After battling three complete strangers, Manny caught up with Hanny.
"Hanny! I was molested by children on the way here!"
"Those wimps? I beat them up every day and take their lunch money."
"Doesn't anyone go to SCHOOL in Sinnoh? What are they doing hanging around, pouncing on innocent passers-by?"
When they arrived at the largest city in Sinnoh, Manny paused to take in the buildings that soared to the heavens, blocking view of the sky and sun. Then he got vertigo, and had to look at the ground, which was smooth grey asphalt, burning in the midday heat. A resident ran up to them.
"Hey, are you guys new Trainers? Then visit the Trainer's School! I saw some blonde kid enter there not too long ago."
"We'll pass," they chorused, and went further into the city.
"People act as though we haven't been studying Pokémon our entire lives. It's kind of hard not to know everything about them by the time you learn how to read," Hanny huffed.
"Yeah, we sort of grew up around them, and the Pokédex is freely available on Bulbapedia, so what's there to study?" Manny shrugged.
"What's that man doing?" Hanny said, staring at the suspicious character dressed in a trench coat, who was hiding behind a lamp post. Noticing that he was being looked at, the man ran from the cover of one lamp post to another, peeking from the side to glare at the two Trainers.
Hannah walked boldly up to the man. "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
"AHA!" the man shouted triumphantly, running from the safety of the lamp post to confront the Trainers. "You saw me! I was trying not to be seen, but no, no, no, you saw through my disguise! That means you understood how remarkable I was, didn't you?! How did you know I was a member of the International Police?" the man demanded loudly, drawing the stares of passers-by.
Manny held up both hands. "We didn't…"
"Nonsense! You are clearly gifted with powers of observation no normal human being has! You will want to know my name, yes? Well, it's… no, no, no, that won't do! For now, call me Looker!" he commanded, his thick eyebrows wagging dangerously.
Hanny arched an eyebrow, pushing up her glasses. "You're a voyeur?"
"Pffffft!" he made a dismissive hand gesture, rolling his perpetually frowning eyes. "I was acquitted of those charges. Incidentally, is the saying 'Don't be a thief' familiar to you?"
Manny looked at Hanny. "We're not sure…"
"You must! Taking things from others is wrong. There are those in Sinnoh guilty of such, stealing people's Pokémon!"
Hanny began to ask, "Are they Team R-" but the man hunched over, speaking in a conspiratorial tone.
"I have been on the lookout for such characters. Incidentally, you two are Trainers, yes? Perhaps you can make use of this!" He shoved two identical devices into their hands. "That Versus Recorder is useful for recording the battles you've fought with other Trainers! I'm giving them away free to young children for completely innocent reasons!"
He stood up suddenly, his head whipping left and right.
"You never had this conversation with me! Understand?! And you are not to reveal my secret identity to others!"
"But you're shouting in the middle of the street! There are people staring at us," Manny said, giving an apologetic grin to the crowd that had gathered around them.
"You must not speak to me again! Actually, yes, yes, you may speak to me. You must," he begged, groveling before the kids, "Not because I'm lonely, no, no! You must inform me of the BAD GUYS! You must inform me of any happenings, because I can't read and don't own a television and am afraid of the Interwebs!"
He dashed for cover behind a lamp post, his eyes darting back and forth like a Pidgey expecting an Ekans to strike. Then he was gone with the wind, racing down the street. The crowd murmured and dispersed.
"…We need to get a restraining order," Hanny decided, "but there are no police stations in Sinnoh."
At the city square, a representative of the Pokétch Company was milling around. When he spied Manny and Hanny he raced up to them.
"Fresh meat! There are three clowns around the city. Find them all and win a free Pokémon Watch!"
"We already did," Hanny said, slapping six coupons into the salesperson's hands. "They were grabbing every kid they saw, forcing them to take coupons. I remember one girl shrieking for her mother, but like us, she was without an adult on a Pokémon adventure. The clowns shut her up with coupons, though. They were a sad, desperate lot. Don't you pay your employees?"
"Not the temps. Here are your free Pokémon Watches called 'Pokétch' for short!"
"Excellent," Manny said, attaching the wristband. "Now I have the exact same functions on my watch that I do on my cell phone."
"Oh, those aren't ALL the features! New ones are being created every day! In fact, our CEO gives away free applications to Trainers with badges!"
Hanny arched an eyebrow. "How does your company turn a profit?"
"Suing our competitors, of course! Now, get out there, my little walking billboards, and advertise Pokétch so we don't have to!"
Before they searched for Route 203, Hanny asked Manny whether he'd seen the inside of a Pokémon Centre.
"You missed the one in Sandgem."
"That's because you were dragging me everywhere!"
Thus Manny was introduced to his first Pokémon Centre. While Nurse Joy healed their Pokémon, Hanny gave Manny a tour of the Centre's facilities. Each Pokémon Centre is a home away from home for Trainers. Trainers below the age of 13 may use its facilities for free, including the bathrooms, food court and recreational area. Once there is accommodation, a Trainer may spend the night there, either in a sleeping bag or, if the Centre is large enough, the sleeping quarters.
Manny returned to the front desk to collect his Pokémon.
"Thank you!" the pink-haired nurse said with a bright smile. "We hope to see you again!"
Manny's face fell. "You hope my Pokémon get injured again?"
The nurse blinked.
"Good heavens, no! I say that to all Trainers!"
"You want everyone's Pokémon to get injured so that they will come back here? You monster!"
"I… I'm not a monster!"
Nurse Joy ran crying inside. Hanny punched Manny in the head, then dragged him by the ear outside. She looked around at all the tall buildings.
"Isn't it amazing how every place of interest has a huge billboard next to the entrance? I wish my home had a big sign saying, 'Hanny's House'."
"I do; it's on my mailbox. Every house in TwinLeaf has some sort of sign announcing the owner's name. Even the spaz has one."
"Don't you think that's weird?"
"Weird how?"
"Why doesn't it state the OWNER of the house? Doesn't your Mom own your house, and Mint's Mom, hers?"
"Huh. I don't know the name of Mint's Mom."
"What the name of your Mom, then?"
Manny drew a blank.
"I… I never asked her."
Hanny rubbed the back of her neck. "Um, this is awkward. I never asked my parents their names, either."
"I don't even know the name of my father. Good grief, this is sad. I don't even know the names of my neighbours!"
Exiting east onto Route 203 within an awkward silence, Manny connected to the Internet on his Pokédex.
"According to the Sinnoh Trainer walkthrough on Psypokes dot com, we can catch Shinx and Abra in this area."
Hanny pumped her fist. "Let's get to it!"
After beating the Pokémon Trainers in the area, both caught a Shinx within minutes.
"Now," Manny said, sitting cross-legged before the Shinx he had just caught, "let's see what the Pokédex says about your Nature."
"Why do you care about that? I just caught Kipp, and he's Relaxed, but so what?"
"That ten-percent difference isn't important now, but it will be when it's a Luxray and can only get in two or three hits before it's KO'd."
The Pokédex is the Tricorder of the Pokémon universe. Just by waving it over a Pokémon, it can measure that Pokémon's chemical balance, muscular structure and many other physiological factors that give a fairly accurate estimate of that Pokémon's health and personality.
"You have an Adamant nature. That is acceptable for my Starly… I mean, Keira, who is also Adamant, but not in a Luxray who will learn Discharge and possibly be taught Thunderbolt." Manny stood up and pointed away. "Get lost!"
Its little tail and ears drooping, the unwanted Shinx slinked off. Hannah and Kipp watched with mouths wide open.
"You're going to spend all day crushing their fragile little hearts, aren't you?"
Manny mimicked Rowan's gruff voice, twirling an imaginary moustache. "Chaos theory postulates that I WILL obtain a Shinx with a Lonely or Naughty nature, eventually. The rest are offal. Bah and humbug!"
Hanny sauntered off to Oreburgh City while Manny played catch-and-release with numerous Shinx.
As the sun was setting, he found a perfect Shinx, and was so moved by pride that he picked up the Shinx and ran all the way to the top of the hill, just before the entrance to Mt. Coronet. From that high vantage point, Manny lifted the Shinx high above his head to the dying rays of the sun. Every Abra, Bidoof, Kricketot, Shinx and Starly beneath them lifted their eyes to the glorious sight, and knew that their king was born. They knelt in reverence to the one who was chosen; the one would surpass them.
Hanny returned that evening with the Coal Badge. There was also something very different about the way she traveled. Manny could not help but gape.
"Where did you get a Ponyta?"
Riding bareback, Hanny tugged gently on the reins to bring the flaming pony to a halt. Its fiery mane lit up the oncoming night. Hanny stroked its head.
"Just north of Oreburgh. Wait, don't touch him!"
"OW!" Manny yelped and jumped backwards, holding his hand.
"You silly git, Ponyta burn those they don't trust!"
"I know that! I thought we were friends, Hanny!"
"I just caught Zeke, and I barely know you! Rowan just jammed us together before sending us off!"
"Ugh, whatever. I have to buy a Burn Heal."
While returning to Jubilife City, Manny regaled her with his afternoon activities.
"After twenty-three tries I finally caught a male Shinx with a 'Lonely' nature and the passive ability to intimidate his foes."
"Awesome. By the way, the Pokéball I used to catch your Starly cost two hundred bucks. I charge a fifteen percent interest rate, so that will be two hundred and thirty Pokédollars, please."
She held out her hand. Manny looked at it: hard, dry bumps riddled her small palm.
"But you said–"
"Pay up or I won't be your friend anymore."
"Fine," he grumbled, dishing out the cash. "I threw away five Abra who didn't have a Mild nature, so I settled on the sixth one; he has a Docile nature."
"So what was that big speech about a ten percent advantage?"
Manny slapped his forehead. "I got bored, so I'll just have to suffer, won't I? Look, I'll catch up with you after I beat Roark. You're going to Floaroma Town, right?"
"Uh huh. Gonna get me some berries. Maybe visit the Windworks."
"By the way, why do you have bumps on your hands?"
"They're called 'calluses'. Zeke may be the first Ponyta I ever caught, but I take care of lots of 'em on the ranch."
Zeke gave a little whinny. After saying their goodbyes, Hanny galloped off while Manny entered the PokéMart.
"Ahhh! It's you guys again!"
"Oh look, it's the witch's assistant," Clerk One sneered.
"You must have met our clones in Sandgem Town," Clerk Two said.
"Clones," Manny repeated, shaking his head. "Really, if you're working two shifts, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'd like a Burn Heal, please."
"Did you get your first badge yet?" they said together.
"What? But my hand…"
"No badge, no service," they said together once more and showed him the door.