Traffic on the tollway was light as GS Transport's Truck #2,013 made its way toward Vermilion City on the inaugural run with its new crew at the wheel. The big bronze cruise ship propeller in its cargo area glistened in the morning sun as the big rig transported it toward the port where it was needed.
With another pop of the clutch Ken the driver now had his new truck up to highway speeds. He had just set the cruise control, selecting a speed a pinch below the legal limit, when he felt an odd burst of heat strike him. He looked over to his new Pokémon partner Fennekin. The little fire type was now curled up in the passenger seat and venting a little heat off through his ears.
"Well I'm glad you're relaxed," Ken told his Pokémon. "Some say the first load is the hardest. Can you imagine how much trouble I'll be in if I trash this truck on the first day? I'll be back to driving that purple minivan I had at Rattata Express for the next decade."
"Fennekin fen kin," Fennekin replied, his tone almost seemed to be one of "I can relate."
Fennekin looked out the window for a moment and thought back to just how he'd ended up "riding shotgun" in a giant truck and tasked with protecting its loads from danger. He wondered what Professor Sycamore would say if he could see him now. Like most Fennekins he'd been breed specifically as a starter Pokémon for beginning trainers in Kalos. He remembered how proud he was when a brown-haired girl named Camille choose him over a Chespin and a Froakie and they set off to see the world together.
They got off to a good start with Fennekin cooking a gym leader's Vivillon with his ember attack in Santalune City before he got knocked out by the Surskit the opponent sent out next. Camille used another Pokémon to finish the battle and win her Bug Badge but Fennekin wondered if she lost confidence in him after that defeat. Camille's partnership with him started souring after the gym battle with the little fox finding himself used less and less. Without a real chance to level up and improve the little fox's performance in the battles he did get into suffered even more. It felt like he was spending more and more time in his Poké Ball as the losses started to pile up. After he lost to a Tyrunt at the Cyllage City Gym Camille seemed to simply give up on him. He still remembered the last thing she said to him.
"You were a nice start Fennekin but I'm playing to win," Camille said before returning him to his ball for the last time. "Wonder how much I can get for him. He's probably more fit to be a pet or do something in those showcase things than battle."
Fennekin had no idea how long he spent in his Poké Ball after that but it gave him a long time to think about those last words. "More fit to be a pet or do something in those showcase things." He knew he'd likely never see Camille again but he'd still show her. He was tough, he was resourceful, and all he needed was a second chance to prove it to the world. He couldn't wait until he could get out of his ball again although his jaw about hit the floor when he finally did and found out Camille sold him to trucking company to basically be one of its guard Pokémon.
Still, now that he had gotten the mulligan he needed Fennekin promised himself he'd succeed with it. He didn't get much training at the garage, other than some of the crew teaching him how to use his ember attack to weld metal and a couple of rides around town to see if he'd behave himself in a truck, but he was promised he'd get one of the company's drivers as his new trainer and another chance to see the world after he did well.
Fennekin smiled as he looked out the window. Today was going to be the best day of his life. He had gotten another trainer and while this Ken guy would certainly be a little rough around the edges, he had a feeling this partnership could be a good one. Ken choose him, even if he hadn't kept Pokémon before when push came to shove he agreed to take him along and Fennekin wouldn't forget that. It was good to be wanted again.
For Ken the chance to drive for GS was the result of years of hard work. His mother had been a Pokémon trainer in her youth, albeit not very successfully, and his father worked in the office of a construction company. While his sister Sandra took up a major interest in Pokémon and often hung out with their mom Ken was always more drawn his dad's work, fascinated by the big vehicles that the company used. The dump trucks were his favorite as a child and from that his love of the trucking business grew.
When many of his classmates, including Sandra, paused their studies to attempt Pokémon journeys he stayed in school and studied hard. Once he graduated he moved into trade school to learn about truck engines and the business. After taking classes at a truck driving school he earned the licenses he needed to hit the road and got his job with RatEx.
All that time he spent memorizing the streets of Celadon City and taking care to deliver his loads safely led to getting this shot at the big time but nothing had specifically prepared him for having a Pokémon partner. The twist was however fast turning into a pleasant surprise for him. He was honestly looking forward to calling Sandra to tell her about Fennekin once they got to Vermilion City. He knew she'd get a kick out of this. On the business side of things, he also needed to know what kind of supplies he'd have to pick up to care for the fire type properly, they had left Celadon City in a hurry, and she likely knew that information better than anyone else on his cell phone's contact list.
Traffic was light on the tollway on this morning. Several trucks from a number of different companies shared the road with a wide variety of commuters and travelers. Both Ken and Fennekin were surprised as a large bus blew past their truck like it was standing still, the brown bus bore the unmistakable brown livery of the popular intercity line Stoutland that naturally included the image of its titular ride Pokémon. With little traffic to worry about the newest odd couple of the interstate had a little time to start building up their new partnership.
"Alright, so all you can say is your species name Fennekin?" Ken asked his Pokémon.
"Fen," replied the little fox.
"We can work out a system around that," Ken said. "I figure that whole 'understand each other's every move' thing like the trainers battling on TV must come with time but for now let's start small. You understand me already right?"
"Fen," Fennekin replied.
"Is 'Fen" what you say when you mean 'yes?'" Ken asked.
"Fen," said Fennekin.
"What do you say for no?" Ken asked.
"Kin," replied Fennekin.
"Okay, that's good," Ken said. "We can do this. Do you want me to put you back in your ball when we get to Vermilion at the end of the run?"
"Kin," Fennekin replied.
"Alright," Ken said. "Do you want to fly solo on guard duty or do you want to battle and capture some backup Pokémon?"
"Kin, Fen Fennekin," Fennekin said.
It sounded like the Pokémon wanted some partners in his assignment. Ken wasn't surprised, Mack had suggested he use the starter to get a few teammates.
"How about a name," Ken said inquisitively. "Fennekin is your species but I can give you a different handle if you'd like. What about Fred? You seem kind of like a Fred."
Fennekin growled at the proposal.
"Okay, not Fred," Ken replied. "How about Lil' Trucker or Firefox or Bandit? You like any of those?"
"Kin, Kin, Kin," Fennekin replied.
"Reynard?" Ken asked.
Fennekin again answered the suggestion with a growl.
"So you just want to be called Fennekin then?" Ken asked.
"Fen, Fennekin," Fennekin answered.
"Alright, Fennekin it will stay then," Ken noted.
He reached over and gave the little fox a pat on the head. As he finished the truck's radio buzzed to life with a message from another GS driver.
"This is Raticate 2 with a Smokey report to those on the Vermilion tollway," a female voice on the radio chimed in. "Officer Jenny with her clock is hanging out just passed mile marker 23. Keep it legal folks, the local yokels are out in force this morning and their move 'Radar' is super effective against our type. Over."
Ken reached up for the radio.
"This is Vulpix 3," Ken replied. "Thanks for heads up but I was just turned loose with this Zangoose and I don't want a ticket on the first day. I'm staying steady at three under the limit. Over."
"Welcome to the GS team fire foxy," Raticate 2 replied. "Sounds like a good lead-off approach."
The conversations on the radio continued, consisting of the usual trucker chatter.
"Piplup 7 is calling out to the world," came one voice on the radio with a Sinnoh accent. "I'm running Kanto for the first time and I've got a question that is just burning up inside me like my Flareon's Flare Blitz…Anyone know a good place to get a nice slice of pizza in Fuchsia?"
"This is Charmander 21 with a big 10-4 on that," another trucker replied. "Try good old Heart to Heart Mark's. He's got seven types of cheese and he knows how to use them. Over."
Ken flipped the radio off when a real motormouth started getting into a long story about this "super cute hitchhiker" he once picked up near Castelia City that turned out to be a Zorua looking to bum a ride. A smile came across his face as Vermilion City came into view. Fennekin looked up and similarly had a moment of awe as the glistening buildings and deep blue waters of the port city beckoned them forward.
Exiting from the tollway Truck #2,013 cruised under a giant arch decoration that welcomed visitors to the city before maneuvering toward the harbor. Crossing a short suspension bridge the truck entered into the bustling dock area. Ken looked down at clock on his truck's dashboard, the light traffic meant they were coming in a few minutes ahead of schedule. Ken adjusted his radio from the truckers' highway frequency to one used by dockyard staff.
"GS Vermilion Dock, good morning," Ken said into the microphone. "This is Vulpix 3 and I've got a big bronze propeller looking for a ship."
"Roger, Vulpix 3," came the company dockmaster's voice on his radio. "Proceed to the cruise ship terminal and turn in at the loading dock. That will be the second entrance if you are coming in from the city side. Follow their instructions for parking and we'll get unloaded. Captain Kristensen will meet you to receive it."
"GS Vermilion, 10-4," Ken replied.
"Once we get that propeller off your truck I'll see about getting you another cargo," the dockmaster said, a sound of shuffling papers was audible over the radio alongside the comment. "Looks like I've got some Poké Mart supplies bound for Pewter City. Check in at the office, I think it might be a few hours before that load is ready to move."
Truck #2,013 arrived at the entrance to the terminal and pulled up to the gate. A guard came out to great them. Fennekin watched as Ken rolled down the window to talk with her.
"Good morning, that's a nice piece of metal you've got on the back there," said the guard. "Is this the one for the Alola Oasis?"
"They didn't give me a name for the boat but I was told to bring it here today," Ken replied. "It's for a cruise ship."
"Well then that's the one," the guard said. "Alola Oasis is in the first dry dock but it's a little tight over there parking wise. Why don't you just park your truck on the main cargo dock and we'll unload it there. The cruise ship Anne is docked here today, you'll have a great view of it there if you think of that as a nice plus."
"Didn't that ship sink?" Ken asked.
"The St. Anne went down but they built a new one with a slightly different name," the guard said.
"Huh," Ken replied. "As long as nobody messes with my truck I park it anywhere you want."
Ken rolled down Fennekin's window as he drove into the terminal area. The little fox had never seen anything like this before with giant ships docked right to well-used warehouses. The hustle of trucks heading off to inland destinations with freshly-arrived cargos from across the oceans reminded him of the Celedon City garage.
Ken rounded the final corner and found a parking spot on the dock. As big as Truck #2,013 was it was completely dwarfed in size by the gleaming white Anne visible at a dock in the waters nearby. Two dockworkers followed the truck to its parking spot with a forklift to unload the propeller along with an official-looking man in a captain's uniform. With a turn of the key the truck's engine was silenced.
"First run done," Ken said to his Pokémon partner. "I hope they are all this easy."
Fennekin could only roll his eyes at that remark. If that statement was going to be true, he certainly wouldn't be there.
Ken pulled out the paperwork for the delivery as he opened the door and stepped out of the cab. Fennekin was fast to follow. The captain walked up to meet him. Ken quickly looked it over as he shut the cab door, making a few marks on it with a pen. The dockworkers had already removed the propeller from the truck and were lowering it onto the dock with their forklift.
"Are you Captain Kristensen?" Ken asked as the captain approached.
"Indeed, I am," Captain Kristensen responded. "I assume this is my new propeller."
"Yup," Ken responded before handing over the paperwork to the captain. "Please sign where noted to accept your delivery."
The captain gave the propeller a fast look over before determining it was ready to use. He liked what he saw. Captain Kristensen signed the paperwork and handed it back to Ken.
"I can't wait to break this one in on our voyage to Hau'oli City next week," Captain Kristensen said.
"Thank you for shipping with GS, we always do our very best," Ken said with a smile.
As Captain Kristensen and the dockworkers departed Ken let out a sigh of relief that his first cargo had reached its destination. His attention then immediately turned to Fennekin as the little fox looked up at him.
"It's time we use this break in the action to get you a little more equipped for the road," Ken said.
Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, quickly dialing a number. The phone rang just once before it was answered.
"Hello Sandy," Ken said. "I just delivered my first load for GS but you are not going to believe what else I've done today..."
AUTHOR NOTES
Because he's there to protect Ken's truck Fennekin really is "riding shotgun" in a literal sense in this fic. That phrase originated in the United States in reference to stagecoach crews during the "Wild West" days. Whenever the stagecoach had a valuable cargo aboard it would typically be staffed by a crew of two with a driver and a guard to ride alongside them up front. The guard was tasked with protecting the stagecoach from any sort of attack by outlaws or anyone else and a shotgun was often their weapon of choice, thus the phrase. Granted Fennekin has to make do with fire attacks instead of a firearm but his role is the same.