A/N: So this is a new update. I am trying to work out what I'm going to do when Jenny goes on her journey.
A/N: 16/10/2021. I've done a major edit to this story, you might want to go back and re-read this story. This chapter is now officially the shortest chapter in this story after editing and making other chapters longer, but I couldn't make this chapter longer without bogging it down.
Chapter Seven: Teaching
One of the hardest parts of raising six Pokemon, was teaching them. Without the ability to see, I couldn't really teach them colours without help because I couldn't see them. I could teach them to identify objects and textures, although it was harder to teach such to Deino since I wasn't just combating my own blindness, I was combating hers. Typically, this was done by handing her an object and getting her to taste, sniff and touch the object before she had to go and find it when I stated the objects name – a similar activity to which I did with the others. Teaching in this way had me expanding my Aura Sensing more often than I really wanted to, but I couldn't let their education fail just because I didn't want to be dependant on this unique way of seeing the world.
A week after Deino had been born, I finally decided to leave the Pokemon Centre.
They needed to experience more of the world and gain some more experience with people. Because Deino was the youngest and I didn't want her getting disorientated from all the noises and new sounds and smells, I was carrying her in my arms. Vulpix was curled around my shoulders – keeping an eye on Piplup who was wondering at my left side. Swablu was settled on my head, although she would occasionally lift her wings to enjoy the wind passing through them. Froakie was hoping at my right side, although he would occasionally hop a little bit away to investigate something that had caught his attention before returning; while Noibat was flying above me, but when he spotted another human, he would fly back to me and cling to my back using his two fingers to grip at the back of my shoulders.
Carrying four Pokemon like this felt very much like weight training, but I wasn't going to complain – not when Swablu and Vulpix weighed so little, and Deino hadn't grown to her complete weight yet. Hopefully, I'd be strong enough to carry Deino when she was fully grown, same with Vulpix and Noibat who were also the only other two who were not yet fully grown. The next time the others grow, it will be proceeding their evolutions.
Nurse Joy had told me about a salt water lake that formed when the tied went out, and so I was following the directions I had been given to the water. Froakie and Piplup weren't strong enough to contest with the strength of the current yet but they needed to be able to practise their swimming. With the slow pace I was going, pointing to random objects and identifying them for my family, it was around a thirty-minute walk.
"Noibat, rock?" I questioned since he was presently gliding about a metre above my head.
"Noi" Noibat cried in confirmation before diving to the ground and picking a rock up.
"Well done. Swablu, think you can find me a stick?" I questioned.
Swablu hoped around on my head for a moment looking for what I had asked for before taking off and flying to a point just beyond the last house and then returning with a small twig.
"Good, Swablu." I complimented.
"Froakie, froakie!" Froakie suddenly bounced forward excitedly, pointing to the water. He knew exactly why we were here.
"Yes Froakie, that is a natural forming lake of salt water. And I've brought you here so you and Piplup can go for a swim." I smiled as they both cheered and immediately headed for the water; Piplup tripping several times as she struggled to adapt to the shifting sand compared to the solid ground she was used to moving on.
"Swablu, Noibat, Deino you can play as you like, but please don't go too far into the water until you're older. Vulpix you can't go near the water until you're older and we've built your resistance, but you're free to play." I put Deino down on the ground, as Swablu and Noibat took to playing in the skys – occasionally diving down to skim along the surface of the water. Deino shook out her fur, unhappy about the sand, but moved to start tentatively investigating things and memorise new scents and sounds.
"Deino, go have fun. I'll groom and clean your fur when we get back." I laughed as Deino's investigation became a little more active at this promise.
"Vulpix, you want to help me build a sandcastle? Nurse Joy promised me that the sand saturated in water won't hurt you." I questioned, taking off my bag to grab the bucket I'd gotten from the lost and found. I'd never had the opportunity to play in the sand before, since I'd been to young when grandmother was alive, and after her death I'd never had the opportunity.
"Vul, vulpix." Vulpix jumped from my shoulder and started created a large circle in the sand.
While he was doing that, I went to the water edge to fill the bucket. I poured the water over the sand to make it wet and mouldable, making sure that none of the splashing water went near Vulpix. Then we got to work, with Deino curiously coming over to try and help by filling the buckets with water and bringing it back so I could keep the sand damp. Vulpix took to holding our structures in place with his tale, the sand in his fur not bothering him since he knew I would be brushing it out later.
When I returned to the Pokemon Centre that night with six very happy, but tired, Pokemon it was to find that Nurse Joy was waiting with a box. I'd been about to return to navigating using my guide stick and memory of the place when I'd noticed that Nurse Joy was waiting for me and holding something, I'd changed my mind.
As I went about pulling food from the fridge, I turned off my Aura sensing. I'd be able to use my other senses to work out what it was that was in the box.
"Nurse Joy, is everything okay?" I questioned in confusion, leading the way to the kitchens to start dinner. Once everyone had eaten, I would begin the promised grooming session – especially for Vulpix and Deino who had sand caught in their fur. Noibat and Swablu hadn't spent a lot of time on the sand, and flying around would have dislodged the sand from their persons. Sand didn't stick to Froakie or Piplup.
"Everything's fine." Nurse Joy reassured me. "As you know, you're too young to have a trainer's licence to look after and hold a Pokemon. However, between myself and Professor Elm, we were able to get you a credited licence. Which means, officially, you can hold and look after these Pokemon, but I'm listed as their guardian until you're old enough to get a trainers licence." She pushed the box across the dinner table to me.
Pushing the chopping board to one side, I opened the box to discover 6 Pokeballs. I picked out each of the balls and placed them on the table. Holding each of them in my hands, I discovered that they weren't all the same and none of them were the standard Pokeball that I had been familiar with.
"These Pokeballs, what's different about them?" I questioned, grouping them into the three different designs that I could feel.
"The two on the far left are Luxury balls, psychic type Pokemon have said that they find luxury balls far more comfortable. It's black, with a red band around the top, with thin gold strips on either side of the red band and around the middle of the ball where the button is. The middle two are heal balls, which heals the injuries of the Pokemon contained within over eight or night hours, and it removes any effected conditions like poison, burn or sleep." Nurse Joy explained. "The final set are dive balls, which are more comfortable for water type Pokemon. It's light blue, with a dark blue along the bottom and a silver wave design on the top."
"Nurse Joy, these must have been expensive," I frowned slightly in concern.
"The Luxury balls were from a surplus supply given to Pokemon Centres, used when a wild Pokemon is brought to us for healing, my sister sent them to me when I asked. The heal balls and the dive balls are both gifted by professor Elm and professor Sycamore for testing to ensure that the Pokemon caught continue to find the balls comfortable over an extended period of time. So, if they begin having problems with the Pokeballs you need to send an email to let them know. But we're not predicting any problems based on our current testing." Nurse Joy said reassuringly. "There is something else in the box."
It took a moment to find what she was referring to, a rectangular electronic device of some kind. "What is it?" I questioned, running my fingers around the edge and finding a crevice which indicated that it had a hinge which opened.
"It's a PokeDex. It contains details on all known Pokemon, including moves that they can learn. It works in conjuncture with your PokeNav, and it would also work as your id to confirm you're allowed to carry these six Pokemon. Once you capture your Pokemon, it will also tell you what moves they know." Nurse Joy explained. "It's been adapted to respond to voice commands."
"Piplup, Froakie," I called my two water type friends closer and offered them the pokeballs. "These are dive balls, and will allow you to be with me at all times, even when I'm not allowed to have you out and about. It also tells the world that you are mine, so no one can take you away." I explained the concept of the pokeballs. The others were watching interested, as Piplup and Froakie reached out and touched the button on the Pokeball only to disappear. Once the balls had settled, I released the both of them.
"Swablu, Noibat, these are luxury balls. They serve the same purpose as the dive balls." I offered the two balls to the flying type Pokemon who captured themselves. Once I released them, I grabbed the last balls and offered them to Deino and Vulpix.
