A little over a month later and we're back! Welcome to Sinnoh! Thank you for reading so far!
Azalea watched as One Island disappeared from view. She had taken the first ship to Sinnoh after graduation. It felt so exciting to be free. Her first check as a sponsored trainer was 2,000 Pokedollars, and she got one of those every month! It was meant to pay for everything she needed on her journey. She couldn't wait to start shopping when she landed. The trip would take a little over 40 hours. It would have taken less time, but more money to ride a plane to Sinnoh.
Azalea returned to her cabin. The room had a bunk bed, a desk, no windows, and was cramped as a coffin. But at least it had wi-fi.
I can make it to the Sinnoh Conference. I will get there. As long as I qualify and get past pools, everything will have been worth it.
You needed at least four badges to qualify for the Sinnoh Conference, but each additional badge you earned started you higher in the conference pools. There were several days of battles where your team fought a pool of seven other trainers. There were no breaks in your pool to go to the Pokemon Center and you had to fight two pools in a day. It was a marathon, and the fewer battles you had to fight, the better. If you didn't perform well enough in the day's pools, you were eliminated from the tournament.
I should earn at least six badges. That way, I'll skip the bottom half of pools.
No one had ever started at the bottom of pools and claimed the Sinnoh Champion title. All champions either had eight badges or qualified by placing high in the elimination stage from the previous year. Passing pools was a big accomplishment. It could propel a Pokemon Trainer into a life-long career. When Lucas Diamondback and Barry Pearlman got past pools, they were instantly picked up by the Poketch Company and Sinnoh Battle Frontier. It also helped that they saved Sinnoh from Team Galactic.
Azalea browsed the internet on her bed., researching Sinnoh's trainer routes. Her ship would be landing at Canalave City. It's gym leader (Byron) was a steel-type trainer. That gym had a 3-member, 1-switch format, so she would need to catch another Pokemon before challenging it.
Smoldering and Blaze are both fire types, so It shouldn't be too hard.
She stumbled upon an interview with Byron. Maybe it could give some hints about how best to face him.
The interview took place in front of a large glass window that overlooked the city and sea. Byron stood with a wide stance and arms crossed and wearing a smile that radiated fatherly charm. He towered over the female reporter who was dressed in a neat skirt and jacket.
"I have with me the gym leader of the industrious Canalave City, Byron! Tell us, what is your favorite place in the city?" The reporter said.
The gruff man smiled a hearty grin. "Well, I love Genta's Sushi, near Pier 5."
"Bleh," Azalea had eaten fish and rice for her whole life. Couldn't he have chosen something like burgers or a steak? Azalea skipped ahead.
"...Well, I tell new trainers to start the circuit wherever is closest and to have a plan after that," Byron said. "I'm sure you've heard the stats. Half of all trainers that sign up for the circuit quit before earning their second badge."
Azalea skipped ahead again.
"...-type Pokemon usually evolve into yellow and red ratings. Do you have any tips for trainers looking to add one to their team?" The reporter asked.
"The steel type is a strong, yet flexible type. Pokemon like Steelix and Bastiodon—like all Pokemon—must be respected and trusted. Most steel-type Pokemon are used to rocky or even underground environments. That means their first instinct when they see a wall is... well to tear it down!"
"Oh my!" So how can an aspiring trainer prevent that?"
"Get them used to their Pokeball. Then after that, train them to only break things on command. I remember when Roark's Geodude knocked down the living room wall..."
Byron continued giving advice. Most of it was stuff Azalea had covered in school. Type match-ups, item synergies, and even some mega-evolution info.
After hours of watching videos in her cabin, Azalea fell asleep.
Azalea awoke with a start, finding herself suspended in an inky blackness. Yet as her eyes focused, she realized it was not total darkness. Pinpricks of light glittered endlessly above and, gazing down, she saw their reflection shimmering upon a vast sea.
It was only then that she recognized the scattering of souls upon what must be the ship she traveled upon, floating serenely on the starry waters far below. Impossibly, it seemed she hovered a great distance above, able to see all in an unearthly clarity.
A gasp escaped her lips as the truth dawned.
I'm using aura sight! I've never done it before. This is awesome!
It was a shame that this was a dream and not reality. Or was it? The auras of the ship felt too crisp, too detailed. The stars formed recognizable patterns in the sky, and the moon was a crescent. Wasn't it supposed to be full tonight?
Azalea looked around and tried to move herself, but she just floated, locked into place above the ship.
It's my dream. Why can't I fly?
Azalea suddenly lurched forward, her stomach dropping due to the sudden acceleration.
"What the hell is going on!?" Azalea hurtled towards a city with many docks, imaginary wind rushing past her.
There were no lights, just impressions and outlines of buildings and roads. Except... what was that light sitting on a pier?
It's not sitting, it's trapped!
Azalea felt its emotions as if they were her own. She was trembling, scared, and cold. She felt like the world had abandoned her. She wanted her mother. She didn't want to be alone. The emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Her aura began stirring. The Pokemon sensed Azalea's intrusion. It gave a single impression to her.
"Help."
Azalea was thrust across the world and shoved back into her body. She woke up with a start, hitting her head on the empty bunk above her.
"Fuck! Ow," Azalea rubbed her head. She tried banishing the lingering emotions while wiping tears from her cheeks.
What the fuck was that? Azalea closed her eyes, half to compose herself and half to check if...
No aura sight. Really, what was that? I've never been able to do it, so what the fuck?
Azalea rested on her pillow, still rubbing her head. It was a surreal experience, using her aura like that. She was trying to leave that stuff behind.
I'm a Pokemon trainer now. I'm not going to let my past define me.
But that Pokemon she had sensed, she needed help. What if she was trapped, scared, and alone? Could Azalea abandon her?
Just a dream. I'm stressed. I just need some sleep.
...
The ship docked in Canalave City and Azalea disembarked near the customs office. While the scents and sounds were reminiscent of home - the salty sea air, cries of Wingull overhead, the tolling of ships' bells across the waves, the rumble of engines - the city itself was vastly different than anything she knew.
Towering structures of modern steel and concrete replaced the antiquated wooden buildings of the Sevii Islands. Shops and cafes lined the wide streets on the first floors of structures three or four stories tall. People bustled everywhere, dressed in an array of modern fashions like suits, polos, skirts, and hoodies. Not a single kimono in sight.
The streets seemed endless, a chaotic flurry of activity compared to the quiet lanes of her small town. Although unfamiliar, Azalea took comfort in these small connections to home, even as she began to explore this fascinating new place filled with life, sounds, and scents both new and nostalgically familiar.
Azalea found a brochure and map of the city at a stand in the customs house. She read it as she waited in line to be processed. The city was a mess of grids divided by canals and connected by bridges. She was a short stroll from the Canal Walk, a circuit of roads that led to the city's most popular landmarks.
The Battle Quarter is only three miles from here. I should find a hotel and a third team member before anything though. Could I buy one?
There were many ways a trainer could find a Pokemon in a city like this. With the league starting, it was peak season for enterprising catchers,—people who caught Pokemon for a living. Maybe she could pick something up from a Pokemon Breeder. It would take longer, but training a Pokemon from a dedicated breeder was often easier than training a wild Pokemon. Both of those options cost money, lots of money. Easily starting at 500 Pokedollars.
As Azalea exited customs she made her way to the Battle Quarter. The brochure indicated that it was the hub for Pokemon Trainers. The area was bursting with shops a trainer needed.
There might be a shuttle to a nearby trainer route. It would be the cheapest way to find a new Pokemon.
She would only pay for the shuttle ticket and the Pokeballs, so she would have plenty to find a hotel. But Azalea still had one question in mind.
What Pokemon will I catch? Or maybe...
That dream. Azalea tried to push it out of her mind but couldn't. The utter sense of helplessness and abandonment still haunted her.
It was on a pier. Ugh, what am I doing? It was just a stressful dream.
Perhaps that dream was just a product of her guilty conscience. Running away from home wasn't made easier despite the 2k checks.
Azalea walked beside The Canalave, the large central canal that gave the city its name. A cast iron fence painted green wove an elegant, geometric pattern barring people from the water. Brightly painted gondolas carried people up, down, and across the waterway. Both sides were lined with stone-paved pedestrian streets bustling with people and their Pokemon. The scent of freshly baked bread and pastries filled the air from passing shops. Those seemed popular and numerous here in Canalave City. They all advertised a pastry called an Éclair, which Azalea promptly sampled from at least three shops. The crisp treats were filled with sweet cream and topped with chocolate icing.
Beats red bean and ube fillings any day.
Azalea decided to take a shortcut, she was eager to check the Battle Quarter for Pokemon. She would have to hurry before the catchers and breeders gave away the best they had.
Soon the ornate and colorful tourist area gave way to simpler, everyday buildings. Gift shops and cafes were replaced with corner stores and offices. The streets were paved with concrete and the trash cans were decidedly less artistic. Cars and carts were parked on the sidewalks of narrow, one-way lanes. The buildings boxed Azalea in, shading her from the sun. She spotted a few Ratata running around carrying garbage in their mouths. Shrouded alleys remained puddled with rain that hadn't dried. The few people Azalea saw walked quickly, ducking into alleys and staring at their feet.
Some people might have been frightened by this part of the city, but Azalea was intrigued. There were no shady parts of town on One Island, and the only shady place on Three Island was the forest. She was confident that she could beat up anyone trying something funny. She would just have to make sure that she didn't break too many of their bones. Being a stranger was new to Azalea. All her life, she was recognized by the people around her and she recognized them back. On Three Island, people didn't even lock their doors! Such a peaceful place was at odds with the martial arts she grew up learning.
I'm finally out in the world and all I can think about is home.
A small blur of motion caught Azalea's attention. She had exited an alley and now was in an open street lined with parked trucks. A group of men in work clothes ran in the direction of the blur. One man was riding a Bronzong. He was bald but had a strikingly intense gaze.
"Make way!" The intense man yelled.
Azalea obliged and the group of men rushed past her. She watched them go and tried to spot what they were chasing, but couldn't see it. The intense man flew into the air on his Bronzong—to better spot his quarry.
What was that about? Azalea shrugged and then resumed her trip to the Battle Quarter.
About 15 minutes later, Azalea arrived at her destination. The battle quarter in Canalave City was a grand sight. The Pokemon Center built in monolithic stone stood apart from the city, surrounded by battlefields in active use. The gym sat at the edge of the quarter with a wide avenue connecting it and the Pokemon Center. The gym was built of steel and concrete in the shape of a shield. It had a colorful metal sculpture shaped like the Canalave gym badge standing at the main entrance.
Street vendors set up shop under the strategically planted trees on thoroughfares that radiated from the Pokemon Center. It looked like the start of the league circuit had prompted hundreds of people to watch and participate in battles. Many had even brought chairs and coolers.
The Pokemon Center itself was a massive grey granite building brimming with copper-tipped spires and pointed archways. Azalea had never seen anything like it before. It was the Gothic style—popular after Hisui was renamed to Sinnoh. Not a single part of the Pokemon Center was smooth. Every foot was crenelated, carved, or sculpted with geometric designs reminiscent of those iron fences on the Canalve. It was clear they got their inspiration from the Pokemon Center.
The inside of the center was similarly grand. People flowed through thick wooden doors that were at least 15 feet tall. The floor was made of polished granite. Stone pillars held the roof high overhead. There were four massive healing machines that Azalea could see. Each was larger than the one she had seen at home. The Pokemon Play area was incongruously colorful against the building's stone hues. The place was inundated with people Nurses and staff chaotically weaved through the crowd. There seemed to be as many people inside as there were outside. The PA system was in constant use. How could anyone hear it over the crowd? Azalea decided to escape the confines of the center.
She stepped outside and crossed a thoroughfare between battlefields. The entire battle quarter was a sea of activity dropped right in the middle of the city. At it's edges were shops and services all about Pokemon. They sold, food, battle items, berries, and even evolution stones!
5,000 for a fire stone? Azalea gawked at the price.
She passed some Pokemon Breeders and decided to take a look inside. The clean shop had a few families with small children browsing incubators and little enclosures. It was mostly baby Pokemon whose lineages the breeder was all too happy to talk about. Azalea decided she didn't have the time or patience to raise one at the moment, so she moved on to a catcher bazaar.
The tented market was nestled in a lot between two buildings that had a clear view of the Pokemon Center. Several people pedaled their catches to those gathered. The customers were mostly Azalea's age, and they looked to be high school graduates like her. They wore fancy jackets advertising what school they graduated from. A few of the boys with matching haircuts were nudging each other and checking her out. She ignored them.
The prices here were what could be expected, around 500 Pokedollars. What Azalea needed to decide was what kind of team she wanted to build. Some trainers stuck to a certain type of physiology. Pokemon of each type had their own set of needs and training practices. Steel types had to have their armor polished and filed down while fighting types needed lots of food. That's why many trainers picked a type and stuck with it. It was cheaper and easier if your whole team only needed the same type of care.
Azalea had two fire types, a type that was absent in this market. So if she was going to add a team member today, she wouldn't stay a mono-type trainer.
One of the vendors eagerly waved a dazzling polka-dot fan to attract customers. He wore a pair of fishing overalls and sat on a metal stool with his feet on a mat. He was in his socks and his tall white boots caked in mud stood off to the side. He caught Azalea looking.
"Young lady! Can I interest you in a Croagunk? The feistiest one I ever saw in the salt marshes," said the oily vendor.
"I guess I'll take a look."
"Excellent. Excellent," The vendor released a Croagunk from a standard pokeball.
The toxic mouth Pokemon squatted on the ground, looking contemptuously up at Azalea. It seemed to measure her up as if it were considering attacking her. There was a crisscrossing of scars on its back—the result of a whip. This Croagunk was treated harshly, maybe trained by criminals to hurt other people. That would explain the twitchy stares it gave to all the humans.
"Are you sure this is a wild catch?" Azalea said.
"Yes, yes I'm sure. It must have escaped its previous trainer. He has quite the fight left in him, I assure you! Took down my Scyther before I managed to nab him." The vendor smiled crookedly.
Azalea raised a brow. Was that the letter G stamped on the sides of those boots? This guy couldn't possibly be...
The vendor spoke up "You like my boots? I got them for cheap at an old pawn shop. And yes, they were Team Galactic boots. I hate to admit it, but I liked their uniforms. I'm not one of them though." The vendor twitched another smile.
Azalea wasn't convinced. Team Galactic had been defeated over five years ago now. What pawn shop would have such old boots? Not to mention boots that seemed to be holding together well after five years of use. There were rumors that Team Galactic still lived, searching for Cyrus—their charismatic leader. But those were just rumors, right?
"Sorry. I don't think I'm interested," Azalea turned to leave and almost ran right into a bald man wearing work clothes. It was the same bald man that she saw riding a Bronzong. The bald man spoke, his eyes lacking the intensity Azalea had noticed before.
"Larry, I'm in need of your tracking and catching skills."
"Janus, I told you not to bother me while I'm working. And not to bother me after work either," Larry scowled.
"I'm sure I can make it worth your while."
"No. Now leave before I start to get unfriendly."
"It involves an old charge of ours. Just think about it old friend," Janus dropped a thick envelope in front of Larry.
Azalea left quickly. The bald man was wearing a pair of new white boots with the letter G stamped on the sides.
I'm looking for beta readers (12/29/2023)! I've been having trouble finding reliable ones. It is my understanding that Beta Reading is not critiquing. They're supposed to be there to make sure my writing is conveying the ideas I want it to. So I can finally determine if people think Azalea's a bitch, Daniel is boring, and Wilson is dead before actually publishing my work. If you're interested PM me.