Chapter 5

Jubilife State of Mind

Dawn

The forest thicket finally ended and rugged, dirty terrain transformed to smooth, dark asphalt. Howling winds and a gentle silence was replaced by the sounds of a bustling city coming to life. Jubilife City was before the trio as they stepped onto the concrete sidewalk.

It wasn't Dawn's first time in the huge city-heck, she even knew the way to her father's office building blindfolded-but she was always overwhelmed by the sheer size and amount of people there were. Especially during the rush hour of when folks get out of work and kids were walking home from school. Dusk was approaching, making the various animated billboard advertisements pop out with its vibrant marketing. A single, giant screen played the popular Taurus energy drink on the news network building.

I think we can make it, Dawn thought to herself determined. She saw the time displayed on the billboards and realized there was still time to complete the task. Recommended by the Professor, Dawn and Barry were told to visit a particular institute.

"I think the academy is right there," Dawn directed their attention to the small school erected in front of a quaint park. "We can still make it before they shut their doors." The professor advised Dawn to visit the special academy for a crash course on being a trainer. She implored that she already knew the basics but the Professor insisted that it would be worth her while if she does well.

"But we need to get a room at the Pokemon Center before every room gets taken," Lucas said, knowing how fast the Pokemon Center's free housing fills up this late in the day.

"Well, Rowan only asked Dawn and I to go...sooo how about you go book us a room for the night and we head towards the school," Barry proposed his idea.

"Yeah, I don't want to sleep in the streets today if we can't secure a room," Dawn said, crossing her arms. "These benches aren't that comfortable no matter how much newspaper you use."

"Alright, I'll go," Lucas acknowledged his role.

"Thanks, this won't take long, I assure you!" Dawn shouted, ambling towards the school.

"Catch up with you soon," Barry said, running after Dawn.

Lucas

"This is the last room we have available with three beds," a cheerful nurse handed Lucas his key marked with the room number. "We offer a small continental breakfast in the morning from five am to six am."

"Thanks!" Lucas thanked Nurse Joy. Such a small window for the breakfast...but it is free, he thought to himself but he set his mind on something far more serious. It's been occupying his mind every since he caught a glimpse of it in the streets. He walked back out the Pokemon Center, pocketing the room key.

He had to go back to the intersection. His legs took him back to the street of vibrant lights and signs. There at the crossroads, standing inconspicuously in the middle of the sidewalk was a burly man dressed up as a clown. The heavy clown make up did little to hide his dissatisfied frown. Ever so often a person would speak to him and he would hand them a small ticket from his basket.

A clown! Lucas got too excited for a boy his age about clowns.

The clown let a tired sigh as another bratty child pulled on his tights. He barely tried to hide his discontent as the teenage boy approached him.

"Welcome to the Poketch campaign. I'm the clown who hands out these tickets. Answer my riddle correctly and get one of my coupon. Obtain all three coupons and you'll be able to get one free Poketch," he grouchily said his rehearsed line, scratching his hairy neck.

"What's the catch?" Lucas asked, seeing that a free smartwatch was too good to be true.

"The catch? There is no catch besides you running around the city and trying to find the other two clowns in this huge city," he scoffed.

Just find these clowns and I get a prize, Lucas figured out the devious marketing scheme. Lucas never owned a smartwatch but he knew how helpful these could be nowadays. He wondered if it could help Dawn in her quest for champion.

"Lay the question on me!" Lucas prepared his brain for the puzzle.

"Sure kid," He cleared his throat. "Let's 'Rollout' my question. My question to you is...which Pokemon type is weak to steel and poison but is super effective against dragon!"

"Fairy!"

"Correct!"

That's it! Lucas was surprised by how easy it was as a flimsy piece of paper was handed to him. He turned the blue paper over to see it was marked with 'Coupon #1' in comic sans. Am I not being prank?

"Alright boy, move along and get those other clowns before nighttime," he shooed Lucas away, needing to peddle his coupons before the promotional campaign ended.

Lucas placed his ticket into his bag and racked his brain to find the next clown. Jubilife was a sprawling metropolis, that was easily the largest city in the region. The organizers of this campaign must have placed them far apart...this one was a the busiest intersection of Jubilife. Right in front of Jubilife TV station...landmarks...crowds...Lucas felt his mind expand as he pieced it together. That's it!

Lucas jogged through the streets, heading west towards the tallest building peering over the apartment buildings. He sped pass the sign marked 'Pokemon G.T.S' and into the public square. Before him was Sinnoh's largest gathering of Pokemon collectors packed into one building. The Global Trade Station connected people across the globe with the chance to trade Pokemon with anyone.

"Hey, check this Alolan Vulpix I hoodwinked from this kid in Alola," a nerdy Pokemon collector showed off his newly traded Pokemon to his friend. "Only had to give him my Shiny Kecleon with Protean."

Adjusting his glasses, the young adult studied the foreign Vulpix. "What's so special about this one? Looks like a regular Alolan Vulpix," he inquired the value of this trade.

"It knows Freeze Dry!"

"Marvelous! Such a rare specimen must be worth millions," the collector rejoiced.

Lucas paid no heed to the day traders for the real clown. The second clown was in the middle of the plaza and was just as enthusiastic as the last one. In his grouchy voice, he greeted Lucas before giving his riddle.

"What's the typing for Shadow Claw move?"

"Uh...ghost?"

"Bingo! Here's your coupon," he grumbled, shoving the paper into the boy's hand.

One more to go...and I have a feeling I know where it is, Lucas didn't even have go far for the next location. It was a block away from the G.T.S and didn't take long for him to arrive at the birthplace of this harebrained marketing ploy. Sure enough, there was a representative out in the streets in front of the Poketch company headquarters.

Lucas spotted the final clown for the ongoing promotion. This particular clown was different from the rest. For starters, he wasn't wearing the typical clown costume that one could buy at the cheap party store. His attire consisted of closed, red-yellow striped breeches with pink tights and pointy yellow shoes decorated with tiny bells at the end. He was brimming with energy and sprightliness unlike the other crabbed clowns. He hoped onto the bench and juggled his Pokeballs with such finesse. Lucas approached and immediately caught the eye of the clown. He jumped down from his stand without dropping a Pokeball.

"A challenger approaches," he announced in a giddy voice. "What is your name, sir?"

"I'm Lucas and I'm here for the final coupon,," he said producing the two tickets.

"I see you wish to take on my impossible quiz!" he shouted invigorated, throwing all his Pokeballs into the air. He caught each Pokeball before hopping back onto his podium. "I, Jester Thomas, shall test you. This will be your final question that I will only say it once," he dramatically pointed down at Lucas.

"I'm all ears," Lucas eagerly shot back. The energy Thomas produced was contagious, Lucas realized, feeling his heart race. This was how a clown was suppose to act...but he did say he was a jester, not a clown...

Jester Thomas cleared his throat. "This promotion campaign was brought to by the Poketch corporation and...the Blue Tauros energy drink," he sounded to eager to promote a drink known to cause kidney stones in teens. "It gives you more tails like a Tauros when you need it the most!"

"How will having more tails help me?" Lucas always wondered what the slogan meant.

"Can't tell but don't think to hard about it for my question will break your mind," he said, doing a quick twirl. "I'm a harmless thing that can crawl or fly despite only having hands. You're always running out of me despite their being an unlimited amount of me. What am I?" As he concluded his riddle, he began to juggle again and due a little jig.

Finally given an actual riddle, Lucas was suddenly stumped. Crawls...but it also flies. Is this at all related to the item their giving out? Lucas contemplated the meaning behind Thomas's question. He is dedicated to making this promotional campaign a success. He must have tied this riddle to the watch...waaatch?...Watch!

"Time!" Lucas barked. "I flies by but it can also crawl at times. Hands are clocks like on the Poketch clock app!"

"Aren't you a smart one," Jester Thomas smiled bright, hopping down from his podium. "Or someone must have told you the answer because that's the only riddle I've been saying to everyone." Nevertheless, he gave Lucas the final coupon to complete his side quest.

"Neat, who do I turn this into?"

"I'll take them off your hands," Thomas replied, plucking all three from his hand. Making sure Lucas had all of them, the jester produced another basket full of Poketchs of varying colors.

"Congratulation on collecting all the coupons and participating in our campaign! Choose a color of your new Poketch - the must have for any Pokemon Trainer - and start your life with technology at your wrists!" he shoved the basket into Lucas's face.

Lucas grabbed the red smart watch, surprised by how light it felt. "I know I can only get one, but can you allow me to take one more...for my friend?" Lucas thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Hah, your friend has to take on my impossible quiz if they want a Poketch!" he denied, pulling the basket back. He was about to back off but suddenly halted in his place. "Well, giving one extra Poketch is not out the question...if you manage to to solve me dilemma."

Lucas was skeptical at first but had to try. "What do you need?"

"Today has been draining...so show me something entertaining," he rhymed his request. "I'm losing my enthusiasm, thus give me...a thrilling battle! Inspire me than you might acquire one."

"A battle? I can give it my best shot!" Lucas accepted.

"Brighten up our day! Bring smiles to all the people of the world! Show yourself, Magmar!"

Thomas's Magmar materialized on the concrete sidewalk and immediately struck an awkward pose. Lucas have always seen Magmar as a serious, cool Pokemon that were deployed by powerful trainers like fire breathers. This Magmar, on the contrary, tried it's best to follow his trainer's lead by hopping on it's one leg and producing fireballs to juggle.

"Cirno, I need your help!"

Lucas's Munchlax appeared and was immediately awestruck by the tall buildings and colorful lights. His attention settled on the juggling Magmar, throwing them in the air one last time before letting them fall into his open yellow bill. A small puff of smoke escaped his mouth as he swallowed the flames.

"Magmar, we need to feel the heat of battle to inspire us!" Thomas yelled in the streets. "Remember why we came to Sinnoh. I wish to become a world renowned Jester and not a fire breather."

-"Fire Breather? That sounds pretty fun,"- Munchlax grinned.

-"His father made us enter the family business as a fire breather, which is still my backup choice,"- Magmar made it clear. -"We are just on our path to becoming the best! So prepare yourself!"-

"Let's give them what they want," Lucas said, clenching a determined fist. "Headbutt!"

"Bring him down with Flame Wheel!"

Magmar somersaulted into the air. The flames on his eyebrows burned intensively as it grew to engulf him. His body wasn't burned by the flames and molded them around his form. He came back down, rolling right into Cirno. Cirno was doused in flames as the Flame Wheel crashed into him.

Cirno was staggered for a split second and Magmar jumped out of the flames, ready to deal another blow. Cirno reeled back and rammed his thick head forward. Magmar fell backwards, crying out in pain.

"Hey, folks mean it figuratively when they say to use your head," the jester shot back to which Lucas responded with a short chuckle."Hah! Laughs! No heckling or obnoxious snickering! If only you could see me now pops!" Thomas happily celebrated. "But let's really give them a hard time. Smog attack!"

Magmar picked himself off the sidewalk, brewing a deadly gas in his gut. Opening his bill, a cloud of noxious gas surrounded Cirno. Cirno choked and gagged as he breathed in the purple miasma. It was suffocating despite his best efforts to not breathe it in.

-"I don't feel so well,"- Cirno meekly said, feeling the poison chip away at him.

"You're poisoned but don't worry. We're prepared for this!" Lucas encouraged his hairy friend. "Help yourself with Natural Gift!"

Munchlax's sickly face turned into a bright smile. He stuffed a claw into his fur and pulled out a juicy blue strawberry.

"Stop! Not that one! The peach colored one," Lucas halted Cirno from eating the wrong berry.

-"Huh? This one?"- Cirno asked, pulling out the Pecha Berry. He looked at one berry and the other with an indecisive look. -But I was craving a Rawst Berry...-

"Beat down on him as he struggles to figure which to eat. Thunder Punch!" Thomas took advantage of Cirno's dilemma.

-"Ah! This one!"- Cirno listened to his trainer and ate the Pecha Berry. The instant it entered his gullet, his body took on the powerful green light. He extracted the essence of the Pecha Berry and focused it into his attack.

Magmar lifted his fist, crackling with electricity but was met with an even larger blast of electricity. Natural Gift varied from berry to berry and this particular had an affinity with thunder. Magmar was once again thrown onto the hard ground with a sickening thud.

-"Ahhh...much better,"- Cirno said with relief, patting his bulging gut. He was cured of poison and had a nice snack despite not being what he hungered for.

"Such quick thinking. Magmar, I think it's time bring out our trump card. Go for it! Flame Swathe!" bellowed Jester Thomas, lashing out with a triumphant fist. Magmar, picked himself up to mimicked his trainer's motions.

Flame Swathe? Never heard of such a move, Lucas was concerned as to what the clown taught his Pokemon. He couldn't prepare a suitable counter thus resorted to buffing his Pokemon. "Cirno, Stockpile!"

Magmar threw his fist out like his trainer and from his mouth escaped a thin stream of fire. The flames snaked around Cirno and trapped him in a vortex of fire. Cirno gulped hot air like a glutton and held it in, increasing his defenses in the process. Magmar hopped into the swirling fire with no regard of his well being. He spun into his Flame Wheel and ran straight through the flames. Magmar's spinning body gathered even more flames from the Fire Spin , increasing his Flame Wheel size. The collision caused a small explosion that knocked both Pokemon away from each other.

"What was that?" Lucas asked in disbelief. The smoke cleared to reveal a a scorched Munchlax still holding his breathe and a panting Magmar.

"Incredible that your Munchlax is still standing after taking our combo attack," Thomas praised the resilient Pokemon.

Well, Cirno does have Thick Fat and his defenses were increased by Stockpile, Lucas figured out how his Pokemon survived such a devastating attack but was more intrigued by the combo. "A combo? Like how you just combined Fire Spin and Flame Wheel techniques?"

"What! You never heard about combos?" the jester asked shocked.

Lucas shook his head.

"Why these combos are all the craze in Johto and Kanto," he said as if it was known info. "Champion Red has popularized the concept of combining two moves -giving it an awesome name- and BAM! You go yourself a combo."

"So, combos are just two moves done together with a code name used to simplified your commands," Lucas figured it was as simple as it sounded. He wondered if he could come up with a unique combo for his own Pokemon

"The code name has to sound cool," Thomas highlighted the important part of any combo.

"I understand...Cirno?" Lucas returned his attention to his Pokemon who was struggling to hold his breath. "Cirno! Swallow!"

Cirno finally swallowed the Stockpile and regained his lost health. He lost his upgraded defenses in process but could finally breathe again. -"I almost passed out,"- he said, feeling lightheaded. Cirno gathered his bearings to be able to match Magmar's determined look but that smug look disappeared from the battlefield.

"Are you forfeiting?" Lucas asked, seeing that Thomas returned Magmar his Pokemon back into it's Pokeball.

"Your Munchlax took on our combo and managed to heal back up. Magmar was already spent, and thus I thought continuing this battle was pointless. I already feeling inspired and invigorated!" Thomas accepted defeat with a bright smile. "As promised, you can have another Poketch."

"Thanks!" Lucas said, picking a blue Poketch this time. He returned his own Pokemon but not without thanking him for his work.

"Now, I must return to my job with a renewed sense of duty!" he yelled, jumping back into his spot to attract more people with his juggling and a balancing act.

Lucas chose the blue watch to wear. The screen flashed on just to signaled it was low battery and it didn't even have the correct time. This watch only has a few apps...and the rest you have to buy off the app store! Lucas felt like he was cheated. This one has you manually tap a button to raise the counter. This other app tells you what Pokemon you have in your party...and to check it's status you have pay every time to see it. Lucas slumped over, feeling dejected as if he just wasted his entire evening.

"Lucas!" a female voice called out.

Lucas saw both Dawn and Barry walk down the street and he realized he was at the park in front of the trainer school. Dawn was chirpy as she showed him her wrist.

"Look! I got this after getting the highest score in the class," she proudly announced and a dejected Barry groaned. On her wrist was Poketch but this one was pink.

"You barely beat me by one question?" Barry whined as he didn't get one. "They held a test after the rushed lesson and highest score got a cool watch."

"Well, it's not that great since it has the bare minimum apps," she muttered, scrolling through the screens.

Lucas woke from his stupor and raised his own Poketch. "Hey Barry, I managed to win an extra Poketch if you want one," his mood rose as he realized his work was not wasted.

"Really! That's awesome," Barry cried, accepting Lucas's extra watch. He wrapped around his slim wrist, happy that he wasn't being left out from the fad.

The Pokemon Center was a stone throws away from the park. The doors slid open and they were greeted by a surprising amount of trainers. It was getting late and people have gathered to get a room or prepare to go to bed.

Dawn went in first but froze. Lucas saw her appalled face and walked into the building to ask her what was wrong but that was when he saw him. A group of trainers stood around a brunette teen intrigued by his odd Pokemon. Barry realized the boy who had his back to them was Dawn's ex.

"Dawn..." Lucas softly spoke, but Dawn slowly walked backwards with a fearful expression.

Barry and Lucas were about to follow her but a man's far off voice called out to them. Lucas looked back and saw Roman has taken noticed of them. He waved at them with guiltless smile as he approached the two. Lucas turned back to noticed Dawn was gone.

"It's Lucas and Barry? Right?" Roman greeted the two.