Hide and Seek
Sorry about the incredibly overdue update. I had about 5k words written back in July, but a series of god-awful circumstances took the muse outback and wholly erased it. The situation is thankfully resolved (as of recently) so hopefully the next one won't be as far apart lol. Anyway, enjoy this 7k beast. Was originally going to extend but that would have been awkward pacing-wise, and this thing was already pushing 8k so I snapped it. Merry belated Christmas/new years! Feedback is appreciated as usual, and I'll see you guys next time.
Beta'd by: EXNativo, SlugSlinger
Working in the world of Pokemon was both mundane and sometimes more exciting than Liam could have imagined.
The job itself wasn't any different than what he was used to. Restock a few items here, sweep over some random spot until it looks presentable, all of the expected tasks from working as a store clerk. However, adding Pokemon-themed items into the mix made his first few days of work jarring; the myriad of different berries, new technology, and other trainer-related tools was enough to leave his head spinning when his first shift ended. Thankfully Kenai had the patience of a saint and took his initial blunders in stride (at least, as long as he hadn't cost the store anything with his mistakes.)
Surprisingly though, the real excitement of his job came from the customers themselves.
Izabe Island was extremely environmentally diverse, to the point that it almost seemed unnatural. One second you could be trudging through the desert amidst a swarm of Vibrava, and the next you could be risking frostbite on one of the island's frozen peaks. Of course, this level of diversity attracted trainers and coordinators to the island like moths to a flame to either further their skills or add new members to their roster.
Because of this, Izabe Island and the Pokemart saw a steady influx of trainers wandering about with their supernatural partners, much to Liam's awe. Just a little over a week ago an ace trainer had walked in followed by one of his favorite Pokemon out of the recent entries, a Grimmsnarl. It had taken him an embarrassing amount of control not to gape at the 7-foot-tall Dark-Fairy hybrid as they maneuvered around the store. Judging by how it seemed to preen from the attention, he wasn't as subtle as he thought.
'I've gotta get one for my team in the future,' Liam thought, releasing a strained grunt as he shoved one final container onto the stainless steel shelf with its brethren. Heaving a breath, he swiped the bottom of his shirt across his forehead and grimaced in disgust at the accumulated sweat that stained it.
If there was one thing he hated about Hoenn, it would be the constant energy-draining humidity that engulfed the region. Usually it wouldn't be this bad; the natives of Hoenn had adapted to their home region's high temperatures, and their clothing was explicitly designed to deal with it as a result. The problem was that his job's outfit was mandatory, and the current temperature left him feeling like he was stuck inside of a mini oven. The air conditioning was recently fried in an accident courtesy of an overly excited Pachirisu, and the parts needed to fix it wouldn't be here for another week. Until then, Liam and his co-workers were stuck being boiled alive.
Unfortunately for him, today was the day the store was due for its next inventory shipment, and his task was categorizing and organizing each box that came with the new stock. Liam would have complained more about the lack of help, but honestly, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to maintain a friendly disposition with customers or co-workers with how badly the heat had gotten to him.
'Just one last scan Liam, then you can wash all this gunk off of you and get a fresh set of clothes,' he thought tiredly, stepping back from the wall to double-check his work one last time.
Letting his gaze wander across the abnormally spacious room, Liam felt a spark of satisfaction bloom in his chest. Lined up against the walls were numerous sets of wide metal shelves, and on each were containers of varying shapes and sizes, all neatly stacked and compacted. Each of them was filled to the brim with all sorts of different commodities for trainers and coordinators to choose from. Training weights, Pokemon food tailored for each type, backpacks and tents with the newest Devon Corp technology for storage. Hell, they'd even gotten a surprising shipment of TMs this time, something Liam knew wasn't common for most marts on the island.
After verifying that the last few crates were in order, Liam glanced at the clock and was relieved to see that he had finished exactly at the end of his shift. "I finished the inventory boss!" His voice echoed out from inside the room. There was a moment-long pause, and Liam almost thought Kenai hadn't heard him despite his shout.
"Right on time too. Good job. Before you head out, there's something I need to talk to you about." the baritone voice of Liam's boss sounded just outside the room's entrance, nearly startling him as he walked towards the door.
"Shit, I haven't done anything wrong have I?" Keeping his stride, though noticeably more hesitant, Liam approached the entrance door. After a brief pause, he pushed it open and flinched as he nearly ran directly into his employer waiting on the other side of it.
"Whoops, sorry bout that Liam. Shouldn't have stuck so close to the door." The older man rumbled out with an apologetic shrug, slightly rustling the red container he held in his grasp.
Despite the man pushing sixty years old, Liam didn't think Kenai looked his age in the slightest. The Alolan native had a build similar to a Machamp, standing over six feet tall with a frame that pushed just about any outfit he wore to their limits. That combined with his tanned skin and the wavy black hair that went down to his shoulders drew him an obscene number of stares from female customers. Liam was convinced that Kenai was the reason a chunk of their customers came in the first place. Either to see if the rumors were true about his physique or as free eye candy to set their gazes on.
"Don't worry about it. Not like anyone got hurt." Liam waved his apology off. "So, what did you need from me?"
"We'll get to that, but first, did you have any problems in there?" Kenai raised a brow of concern in the teen's direction, causing Liam to blink in confusion. "I know this shipment was one of our biggest in a while. I'm just asking to make sure you didn't get overwhelmed doing it yourself," Kenai clarified.
"Eh, it was fine for the most part." The raven-haired teen informed with a shrug, trying to ignore the stares his boss unknowingly drew with his presence. "The TMs gave me a bit of trouble because they weren't packaged properly, but I got everything done with no accidents, and none of them were broken when I opened it. Just make sure you tell whoever is going back there to be careful with the containers for them if they need to grab any."
Kenai's jaw tensed at the information, and the ominous squeak from the container in his hold told Liam more than enough about his current feelings about what he'd been told. "Those morons," He practically snarled, shoulders tensing and somehow stretching his shirt out even further. "This is the fifth shipment in a row this has happened! I keep telling them to make sure it's properly set up, yet somehow the biggest company in the region can't put a few discs in a fucking container!" That man quietly ranted, thankfully mindful enough of the nearby customers potentially hearing his outburst.
The tanned store owner seemed to be about to continue his tirade before he noticed Liam's bewildered stare and the container creaking in his grasp. After a moment's pause, he closed his eyes and took a harsh breath before exhaling, and seemingly calming himself down. However, Liam could still see the simmering frustration in his eyes, and knew when this conversation ended some poor intern would get the tongue-lashing of a lifetime over the mistake.
"Regardless," he continued after a few more moments of awkward silence, "I'm glad you could get it all done with no issue. Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't have held you accountable even if you had broken anything in there. It's not your fault someone apparently can't do their job." Kenai sighed, tone still tinged with the remnants of his frustration.
"Glad to know I have immunity in case something gets messed up later," Liam quipped lightly, successfully drawing a chuckle from his boss. "To get back on track though, what did you need me for?" Liam asked him once more.
"Right, right, sorry about that. Sidney's order of Pokeblock ingredients came with the rest of the supplies this morning. Just wanted to hand them off to you since you're heading that way anyway." Kenai coughed sheepishly, pushing the container forward slightly for the teen to grab.
"Do I get paid extra for it?" Liam joked with a mischievous grin, accepting the carrier with a slight grunt from the effort. 'How much of this shit did he order? He wondered in surprise.
A huff of amusement from the man before him distracted Liam from the crate's weight. "Maybe in your dreams kid," He chuckled good-naturedly. "Oh, and one more thing," Kenai suddenly started, the cheer in his tone fading away for a level of seriousness that caught Liam off guard. "Make sure you keep an eye out on your way home. There was a wild Pokemon attack on a couple last night, and we aren't sure if the culprit is still nearby."
"An attack?" Liam blinked in surprise. Most wild Pokemon Liam had seen in the area had been particularly friendly towards humans. The one exception was a hungry Ursaring a few months back, and even that incident was handled peacefully. "What type of Pokemon was it?"
"A Rhyperior," Kenai replied grimly, and Liam winced at the name. Rhyperior was among the stronger species of Pokemon that lived on the island. Their species was rare in the wild because protectors were so uncommon, but the ones that found one completely dominated their respective environments if left uncontested.
What Liam was curious about was why one would be so far down the mountain to begin with. Their species gorged on the mineral deposits in their habitats, so they had little reason to ever come down from their homes. Most of the time, it was only if they were pushed out of their territory by stronger competition, whether that be love rivals or different species entirely. Though there had been cases of them climbing down if food became too contested.
"Luckily for them, the boyfriend had a few Pokemon on him, though he still couldn't defeat it alone," Kenai continued explaining. "All the commotion was eventually picked up on, and by the time others began to notice, it fled. Damn thing didn't feel too confident against a crowd apparently."
'That explains the chattering I've been hearing about all day,' Liam mused as his eyes narrowed. There had been a lot of whispering about another Pokemon-related incident on his way to work, but he had assumed it was another news story from the mainland. To hear that it was so close by though… "Any plans to deal with it from law enforcement or Sidney?" Liam questioned him further, shuffling in place to remove the sensation of pins and needles from standing for so long.
"The Jennies couldn't even if they wanted to. According to the witnesses, it used Dig to escape the area. For all we know it could be on the other side of the island at this point. They don't have the resources for that kind of job, not in this town anyway." Kenai said in reply to the inquiry, arms stretching out his shirt further as he crossed them. "As for Sidney? He should be able to handle it easily, but I don't even know if he's aware of what happened. I wasn't able to reach him this morning. Make sure to let him know in case he hasn't been made aware by now."
Liam nodded as Kenai finished his sentence, already planning to tell him before he'd even asked him to. "I'll make sure he gets the message when I get back home," Liam assured him, trying to hide how eager he was to get out of the conversation. The humidity was becoming unbearable, and he was getting increasingly eager for a chance to wash away the nine hours of manual labor with a warm shower.
"Thank you. Other than that, you're good to go and head on home." Kenai expressed his gratitude with a pat on the teen's shoulder, nearly causing him to drop to the berry-filled crate. Kenai hadn't even seemed to notice his excessive feat of strength as he continued talking. "Give Sidney my regards, and I'll see you next week." With one last parting nod, Kenai made his way towards the front of the store to help out a fresh group of customers, leaving Liam to his devices.
'Don't have to tell me twice. I don't know how long I could stand there holding this thing,' Liam sighed in relief. Readjusting the container to get a better grip and trying to avoid the crumpled parts on the handles, he wasted no time making his way through the sea of customers and exiting the store for the weekend.
Unlike most of the towns throughout the world, Cerosi Town was one of the few that properly lived up to its name as a town instead of feeling like some MegaCorp city disguised as one. Liam shuffled through the bustling crowd, the sounds of dozens of shoes stepping against the cobblestone pathway ringing in his ears as people made their way about. Various vendors lined the runway, hoping to bring new customers from the oncoming rush into their businesses. When he had come here for the first time with Sidney the cacophony of different sounds had given him a migraine. After going back and forth for over a month, it whittled down into a minor headache. Small steps he supposed.
A woman and her Fidough were setting up a fresh set of pastries in their window, the heavenly smell causing Liam to pause mid-step. Unfortunately, after a few moments of internal struggle, responsibility won out over his sweet tooth, and he continued past the stand. His guide wouldn't be too happy if he'd taken longer than he already had.
'Next time," Liam promised himself, giving a passing nod to the woman and her partner. The eager bark and wave he received made him smile.
After getting a few more passing greetings from a few locals who recognized him, the sights of the charming rustic buildings eventually faded away as he reached the outskirts of Cerosi. Oak trees lined the pathway as he walked further outwards; his footsteps crunching softly against the grass was the only sound in the area. Liam's stride finally came to a halt as he reached the forest entrance.
'If I knew she was gonna be late I would have stopped for that snack after all,' Liam thought, somewhat amused after a few minutes had passed. However, the ball of nervousness in his stomach betrayed his true feelings. The conversation with Kenai was still fresh in his mind, and suddenly, the thought of standing out in the open with no means to protect himself was looking less and less appealing with every minute that passed by as he waited.
Just as he began to consider trying to call out for her, the sound of a rapid trot from behind was the only warning he received, just before a large black blur slammed into his chest as he turned towards the noise. A sound somewhere between a cough and a wheeze escaped him as he was knocked flat on his back, and for a few moments, he sat there stunned. A grimace threatened to spread across his face as a dull throb began to emit from his chest from the impact.
'What the fuck hit me?' He groaned internally. A glance towards the weight on his chest answered his question, and Liam felt a flare of annoyance and relief at the sight of the grinning black-furred canine, glowing in amusement at the effectiveness of her "prank." "If you're gonna get mad at me for being late, express it in ways that won't give me a heart attack or cause me bodily harm, you sadistic mutt." Liam scowled at her.
She only laughed in response, an eerie combination of high-pitched yips and growls that shook her large frame, drawing a groan of protest from Liam's sore body.
A high-pitched bark from his side drew his eyes away from the impish hyena to her much smaller and infinitely more adorable pre-evolved counterpart. The Poochyena's tongue hung out as it panted, tail wagging in enthusiasm as it nudged Liam's side for attention. "Well, I'm glad one of you is happy to see me," Liam said, smiling as he reached out to scratch behind the pup's ears. He laughed as it practically melted into his touch and pointedly ignored Mightyena's annoyed huff in the background. Maybe she'd think twice next time before body-slamming him.
After a few more seconds of petting, Liam figured it was time to get a move on. With the path back to the beach being a twenty-minute walk, Liam wanted an early head start on it. Ceasing his petting and sliding the dark type off his chest, Liam ignored their whining protests as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Come on, we could have already been halfway back by now if someone hadn't decided to be petty," walking past the pouting dogs, Liam reached down to grab the thankfully still intact crate and started making his way towards the treeline. As he walked into the forest, the sounds of padded steps trailed behind him a moment later.
'I wonder if all of Sidney's dark types are like this or if she's just an exception,' Liam mused as he stepped over a fallen tree on the pathway. He held back a laugh as Mightyena tried to leap over the same log and nearly fell flat on her face when her hind leg got caught on a stray branch. It became even more of a struggle when Poochyena did it perfectly, causing her to pout in betrayal. 'I swear she's more childish than her kid, Liam thought in amusement.
Left alone with nothing but his thoughts and the sounds of the two dark types' footsteps in the background, Liam's mind eventually drifted toward his current teacher.
Three days after Liam had accepted Sidney's sponsorship, the dark specialist had whipped up an aptitude test to gauge what they'd need to cover for Liam to catch up. The results were …heavily varied. Basic questions such as evolution requirements or type classifications came easy to him; years of playing the series beat those into his head. He'd even been able to mostly answer some of the more detailed questions from his self-study sessions. However, the further into the test he got, the more he began to realize just how out of his depth he was when it came to his new home. It was hard to answer how an Umbreon's poisonous sweat should be dealt with when Pokemon hadn't been tangible to him until recently.
After his mixed results and a bit of condescending reassurance from Sidney, the dark specialist had taken his results and made a curriculum suited to his knowledge level within a day. Liam was curious about how he could make it so quickly and had even briefly wondered if Sidney had taken students before his arrival. When asked about it, Sidney simply shrugged off the question with a lopsided grin and told him it was "classified." While unamused, Liam still appreciated that the man was putting so much effort into helping him.
Liam noticed on his new "Poke Bootcamp plan" (dubbed by Sidney) that survival lessons formed one of the larger portions among the rest of the curriculum. Turns out, there was a lot more to taking care of himself and future companions than just knowing how to make a fire and set up a tent, and Sidney made it clear just how imperative it was for a trainer to be able to live off the land if need be. Thankfully, most of the berries found in the wild were edible for human consumption, so most of his lessons on the topic were centered around finding said fruit rather than a dozen PSAs on which ones would rupture his organs if he ate it.
Liam would have continued his internal monologue, specifically about some of the more… haunting biology lessons (he would never be able to look at Masquerain the same way again), but a bark from the larger canine in front snapped him out of his reverie. The greenery of the forest had finally ended, and in its place were the familiar sights and sounds of Sidney's beach. Just up ahead, the familiar sight of Sid's beach house began to enter his vision, causing his pace to subconsciously quicken.
'I'm unsure if it even qualifies as a beach house.' Liam thought as he began to increase his stride. Despite Sidney insisting it was a beach house, Liam thought it fit the title of a mansion more. It stood at two stories tall with a deep maroon paint that contrasted surprisingly well with the golden sand surrounding it. The windows on the sides of the house were large for more sunlight and offered a glimpse of the incredibly spacious interior. As he walked past one of the front windows, Liam was able to catch a glimpse of Sidney through it in the kitchen, seemingly having a late lunch.
"We're back!" Liam shouted as he entered the building, though the hyperactive puppy's barks overshadowed his voice as it darted past him inside. The familiar chill of the air conditioning system drew an appreciative hum from his lips as he shut the door and began walking toward the kitchen when Sidney's sudden cries of dismay caused him and Mightyena to pause in the middle of the foyer.
'That's probably the sound of his lunch being ruined,' Sharing a look with Mightyena, which showed she was having similar thoughts, Liam continued down the incredibly well-furnished hallway towards the dining room, noting the steadily increasing sounds of a struggle. He couldn't stop the snicker that slipped out as they finally reached the kitchen entrance. "Need a little help?" He asked in amusement. Mightyena seemed to share the sentiment at his side, though it was mixed with exasperation at her son's behavior.
"I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," The dark-type enthusiast responded dryly, eyes filled with a resigned annoyance as the remains of his lunch now occupied the floor. The sullen-faced Poochyena in his lap gave an apologetic whine as Sidney absent-mindedly scratched behind his ears. "That was a damn good casserole too… " He muttered dejectedly.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Liam started, walking over to the table and placing down the crate of ingredients. Liam could feel his shoulders cry out in relief as they were relieved from the heavy weight. "Your Pokeblock ingredients came in with the supply shipment today. Maybe you could make something with these?" Liam attempted to cheer him up.
The man visibly perked up from his sullen state, eyes finally landing on the crate Liam had brought along with him. "Well, it's about damn time!" He exclaimed, reaching forward to remove the top of the crate before pausing as he noticed the crumpled handles. "What the hell happened with those?" He asked in confusion.
"Kenai's temper got the best of him again while holding it. The new shipment of TMs wasn't packaged right. Apparently, this is the third time they've done it." Liam shook his head.
Sidney let out a loud guffaw, slapping his leg in amusement and nearly shaking Poochyena straight off his lap. "Sounds just like 'em. He doesn't look it, but he has one of the meanest tempers I've ever seen; I swear I've seen Gyarados calmer than him when he gets riled up." Sidney finished chuckling, though the mirth in his eyes remained.
"Is that sorta thing common with him?" Liam tilted his head.
"Eh, from time to time, yea," Sidney replied, tone nonchalant as he pulled the top off the crate and began pulling the ingredients out, Poocheyena hopping off his lap to sniff at each of them. "Normally, it takes a lot for him to get to that point, but he's had some pretty explosive outbursts before. I guess repeated screw-ups will do that for him, though. Especially regarding TM orders. Damn things are expensive as all hell."
"I guess so. Still, it's not something I wanna see again anytime soon. At least as long as it's got nothing to do with me." Liam finished, wincing at the thought of that level of ire being aimed at him.
"I doubt you'd ever be able to induce that level of rage within him, but understandable. His outbursts are never fun to be on the receiving end of," Sidney finished with a nod. Popping one of the numerous yellow berries, Aspear, if Liam remembered right, Sidney gave a groan of delight at the sour flavor. "The team is gonna enjoy this batch for sure," he muttered to himself between chews. An insistent sniffing at his side made him snort before he dropped two berries for the dark types to munch on. "You both only get one each." He sternly addressed the canines, though they hadn't seemed to pay him any mind as they dug into their afternoon snack.
"So, anything else exciting happen at work? " He questioned, popping another one into his mouth.
"Yeah, something pretty serious, actually," Liam frowned, gaining Sidney's attention and drawing a raised brow from the man as he turned to Liam. "Did you hear about the Rhyperior attack last night?" Liam questioned his mentor.
Sidney paused mid-chew at the question, and Liam could practically see the gears spinning in his head. "A Rhyperior attack?" He repeated aloud, brows furrowing in concern at the news. "No, I can't say I have," Sidney responded slowly, visage beginning to fill with apprehension. "Where'd this take place, and was anyone hurt?" He questioned, back noticeably straightening as he became invested in the topic.
"Last night just outside the town. A couple of trainers were able to ward it off, but people have been a bit concerned about it swinging by for revenge. From what I've heard, they weren't even able to beat it. It just left on its own, using Dig when too much attention was drawn from the battle. " Liam explained, causing Sidney to lean back in his chair with a grunt. Liam felt slightly bad for ruining the man's cheery mood, but a Rhyperior could pose a serious problem if left unchecked. The last thing anyone needed was it swinging by for round two and unleashing something like an Earthquake in its wrath. The damage would be catastrophic.
There was a tense lull in the conversation after that. The only sounds in the kitchen were the oblivious Poochyena's gorge fest as it continued to snack on its berry, just now beginning to gnaw on the core itself. Liam could see Sidney's shoulders tense, face contemplative as he thought about what he'd been told and considered his next course of action. What made the whole thing worse was that Cerosi Town had recently lost its ace trainer group; Team Aqua's attacks had been getting worse, so the PLA had deemed it necessary to redistribute them for the time being, figuring that Sidney's presence alone would ward off any wayward pirate attacks. While they'd been correct on that front, doing so also left Sidney as the lone authority in situations like this.
After another minute of silence, Sidney sighed, inadvertently drawing Liam's attention away from the pup chewing on his shoe. "Aight, here's what's gonna happen," Sidney started firmly, turning his attention back towards Liam. "I'm gonna have my team scout out the forest. They're all more than strong enough to handle themselves if it is still there, and if it's not, then that means it fled back up the mountain after the confrontation. As for you, hit the shower and meet me outside half an hour from now." Sidney instructed him.
"Not that I have a problem with it, but what for? It's not like I can do anything to help here," The teen questioned, head tilted in confusion.
"You'll find out soon enough, kid," Sidney said to his student's inquiry. "But first, I need to clean up…this." He gestured towards the still-spilled casserole on the floor. Liam was surprised neither of the dark types had eaten any during their discussion. "Now get going already. I can smell you from all the way over here in those clothes." Sidney mockingly coughed.
Liam grimaced as he rubbed the back of his head. "Not much I could do. Was another scorcher at work today, and the outfit we have to wear just makes the heat way worse." He gestured to the blue vest still adorning his frame. "Would be a lot easier if they let us take it off since we don't even have an air conditioner right now." He complained with a grimace.
"Gotta make sure you look the part on the job, even if it kills you," Sidney snorted as he stood up from his chair. "Anyways, you go on and do your thing and meet me outside when you're finished."
"Yeah yeah, I heard ya. Guess I'll see you in a bit then," Liam said, following suit and standing up from his chair. With a parting nod towards Sidney, Liam exited the kitchen, continuing down the foyer and heading straight up the stairs to his room.
Liam let out a light exhale as he turned off the shower faucet, slid open the glass door, and stepped out of the shower, grimacing as his feet came in contact with the damp floor towel. The warm water had done wonders in eliminating the grimy sensation on his skin from the accumulated sweat, leading him to get carried away in the blissful sensations. What was meant to be a ten-minute shower turned into fifteen before finally snapping himself out of his drowsy state at the twenty-minute mark. Liam would have normally had more qualms about the wasted water, but Sidney had assured him early on that his league salary and frugal lifestyle left him with plenty of cushion in terms of finances.
"Doesn't mean I should make a habit of it, though." Liam thought, grabbing a nearby drying towel and getting to work.
Five minutes and a thorough drying session later, Liam was ready to go. Dark and shaggy hair was tied in a short ponytail atop his head while the rest spilled around his ears and neck, almost similar to a mop. As he brushed a stray hair out of his face, he made a mental note to get it trimmed the next time he went into town. He was sure there would be a barbershop to clean it up at.
He'd decided to dress lightly this time compared to his earlier outfit. A simple light gray undershirt, along with a pair of white shorts, fit his body like a glove. He'd decided to go with lighter tones on the chance that whatever Sidney wanted involved spending time outside, which was the most likely scenario. After one final check in the bathroom mirror, Liam returned down the stairs and outside, spotting Sidney standing a short distance away from the house, flanked on either side by his Mightyena and Shiftry.
"You look good." Sidney complimented Liam as he made his way over to the trio. The canine at his side also gave an approving bark, while the grass type gave a silent nod as a greeting. "Lightweight clothing with lighter shades is perfect for what you'll be doing today, assuming you accept that is." He continued in approval.
'So it does have something to do with the outdoors,' Liam mused with a hum. "Accept what exactly? You still haven't even told me what you called me out here for." Liam asked before pausing as a thought struck him. "Are you gonna have me groom your team again?" He asked almost hesitantly.
"Not today, no. Though if that's something you wanna do again I wouldn't mind it" Sidney joked, chuckling as Liam rapidly shook his head in denial. '"But I'll go ahead and explain then,'' Sidney quickly got back on track.
"Originally I had another exercise planned for you today involving the forest, one of my favorites. This time we'd be covering Pokemon signs and pattern recognition." Sidney informed him. "Pokemon often have different signs they leave behind when they traverse through an area, or when marking their territory, that people can use to study and be able to correlate what's in a specific area. Things such as scorch marks on the ground from an electric type attack, remnant puddles from a water type, frozen shards from an ice type. I'm sure you get the idea." Sidney concluded, grinning sharply as Liam nodded slowly.
"This doesn't apply to all Pokemon types, however." Sidney continued his explanation. "Some of them like psychic types don't leave much to go off of at all, at least not in the physical sense. In this case, whenever they use their abilities or attacks they leave behind their own "trail, at least in the loosest sense. It's invisible to the naked eye and only detectable via a psychic of your own or devices that have been made to pick up on it. Ghosts are similar in how their energy functions."
Liam nodded his head slightly to show he was still following along. "I'm gonna assume you set up some of these spots with wild Pokemon in the forest?" It was the most likely scenario in his mind considering all of his exercises involved the outside. Sidney had told him that there needed to be a balance with his education and that learning exclusively from a book only led to a "know-it-all Poketech mindset." Not even cooking was exempt from it. The dark-type user had Liam spend an entire two weeks eating meals he made himself via a campfire. He wouldn't call himself a chef, not even close, but at least his meals were edible compared to the crispy failures they were initially.
"Got it in one!" He grinned once more, teeth blinding under the evening sunlight. "Earlier today I went ahead and set up three of these spots inside the forest, each of 'em made by a different Pokemon from my team. Your objective would have been to investigate these spots and make a guess as to what caused it based on the damage left behind, of course, the sudden Rhypherior presence throws a wrench into that." Sidney's cheerful mood grin faded in the blink of an eye, a scowl replacing his visage. "But instead of immediately canceling the whole thing, I figured I'd ask if you still felt comfortable doing it."
"Before I answer that, there are still two things I'm wondering about the whole thing," Liam queried after a pause, continuing on when Sidney gestured for him to do so. "For starters, is there any way to tell the difference between what caused the damage? Like, how would you know if an actual ice type used an Ice Beam, compared to a Pokemon that can learn ice-type moves?"
"You don't." Sidney instantly responded. "The closest you could probably get is judging by how bad the damage left behind is, but even then, that doesn't mean much considering Pokemon can just get more efficient at using other types of moves through training. You'd pretty much always be in the dark as to what actually did it."
Liam pondered for a moment, before nodding, satisfied by the answer. "Fair enough then. As for the second question, aren't trainer routes documented to hell and back at this point for each Pokemon that inhabits the area? Why couldn't you just look at a roadmap and know instantly from that?"
'Seems like someone's been doing their homework,' Sidney thought in approval, though it was marred by a hint of concern. While the route roadmaps were incredibly helpful for starting trainers, they often led them to make poor judgment calls due to overreliance. There were too many stories of greenhorns ignoring obvious warning signs, leaving them and their teams hurt or worse because of easily avoidable situations, and he'd be damned if he let Liam become one of them.
"Because those guides only account for what's supposed to be on the route. There's nothing in those that prepares you for unknown factors popping up." Sidney began, and Liam stood straighter as he recognized the tone of Sidney's voice. Seems like it was time for another lecture.
"To be honest, this lesson is less about what's in the area as opposed to teaching you how to look out for what isn't supposed to be there. Too many trainers go into routes thinking they're safe because of some pamphlet they carry around telling them they are when that simply isn't the case. This isn't to say it's bad to use, far from it actually, but the information shouldn't be taken as an absolute rule, at least not in this instance." Sidney paused mid-explanation, noting with satisfaction that Liam seemed to be following along with rapt attention
"There will be times when one thing says everything is Zigzagoon and Wurmples, and the next thing you know an Aggron bursts through the tree line looking for a brawl. Pokemon are as wonderful as they are unpredictable, so you can't always only rely on book smarts alone regarding them when you're out there." Sidney finished his lecture, giving an affectionate scratch behind Mightyena's ears. Even Shiftry seemed to agree, given his sagely nod at his side.
"What isn't supposed to be there, huh," Liam parroted aloud to himself, brows scrunching together in thought as he recognized the weight of Sidney's words. "Does that happen often? Pokemon delving into areas they aren't known to?"
"All the damn time," Sidney grunted derisively. "Like I said, Pokemon aren't limited in where they can choose to go, and while we have ace trainers out and about to deal with the more hostile wanderers, it's still an issue dealt with regularly. It doesn't help that the encounters are sometimes from greenhorn's thinking they can take on something they aren't ready for. The only thing they succeed in pissing is it off and making everyone's job harder." Sidney scoffed.
"Now, with all of the questions done, let's get back to why we came out here in the first place," Sidney suddenly exclaimed with a clap, breaking the gloomy silence and drawing Liam out of his thoughts. The two Pokemon next to him flinched from the close proximity, both of them staring at the man in mild annoyance which he pointedly ignored. "Do you think you'd be comfortable doing this? I'm not gonna judge you if you decide not to, a Rhyperior is a few steps above the usual Nidoran you'd find around here. Worst case scenario we just do this next week after I've confirmed it left the area." Sidney's shrug was casual, but the concern in his voice was caught by Liam.
The smart choice here was obvious, and oh so tempting to Liam. Kicking back on the couch while letting Sidney do his thing sounded neat, but honestly? It rubbed him the wrong way. Sidney had already gone through the work of setting the whole thing up and letting his efforts go to waste because the risk didn't sit right with him. Not to mention that according to Sidney, pokemon did this kind of thing pretty frequently - something he berated himself for not realizing sooner - and in his mind, dealing with it in a somewhat controlled environment would be better than out in the wild for the first time. Not that he was dumb enough to think he could do anything to stop it, but having it happen with a safety net sounded better than in the wilds. Of course, this was assuming it showed up at all.
"I think It'll be fine if I do it," Liam finally decided after a few more minutes of thinking. "I don't think your team would miss anything if there was something to find, so it's probably truly gone at this point." He concluded. With the sheer speed of Sidney's Shiftry, or even his Malamar scanning the area, Liam doubted the rock type could properly hide anyway. "Plus, in the worst case scenario, couldn't one of your Pokemon drive it off?"
"Of course they could," Sidney scoffed. His tone was indignant, but Liam could tell the man wasn't actually annoyed. "I was always going to have Mightyena here -" he gestured towards the canine, who seemed more interested in gouging out the sand than their conversation - "accompanying you during this little venture. Since the point of this lesson is figuring out what caused the damage rather than where it is, she will be leading you to the spots so you can finish quicker and be your bodyguard at the same time." Sidney briefed, letting out a sharp whistle that drew the sand-covered hyena's attention back towards them.
'So she chaperones me, I play detective, then get back home and get graded. Sounds simple enough.' "So am I good to go then? Or is there something else I need to know?" Liam questioned, stretching his arms behind his head and being rewarded with a satisfying pop for his efforts.
"Nothing else you need information wise, but you're gonna need something to mark your findings in," Sidney said, reaching into his shirt pocket and pulling out a small, red-coated notebook, and offering it to the teen.
Liam took the journal into his hands, a spark of curiosity growing in his chest the longer he studied it. The journal was a worn old thing. The red paint was dulled into a gloomy velvet, and adorning its cover were old and frayed edges to go along with it. "Property of Sidney Cain" was engraved into the cover with faded golden letters, surprising Liam since up until this point he hadn't known Sidney's last name. 'Pretty badass for one though' he thought, somewhat jealous. Everett seemed pretty lackluster in comparison.
Deciding to randomly flick to one of the pages inside, which he noted were surprisingly fine compared to the rest of the book, he blinked at the numerous sporadic notes and details that covered the page. Each section was littered with different details. Graphs, training regimes, behavioral patterns, hell there were even dietary plans. All of it was tailored for dark-type Pokemon. Continuing his way through showed that every page was more detailed than the last, covering more and more. Subjects all the way from their preferred treats to energy manipulation exercises. It was astounding.
"Holy shit…" The teen muttered in awe.
"That right there is a culmination of my years of working with dark types, all the way from the beginning of my journey up until now." Sidney preened with pride at his students' reaction. "It doesn't see much use these days since everything is memorized in the old noggin, but it was a good way to keep track of things. It helped me keep my head in the game back then." Sidney finished, tone filled with a sense of nostalgia that Liam had never heard from him.
"Are you sure it's ok for me to use this? This seems too important to use for field notes, and I don't even wanna think about if it accidentally gets torn or something." Liam asked him warily. He internally cringed at the thought of ruining his teacher's archive of information.
"Bah, like I said, it doesn't see much use nowadays anyway so it's not like I'll be missing it for a few hours." Sidney waved off Liam's concerns with a scoff. "Feel free to use it as much as you need to for this, really. I don't mind." Sidney insisted.
"Well...if you're sure," the teen finally accepted. Even with Sidney seemingly unconcerned about the book's condition, Liam would make sure to return it in the same old and worn state in which he had received it.
"It'll be fine," The redhead gave a pat of reassurance on his shoulder. "Me and Shiftry are gonna head into town and see if anyone else knows why this might have happened. If we aren't back before you two, just go ahead and leave the notebook in my study, alright?"
"No problem," Liam nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you both later then. Good luck, and stay safe out there," And with a parting nod towards his student and a quick scratch behind the Mightyena's ears, he turned towards Shiftry and clasped a hand on his shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the duo had vanished. The only sign of them being there at all came from the sudden breeze that ruffled Liam's hair. Courtesy of Shiftry's outrageous speed.
'Who needs teleport when your Pokemon can replicate the body flicker perfectly,' Liam thought in amazement. After breaking out of his stupor, he turned towards Mightyena. "You ready to head out?" He asked, drawing her attention away from cleaning the sand in her fur.
An affirmative bark rang out from her between jaws, before she turned around and began walking in a random direction towards the tree line, tail wagging all the while.
'Let's get this started.' He thought, quickly sprinting up to her to not be left behind. As she led him through the foliage, they were both unaware of a curious set of red eyes watching their departure from the beach.