"Oi, ya got some fightin' words 'ere, ya little smartmouth?"
the bull snorted as he shook a hoof at Benedict. His nostrils flared up and he dragged a foot through the sand.
He reached into his left pocket and pulled out a Great Ball. The bovine released his Pokemon, a blue jellyfish with shiny red orbs on its head. Its squishy body shone underneath the hot sun, while its tentacles dangled below, brushing up against the sand.
Benedict pulled his phone out and scanned the new Pokemon.
"Tentacool, the Jellyfish Pokemon. A water and poison type. Tentacool absorbs sunlight and refracts it using water inside its body to convert it into beam energy. This Pokémon shoots beams from the small round organ above its eyes."
"Yea, I still wanna go!"
Benedict shouted as he shoved his phone into his pocket. He slammed his fist against the palm of his wing as Aron leaped in front of him.
"Aron, use Mud Slap!" he commanded.
Aron dug his claws into the sand. He kicked up a storm, throwing several clumps of sand and mud into Tentacool's eyes.
"Tentacool, use Wrap!"
Tentacool slung its tentacles around in the air as it tried to aim at Aron. Its eyes squinted as it swatted the sand instead. Some of the sand flew into its eyes while the rest flung around the beach.
"Now, Aron! Use Headbutt!"
Aron lowered his head and charged towards the jellyfish Pokemon. His head collided with its squishy blue body, causing the jellyfish Pokemon to ricochet back into its trainer.
"Tentacool, Bubble!"
Tentacool leaped back from its trainer's body. It held its tentacles up to the smaller gem on its body. Its eyes glowed white as it shot a spray of bubbles at its opponent.
Aron flinched as some of the bubbles popped against his body. The lukewarm water felt absolutely disgusting against his metallic skin, drenching him in his spot. He leaped into the air as he dodged the other bubbles. The bubbles popped in the air, small bursts of water falling to the ground.
"Aron! Hang in there and use another Mud Slap!"
Aron dug and kicked more mud into Tentacool's face,
blocking most of its vision at this point.
"Tentacool! Block it and use Wrap!"
Tentacool flailed its body around as it tried to shake the dirt off its eyes. It tried to wrap its body around Aron but collided into the sand instead.
"Aron! Finish it off with one last Headbutt!"
Aron lowered his head. He dashed towards Tentacool and headbutted its body with maximum power.
"Tenta-"
Tentacool cried out as the headbutt forced it to land back against its trainer's body. The jellyfish's body went cold as it fell onto the beach with a splat.
The bull leaned down and returned Tentacool to its Poke Ball.
"Aight Tentacool, ya did yer best"
He stood back up and shook Benedict's wing.
"That was a fun battle, laddie"
"Thanks sir!"
Benedict nodded after the handshake.
"Hey, THERE you boys are!"
A voice hollered from the other side of the beach.
The boys turned around. They saw Apollo walk towards them. Instead of his usual ensemble, he wore a tight black speedo along with gold and black aviator shades. He had sunscreen smeared across the top of his beak, and was carrying a massive blue beach bag with white polka dots on it. Surprisingly, not a single fangirl was swarming up to him.
"H-hey Apollo!"
Benedict choked as he eyed up Apollo. His face burned up, and not just from the sun. Don't stare at him like he's a piece of meat, he thought to himself. You saw how uncomfortable he was with those wolves.
"Hey Apollo!"
Tank happily waved to him.
"Did you need us for something?"
"Yes. I did, boys"
Apollo bluntly explained.
"I need you boys to come with me for a while
"What's going on?"
Tank asked him.
"The Kapp'n asked me to meet him at his museum" the eagle explained as he adjusted his sunglasses. He leaned in and whispered "And I need someone to help fight off any fangirls"
"At least you have fangirls,"
the bull snorted in laughter.
Everyone glanced at him in unamusement.
"Vic, with all due respect, do you have any idea how annoying they get?!" Apollo scolded him. "I can't even get a water bottle at the Poke Mart without them squealing in my ears or trying to feel me up"
Benedict, Tank and Kidd all looked at each other.
They knew all too well about being felt up without consent, but didn't want to say anything right there.
"I…. I had no idea"
Vic felt ridiculous. "I'm sorry I said that"
Apollo took a deep breath in and sighed. He placed one of his wings against the back of his neck
"It's fine. I should've said something earlier"
He turned to face the boys.
"You guys still wanna go, right?"
The boys leaned in and whispered to each other
"I don't know if I really want to go to a museum of all things"
"Oh, come on Kidd! It'll be fine"
"Yeah, I think it's gonna be fun!"
"...Benedict, you're only saying that so you could eye up Apollo"
"I was NOT eyeing him up! If anything, I think you're jealous"
"Pffft, why would I be jealous of him?!"
"Cut it out, you two! We're going and that's final!"
Tank turned to face Apollo
"Sure, we'll go!"
"Excellent"
Apollo nodded.
It was settled. A trip to Slateport's museum it is!
After saying bye to Vic, the group left the Slateport beaches and towards the Pokemon Center. They got some drinks, changed back into street clothes, then travelled down the roads and towards a large teal building on the right side of the city.
The Oceanic Museum. An endless sea sustains life, it claims. This popular museum is dedicated to everything aquatic. Boating, water samples, sea life, you name it. Some would even say it has "too much water". Its owner is a fanatical oceanographer by the name of Kaisho Kobayashi. However, most animals simply call him "Kapp'n".
The group headed inside the museum. Thanks to all the blue decor inside, the museum had a calming atmosphere. It smelled faintly of sea salt. Blue walls, floors, rugs, lighting, exhibits, even the fur of the employees. Everything was so blue that it felt suffocating.
A brown sheep with pale blue fur and a grey uniform stood behind the counter. She glanced down to write some notes about the museum budget. Her name tag read 'Baabara Hitsuji'. She looked back up and waved to the group
"Good afternoon, boys, and welcome to the Oceanic Museum" the ewe calmly greeted everybody. "Entry fee's fifty Poke Dollars, but I'll make an exception for the Champion"
She winked at Apollo.
The group glanced at each other. Oh, right. A museum needs to stay open somehow. They grabbed a few Poke Dollars and dropped them into the jar on the counter.
"Thank you so much," Baabara smiled as she held her hooves together.
"And have a good day!"
"We will, thanks."
Apollo said before walking towards the stairs, the boys eagerly trailing behind him.
The second floor of the museum felt eerily empty. Countless exhibits took up the floor- boat models, water samples from other regions, a 3D model of the Hoenn region. But no other animals were seen. No school field trips, no couples out on a date, nobody.
A green kappa sat at a bench near one of the exhibits. His hair was spiky and dark green, while his eyes were black and white. He wore a blue Alolan shirt, black pants and red sunglasses clipped to his shirt. He was in the middle of reading a book titled "Oh Cucumber, You're no Pewcumber".
The group approached him, standing in front of him.
"Kaisho?"
Apollo asked the kappa.
"Kapp'n, actually"
The kappa corrected him as he folded his book shut. Kapp'n placed the book down on a small table.
"I heard ye got the parts?"
"Yes, I did"
Apollo said as he handed him the same beige package from last night.
"Arrrr" Kapp'n grinned as he ripped the package open. Pieces of wrapping paper flew in the air like confetti. His eyes lit up as he carefully looked at each part that had arrived- wrenches, gears, a manual for one of his engines, and the flowery wreath his wife asked for.
"Why I'm as pleased as a Roselia!"
Benedict leaned over and whispered to Tank
"Pleased as a Roselia? What the heck does that mean ?"
Tank explained to him
"It's a Hoennian saying. Budew evolve into Roselia when they're at their happiest"
"Oh, we got somethin' just like that in Unova!" Benedict pointed out.
"Except it's 'as loved as a Leavanny'"
"I didn't know ye knew these lads"
He nodded at the boys.
"You know them?"
Apollo asked. Now how and when did this happen, he thought.
"Ye'' Kapp'n had a content smile.
"These lads saved me little girl from one of em wild Pokemon. Me wife said ye lads were goin' on a journey, how's that goin'?"
"Pretty great,"
Tank explained. "Professor Nook's keeping me busy, but I caught a bunch of Pokemon so far!"
"And I got two Gym Badges"
Benedict explained as he pulled out his case.
While the lads were busy upstairs, a swarm of pink and blue cats, decked out in bright teal and purple outfits, barged into the lobby, mindlessly led by their bosses: blue squirrel, a blue horse and a pastel pink and blue bear cub.
"Welcome to the-"
Baabara tried to greet everybody, but saw the crowd rush inside carelessly.
"...oceanic museum"
She sighed in annoyance.
The bear cub stopped in her tracks. With an ice cold scowl across her face, she looked around at the museum. She barked out her commands while placing her hands on her hips
"Julian! Grab any ship equipment you can"
"Anything for you, Miss Judy!"
The blue horse, standing on her left side, triumphantly saluted her.
"Filbert, the keys. Keep the secretary away from the doors. Lock the museum. Don't let anybody in"
Judy pointed at the door.
The blue and white squirrel also saluted her, but felt rather shaky
"Yes, Miss Judy"
He adjusted his hat before running to the doors.
"Good!" Judy softly smiled to herself before turning around. "As for you simps?"
She faced the grunts with a harsh frown
"Storm everything you can. Grab what looks useful. Don't let any trainers stop you, you hear me?!"
"Yes, ma'am, yes!"
The gathering of grunts hollered back to her.
Filbert ran back to the lobby. He tackled Baabara, pinned her to the ground and swiftly tied her arms behind her back.
"Sorry I have to do this" he muttered under his breath as she struggled under the ropes. "But it's her orders"
The squirrel pushed her back into a corner and rummaged through the counter's drawers. He grabbed a fistful of keys and dashed towards the front doors.
While he rummaged for the right key, Julian and Judy searched for any useful equipment for the ships.
"This one?"
"No, Julian, you fool! We're building a SHIP, not a dinky little sailboat. The bigger it is, the better it is for our plans!"
"What about this piece?"
"No, no, NO! It's too small!"
"Okay, this one?"
"Too big, it won't work!"
The Team Pastel grunts split into several small groups. Several grunts ran towards the exhibits while others flipped over rugs, looking for any keys buried underneath. More grunts stormed upstairs, causing the group to turn around and face them down.
"Boss, we found some stuff!"
One of the male grunts yelled as he reached the top of the stairs.
"GRUNT 222! I'm BUSY!"
Judy hollered back as she examined a submarine engine.
Her nose wrinkled in disgust- this one would NOT do for her plan, she thought. It could barely power the size of the boat she was thinking of.
The blue cat muttered under his breath
"Arceus, I don't get paid enough…"
He shook the negative thoughts off and jumped over one of the exhibits.
He hissed as he extended his claws at them.
"Hey. You. Give us the stuff NOW!"
"Arrr. Yer best be stayin' outta me museum!"
Kapp'n grabbed a folding chair. He swung it behind his back and smacked the grunt across the face. He closed up the blue chair and set it down.
The kappa picked up the unconscious animal over his shoulder. He stormed downstairs, not wanting the cat to stay passed out in his museum.
"I'll handle the rest of them. You guys got this"
Apollo told the group. He leaped over the exhibit walls and pushed down two Pastel grunts before storming downstairs to fight off more of Team Pastel.
The boys heard loud commotion downstairs
"Now, Metagross, Iron Head!"
"Mantine, Air Slash!"
"Sharpedo, use Crunch!"
"Masquerain, use Energy Ball!"
The final two grunts faced the boys down.
"I heard you brats took down Grunt 184" the pink grunt sneered as she flipped her wavy purple hair.
"Yeah, and what of it?!"
Benedict hollered at the two cats.
"He had nothin' against us!"
"Damn right he had nothing against you, he was super weak" the pink cat stuck her tongue out. "Daryl and I are the thirteenth AND fourteenth strongest trainers in all of Team Pastel"
"Yeah, and we'll show YOU!"
Daryl roared as he grabbed two Poke Balls.
"We'll show you ALL!"
Oh, it was on. The boys felt ready to take on anything and anyone.
They each grabbed a Poke Ball and released one of their Pokemon.
"Treecko! Let's go!"
"Kirlia! Let's fight em off"
"Come on out, Abra"
The three Pokemon cried out as they landed in front of their trainers. Treecko energetically wagged his tail, Kirlia stood and spun on one foot, and Abra calmly hovered in the air.
Both Pastel grunts turned to each other. They nodded in understanding while grabbing a handful of pink Poke Balls. They released three Pokemon as well- a Zubat in the middle, and two red and blue shark Pokemon with bright white fangs.
Tank whipped his Rotom Phone out.
"Carvanha, the Savage Pokemon. A water and dark type. If anything invades Carvanha's territory, it will swarm and tear at the intruder with its pointed fangs. The strongest Carvanha have the most scars on their fangs"
The pink cat flipped her hair
"Carvanha, use Poison Fang on Kirlia"
"Kirlia, scare it off with Disarming Voice!" Benedict shouted as he punched the air.
The larger Carvanha opened its jaws. Its mouth turned a bright shade of purple as it tried to bite at its opponent.
Kirlia gracefully backflipped away from Carvanha. He took a deep breath in and screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the shark Pokemon to flinch in pain.
Daryl narrowed his eyes as he hissed
"Zubat! Astonish on Abra! Carvanha! Aqua Jet that Treecko!"
The smaller Carvanha's body turned blue as it dashed through and landed a hit against Treecko.
The gecko Pokemon flinched as he got attacked.
"Treecko! Use Absorb on the Carvanha that attacked you!"
Treecko's body glowed green as he latched onto Carvanha's upper fins. His tail wagged faster as he absorbed nutrients from the water type. Carvanha felt weaker after the attack, its body swaying slightly.
"Abra! Dodge the Zubat and use Confusion"
Zubat threw its body through the air. The psychic Pokemon quickly stopped it in its tracks with a pink telekinetic beam. She tossed her arms back and hurled the Zubat across the museum.
Zubat cried out as it slammed against the wall of the museum. An endless dustcloud flew up into the air. A small dent was left on the blue walls.
Benedict and Kidd grinned at each other. They high fived after watching Zubat pass out.
Daryl hissed as he slammed a fist against the exhibit. He returned Zubat to its ball and roared
"Hey! I was just getting started!"
The pink cat sighed carelessly and scolded her coworker
"You have no idea how to battle. Carvanha, use Bite on that Abra!"
Carvanha snarled at its opponents, spittle flying out of its mouth. It lowered its head as it darted towards Abra.
Kirlia leaped in front of his fellow psychic type. He planted his feet into the ground and braced his arms in front of his body.
"Kirrrrrr-"
"Keep it up, Kirlia!"
Benedict hollered to his Pokemon.
"Now use Magical Leaf!"
Kirlia nodded at his trainer.
"Lia!"
He summoned an armful of colorful leaves and shot Carvanha away. The larger shark yelped as all the leaves sliced and jabbed at its skin. It landed onto the ground with two strong thuds. Its eyes swirled as it laid on the hard floor, unable to battle.
"Oh COME ON, that wasn't even fair!" the pink cat hollered. She stamped her foot and growled while she returned her Carvanha to its ball.
Kidd rolled his eyes
"Hmph." he taunted. "Passer à autre chose"
"Daryl, do you speak Kalosian? I got no idea what he said"
the pink cat asked her coworker. She crossed her arms and glared
Daryl shook his head
"No, Toni, I don't. But I WILL finish this"
He turned back to the group
"Carvanha, Ice Fang that Treecko NOW"
The last Carvanha nipped at the air twice. Its mouth turned sparkling white as it bit its opponent on the side. Treecko cried out in pain as the cold ice slammed against his right side. Despite the bite only lasting a second, the aftermath stung for a few minutes.
Tank took a deep breath in and shouted
"Treecko! I know it hurts, but you gotta fight back! And use Pound!"
Treecko trembled as he stood upright. He refused to give up no matter what. Seeing Kirlia show no mercy inspired him.
"Treecko, TREE!"
His tail glowed white as he smacked Carvanha across the face.
Treecko rapidly landed several hits against Carvanha with his tail, his body moving faster and faster. Before landing the final three hits, he rapidly darted back and forth.
His entire body glowed light blue and started to change form.
He grew taller as his arms and head grew long extensions. His tail flattened and sharped. The white light faded away in an explosion.
A new Pokemon stood where Treecko used to be. His body was a richer shade of green and his eyes were narrower. His round toes and fingers were now as sharp as a blade.
The boys gasped in marvel at what had just happened.
"Woohoo!" Tank cheered happily. He used his Rotom Phone to scan his Pokemon.
"Grovyle, the Wood Gecko Pokemon and the evolved form of Treecko. A grass type. This Pokémon adeptly flies from branch to branch in trees. In a forest, no Pokémon can ever hope to catch a fleeing Grovyle however fast they may be. Well, except a Dusknoir from a bad future."
"A bad future? Huh"
Tank felt confused from this Dex entry. He turned slightly to the left and pointed at his opponent.
"Okay Grovyle! Let's end this! Use Fury Cutter!"
Grovyle turned his head around and nodded in understanding. The grass type's arms glowed lime green as he rapidly slashed at Carvanha four times.
"Carva—"
The shark Pokemon cried out as the last hit knocked it out against the floor.
The two cats looked in horror as their last Pokemon fainted.
"How dare you!" Daryl hissed at them. He shook a fist at them and bared his fangs, as he shamefully returned Carvanha to its ball.
"We should head out…."
Toni groaned as she looked away in embarrassment.
"I don't want our boss-"
"My oh my, just what do we have here!"
Everyone turned around to face the voice. The boys quickly returned their Pokemon to their balls.
Judy stomped towards the group. Her heels clicked loudly against the tiled floor. She wore a tight purple and teal wetsuit, a white bow in her long purple hair, and a teal belt decked with Poke Balls. Despite her short structure, she had the confidence of someone twice her height. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in disgust, like she stepped on a Grimer's body.
"Grunt 119? Grunt 320? You're both fired by the way"
The two cats froze at her cold response.
"Fired?! But Leader Judy, we just started two weeks ago! You can't just fire us like THAT"
Toni tried to explain herself.
Judy roared before slamming her palm against one of the exhibits, the noise echoing against the plastic walls.
"Oh. I'm sorry, but. Did I STUTTER?! OR ARE YOU JUST DEAF?! I SAID YOU'RE BOTH FIRED! NOW GET OUT"
Her mouth was twisted into a menacing snarl.
Both cats yelped a little. They looked at each other and stormed towards the stairs, ashamed of being let go just over one battle.
Judy looked over at the boys, her tone changing from sour to sweet. She clasped her paws together as her eyes sparkled.
"My oh my! You three are the ones that knocked those pathetic trainers out, hmm? Well, well, well, color me impressed"
"Who are you, ma'am?"
Tank asked her.
Judy's pupils shrunk in surprise. She clutched her chest in shock
"Ma'am?! Do you really think I'm that old?!"
"For crying out loud, I just turned thirty a few weeks ago!"
Judy thought to herself.
"Just tell them who you are. You don't have time to be too mad over a simple understanding"
Judy cleared her throat and batted her eyelashes
"You boys may be wondering who I am, right?"
"Not really, no" Kidd shrugged before whispering to Tank. "Great, she's going to tell us anyways."
Judy scoffed before explaining anyways
"My name's Judy Nebula. I'm Team Pastel's leader, and let me tell you boys what I want. I want a more beautiful world for all Pokemon. A world where Wingulls don't get tangled in six pack rings, Squirtles don't choke to death on plastic bags, or trainers overbreeding certain Pokemon and throwing them into the wild to mess up the beautiful ecosystems. I can't live in a world so hideous!
It's tragic, really. Us animals have ruined the sea and its precious Pokemon, all for our own selfish gains. If the extinction of us animals ensues because of this, so be it.
Unfortunately, you three are incredibly plain trainers, so it won't matter when you interfere with me in the long run. But know this."
Judy leaned in and brushed her braid over her shoulder.
"You may be good at taking down lowly grunts, but you stand no chance against me. I will restore this world without us filthy animals in it! I'll do it for the Pokemon"
"Bye now~"
Judy waved before turning around and strutting down the stairs like a model on the catwalk.
The boys had a few minutes to themselves after that encounter. They looked at each other in silence.
Restore the world? Extinction of animalkind?
The silence broke like wet tissue paper. Apollo stormed up the stairs and ran towards the group.
He sighed in relief
"Thank Arceus you're alright! Did Pastel give you any trouble?!"
"No, we're okay!"
Tank explained. "They were kinda annoying, but my Treecko evolved!"
"That's good to hear"
Apollo nodded. "Kapp'n and I had to take the rest down ourselves"
The boys left the museum and headed onto the streets. They stopped at a street booth to get lunch; grilled ikayaki made from real Tentacool, bright green wakame salad, and matcha bubble tea.
After finishing their meal, they headed to the left side of town and saw a rather odd yellow building. It had large Pikachu shaped balloons hanging from the sign.
"Pokemon...Fan Club?"
Tank leaned in as he read the huge red sign.
"Screw it, let's go check it out"
Kidd shrugged.
The boys headed inside the cutesy yellow building. The interior was incredibly kitschy. Posters of stereotypically cute Pokemon were plastered across each wall. Plushies scattered across the floor, while the table was covered with magazines and comics. Well, on the bright side, at least there weren't any body pillows!
While Tank felt rather comforted, Kidd and Benedict wanted to throw up from the decor.
A bright pink cat sat at the table inside. She wore a short pink flowery dress and shiny white go-go boots. Her face was rather peculiar- it was lime green and looked like an LCD screen. A few small cute Pokemon sat next to her on the couch. Was she a living animal or a gynoid of some type?
"Hey boys!" she called out to the trio. "So, welcome to the Pokemon Fan Club!"
The cat winked
"My name is Mabelline Eleanor Ottille Weimaraner, but everyone just calls me Meow! Nicknames are totally my specialty!"
Meow grinned as she held up some of her Pokemon.
"This is my Skitty, her name is Luz! That Marill over there is Willow, and the Zigzagoon playing with that Poke Doll is named Gus!"
While Tank curiously looked at the three small Pokemon, Benedict and Kidd looked at each other with dread.
"I can't take this place any more," Kidd whispered.
"I feel like I got trapped in some sort of pastel nightmare"
"What do y'all mean?" Benedict hushed back.
"It's sickeningly cute" Kidd explained.
"I've went to school with girls who dress up all cutesy and sweet, but really, they're manipulative assholes. Not as bad as Raymond, but a close second"
"So, tell me boys!" Meow giggled.
"What nicknames do you have for all your Pokemon?"
"Oh, we don't have any"
Tank went straight to the point. "We just started a couple days ago, so…."
"Hold up. None of you have nicknames for your Pokemon?!"
Meow's face froze up. She felt a new level of disdain.
"Pffft, no"
Benedict snarked at her, earning unimpressed glares from his friends.
"But you guys NEED nicknames!" Meow begged. She sighed and explained to the boys
"Imagine this. There's a swarm of, I don't know, Pikachu, right? And you can't find yours in the swarm. Well, a nickname makes yours so much easier to find, right? You just yell for them, and they come running back to you. Oh, and, like, don't worry if you don't like the name you gave them. You can just change them anyways, and they'll still love you!"
Benedict thought to himself.
"Maybe this applies to changing your own name too…."
"So, what are we thinking?~" Meow clasped her paws together.
"I'd love to see what you come up with!"
Tank grabbed one of his Poke Balls. He released his Grovyle in front of everybody.
"I already came up with one for him. Fern!"
"Ooooo, I love it!" Meow bounced in her seat. She held a paw up in the air
"We shall now know you as…..Fern the Grovyle!"
Grovyle calmly nodded, finding himself pleased to be known as Fern.
"Aaaaand, what about you two? Got any good ones?"
Meow pointed over at the other two boys.
"Fine, I'll humor you"
Kidd tossed both of his Poke Balls up in the air, releasing Mudkip and Abra respectively.
"Aquarius and Libra"
"Oooo, those sound pretty!" Meow squealed. She held her paws out to both girls. "And it's perfect! Mudkip here hatched in early February AND Abra hatched in late September! Done! From now on, you two girls are Aquarius and Libra!"
The two Pokemon cheered excitedly.
Benedict looked away awkwardly. He placed a wing on the back of his neck
"Um…...I had a name in mind, but it's for a Pokemon I haven't caught yet. Y'all think Holly sounds good…..well, for a grass type?"
"Sure!" Meow winked.
"I think it's a totally cute name for a Grass type! And besides, you totes remind me of a Gloom! Okay, let's see your Pokemon!"
Benedict sighed in relief. Being compared to a Gloom felt a little insulting, but there's worse Pokemon to be compared to. And besides, Gloom could choose their path! Evolving to a strong and sturdy Vileplume, or a beautiful and powerful Bellossom. At least he felt a little more encouraged for the future.
He released all four of his Pokemon in front of her.
Combusken roared and flexed, Kirlia curtsied, Aron stood on two legs, and Magikarp flopped around carelessly.
"So, what are you thinking?" Meow leaned down and petted Aron on the head, who chirped happily.
"Hmm….. somethin' cosmic would be cool, but Kidd already took the space stuff up…..Also thoughta flowers, but Tank called dibs on the plant theme…." Benedict's thoughts ran through his head. "Think, Benedict, THINK. Something that neither of them used…"
"I'm thinkin' comics!" Benedict blurted out.
"Well, the Kantonian and Johtonian types…"
"You mean manga?"
Tank asked.
Benedict blushed in deep embarrassment
"Y'all know what I meant. But, uh, Meow, here's what I had"
He glanced at each of his Pokemon, who looked on at their trainer in awe.
"Combusken? How y'all like the name Jojo?"
Combusken cried out in joy and excitedly kicked in the air.
"Kirlia? I'm thinkin Makoto"
Kirlia curtsied and twirled happily.
"Aron? Wanna go by Jagi?"
Aron turned his head up and shook his head no.
Benedict shrugged
"Hmm….Yeah, Jagi's kinda forgettable...How about Kenshiro?"
Aron nodded three times. Now THAT'S a name that fits a good battler, the iron Pokemon thought.
Benedict kneeled down and picked up Magikarp in his wings. He looked into her eyes, sensing greatness in her future.
"Asuka!"
Magikarp wriggled around in her trainer's hands, pleased with the name her trainer came up with. No longer would she be just "that shiny Magikarp", now, she was a new Magikarp. She was...Asuka.
Meow clapped her hands
"And it's done! Super fun names, by the way!"
Benedict would have to remember how nice Holly sounded. Maybe if he catches another female Pokemon, or for something else in the future….