheless, I stand by it. Possible future chapters won't be as long as this monster.*