"Welp, we're here!" White ran ahead of the group as they took their first steps into Striation City. It was quite a bit larger than both Nuvema and Accumula Town by a huge margin. The census said at least 30,000 current residents live within the city's borders, but the group was quick to notice a huge difference between Striation and the last towns they were in. Of course, Striation wasn't anything fancy, especially not this far out from the center of the city. Just suburbs, small businesses, and some slight wilderness. There were even a couple wild(but pretty friendly pokemon. Wade almost petted one until Houndour got jealous and scared it off).
There were simply more skyscrapers. Nuvema Town, Wade could gather from his stay, yes, there were skyscrapers towards the center of town, but elsewhere had mostly two or three story buildings which mainly served as housing. On rare occasions, said buildings housed small business, and most of the skyscrapers were for housing the town council. Aside from the immediate area near the Pokemon Lab, most buildings were pretty basic looking, but still looked like a cozy place to live in. Needless to say, even from a distance, Wade felt tiny in comparison to the skyscrapers that were ahead of him.
Wade took a leisurely pace as the children ran ahead through the more suburban parts of Stration. It seemed like each city had multiple Pokemon Centers, as he walked by one labeled as 'Striation Pokemon Center A'. It was probably more convenient for trainers since they wouldn't have to run several miles across town while their pokemon struggled to remain conscious. White, Cheren and Bianca ran right past this Pokemon Center, while Wade quickly bought a map of the city.
"Yo, wait for me guys! We aren't gonna get anywhere if we can't find where we need to be?" Cheren stopped as a sheepish smile adorned his face.
"Well, that does sound like a good idea," Cheren called his friends over and approached Wade, who was now sitting on a bench and reading the map. "So the gym is in the downtown area of Striation… and it's located right next to Pokemon Center C, and the trainer school. You kids might wanna head to the trainer school first, since there might be a few little tricks you can pick up from there. Heck, there's a full market close by, so we can check out if there's anything useful on sale.
"Plus you can get a little stronger if you learn those little tricks," Wade added for Cheren. It would be helpful, since if Wade recalled correctly, Cheren only really even gave his pokemon items after he went to trainer school in the games. So steering well, Cheren in the right direction, could probably make him an even better trainer than his game counterpart is. "Plus I heard Striation Gym gives free entrées to Gym Challengers who beat it," Wade said while pointing at a little line of trivia on the map.
"So… we go to trainer school so we can kick the Gym Leaders' butts easier, and then we get free food?" Bianca asked.
"Yup."
"Let's go!" Bianca then grabbed the map out of Wade's hand, grabbed Cheren by the ear, and proceeded to drag her friend along. Her eyes were glued on the map. White and Wade blinked a couple times before turning to each other. White shrugged and quickly followed her friends deeper into Striation. Wade scratched his head for a section. "Well, let's go, Houndour. Gotta make sure Bianca doesn't accidentally walk into a street lamp." Wade began to job, while Houndour simply had to trot a little faster to keep up with his trainer, sure Houndour needed to take more steps to keep up with Wade's longer legs, but it still shocked Wade at how Houndour could casually keep up with him without expending any energy.
0-0-0-0-0
The roads began to look more freshly paved as the gang made their way towards downtown Striation. Wade, noticing his Pokedex picking up a phone signal, struggled to use it to text 'we're here' to Professor Juniper. Both he and the professor had decided earlier to plan out a date once Wade's group had reached Striation City Square, so now was as good a time as any to get started. There were plenty of fast food places, Pokemon Center A was located(as the map said) right next to a fancy looking restaurant which had the Pokemon League logo on it. That was probably the Striaton City Gym. Next door to that was the trainer school, which seemed like it was connected to the Pokemon Center.
There was a cheap little motel, which was the group's first stop. Sure, the Pokemon Center was free to pokemon trainers, but Wade could feel the cuts made to make the hotel rooms in the pokemon center free. The beds were still and uncomfortable, there wasn't a kitchen inside the room either, just a microwave and a hot water kennel. On top of that, the rooms were tiny and had one bed(Wade had to sleep on the floor, which was somehow more comfortable than the mattresses that the Pokemon Center used). Needless to say, even a cheap little motel would be better as it seemed, and had a mini kitchen with a stove, microwave, and oven. Wade sat down on the bed, which was pretty comfy, and let Feebas and Girafarig out of their Pokeballs.
The giraffe stretched and yawned, before trotting up to Wade, and laying his head in between his trainer's head. "Happy to be out of your Pokeball, I take it, huh bud?" Wade asked. Girafarig shook his head, took a step back, and leaped up on his trainer's lap. There was a surprising amount of grace in the short jump, and it surprised Wade at just how gentle his pokemon's landing was. Wade chuckled as Houndour let out a short, jealous growl, before laying his head on Feebas. The fish had quickly taken the only pillow on the bed, which Wade was fine with; Houndour or Giraffarig were a good substitute for a fluffy pillow. Especially Houndour. That dog was a living heater and very comfy to lay on.
"I'm just greeting you. It's been almost a day since I last saw you, well, outside of a pokeball at least."
"Say, what's it like being in a Pokeball? I can't imagine it's very comfortable… if it's not, then I'll let you walk beside me like Houndour does. It wouldn't be too big of a deal," Wade said.
"Think of this motel, but the bed is out in the middle of a field with plenty of grass and water to keep me fed for several weeks. It's quite cozy in there, there's even a little fireplace that's operable by pokemon without hands, so if I ever relax next to a nice, warm fire, I can. Obviously I do wish that I were outside of my pokeball most of the time to stretch my legs, but you let me out enough to do that anyways. Plus the grass in that pokeball is kind of dry, and I do like the pokemon food you give me. You made it yourself, right?" Girafarig asked.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to make you guys eat that sketchy shit that the pokemon league makes. After all, if you knew how to cook, and knew I was eating junk, you'd make sure I was eating actual food," Wade noticed Girafarig try to scratch at his neck with his hind leg, which was kind of funny in Wade's mind. Hooves were not very good for scratching spots that were very itchy. "Why don't you get your tail to nibble on your neck?" Wade asked as he began to scratch the giraffe's neck. This made Girafarig lean his trainer's palm with a pur.
"With my tail, I'd lose my head. That damn head has no control with its jaw. Either it bites and draws blood, or it doesn't bite at all. On top of that, I can't control what my tail does outside of using Bite. so I couldn't use its teeth to scratch me if I tried. I could beg it to, but it's not sentient enough to understand what I'm saying to it. I could tempt it to bite me, but it's aware that if I die, then it dies too. Combine that with its nonexistent control of its bite force, which could take my head off, it doesn't do anything. Usually I'd have a tree or a fence post to rub against… oh that's the spot!" Girafarig went completely still as soon as Wade began to rub behind his pokemon's ears.
Cheren and Wade decided to share a room to keep costs down(both paid for half of the room's rent, which was only 400UPD). The former was off on the other bed, playing with his newly caught Purloin, which turned out to be an adolescent. In other words, it was very playful, and Cheren couldn't resist his new catch's 'meows' and big, loveable eyes. Snivy had joined in his trainer's little bout with Purloin, and the two of them decided it was time to gang up on their trainer.
Wade's Pokedex 'dinged' and the trainer quickly checked it. 'I'm at Pokemon Center A, in the lounge area. Don't worry about dressing up, I've got an idea for us' it was a text from Professor Juniper. Wade began to get giddy as Girafarig stared at the Pokedex screen with great interest. On one hoof, there was something on the little device, which was making his trainer giggle. On the other, most pokemon didn't know how to read for obvious reasons.
"Wade, what does it say?" Girafarig asked.
"I don't know how, but Aurea's in town already, and she's planning on something. I know we've got a couple stops, one of which is public speaking at the trainer school about Houndour. For whatever else we're doing tonight, I've got no clue. Knowing Professor Juniper, we will hopefully be doing something pretty laid back; I hate fancy dinner dates."
"So, when can we, your pokemon, expect children?" Girafarig asked. "Because I would love to baby sit some children. They're loud, they are very needy, and adorable. I don't think I'll get the chance to have foals of my own, so I want to help you out with your children when they come around," Girafarig added. "After all, correct me if I'm wrong, but some time in bed with that lovely professor of yours must be fun."
"Girafarig, don't joke about that. Cheren's in the room, and that's a child."
"Joke about what, Wade?" Cheren asked.
"Oh, it's nothing. Girafarig was joking about how we, the dumb human beings we are, can be incredibly stupid sometimes. And he definitely didn't say anything crude that's not fit for you to be hearing just yet," Wade said. All that did was elicit a raised eyebrow from the lab trainer. "I'll tell you what Girafarig said when you're older. Just ignore me and my pokemon, and just play with Purloin some more. She's a pretty cute little thing, eh?"
"Yeah, she's pretty cute, and I can tell just how strong she is. She'll be great for battling!"
'Crisis averted. I won't have to explain what a fun time in bed means!' Wade grinned for a second at his flawless save, before pinching Girafarig. "Seriously bud, don't joke about that sorta stuff. It's a bit tasteless, and we shouldn't even be thinking of stuff like that. Me and Juniper have only started dating a couple weeks ago. Believe me, if Aurea would be willing to marry me, and start a family, I'd take. The opportunity in a heartbeat. For right now, we're just seeing if we can even get to that point; that's what dating is for, right?"
"You humans are weird. We pokemon just say we love each other, mate, and go about our lives together. Right, guys?" All the pokemon in the room, Cheren's included, let out a series of noises that sounded like agreement. "But I suppose you humans do things your way, since if you mate, you are then legally binded to your mate. Which is another silly thing, but you humans can be quite silly at times."
"Oh, I know. Some laws don't make sense to me, and neither do some practices. Social norms, dating, gender roles, all of that sorta junk just seems dumb. But… I ain't gonna question it. Anyways, I should get ready to meet up with the professor, it's rude to keep a lady waiting," Wade said. Girafarig nodded and hopped out of his trainer's lap.
"Good luck, Wade." Girafarig said. Houndour immediately rocketed off of the bed, and landed beside his trainer. Wade grinned and gave a thumbs up.
0-0-0-0-0
Wade and Houndour walked into the Pokemon Center, and Wade could feel the deja vu of walking in here. It felt like he had been inside of this Pokemon Center, but it was likely just a case of the games, where every Pokemon Center looks the same. There were small nuances like the 'Welcome to Striation City's first ever Pokemon Center' banner hanging over the service counter. Or posters that were advertising the snacks and meals the vending machines were serving(they were serving a full meal with a cheesy cheddar burger and fries. It looked really good!), and maybe a slightly fancier television in the lounge area. Wade quickly made his way over to the lounge area, and began scanning faces in it.
Sure enough, Professor Juniper was sitting on the couch, something that wasn't in the last Pokemon Center Wade had been in, wearing a light blue tank top, and knee length skirt… This was the same outfit she wore when they first hooked up. The professor's hair wasn't loose, however, and was kept in the usual bun that Wade was used to seeing. Off to the side, her lab coat was hanging on the coat rack, and a bottle of soda was sitting on the table in front of her. She was watching some random news channel and doing her best to follow along with the TV on mute.
"Hey Aurea!" Wade waved as he plopped down on the couch next to his girlfriend.
"Wade!" the Professor reached out to hug her date, until Houndour hopped up in between them, and damn near tackled Professor Juniper. "And hello, Houndour. I hope you don't plan on anything mischievous, you little demon!" Aurea giggled as she hugged the little canine, while Wade just crossed his arms and shook his head. "And why are you giving me that face, mister?"
"Nah… you just love that dog more than you love me," Wade said in a joking manner. "To be fair though, Houndour is pretty loveable once he gives you a chance!" Professor Juniper then reached over and gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek before grinning. "So, what do you want to do tonight? The kids wanna rest up a bit before they head on down to the trainer school and book an appointment at Striation Gym," Wade said. "So we've got a few days we can spend together if you really want your stack of paperwork to grow a couple sizes and consume your desk."
"I suppose I can let the paperwork monster grow a little bit… the things I do for love," both of them chuckled and got up to plan on whatever. "I do have an idea in mind, however. Striation City's Gym also doubles as a restaurant. It's a bit pricey, since gym battles act as entertainment, so we'll be paying for the food and a ticket for watching gym challengers fight one of three gym leaders. I've visited the place a couple times… the place is far from gourmet, but the food's still pretty good. And to top it all, it's pokemon friendly. They even got dishes for pokemon!" Professor Juniper shrugged. "And who knows? You might catch the Fire Gym Leader's attention with that Houndour of yours."
The professor then gave Houndour a quick squeeze. "I can feel how fit Houndour is, and I've watched you train him a couple times. I'd say you're doing a fine job given that you aren't partaking in the gym challenge. On occasion, one of the gym leaders will… challenge customers if they got pokemon, and Houndour is certainly a catch with him being a shiny and a strong little fella!" Houndour raised his head with pride at the praise, and rested his head on the professor's left arm.
"You just want to watch me battle again, don't you?
"I do, it's interesting to watch somebody from… the outside take a shot at battling. Plus it'll help with your mission of being the PR team leader of Houndour and Houndoom. You can show the world, since your battle will be broadcasted, that Houndour are strong battlers, and with the right care, are willing to do anything for their trainers. Even fighting a gym leader who may completely outclass you in skill… but I doubt that's the case. You might give Chili a run for his money if it's a one on one, since I have a feeling that you've left your other pokemon at your hotel room."
Wade shrugged. "For you, I'll give battling a shot again. Even if I'm gonna be stressed the hell out because my battle's gonna be broadcasted to everybody in Unova," he said. He stood up and stretched. "Welp, no point in wasting any more time, we've got three days together at a minimum, so let's have some fun, eh?" Aurea grinned as she took off after her boyfriend, who definitely was going to get lost as soon as he stepped outside of the Pokemon Center. The Professor ran back for a second to retrieve her lab coat and her drink.
0-0-A/N-0-0
sorry about missing last week's update. I got a wee bit busy, and then proceeded to start another story(another iseki. feel free to read that if you want, or don't. i really don't mind).
I also wanted to get at least 10 chapters for that other story out in a timely manner, I personally like to get 10 chapters out ahead of time for any new story, so people have a bit more to read once I start working the story into a proper uploading schedule.
don't worry though, I won't be abandoning this story any time soon. I have been feeling a hinkering for writing iseki's and still in love with this story. I'm gonna copy the man, the myth, the legend fuggman, who seems to have an update cycle for his stories. so maybe one week, i update this piece of junk, then i update my other piece of junk the next week.
I'll fuck off now.